Halo creators condemn use of franchise in ICE campaign

The former creators of Halo have expressed their outrage after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used images from the franchise to promote ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) recruitment. The campaign, which employs phrases like “ Destroy the Flood ” and “ Finishing this fight ,” sparked indignation among fans and the developers themselves, who consider the use of the game offensive and inappropriate .

Marcus Lehto, art director on Halo: Combat Evolved , called the campaign " absolutely aberrant " and stated:

“It makes me sick to see Halo being co-opted in this way.”

For his part, Jaime Griesemer, designer of the original gameplay loop , was emphatic in stating:

“Using Halo imagery in a call to 'destroy' people because of their immigration status goes too far. The Flood are zombie space parasites, not a metaphor for any group of people.”

The controversy arose after the Trump administration released an AI -generated image depicting the president as Master Chief , standing in front of an American flag with 40 stars. This content coincided with the official announcement of Halo: Campaign Evolved , the remake of the original campaign, which will arrive in 2026 on Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PlayStation 5 .

Although Microsoft has chosen not to comment on the situation, the contrast with companies like The Pokémon Company is striking. The latter publicly addressed the unauthorized use of Ash Ketchum in another ICE video, making it clear that they neither participated in nor authorized said content.

The Halo fan community also spoke out, emphasizing that games should not be associated with political messages or the stigmatization of individuals . The use of pop culture elements for propaganda purposes has sparked a debate about the ethical limits of using artificial intelligence to create viral content.

The Halo case adds to a series of AI-generated images that the US government has used to promote the president's image, including depictions of Trump as the Pope, Superman, and a Jedi from Star Wars . Each instance has provoked mixed reactions, but the use of Halo has struck a chord due to its cultural and symbolic significance for gamers and its creators.

This episode underscores the growing concern about how cultural properties and video games can be co-opted for political purposes , and raises the need for regulation and respect for creative content that is part of the heritage of fans and the entertainment industry.