Ever since that first 'Halo on Xbox One' trailer debuted way back at E3 2013, fans have been waiting for the next chapter in the Master Chief's story. Thankfully, said wait is almost over: in just a few short weeks, Halo 5: Guardians will be making its way to Xbox consoles all over the world.

Of course, with such a huge game, Microsoft has spared no expense when it comes to marketing: Halo 5: Guardians is everywhere these days, with more trailers running at the same time than some games ever get in the first place. For Halo fans, it's great, especially with so many new live-action trailers to watch - but if there's any one teaser that fans should get excited for, it's the Halo 5: Guardians launch trailer.

For gamers, the launch trailer means one thing: the game is ready to hit store shelves. This is officially the final stretch, the last bit of waiting before the game is ready to play - and when it comes to Halo 5: Guardians, that means ditching the live-action drama in favor of some brand-new gameplay footage:

Late last week, Halo 5: Guardians went 'gold': basically, the game itself is finished and discs are being manufactured. Sure, the launch trailer may not have been made specifically for the game going gold (it probably would have come out last week if that were the case), but it still serves as a symbol that, for all intents and purposes, Halo 5: Guardians is done.

The trailer itself manages to walk the line between showing off new footage and spoiling the game: fans have seen most of what's on display throughout the teaser, even if the environments themselves are new. Plus, the clips aren't really long enough to spoil anything without going frame-by-frame...which, considering how rabid some Halo fans can be, is probably happening right now.

After three years of waiting, it's almost time for fans to suit up once again: Halo 5: Guardians is set for release on Oct. 27.

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