Microsoft drops first Windows 11 ad starring Halo's Master Chief wreaking havoc

Microsoft today debuted its first ad promo for Windows 11, with the long-awaited OS getting a helping hand from Halo’s Master Chief.

Not content with promoting Xbox alone, it seems Master Chief has now also landed an unlikely starring role in the latest commercial for Windows 11. Dubbed “All Starts Now” by Odessa, the 60-second ad features the new Microsoft Store, Microsoft Teams, and Master Chief, amongst several others to introduce the new OS launching on October 5.

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Including Halo’s Master Chief is apt, of course, because many gaming features from the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are set to head to Windows 11. The major thrust of Microsoft’s commercial, though, is centered on the sparkly new upgrades coming to Windows 11. 

We never envy anyone who has to simplify their tech-heavy product to prospective users (including us). So, this time around, Microsoft has put together a video featuring an actress strolling through walls of apps. After a short while, she selects Xbox Game Pass, which then causes Master Chief to appear before causing carnage in true Halo style.

All of the ad's content is rather cleverly weaved together into a snappy Microsoft promo, which goes some way to explaining Windows 11's in-built support for Microsoft Teams, as well as the native system tricks that automatically upgrade a game’s lighting and color to HDR for users with compatible monitors. 

“Brings you closer to what you love,” is the commercial’s tagline. Microsoft's choice of words is interesting: maybe it suggests the cleanness of the Windows 11 experience, along with the visual revamp that will separate it from a more cluttered Windows 10 interface. Of course, it won't be long before Windows 11 formally launches, and we hope to see some more of Master Chief as Microsoft's new mascot, especially if it involves blasting Halo banshees out of the sky. Keep 'em coming.