WATCH: Seattle Rings in the New Year with Halo Theme

Source: @urbanashteam on Instagram

As people around the world counted down the last seconds of 2021 with festive holiday music and New Year’s-themed songs, many in Seattle were listening to something different. During the KING-TV broadcast of its “Needle New Year” celebration, the final minute of the 2021 countdown was accompanied by the main theme from Microsoft’s flagship Xbox shooter, Halo. Specifically, the version of the theme that played was “MJOLNIR Mix”, a heavy electric guitar variant from 2004’s Halo 2. You can watch the countdown below:

After MJOLNIR Mix and the official arrival of 2022, an augmented reality show at the Space Needle began, backed by several volleys of fireworks. The show celebrated several beloved symbols of the Pacific Northwest, including Seattle’s various sports teams (including the Seattle Kraken, the city’s newest hockey team debuting in 2021).

All in all, it’s pretty cool to see the Halo theme playing at a New Year’s celebration. It turns out that while the theme’s Gregorian chants and legendary guitar riffs are ideal for leading the fight against the Covenant on a mysterious Halo ring, they’re also perfect for sending 2021 into the history books.

The Halo Infinite campaign is home to some awesome music like this, and it’s available now for $60 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and Windows PC. It’s one of the best Xbox shooters ever, so you should definitely pick it up and give it a try.