Halo 2 Anniversary: Spawn times for Power Weapons, Vehicles & Powerups on every PC map (21 maps) and Weapon/Vehicle spawn system

A list of spawn times for the most impactful Power Weapons, Vehicles & Powerups on every matchmaking map in Halo 2 Anniversary and the Weapon/Vehicle spawn system explained in full detail.

Introduction

This guide is a compilation of all the most impactful Power Weapons, Vehicles and Powerups in Halo 2 Anniversary. Information up to date as of 26.7.2020.

The categorization is as follows:

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	0:15
'Rocket Launcher'	3:00
Rocket Launcher Ammo (4)	0:45
Fuel Rod Cannon	0:45
Shotgun	1:30

Powerup	Minutes
Camo	1:16

Vehicle	Minutes
Gausshog	0:30

The first column indicates a Weapon, Powerup or Vehicle and the second colum shows the time to respawn for the item.

Halo 2 Anniversary Weapon Spawn/despawn system

In Halo 2 Anniversary maps there are 3 types of Weapon respawning categories: regular Weapons, "Super Weapons" and Static respawn Weapons.

For regular Weapons, the respawn timer starts ticking right as you pick up the weapon and the weapon will respawn even if you have that picked up weapon still in hand.

For "Super Weapons" (underlined in this guide) the respawn timer starts ticking after the weapon has despawned from the map. The "Super Weapons" have the max amount of that weapon on the map set to 1 (or 2 if there is for example 2 Sniper Rifles on the map ect.) while the regular Weapons have the max amount set to more than 1, thus the aformentioned behaviour.
In most maps most of the weapons like the Plasma Pistol, Magnum or Battle Rifle are regular weapons and most of the Power Weapons like Sniper Rifle, Rocket Launcher and Energy Sword are Super Weapons.

The 'Static respawn Weapons' ('marked like this' in this guide and 'underlinemarked' if also Super Weapon) have a static timer that begins 10 seconds after the map loads (for the 10 second stand-by at the start of each match) The weapons have a set respawn time and their respawn timer starts ticking right as the weapon spawns and nothing won't interrupt it. In other words every weapon will spawn at a specific time during the game and will keep spawning when the weapon's respawn time has passed even if you have the weapon in hand. This mimics the Halo CE weapon spawn system.
There are certain maps that have broken Static Weapon respawns such as having the max amount of spawns for a Static respawn Weapon be 1 when it should be 32 and static timers that change mid-game. They are pointed out in the guide.

To despawn a weapon from the map you can either:
1. Use up all the ammo and change the weapon out for another weapon on the ground
2. Drop the weapon on the ground and wait out the 30 sec despawn timer. Note: If you walk over the weapon withing the 30 sec despawn timer, the timer will reset. So let's say you dropped a weapon on the ground at 0:00 and you walk over that gun at 0:29. If uninterrupted, the weapon will now despawn at 0:59.




Not all weapons in H2A behave the same when respawning if made "Super Weapons" aka max amount to 1. There are 3 different categories of respawn behaviours:

For this example the respawn time of each weapon is 1:00 minute.

"Super Weapons"
If assigned as Super Weapon, these weapons will respawn 1:00 minute after they have been despawned from the map.

Sniper Rifle
Rocket Launcher
Brute Shot
Shotgun
Energy Sword

"Instant Super Weapons"

If assigned as Super Weapon, the respawn timer of these weapons will begin right as you pick them up but due to them having the max amount of 1 they won't respawn if you haven't despawned them yet. If you despawn the weapon before the respawn timer has depleted (1:00 minute), the weapon will respawn when 1:00 minute has passed.
If you instead wait past the 1:00 minute respawn timer and then despawn the weapon, it will respawn after 7 seconds of it despawning. This mimics the Halo Reach weapon spawn system.

Beam Rifle
Fuel Rod Cannon
Sentinel Beam
Battle Rifle
Assault Rifle
Brute Plasma Rifle
Plasma Rifle
Plasma Pistol
Needler
Carbine Rifle

Only 2 maps have one of these weapons as Super Weapons and you can observe their behaviour:
Bloodline: Fuel Rod Cannon
Remnant: Beam Rifle

"Delayed Super Weapons"

If assigned as Super Weapon, these weapons behave the same as Instant Super Weapons but they have a weird behavior when trying to despawn the weapon by using up all the ammo and changing the weapon for another one; the Super Weapon will drop on the ground like it had ammo even though it has no ammo and won't despawn from the map. You can't pick up the weapon from the ground either.

If you despawn the weapon before the respawn timer has depleted (1:00 minute), the weapon will respawn when 1:00 minute has passed.
If you instead wait past the 1:00 minute respawn timer and then attempt to despawn the weapon, you have to wait out the 30 sec despawn timer of dropped weapons and then after 7 seconds (37 in total after dropping) the weapon will respawn.

Suppressed SMG
SMG
Magnum




In practice you can pick up a Sniper Rifle (with a respawn of 15 sec), use up all of its ammo, change out the empty Sniper Rifle for a random weapon on the ground then wait 15 seconds for a new Sniper Rifle to spawn at its spawn location.

If you get the chance, you can try to pick up the enemy's Sniper Rifle (has to be a Super Weapon) for example and bring it to your base and when you run out of ammo, just walk over your team's Sniper Rifle and refill the ammo. That way YOU are the one holding the ENEMY's Sniper Rifle and the enemy won't have access to their Sniper Rifle as long as you keep hold of it.

Halo 2 Anniversary Vehicle Spawn/despawn system

For vehicles the respawn timer starts ticking down after the vehicle has despawned from the map. To despawn a vehicle from the map you can either:
1. Destroy the vehicle and wait for the wreckage to despawn
2. Wait out the 1:05 minute despawn timer. Note: The vehicle has to be moved about 1 Wraith lenghth out of its spawn location and you need to be about 1 Wraith length away from the vehicle in order for the despawn timer to take effect (see pictures). If you get in the vehicle and get out, the despawn timer will reset. After a vehicle has despawned, it takes 10 seconds of downtime for a new vehicle to appear.


See pictures:
Green Zone: You cannot despawn a vehicle if it is in the green zone considering the middle to be the vehicle's spawn point.

Orange Zone: Getting out of the vehicle and staying within the orange zone will not despawn the vehicle, but it will begin the 1:05 minute despawn timer. Once you step out of the orange zone and 1:05 minutes have passed, the vehicle will despawn.

In practice you can be flying in a Hornet (with a respawn of 2:00 min) and have it be destroyed at 1:00. Wait out the 2:00 min and be waiting at the Hornet's spawn location on 3:00 to drive it again.





All maps included from
Steam\steamapps\common\Halo The Master Chief Collection\groundhog\hopper_map_variants
&
Steam\steamapps\common\Halo The Master Chief Collection\groundhog\map_variants
with the exception of the minigame modes for each map.

Slayer, CTF ect. Prebuilt maps

Bloodline

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	0:15
Sniper Rifle Ammo (4)	0:40
Rocket Launcher	0:47
Rocket Launcher Ammo (4)	0:45
Fuel Rod Cannon	0:45
Brute Shot	0:47
Shotgun	0:15

Powerup	Minutes
Speed	1:35

Vehicle	Minutes
Scorpion	3:00
Hornet	2:30
Warthog	1:20

Lockdown

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	0:38
Shotgun	0:15
Energy Sword	0:25

Remnant

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	1:25
Beam Rifle	1:45
Rocket Launcher	3:00
Energy Sword	1:25

Powerup	Minutes
Speed	2:00

Vehicle	Minutes
Scorpion	2:00
Warthog	1:00

Shrine

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	2:10
Rocket Launcher	2:30
Shotgun	0:45

Stonetown

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	0:30
Rocket Launcher	2:00
Rocket Launcher Ammo (4)	0:45
Shotgun	0:35
Energy Sword	1:30

Powerup	Minutes
Camo	1:16

Vehicle	Minutes
Gausshog	0:30
Warthog	0:30

Warlord

Weapon	Minutes
Sentinel Beam	1:00
Shotgun	1:00

Powerup	Minutes
Camo	1:10

Zenith

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	1:20
Rocket Launcher	1:15
Shotgun	1:25

Powerup	Minutes
Overshield	2:20

Vehicle	Minutes
Banshee	2:25

Slayer, CTF ect. Skyward Forge maps

Athleon

The Rocket Launcher and Sentinel Beam's max amount is 1 so you need to despawn the weapon before the static respawn timer ends to get a new weapon. Also the Rocket Launcher's static timer is broken so it spawns again first after 1:00 minute and then continues with 2:00 minute static spawns.

Weapon	Minutes
'Sniper Rifle'	1:30
'Rocket Launcher'	1:00, 2:00...
'Sentinel Beam'	2:00

Powerup	Minutes
'Overshield'	1:00

Chronos

The Rocket Launcher spawns 2 times every 3:00 minutes then it will spawn after 8:00 minutes and stop spawning.

Weapon	Minutes
'Rocket Launcher'	3:00, 3:00, 8:00

Powerup	Minutes
'Camo'	5:00

Epic

Weapon	Minutes
'Sniper Rifle'	1:30

Powerup	Minutes
'Camo'	2:00

Erupt

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	2:00
Rocket Launcher	3:00
Shotgun	1:30

Powerup	Minutes
Overshield	1:30

Fort Hank

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	2:00
Rocket Launcher	2:00
Rocket Launcher Ammo (4)	NO RESPAWN
Brute Shot	1:30
Shotgun	1:30

Heatstroke

Weapon	Minutes
Rocket Launcher	2:00
Brute Shot	2:00
Shotgun	2:30

Powerup	Minutes
Overshield	2:00

Vehicle	Minutes
Warthog	2:30

Muskrat

The Sniper Rifle Ammo and Shotgun's static timers are broken and they will only respawn once after being picked up and you need to despawn them before 1:30 min has passed in-game to make them respawn once.

Weapon	Minutes
'Sniper Rifle'	2:00
'Sniper Rifle Ammo (8)'	1:30
'Rocket Launcher'	3:00
'Shotgun'	1:30

Powerup	Minutes
'Camo'	2:00

Vehicle	Minutes
Gungoose	1:30

Off the Grid

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	1:00

Powerup	Minutes
Overshield	1:00
Speed	1:00

Oracle

Weapon	Minutes
'Shotgun'	5:00
'Energy Sword'	7:00

Powerup	Minutes
'Overshield'	2:00

Unearthed

Weapon	Minutes
'Sniper Rifle'	2:00
'Rocket Launcher'	2:30
'Brute Shot'	1:30

Powerup	Minutes
Overshield	2:00

Vehicle	Minutes
Warthog	2:00

Slayer, CTF ect. Nebula Forge maps

Checkmate

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	1:30
Brute Shot	2:00

Powerup	Minutes
Overshield	1:00

Slayer, CTF ect. Awash Forge maps

Beaver Creek Anniversary

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	1:30
Rocket Launcher	1:30
Shotgun	1:00

Powerup	Minutes
Overshield	1:00

Select

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	2:00
Rocket Launcher	3:00

Stigma

Weapon	Minutes
Sniper Rifle	2:00
Rocket Launcher	3:00

Powerup	Minutes
Overshield	1:30

Feedback & Discord

Send me your feedback and bugs that you found in the comments!

If you want to discuss more about this guide or other Halo-related topics, join my Discord server: https://discord.gg/rVM4VYJCJ2

Thanks for viewing!

[HomeAlone]

+rep

[PlasmaArch3r]

That's weird, anyways thanks for answering.

[Okom]

@PlasmaArch3r I have no idea whether it is in rotation anymore or has ever been. It was just one of the maps at "Steam\steamapps\common\Halo The Master Chief Collection\groundhog\hopper_map_variants" so I included it. It has probably been in some rotation when MCC launched or around that time, but it has most likely been removed by this time.

Reach also has tens of amazing Forge BTB maps that are not used in rotation anymore.

[PlasmaArch3r]

By the way, just noticed a Beaver Creek remake is listed but I've never got it in regular Matchmaking. Where is it featured the most? 4v4 CTF?

[Okom]

@PlasmaArch3r Thanks! Glad I could help

[PlasmaArch3r]

Although I'm not too fond of Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer when compared to Classic, having a detailed guide like this is really helpful when giving it a chance. Appreciate a lot the work put into it; clear and useful.