| M12 FA-LRV "Warthog" | |
|---|---|
| Halo vehicle | |
 A real Warthog replica created by Microsoft at theHalo 4 E3 booth | |
| First appearance | Halo: Combat Evolved |
| Last appearance | Halo Infinite |
| Created by | Bungie Studios |
| General characteristics | |
| Armaments | Machine gun, rocket, gauss cannon |
TheM12 Force Application Light Reconnaissance Vehicle,[1] nicknamedWarthog, is a fictionalarmoured fighting vehicle that appears in theHalovideo game franchise. An anti-infantrymilitary light utility vehicle with a rear-mounted weapon turret, it appears in most majorHalo titles as a drivable vehicle. Several working replicas of the Warthog were later created in real life, including byWeta Workshop for use in the cancelledHalo film. Playing an important role in defining the level design and genre ofHalo: Combat Evolved during development, the Warthog is an iconic aspect of theHalo series and praised for its design, though the manner in which it has been integrated into the series' gameplay has received a mixed response.
WhenHalo was still in development as anRTS, the Warthog was originally concepted as atank thatMaster Chief, then called the "Super-Soldier", would run alongside. It was later changed to its current design, with Master Chief being made more detailed for third-person driving sections.[2] Designer Jaime Griesemer stated that "I think the Warthog is the real reasonHalo became an action game", saying that "it was so cool to watch a squad of jeeps driving across the terrain [that] we wanted to drive them ourselves". Crediting the entirety of the final design ofHalo to the Warthog, he stated that "in some ways,Halo is the story of the Warthog and the universe we built to drive it around in".[3]
The Warthog is described as a fast and maneuverable light reconnaissance vehicle.[4] It is a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle with a 12.7mm three-barreled machine-gun mounted in the rear. The Warthog can be crewed by three people; a driver, an armed passenger and a gunner.Halo 2 added the ability to pull apower slide in the Warthog, and an anti-armour variant (the M12G1 LAAV) armed with a 25mmgauss cannon.[5] In the games, UNSC soldiers will climb into the Warthog when prompted to provide support to the main character, such as manning the turret.[3]
InHalo Wars, the Warthog is a fast scouting unit which can run over enemies.[6]
InHalo: Reach, the M12R "Rockethog" variant debuted as a usable vehicle, which differs from the base Warthog model in that it features a pair of mounted rocket launchers in the rear in place of the machine gun. InHalo Infinite, the M15 "Razorback" variant is featured for the first time as a drivable vehicle and differs from the base model in that it features four seats in the back for passengers in place of the mounted weapon, as well as heavier armor.[7]
A life-sized Warthogreplica was constructed by Weta Workshop for use in directorNeill Blomkamp'scancelledHalo movie. It was based on aNissan Patrol 4x4 truck platform and was fully functional with asix-cylinderdiesel engine,four-wheel drive, custom chassis and matchingbody armor.[8] In 2021, rally teamHoonigan Racing Division built a Warthog using arock crawler's chassis, which has aindependent suspension akin to the in-game Warthog, and powered by a V8Ford small block engine.[9] The Hoonigan Warthog appears in the filmFree Guy and was featured at the movie's world premiere in New York.[10]
The Warthog appears inForza Motorsport 4, but it is not drivable. According toTurn 10 chief Dan Greenawalt, "...it's got some technology that's built into Halo that would have been a big investment for us to then build into the game only to support one vehicle."
The Warthog also appears as a playable vehicle in a crossover withForza Horizon 3 andForza Horizon 4,[11][12] and inRocket League on Xbox One.[13]
The popularHalomachinimaRed vs. Blue heavily uses the Warthog, with creatorBurnie Burns saying one of his inspirations for the series was a conversation that was recreated in the second episode, where Burns and his friends discussed that the jeep looked more like apuma than awarthog.[14]Rooster Teeth had a life-sized, fully functional Warthog given to them by an English fan, which was showcased in an episode ofRed vs. Blue's fourteenth season, where it was examined how to do in real life the Warthog flip from theHalo games, where any vehicle that falls over in the game can be returned to an upright position with the click of a button. The episode ends with the Warthog exploding.[15][16]
WizKids released a Warthog model for theirHalo ActionClixcollectable miniatures game.[17]
The Warthog has been called a "fan favorite",[18][19] and "iconic" by critics.[20][21][11] Kristen Lee ofJalopnik stated that "the fun of the Warthog [...] is to drive around and mow down enemies with the big gun", but criticized the vehicle's handling, saying that it was "slow, sloppy in turns" and "a handful to manage", and that it had not been changed across the series.[22] Nicole Carpenter fromPolygon criticized AI drivers in the series, remarking that they "have always been pretty bad" with regards to their ability to maneuver the Warthog competently, and singled outHalo: Reach as the worst of the series in this regard.[23]
The Warthog replica built by Weta Workshop was displayed atSydney Harbour in early August 2009.[24] Another Warthog replica was built byHalo fan Bryant Havercamp and isstreet-legal.[25][26] A Warthog appeared along with a reveler dressed as a Spartan soldier at the2013 Seattle Pride Parade, which was endorsed by a representative from343 Industries.[27]
In January 2008,Kotaku reported that the design of the then-newly unveiledHummer HX was very similar to the Warthog, though Carl Zipfel, GM's director of exterior design denied the association.[28]Elon Musk stated onTwitter that theTesla Cybertruck was also inspired by the design of the Warthog, calling it "Warthogirl!"[29]
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