Halo TV series premiere has a Mass Effect Easter egg – here’s where to find it

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It's not quite a hidden Skull, but it'll do

Master Chief from Halo and Commander Shepard from Mass Effect
(Image credit: BioWare/EA/Paramount)

No, you’re not hearing things. That was a Mass Effect reference in the Halo series premiere.

Mild spoilers for Halo episode 1 follow, you have been warned. 

After Miranda Keyes (Olive Gray) finishes speaking to Kwan Ha (Yerin Ha), you can hear some faint radio chatter from the UNSC flagship. Among those at 33:50, an operator says, "Commander Shepherd, you are requested at the Skillian Response Center."

343’s Kiki Wolfkill has confirmed that it was a deliberate Easter egg. "Everybody loves Mass Effect" she tells us, adding that the shoutout happened because the games industry is a "very collegiate environment." 

"Very much so, yeah, all depending on how they’re executing it," Cavill said at the time. "The world of adaptation can be heavy or light. When I like a product, I prefer the adaptation to be less changed from the source, so it all depends."

Cavill continues: "I think it’s found a home, hasn’t it? If [the series] finds a home, I would love to have a conversation."

For more on the Halo side of things, here's our interview with the cast and creators of the Halo series, including talk of timelines, controversies, and reinventing the Master Chief.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.