Halo: The Master Chief Collection has had a rocky start, and a lot of updates. Early adopters have struggled getting the game off the ground to where it needs to be.

Microsoft is aware of that, and it’s rolling out a series of updates and additional content to make up for it. They’re not scrimping, either.

The head of 343 Industries, Bonnie Ross, has announced a Thank You to fans. Within that thank you was the announcement that the full campaign of Halo 3: ODST will be added to Halo: Master Chief Collection, in full 1080p resolution and with a 60fps framerate. Truly, we’re being spoiled.

Best of all? It’s going to be free.

There’s also going to be a newly-remastered map added to the Halo 2 multiplayer - the beloved Relic map is getting the full anniversary treatment. Halo 2 was arguably the game which convinced gamers of the owrthiness of Xbox Live in the first place, so seeing more HD versions of fan-favorite maps will no doubt go down a storm.

In response to the rocky start enjoyed (or, more appropriately, lamented) by Halo: The Master Chief Collection, anyone who played between November 11th and December 19th will get a free month of Xbox Live in addition to exclusive nameplates and avatars for use in-game. Ross prefaced these freebies with, “This has been a humbling experience and highlighted how we as a studio can – and need – to do better for Xbox fans around the world. We are so grateful to our fans who have stood by our side and we appreciate all of your patience as we worked through these issues.”

You see, Sony? This is how you apologise for subpar online games.

Ross closed the thank you by saying: “The satisfaction and joy of our fans is absolutely critical to everyone at 343 Industries and we regret the issues and the frustration you have endured. We are truly sorry and thank you for your continued patience and support of the Halo franchise.”

For fans of the Halo series, having an entirely new campaign and multiplayer map added for free is an amazing gift, and it lays the foundation for a potential future for an Xbox One release of Halo: Reach, the only mainline Halo game that hasn’t found its way into the Master Chief Collection so far (Halo Wars was superb, but it was a spinoff). And a free month of Xbox Live is icing on an already delicious cake.

Maddy Richards reviewed the singleplayer portion of the game and found it to be an essentail purchase. “If you own an Xbox One, then picking up Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a no-brainer,” he said in his Halo: The Master Chief Collection singeplayer review. “Far from being a simple rehash of what’s gone before, The Master Chief Collection is one of the first truly essential games to be released this Holiday season.”