Grifball

“"This is the best game since itself!"”

— Grifball Slogan

“In 2554, the Red Army introduced Grifball to the world. By 2557, all other sports had been abandoned.”

— Other slogan

Grifball is a community created Halo gametype made by Burnie Burns of Rooster Teeth.

Description

The game was originally played as an Assault variant, on a customized version of the Foundry map using Forge in Halo 3, and in a variety of map variants of Forge World in Halo: Reach and Halo 4. Players are given infinite usage of the Energy Sword and Gravity Hammer as a means to attack and defend the other players in the game as they help their ball carrier plant the Bomb in the opposing team's goal. While the arena usually lacks any obstacles, the game becomes extremely intense and strategic as the game relies heavily on teamwork and a bit of luck. The game often results in players getting several multi-kills up to Killionaires and occasionally an bomb kill (usually due to exploding Bombs).

On January 8, 2009, Grifball was included in "Double EXP Weekend" for Halo 3 matchmaking. There was no set rotation for Grifball, although it has appeared many times afterward in Halo 3 matchmaking. It is now an official playlist in Halo 4.

Development

Grifball was originally nothing more than a gag from Season 4 of Red vs. Blue made by Sarge at Grif’s expense:

"In Red vs. Blue of Rooster Teeth, Sarge is taking pop-shots with a sniper rifle at Grif (his orange soldier), whom he hates. He’s having a great time and blurts out 'This is the best game since Grifball!' That was written about three years ago and we always wondered what kind of game Grifball would have been. That’s why the ball carrier turns orange – everyone in the game is constantly trying to hammer-smash Grif and even if he scores, he explodes. Either way, Sarge wins." - Burnie Burns

Burnie Burns created the first Grifball gametype when experimenting with outtakes from Rooster Teeth’s Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack video:

"It came about when we were making the Red vs Blue D.I.Y. video for the map pack release. There was an extended version of the script that had Donut and Grif making Forge creations on Foundry to go along with Simmons’ rail gun invention. Grif’s invention was going to be the laziest game type possible, where you basically walk into the middle of the room, pick up a flag and plant it two feet away. That scene really wasn’t that funny after the flying dumpster gag, so it was cut – but I had already made the game type. I started messing around with it while we were uploading the video." - Burnie Burns

During Week 2 Highlights of GBWL08, the ball-carrier (A.K.A. Grif) did NOT die after scoring. The Grif dropped the Bomb and rode the Hammer shock wave away from the explosion to safety. When the video ends, Sarge is heard crying in the background, "I'm so sad, I don't think I can go on. End it now, end it now."

Trivia

• Three years prior to Grifball's inclusion as a Halo 3 gametype, Sarge from Red vs. Blue made a reference to Grifball in Episode 59 of The Blood Gulch Chronicles.
• The original name, Grifball, was going to be "Rugby", but was later changed when Gus Sorola and Gavin Free thought the original title was weak.
• Grifball is arguably the easiest game-type to earn the Overkill medal in a matchmaking playlist.
• A Toys 'Я' Us Comic-Con 2009 Exclusive "Grifball Spartan" figure by Todd McFarlane was put into a limited production at 6,000 pieces.
• Xbox marketplace offers a Grifball Prop for Xbox Avatars.
• There is an Easter Egg in Halo 4's Spartan Ops that has Sarge and Grif talk about the UNSC having Sports Equipment for Grifball.
• On March 17, 2013, the Grifball playlist had an update in honor of St. Patrick's Day in which the ball carrier turned green instead of orange.
• In a "Things to do in" episode of Achievement Hunter, AxialMatt presents a Minecraft version of Grifball. Later, the staff of Rooster Teeth use AxialMatt's arena during one of the "Let's Play" episodes of Achievement Hunter to play a Grifball match in Minecraft.

External

• Grifball Wiki
• GrifballHub.com
• American Grifball League of America
• National Grifball Association
• Rooster Teeth's Grifball thread
• International Grifball League