Frank O’Connor spoke to Computer and Video Games about the departure of Ryan Payton from the Halo 4 team. (The story broke a few weeks ago, and while Microsoft has already released an official statement, this discussion gives you a bit more context.) If you were worried for Halo 4 because of this – don’t be. Thanks, TheOddOne.(Louis Wu 15:40:18 UTC)

Tommy92L is back with Waging Wars – he’s expanding on the techniques he was playing with in Scourge. Great cinematography! Go watch.(Louis Wu 15:00:18 UTC)

Dust Storm sent word that this week on Podtacular, they’ll be recording with some of the staff of GrifballHub, along with Rukizzel from the Waypoint forums – the topic of discussion will be how Halo has helped to build a variety of different communities. They’ll also be reading funny stories that get submitted by fans – which means if you want your story to be considered, you should submit it. Recording is happening on Friday, so you’ve got a couple of days! (Louis Wu 14:59:43 UTC)

CruelLEGACEY let us know that the ramp-up to Season 2 of his Playtime series is in full swing – the website has new features (detailed here), and the release schedule is outlined here. (Louis Wu 14:56:03 UTC)

Kermit’s hosting another Co-op night tomorrow – if you’re interested in running through ODST’s Uplift Reserve (with no vehicles), you should stop by and read the details! Good stuff.(Louis Wu 14:50:51 UTC)

Leviathan has added some very cool ancillary art to his Fistful of Arrows website – new divider pages, new title page, and what he calls ‘slightly Lucas-ed covers’ – not sure what that means. And, as a bonus, a really gorgeous set piece in this forum post. MAN!(Louis Wu 14:50:13 UTC)

Postmortem let us know about a new, in-depth piece on the Precursors, posted over at Forward Unto Dawn. A fantastic read – check it out! (Louis Wu 14:49:36 UTC)

Rooster Teeth’s latest Red vs Blue release is a PSA, as a break from the Season 9 storyline – and watching it might just make you want to lobby 343 to add new Firefight voices to Reach. (MoltenSlowa has already begun.) Go watch ‘Drafted’ – and laugh. (Louis Wu 14:49:09 UTC)

pete_the_duck tells really good stories. Lots of pics and video, too, for when words are hard. Go check it out. (Louis Wu 14:48:36 UTC)

Hypertrooper ordered a copy of the Limited Edition of Titan’s ‘The Art of Building Worlds’ – seems to be available only from Titan’s website. He took pictures. It’s gorgeous. If you’ve got the $100 or so (including shipping) to grab a copy from the UK… this one will make a fine addition to any Halo collection. (The regular edition can be purchased at Amazon for under $20 – though it won’t ship in the US until October 18.)(Louis Wu 14:46:07 UTC)

Kampy, a frequent montage creator, whipped up a video showing off zero bloom gameplay, recorded in customs games the night the gametype was released. If you want to see how fast Halo becomes when accurate shooting combines with zero bloom… watch this. (Thanks, Gabotron ES.) (Louis Wu 14:45:46 UTC)

This week, we will be recording with a few people from GrifballHub and Rukizzel from the Waypoint Forums.  We will talk about how Halo has helped build so many different communities and how they are all intertwined with each other.  We’ll be reading your tales from the foxhole, talk about any customs you send in, and some of the random e-mails sitting in my inbox.  Recording is Friday.

Unique Name noticed a fairly amusing cameo by our favorite artificially intelligent steward of New Mombassa in a recent ad for a Nerf Gun. I think you’ll be able to spot what we mean. Funny though, they should have just gone ahead and called it the “Virgilon”. Check it out!(GrimBrother One 18:34:58 UTC)

Cox from HaloCreation sent along a couple of helpful videos to assist in better understanding the recent Title Update gametype released for Halo: Reach. The first is a gameplay comparison video to show the differences pre and post-TU. The second is a handy how-to video on obtaining the TU gametype for anyone having trouble with it. pretty cool stuff, check it out!(GrimBrother One 18:26:17 UTC)

If you get a chance today, make sure you check out the long-awaited second episode of the machinima “Believer” from IESUproductions. They’ve gone through quite a bit to bring you this latest piece, and I think it’s well worth a look. Go and give it a shot!(GrimBrother One 17:19:39 UTC)

Xbox360Achievements.org ran a short feature this weekend where they discussed the Halo 4 inclusion in Forza 4 with Turn 10 Studios. The main thrust of the piece is the explanation on why the Warthog will only see “action” in the upcoming racer’s Autovista mode. People will certainly have their own opinions on the reasons behind the move, but I for one feel just happy that an icon from our beloved Halo Universe has found its way (in whatever way) into another one of my most favorite gaming franchises! Thanks to ElzarTheBam for letting our forum know about the story. (GrimBrother One 17:09:23 UTC)

The fine folks at the International Grifball League want to remind everyone that they are holding another Fiesta Night, this Friday, September 30, 2011. More details can be found here. Lobbies will be available at both 6pm GMT and 6pm EST to try and accommodate players from around the globe. This Fiesta Night will also mark the LAST DAY that teams will be able to signup for the next season of the International Grifball League. More signup info can be found here. Go and take a crack at it!(GrimBrother One 16:26:09 UTC)

In other news… it’s National Pancake Day. Go splatter someone with a Warthog. Thanks for the social reminder, bentllama.(GrimBrother One 15:30:07 UTC)

Halo Waypoint added a new piece to their Ordnance collection with the Covenant Plasma Cannon. Go give this a look, as there is always some neat information and maybe a view or two you’ve never seen before!(GrimBrother One 15:27:14 UTC)