The Xbox 360 will be effectively, finally killed off next December when then online services for one of its biggest games series will be retired.

Halo game services for the Xbox 360 will no longer work from December 2021. That also means anyone playing the Xbox 360 version of any Halo game on Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S will no longer be able to use its online modes from that period.

The games in question are the Xbox 360 versions of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo 4, Halo: Reach, and Halo Wars. Halo Spartan Assault will also be affected.

All non-online aspects of each game should still work.

There are native Xbox One versions of many of those games, including those in The Master Chief Collection, that will continue to be supported and work as they do now.

"Here at 343 Industries, our teams are wholly focused on the future of Halo. From significant updates and improvements to MCC and the move to PC, to the future of the franchise with Halo Infinite - we’re working to deliver great experiences for years to come," wrote developer 343 in a blog post.

"To that end - today we are announcing our intention to sunset our Halo Xbox 360 legacy services to fully focus on the future of the franchise. In approximately one year, December 2021, online services for legacy Halo Xbox 360 titles will be discontinued. Owners of these titles will still be able to play these games indefinitely, however, certain online features and experiences, particularly online matchmaking, will be limited or disabled."