Halo fans wanting to get their hands on a special item can now bid on a Master Chief helmet covered with Swarovski crystals on eBay.
That's right, this blinged out helmet is probably the sparkliest piece of Halo merchandise gamers have ever seen. And it's all ready to ship to the highest bidder on the popular auction site.
The helmet is the creation of Taiwanese cosplayer Hsu Chia-Hao, aka Braid Clarke, and Australian designer Jenny Manik Mercian. Mercian has done similar work for Victoria's Secret, as well as for supermodels.
Studded with 25,000 Swarovski crystals, the headpiece weighs about 11 pounds. All proceeds from the auction go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a charity organization that provides special experiences for sick children with life-threatening illnesses.
Right now, the highest bid is around $510, but that's likely to go up quickly. The seller will ship anywhere around the world, but shipping will cost $200. Of course, any Halo fan willing to pay $500 or more on such an item probably won't blink at the expensive shipping and handling fee.
In a video released by Xbox Asia, Chia-Hao talks about the creation of the helmet, as well as his love for the Halo games: he made his first Master Chief cosplay in the 10th grade. He designed the helmet, while Mercian worked with him to bedazzle it with crystals.
The helmet makes its debut on eBay at the same time Halo 5: Guardians arrives on Xbox One. So far, the game gets mixed ratings, with some critics praising the game's multiplayer mode, but others criticizing its story.
"Halo 5: Guardians features an underwhelming, confusing and surprisingly banal campaign that's not actively bad, but equally not quite good enough to warrant a purchase on its own," writes Ian Dransfield of Digital Spy. "Fortunately, Master Chief's adventure doesn't end here, and whether you team with friends and ramp the difficulty up, or get stuck into some 12 on 12 Warzone action, the extensive multiplayer offerings ensure Halo 5: Guardians isn't a total washout."
The crystal-studded Halo helmet auction is up for a total of 9 days, so if you're looking for the shiniest piece of game-related merchandise ever available, bid now and bid often: after all, it's for a good cause. Interested Halo fans can view the auction and make bids on eBay.
Meanwhile, Halo 5: Guardians is now available for Xbox One.
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