Rat's Nest

This article is about the miniseries. For the SAFE outpost, visit Outpost Rat's Nest.

Rat's Nest
General Information
Genre	Tragicomedy Western Science Fiction
Created by	Syp The Mighty Revoltge
Director	Syp The Mighty
Writer	Syp The Mighty Revoltge
Cast	Revoltge Daks Ebb! Pootan jaxbeetle Blankslate TheiDsStudios
Editor	Syp The Mighty
Music	Cole Vakassian
Animation	jaxbeetle (Part 1) EprothStudios (Part 3, 5) SephticMI (Part 4)
Illustrator	jaxbeetle
Modding	HeroesUnite (Part 5)
Episodes	5
Production Information
Studio	Spite Box
Game Engine	Halo 3 MCC
Original Run	June 29, 2025—
Status	Ongoing
Production
Previous	Season 1
Next	Echoes

Rat's Nest is a Halo-based machinima miniseries that serves as a prequel to Guard Duty, airing since June 29, 2025. Directed by Syp The Mighty from a screenplay she wrote with Revoltge, this series centers on Trooper just prior to his introduction in Season 1 during an encounter with the guards stationed on Outpost Rat's Nest.

A teaser clip was included at the end of a special video announcing the cast of Nine to Five, which featured Revoltge in-character as Trooper sending an audition for the lead role. On May 2, 2025, the official poster illustrated by jaxbeetle was unveiled as well as its release window upon the end of filming. An official trailer was released on June 22, 2025, followed by its premiere on June 29th.

Characters

• Trooper (4 episodes)
• Prim (2 episodes)

Rat's Nest Guards

• Raven Carmine (4 episodes)
• Ellie Melons (4 episodes)
• Polly Pockett (4 episodes)
• Dina Jones (4 episodes)
• Jace Casper (4 episodes)

HQ

• Damien Wilson (1 episode)

Episodes

#	Preview	Title	Released	Runtime	Description
1.		Rehearsal	June 29, 2025	3:55	An outlaw makes his way to Outpost Rat's Nest...
2.		Break a Leg	July 6, 2025	5:50	Captain Carmine gets interrupted and everyone hates it.
3.		Showstopper	July 13, 2025	4:50	Trooper's held in a castle atop a tall mountain, awaiting his Prince Charming.
4.		The Last Dance	July 20, 2025	6:33	Losing myself in the act.
5.		Curtain Call...Encore!	July 27, 2025	TBD	Time waits for no one, and neither does HQ.

Sides episodes

Preview	Title	Released	Runtime	Description
	Crazy, Cupid, Love!	February 14, 2025	7:49	The Guards learn the meaning of love from a special visitor.
	BIG NEWS!	March 28, 2025	1:44	June is here to announce the all new Spite Box Discord server!
	The Holy Kale	June 11, 2025	4:11	Geff and June fall in love, but Miller has something to say about it...
	Say Uncle!	TBD	TBD	TBD

Gallery

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  Concept designs for the central characters, shown in Coming Soon

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  A production still featuring the guards of the eponymous outpost

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  The concept logo, designed by Blankslate

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  The teaser poster by Syp The Mighty, featuring Blankslate's concept logo design

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  Promotional wanted poster by jaxbeetle, depicting Trooper

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  Artwork by jaxbeetle to promote The Last Dance, depicting Trooper and Prim

Trivia

• This series was announced in Coming Soon, a fourth-wall breaking Sides episode produced upon the end of Classic Season 2. It was written shortly after Season 1 at the end of 2023 into early 2024. Its production was reaffirmed in Stay Tuned, another fourth-wall breaking Sides episode, where its logo was revealed as well as the involvement of animators EprothStudios and Sephtic returning from Season 1. A teaser was included in the cast announcement for Nine to Five, with its production later referenced in BIG NEWS! by including Dina Jones, a character set to be formally introduced in this miniseries.

Marketing

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  A bounty placed on Trooper by Trinity, designed by jaxbeetle
  An in-universe graphic depicting a bounty placed by Trinity was designed by jaxbeetle and posted onto Spite Box's social media accounts to promote Rat's Nest, which included the following:

WANTED

ROGUE HELLJUMPER

CODENAME: TROOPER

LAST SEEN: ICE BOX

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

A rogue orbital drop shock trooper who participated in the raid on the UNSC SAFE outpost designated as "Ice Box" with one casualty and a failure to suppress camera footage of his participation. He is armed and dangerous, with authorization to kill on sight if necessary.

$20,000,000 REWARD

Additionally, it was posted with the caption:

ATTENTION

THIS IS BEING BROADCASTED ON A PRIVATED CHANNEL

IF YOU WERE CONTACTED IT MEANS YOU HAVE TRINITY'S UPMOST TRUST AND ARE ONE OF THE VERY FEW SELECTED FOR THIS UNLISTED BOUNTY

ALL DETAILS ARE INCLUDED BELOW

DO NOT SHARE

GOOD LUCK, [ RONIN ]

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DO NOT RESPOND