A group of modders has said it will continue to work on making Halo Online freely playable all over the world despite legal action from Microsoft.

Halo Online is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter based on Halo 3, designed specifically for the Russian market. An early build of the game leaked within days of the game's announcement and a group calling itself El Dorito has been working to make the game available to anyone who wishes to play.

Speaking with TorrentFreak, a spokesperson for the modding group said their goal was to remove the free-to-play model Microsoft's partners, Saber Interactive and Innovo, had bolted on to Halo 3 in order to produce Halo Online.

“The game was going to be free in the first place. The PC audience has been screaming for Halo 3 for years and years, and we saw the chance with this leak,” said a modder using the alias Neoshadow42.

“The fact that we could, in theory, bring the game that everyone wants, without the added on stuff that would ruin the game, that’s something we’d be proud of.”

El Dorito's actions are illegal, but Neoshadow42 said the group doesn't believe it's doing anything wrong.

“I don’t particularly see this as damaging, as some people have said. I don’t believe it for a moment, honestly. We’re working to improve people’s experience, bring it to those who wouldn’t have been able to play it anyway. I’d see that as a noble cause,” said the modder.

“This whole project would be completely different in an ethical way if we had taken a paid game and reversed it for everyone to access for free.

“At the end of the day, El Dorito aims to deliver exactly what everyone wants. The closest thing to a Halo 3 experience as possible, but on PC. If we can manage that, I’ll be more than happy.”