The sci-fi blockbuster goes on sale at midnight and Master Chief himself is in the capital to celebrate the game's launch

Halo 5's Master Chief makes an explosive entrance by London's O2 Arena

One of the biggest video games of the year will launch in the UK at midnight tonightand plenty of Xbox fans are already getting excited.

Halo 5: Guardians is the latest entry in the blockbuster shooter series and one of the most-loved franchises on Microsoft's console .

The game has been three years in the making and with game studio Bungie moving on to Destiny , development duties have been passed to 343 Industries.

Microsoft's marketing juggernaut is in motion today as a full-scale replica of the game's Covenant Banshee spaceship was revealed by London's O2 Arena.

Master Chief with a Covenant Banshee in the background

Along with a set of explosions, the game's protagonist Master Chief made an appearance alongside new character Spartan Locke.

An exclusive event this evening at the Roundhouse in Camden will celebrate the launch.

It will involve a livestreamed two-and-a-half hour tournament between gaming YouTubers and Halo fans.

Halo 5 launches at midnight tonight in the UK

What's more, Microsoft will be kicking off a six-hour live broadcast at 10pm of all things Halo 5.

It will feature interviews, celebrities and more exclusive gameplay footage.

There's good reason for all the spectacle.

Halo 5 is entering a crowded field of first-person shooter blockbusters that includeCall of Duty: Black Ops 3 , the aforementioned Destiny and Star Wars: Battlefront.