Halo Infinite is back with a vengeance! Based off what was shown at The Xbox/Bethesda Showcase at E3 2021, and in the newest official multiplayer overview, here's what we know.
Release Date: Holiday Season 2021
Launch Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
At least on the Xbox Series X it will run at up to 120fps. It will also make use of the Xbox Gaming Cloud, meaning cross-platform progression. This will allow you to play on a single account across multiple platforms.
Free-to-Play but not Pay-to-Win
The most exciting announcement so far is that Halo Infinite’s online multiplayer will be free to play (F2P)! Not only is it F2P, it also sounds like 343 Studios has got a monetization scheme that makes everybody happy! Halo Infinite will use a Battle Pass that NEVER EXPIRES. This means no FOMO purchases here which is great news. You will have to purchase the battle pass, but this is a big improvement from other live service games which wipe your progress every season, or loot boxes (gross). We’re not sure how much the battle pass will cost yet, or how much of the game’s cosmetics will be locked behind it, but it is still a step in the right direction.
But if you don’t want to spend money, you don’t have to. The game’s maps, weapons, and all gameplay-related content will be available to everybody for free.
If you've been playing Halo since 1 or 2, I’m sure you remember the good time you had with LAN parties and split screen. Well, get ready to make more memories! Halo Infinite will include split screen for Xbox and LAN parties! That’s right, 343 Industries reaffirmed their promise that the series' first-person games "will always have split-screen support going forward”. 343 Industries chief Bonnie Ross originally made that statement in 2017 after Halo 5 got considerable backlash for cutting that feature.
One of everybody’s favorite parts about Halo online multiplayer has long been customizing your Spartan’s armor. That customization feature was expanded to weapons in Halo 5. In Halo Infinite, that feature is expanding again, this time to vehicles and even your AI! Jeff Steitzer is returning to yell things like “killtacular!” at you while playing multiplayer (or the new “Grapple Jack”) though, so will this new AI customization replace his voice for medal callouts as well? This feature was first put in Halo 5 and then in the MCC; this sounds to be a more refined version. Maybe we will get to choose what callouts we hear in the custom AI voice and which are standard.
Master Chief's Campaign Continues
The game will also feature a full-length campaign which you will have to purchase the full game to get access to. Remember in Halo 5 when (*spoiler alert*) Cortana went crazy and took off? The Halo Infinite campaign will pick up where Halo 5 left off. Master Chief will explore the disappearance of Cortana along with a new AI “the Weapon” which was created specifically to stop Cortana. Joseph Staten, creative head of Halo Infinite, said that although they are continuing the story of Master Chief and Cortana, the new game is also going to be welcoming for the new players.
Features: What Made the Cut and What's New?
This installment in the franchise comes with a couple new features. Have you ever wished you could add bots to fill out your custom games? Now you’ll be able to! There are a lot of complexities to Halo multiplayer, so how good the AI is remains to be seen. Will it be able to handle weapon pick-ups, vehicle control, tunnel management and objective based team tactics?
Speaking of new players, they are getting a feature aimed at them: a “tutorial mode” called Halo Academy. This game mode will also use bots, but this time to teach players new to the franchise or FPS games and ease them into the world of Halo multiplayer.
The gameplay that has been shown so far showcased many Halo classics. They announced that Big Team Battle will be returning, but didn’t expand on it. How will they handle or replace requisitions? Will the Firefight game mode return, and if so, how will it be improved? I’d be excited to see a new game mode.
Many iconic weapons are back including: the Battle Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, Rocket Launcher, Plasma Sword, Gravity Hammer, Covenant Carbine, Needler, Plasma Caster, Frag Grenades, and Plasma Grenades. We also see the pistol in the cover image and got our first glimpse of a new anti-vehicle weapon, the Skewer, in action.
A new ability, the grappling hook, was shown, along with what appeared to be a few others, which means armor abilities are probably here to stay. Which ones from Halo 5 made the cut though?
Classic vehicles will also be returning including: the Warthog, Brute Chopper, Ghost, Wasp, and Banshee. We got glimpses of a new objective-based vehicle, the Razorback, which was shown storing a gravity hammer. Could it also hold a flag, I wonder? Vehicles now also feature destructible elements such as tires. So if you don’t have the firepower to take a vehicle out, you may be able to at least damage/cripple it.
How will they handle matchmaking with cross-play between controller and mouse-and-keyboard users? Sound like the competitive matchmaking system (at least at the high end) will be separated based on input devices.
They also announced “improved systems”. We’re not sure exactly what that means, but it could be a “spotting” mechanic like in Battlefield, a ping, or your AI giving you hints and alerts during matches.
With all the news, we are still left to speculate about a few things. How will Forge Mode be implemented? How will custom games work, especially cross-platform? Will Halo Infinite give in and jump on the Battle Royale band wagon? What are your thoughts on Halo Infinite so far?
Stay tuned for my coverage of the “technical preview” of the game coming this summer through the Halo Insider program.
Also check out Halo Waypoint where you’ll be able to manage certain features of Halo Infinite, view your Halo Service Record, and browse Halo forums.