$10 cat ears are taking over Halo Infinite and no one can stop them

Halo Infinite introduced a $10 set of cat ear helmets and the game is now overrun. Some players are self-loathing about their purchase, some are aggressively preaching the cat-ear gospel, and none can stand in the way.

Whether you’re part of the “UwU” camp or not, there is no doubt that it has infiltrated the collective consciousness of the gaming world. While Halo may have once been the home of teabags and trash talk, 2021 has brought the murmurings of meows and purrs.

And this is not hyperbole, it is but a reflection of the game’s landscape following the release of the $10 “Cat Lovers” bundle and “Purrfect Audio” cat ears helmet.

When the bundle launched, 343 Industries likely expected some profits. But it feels unlikely that anyone could have anticipated this level of feline solidarity. Despite complaints about microtransactions, one message is ringing clear: “Spartan cat go ‘meow.’”

Halo Infinite players love their cat ears

The state of the game is made clear in a number of tweets, including the one embedded above. This particular reaction, posted by ‘Josh Vagabond,’ represents the situation with a contrast: some players think the cat ears are “overpriced,” while the majority are laughing and meowing.

• Read more: Dr Disrespect still believes Halo Infinite “must have battle royale” to survive

And Vagabond is far from alone in this experience. Multiple other users posted about the cat ears, not simply recognizing their popularity – but also the mounting pressure to join the pointy-eared army.

As ‘magpieleon’ shared, playing Halo Infinite multiplayer is akin to a survival horror game this holiday season. Except, the horrors are a horde of ‘UwU’-uttering Spartans hunting you and telling you to “buy the cat ears.”

Similarly, ‘Albert Wesker’ revealed their own troubling tale. With a manga panel and video, they likened their Halo Infinite experience to being threatened at gunpoint to wear some cat ears.

• Read more: Halo fans beg 343 to avoid nerfing “perfect” Assault Rifle

There are a few ways to analyze this situation. And, as an unbiased news source, we won’t dive into all of them. 

All we know for certain is that there are unique helmets in Halo Infinite and those cosmetics seem to be having an emotional impact on other players. Whether or not this impact correlates with game performance has yet to be seen.