343 Industries have revealed more Halo Infinite details as the game’s December 8 release date edges ever closer. Here’s everything you need to know about Halo Infinite.
Halo Infinite is one of the most anticipated games set to release on the Xbox Series X|S. The title is the sixth main installment in the massively popular Halo franchise, and will be the next chapter in the story of the series’ protagonist, Master Chief.
Despite initially being marketed as an Xbox Series X launch title, Halo Infinite was delayed until late 2021. This has left fans wondering what changes 343 Industries are making to the game during this extra development time. The delay was to add more polish to the final product after reception to early footage received mixed responses from fans and critics alike.
Contents
- Halo Infinite release date
- Halo Infinite trailers
- Graphics, gameplay demo, and new features
- Halo Multiplayer details
- Halo Infinite Multiplayer maps
- Halo Infinite Forge
- Halo Infinite Gameplay Footage
Halo Infinite Release date
Halo Infinite is due to launch on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Games Pass. The game’s multiplayer launched separately as a free-to-play mode on November 15. Despite being a beta, 343 Industries confirmed that all progress will carry through to the full release.
The game’s campaign will require a full purchase or an Xbox Game Pass subscription. It’s worth noting however, not all content will be available on day one. Both co-op for the campaign and Forge will be released in 2022, included in Season 2 and Season 3 respectively.
Speaking to Eurogamer, head of creative Joseph Staten explained that the game’s first season will be extended, pushing back the second and third content drops.
“Yes, we are extending Season 1. So our goal still remains what I said before, which is to ship campaign co-op with Season 2 and Forge with Season 3. But those remain goals. Those remain targets. And we can’t commit to any hard dates right now, because as we’re seeing with this multiplayer beta, other things might move up in the priority stack for us.”
A new leak has suggested that Microsoft could offer some kind of Halo Infinite early access. It’ll also include DLC packs, potentially as some kind of Ultimate Edition. We’ll update you as more information on this becomes available.
Halo Infinite trailers
Here’s a breakdown of the Halo Infinite trailers revealed so far:
E3 2021 Multiplayer Reveal Trailer
The below trailer gave us our first glimpse at Halo Infinite’s multiplayer.
Halo Infinite Campaign Overview Trailer
The second Halo Infinite trailer was considered a vast improvement over the previous ‘Craig’ gameplay reveal.
Halo Infinite is being developed by 343 Industries, with help being provided by The Coalition who developed Gears 5. 343 was created back in 2007 after Bungie departed Microsoft, and 343 Industries have developed each subsequent release in the Halo series.
Graphics, gameplay demo, and new features
We got our first look at Halo Infinite’s gameplay at the Xbox Games Showcase, an event showing off all the titles coming to the Xbox Series X|S in the near future.
The eight-minute-long demo gave us a glimpse at some of the new features we can expect to see in the title. One addition is Master Chief’s grappling hook, which allows him to pull in enemies or access high ground.
Despite the excitement that the demo generated, there was widespread disappointment among fans about the game’s visuals. The muted response led to the game being delayed out of 2021.
Since the delay, 343 have acknowledged that the graphics in the demo were not as polished as they would have liked. They explained that “the reality is, the art and visuals weren’t at the bar we hold for Halo.”
According to 343, they’ve taken on the feedback and are using the extra development time to “create the best-looking Halo game-ever.” The presentation can be seen in the below video:
Ask 343 confirmed features
In the recent March 12th edition of 343 Industries’ Ask 343 series, several new details came out about what players can expect. Halo Infinite will feature a dynamic weather system with wind and a day and night cycle.
NPCs will have a routine that the player can disrupt. Grunts will sleep at night, and phantoms are armed with searchlights to make things that much more tricky while exploring the map at night.
Dual-wielding isn’t in the game, so players will only be able to equip one weapon at once. However, they can still carry a sidearm. Playable Elites aren’t supported in-game either, with 343 explaining that this is because the story is primarily a “Master Chief and Spartan story.”
Crossplay confirmed for Xbox & PC
On April 29, 2021, the game’s developers confirmed in an Xbox Wire blog post that there will be crossplay and cross-progression in Halo Infinite. This will be available for both Xbox and PC, which is to be expected as those are the only platforms it will launch on.
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A statement said: “We know many of you play across more than just your PC, including on Xbox and mobile. That’s why we’re excited to announce Halo Infinite will support multiplayer cross-play and cross-progression when it releases later this year.”
The statement also said, “That means if you’re playing on PC, you can play with your friends on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. It also means that your multiplayer customization and progress will follow you across all platforms.”
Halo Infinite will support cross play and cross progression between Xbox & PC pic.twitter.com/DTpZceLG30
— Spartans News (@DexertoSpartans) April 29, 2021
Halo Infinite Multiplayer details
Halo Infinite will feature a combination of limited-use abilities and new additions, such as the grappling hook. On top of this, players will be able to hop into Ranked and Social playlists, alongside limited-time events that will be hosted throughout the year, included as part of a seasonal content model.
The developers have promised that you’ll be able to customize your Spartan extensively, down to every armor piece. There will also be a battle pass to purchase at the release of multiplayer, and players will also be able to earn cosmetic items through play. It’s worth noting that 343 have promised these reward tracks won’t expire, so players can take as long as they want to unlock the tiers.
Don’t forget that you can jump into multiplayer right now for free on Xbox and PC (via Microsoft Store or Steam).
Halo is for everyone. We can confirm #HaloInfinite multiplayer will be free-to-play and will support 120FPS on Xbox Series X. More details will be shared later! pic.twitter.com/9bIrppFiON
— Halo (@Halo) July 31, 2020
Halo Infinite Multiplayer maps
There are ten maps available at Halo Infinite’s launch. We’ve rounded up all of the Arena and Big Team Battle locations in our guide.
Halo Infinite’s Forge mode
While 343 Industries have remained tight-lipped on Halo Infinite’s Forge mode, a set of leaks may have revealed some of the features we can expect to see at launch.
According to leaker craig_of_the_banished, Forge will allow players to insert AI enemies onto the map for the first time. If this leak is correct, players will be able to create full-scale battles without having to recruit other players into their Forge group, and could potentially create their own PvE content.
Other leaks have pointed towards a full scripting system on the way with Infinite’s Forge. This would allow players more power than ever before. From gameplay mechanics to unique cutscenes, this could allow for the most ambitious creations yet if leaks hold true.
Keep in mind, this leak should be taken with a pinch of salt as nothing has been officially confirmed by 343.
Halo Infinite Campaign Gameplay Footage
Using IGN as a platform, 343 Industries has released 11 minutes of new Halo Infinite campaign gameplay. In the below first-hands-on video, the narrator comments that the most striking difference between Halo Infinite’s campaign and the previous games is that Master Chief has changed. They say “after five major campaigns, the Chief seems tired” and “this is Chief without Cortana.” Cortana was Master Chief’s AI ally in previous Halo games, but in Halo Infinite, she has become an emerging threat that Chief needs to stop.
Although this time, it’s more complicated than simply shooting the bad guy. Chief knows that while misguided, Cortana’s intentions are good. She’s trying to bring peace and stability to the universe, but she’s doing so under threat of annihilation to those who refuse to comply with her rules. This also makes Cortana a target to everyone else, meaning Chief needs to stop all his former allies from destroying each other.
Halo Infinite gameplay, enemy types, and open world
However, it’s The Banished (returning antagonists from Halo Wars) who make up most of Master Chief’s cannon fodder. They are a group of Covenant aliens that have split from their former, allies and have continued to fight against humanity. This is despite the Covenant and humanity being at peace since the end of Halo 3, even working together to battle the villains of Halo 4 and 5.
This convenient plot device allows Halo Infinite to continue to use Covenant creatures as the game’s primary enemies while the player explores the semi-open world. Halo Infinite’s campaign encourages exploration more than previous installments have, allowing the player to raid The Banished bases and reclaim them for mankind.
The more of the map that is controlled by humanity, the more AI support can be called in by the player. This also applies to weapon and vehicle drops. However, the map is split into multiple portions and each area will need liberating separately. Players can also recuse human hostages from Banished camps and use them to help take the base.
Other enemy types such as the Flood and the Prometheans have been “alluded to” but have not been seen in-game yet. It will be interesting to see if these other classic enemies return alongside the Covenant, and what their motivations could be in Halo Infinite.
You can watch the full hands-on video below:
For now, that’s everything we know about Halo Infinite’s release date and what it’ll bring to the table in 2021. If any new information, leaks, or announcements are made, we’ll be sure to update this article.
Looking for tips and tricks on all things Halo? Check out our guides:How to rank up fast | Crossplay guide | Best FOV settings | How to unlock Yoroi Samurai armor | Best controller settings | All Halo Infinite maps