Halo Infinite: All info on the release on PC & Xbox

Free2Play multiplayer, Season Passes and single player campaign with open world. Halo Infinite will change quite a few things about the familiar Halo formula. How this fits together and what exactly awaits you in the latest spin-off of the Halo series, we reveal here.

Release: When will Halo Infinite be released?

During Gamescom Opening Night Live, Microsoft finally announced the final release date for Halo Infinite. December 8, 2021 is the date and the Master Chief returns. Subscribers of the Xbox Game Pass can also rejoice, Halo Infinite will be available there directly at release.

On which platforms will Halo Infinite be released?

In addition to Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, Halo Infinite will also be released for PC - unlike its predecessor, Halo 5: Guardians - and will also be playable via Game Pass.

PlayStation and Nintendo players will once again be left out in the cold: Halo is and will remain an Xbox exclusive title and will therefore not be released on other consoles.

Single-player campaign: What awaits the Master Chief?

For the first time in Halo, you will not only explore extensive levels, but a large open world that stretches across the Halo Ring - Zeta Halo. For fast movement, you will of course have numerous vehicles at your disposal - such as the famous Warthog.

To make sure you can also get around quickly on foot, the Master Chief now has a grappling hook in his luggage, which you can use to pull yourself up to higher levels. There will also be an upgrade system, but exactly what that looks like is not yet known.

As far as the story of Halo Infinite is concerned, Microsoft is still silent. The story is supposed to start right after Halo 5: Guardians, but in contrast to the predecessor, the Master Chief is supposed to be the center of attention again.

As enemies, you will have to deal with the exiles. The mercenary faction is made up of rebellious members of the Alliance and is already known to Halo fans as a playable faction from Halo Wars 2. According to the first trailers, you will tangle with the banished chieftain Escharum, who leads the troops on Zeta Halo.

Can I play the story again in co-op mode with friends?

As in Halo 5, you will be able to play the campaign of Halo Infinite with up to four friends. This time, even the split-screen mode returns, so that at least two of you can experience the story of the Master Chief together on one console.

If you want to play as a foursome, however, you can only do so online and not on a console.

All info on the extensive multiplayer mode of Halo Infinite

If you're not interested in Halo Infinite's single-player campaign, you can download the multiplayer mode completely free of charge at release. The multiplayer part of Halo Infinite will be released as a separate Free2Play title.

To finance the multiplayer mode, there will be paid Season Passes for the first time in Halo which will come with all kinds of cosmetic items. The special thing about Halo: Unlike the competition, a Season Pass will not be limited in time. If you don't manage to complete the pass in one season, you can still unlock the missing levels in later seasons.

Also new are AI-controlled bots that you can use to get to know the various multiplayer modes and maps. These come in four different difficulty levels, so you can adapt them perfectly to your skills.

What game modes will there be?

Of course, Halo Infinite will once again feature numerous different multiplayer modes. Microsoft has only officially presented two game modes so far, but Capture the Flag has already been seen in gameplay trailers, among others. We also expect more classic Halo modes like King of the Hill, Oddball or Slayer.

One thing in advance: A Battle Royale mode is currently not planned for Halo Infinite.

In Big Team Battle, you will fight with the familiar vehicles from the Halo universe.

Arena

Classic arena matches with teams of four and power-ups and weapons scattered around the map await you in Halo Infinite's eponymous game mode.

Big Team Battle

You will be able to control the familiar Halo vehicles - such as Warthog or Banshee - in the game mode "Big Team Battle". Here, two teams of twelve players each compete against each other. To ensure that the vehicles have enough space, extra large maps have been designed for Big Team Battle.

New weapons in Halo Infinite

The heart of every first-person shooter is, of course, the weapons. Of course, in Halo Infinite you'll be using the Magnum or the Needle La uncher again, but what would a new Halo be without new weapons?

Of course, the energy sword can't be missing in any Halo game.

IGN has summarized all the new weapons that have been seen in trailers so far:

  • Ravager: energy rifle that fires bursts of fire with three shots each. There is also a small blade attached to the weapon, which you can use to deal additional melee damage.
  • Mangler: Pistol that shoots very slowly, but deals more damage than the standard Magnum due to large projectiles.
  • CQS48 Bulldog: Shotgun with drum magazine.
  • VK78 Commando: automatic rifle with a low rate of fire.
  • Pulse Carbine: energy assault rifle that fires bursts of four rounds at a time.
  • Skewer: An anti-vehicle weapon that shoots a large spear.

How do the power-ups and equipment items work?

Halo multiplayer naturally includes power-ups, which you'll find scattered around the maps. These include the Overshield, which gives you an extra shield, or the Invisibility, which makes you disappear from the scene for a short time.

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Free games on Steam and the Epic Store

What's new is that the power-ups are no longer activated directly when you pick them up, but first go into your inventory. You can then activate them yourself by pressing a button. However, if you die and haven't used the item yet, you drop it and enemies can pick it up.

Besides the power-ups, there will also be collectible equipment items again - like the grappling hook known from the single-player campaign or a deployable shield. So far, developer 343 Industries has mainly shown the different applications of the grappling hook. So you can not only use it to pull yourself up to surfaces and thus move faster across the maps, but even bring weapons or items to you.

Character customizations: How to customize your Spartan

As befits a multiplayer shooter in 2021, you can customize your Spartan extensively. The following armor pieces can be customized:

  • Armor Core
  • Clothes
  • Helmet
  • Visor
  • Left shoulder
  • Right shoulder
  • Gloves
  • Knee pads

In Halo Infinite you can customize your Spartan.

You can get the armor pieces from the Season Pass and from time-limited events, among other things. In addition to weapon and vehicle skins, there will also be so-called armor coatings, which you can use to color your armor pieces. These will probably work similarly to the shaders in Destiny - i.e. prefabricated color combinations that you can put on helmets, gloves, and the like.

You will most likely be able to buy the cosmetic items and armor coatings in the in-game store with real money. However, 343 Industries has not yet revealed exactly what this will look like.

Will there be cross-play and cross-progression in Halo Infinite?

Halo Infinite will support crossplay right at release, which means that if you play on Xbox Series X, you can still play together with players on PC or Xbox One.

And that's not all, you can even switch platforms at any time and take your game progress with you - thanks to cross-progression à la Destiny 2.

Is a second beta test planned?

A first beta test for Halo Infinite already took place at the end of July, but according to Brian Jarrard - Community Director at 343 Industries - a second test run is already being planned. However, an exact date is not yet known.

For a chance to participate in the next Halo test weekend, you can sign up at the Halo Insider Program.

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