When is the Halo Infinite release date? Looking for more details on the upcoming, next-gen Halo game? We’ve got confirmation that cross-play and cross-progression are in Halo Infinite from the start, and we’ve had plenty of other nuggets of information about 343 Industries’ shooter to dissect.
Microsoft certainly got fans of 343 Industries’ space game in an excitable tizzy by officially unveiling the newest Halo PC game in 2018. The Halo Infinite PC reveal trailer doesn’t actually reveal much – besides that the game is coming – but thanks to a recent look at the campaign, we can see Master Chief is back in action to take on a new threat – the Banished.
A new trailer and a look at multiplayer during E3 2021 has got us excited, and so we have collected together every last scrap of information we know about the upcoming first-person shooter, as we wait for more details on a Halo Infinite release date and the Halo Infinite beta. Recently there has been a slew of information about the open-ended missions and what’s not coming to the game that you should probably be aware of. Here are all the latest details on Halo Infinite for PC.
Halo Infinite release date
Announced during Gamescom 2021’s Opening Night Live stream, the Halo Infinite release date is December 3.
At launch, you’ll be able to play the campaign and free-to-play multiplayer. However, the campaign co-op and Forge modes will not be available until 2022. Halo Infinite’s head of creative, Joseph Staten explains these modes need more time “in the oven”. 343 intends to release campaign co-op during multiplayer season 2, while Forge isn’t coming until season 3.
Halo Infinite trailer
Above you can watch the multiplayer reveal trailer, showcased at E3 2021. It shows off a capture-the-flag game mode, alongside a ton of different vehicles, and a beautiful arsenal of weapons.
There’s also the Discover Hope Halo Infinite trailer from E3 2019. The trailer shows off some cinematics, and also gives us some clues as to the story. What’s more, as spotted by die-hard fans many moons after its reveal, there’s a Halo Infinite ARG hidden in there somewhere. Did you spot the hidden hints?
Halo Infinite story
When it comes to the Halo Infinite setting, the game is a “spiritual reboot” set at least three years after Halo 5. Long-serving fans should worry not, though, as 343 assure us that the new story will “respect and continue threads that led to this point.”
In a Q&A with press about Halo’s lore, associate director Paul Crocker says, “nothing’s retconned. We are absolutely a sequel to Halo 5, but you don’t need to have played any of those games in order to actually enjoy this one. We’re looking at this as a stepping stone. We are putting all the pieces in place for the future, whilst answering some of the questions from the past.
“We very deliberately put Chief floating in space at the beginning of the game, because it puts the player and Chief and all of our characters in the same place. They don’t know what’s happened. That’s what we want people to find out as they play through this world.”
Crocker says the campaign is “bigger than our previous two games combined, but it’s intrinsically Halo in the way that we have approached it. Our goal wasn’t to make other types of games that you’ve seen, it was to make the best Halo experience, and to take everything about being Halo and put it onto the ring and make the experience that people have been crying out for.” As if that wasn’t enough, there are also hints that we could be seeing Halo Infinite campaign DLC, expanding on the story even further.
Halo Infinite Gameplay
In the gameplay campaign preview, we see Master Chief back and after crash landing on a ship with his pilot, out exploring a new stunning map. We also see a glimpse of the new enemy, the Banished and their leader, Escharum. The campaign trailer, which you can view below, is a few hours into the campaign as Master Chief takes out encroaching enemies and explores the area. We also get a look at Master Chief’s new grappling hook, which should open up new world traversal opportunities, as well as a portable shield.
Halo Infinite Open World
From the above gameplay video, we can see what looks like large open areas to explore. So, will Halo Infinite be open world? Although the game will be bigger than the previous two games, it will be “somewhere in between” a typical Halo approach and an open-world game. It looks like we’ll be putting the new grappling hook to good use in these areas.
This was confirmed in a recent Ask 343 stream when asked about the open-ended missions. Apparently it’s more like The Silent Cartographer mission from the first Halo game, and you have many different ways that you can complete each objective. Weather is also apparently going to be a major factor in your decisions as blustery winds could affect the handling of a banshee.
Halo Infinite Weapons
To fight the new aliens, the Banished, you’re going to need some good gear, and the latest gameplay trailer gave us a look at what to expect from old favourites to some new goodies. It’s confirmed we’ll be getting a grappling hook, Grappleshot, and a portable shield, Drop Wall, which will provide new ways to take down enemies and traverse the ring. As well as the iconic Halo weapons such as the Plasma Pistol, it looks like we’ll get a chance to wield some Banished weapons including the Mangler and Ravager. For a break down of all the guns we’ve seen so far, check out our Halo Infinite weapons guide.
Two things that you won’t be able to do in Halo Infinite are dual-wielding weapons, or play as a Covenant Elite. In the recent Ask 343 video, it said that Elites aren’t present because “this is a Master Chief and Spartan story”. This doesn’t rule them out forever though as it also said “never say never”. Dual-wielding has been a part of the Halo series since Halo 2, but not always the most viable strategy in either single-player or multiplayer.
Halo Infinite cross-play
Yes, Halo Infinite is getting cross-play and cross-progression. According to World’s Edge studio head Shannon Loftis, Halo Infinite “supports cross-play and cross-progression between PC and Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S”. This means that “your multiplayer customisation and progress follow you across all of your platforms.
Halo Infinite anti-cheat DRM
It has been confirmed that there won’t be any intrusive DRM. According to producer Jeff Guy, “Things like making sure our game plays nice with specific families of hardware or fighting hard to ensure we don’t add intrusive DRM to our game.”
Security engineer Michael VanKuipers expanded on this to also talk about anti-cheat functionality, saying “to make cheating more difficult in ways that don’t involve kernel drivers or background services. We’ve done a lot of work securing the Slipspace engine and developing novel ways to protect and change the game to slow down cheat development. When people do cheat, we’re focused on catching them through their behavior and not from data that we’ve harvested from their machines”.
Halo Infinite Multiplayer
At E3 2021, 343 Industries shared a comprehensive multiplayer overview video. It confirms that multiplayer will be free-to-play, and feature permanent battle passes. The video goes into plenty of detail; on top of the ability to customise your Spartan’s armour, weapons, and vehicles, players can customise their Spartan, with different body types and voices available.
Weapons and vehicles will be dropped from overhead ships throughout the match, with vehicles taking damage under fire and eventually exploding. There’s also a new vehicle called the Razorback that can hold turrets, weapons, and objectives.
Halo Infinite beta
Another Halo Infinite beta will be available through the Halo Insider program. You can sign up online and submit your information, but only a select few will be chosen for these ‘flights’.
Halo Steam
We knew Halo Infinite would be coming to PC this holiday season, but there’s already a Halo Infinite Steam Store page. Albeit there are little details – still no confirmed Halo Infinite release date or a price tag – but there are some screenshots to have a gander at.
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