I actually expected Halo Infinite to hold its ground much better. Instead, it has now dropped to number 49 on Xbox's Most Played Games list, in the U.S., while Halo: The Master Chief Collection sits comfortably at number 30. Truthfully, neither position is particularly impressive compared to the games occupying the very top spots, but Halo Infinite is free-to-play, whereas Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a paid game.

Forgive me for the rather personal tangent as I ignite the age-old debate between classic Halo versus modern Halo. As a fan, I think it's interesting to take a step back and look at how the games are performing on both Xbox and Steam, as they're really the only public metrics we have to go by, and the results genuinely surprised me.

With that in mind, it's hard not to be impressed by the sheer staying power of MCC. It’s also a similar story over on Steam, which isn’t broken down by region, but rather includes everyone playing the game. And well looking at either games 24-hour peak, we notice that Halo: MCC comfortably doubles Halo Infinite’s peak, with MCC peaking at around 5700, whilst Infinite peaks at around 2600 players.

Now, you might be wondering why I decided to dredge up this data, and it's because I think it raises an interesting question about what Halo players actually want from the franchise.

It's easy to look at these numbers and immediately jump to conclusions, but I don't think they're necessarily proof that Halo Infinite is a bad game, nor do I think they prove that classic Halo is inherently better. What they do show is that, years after launch, a collection of older Halo titles continues to attract a larger audience than the franchise's newest entry.

There are plenty of reasons why that could be the case. Halo: The Master Chief Collection offers six mainline Halo games, decades of maps, countless playlists, and multiple generations of Halo design philosophies all under one roof. Infinite, by comparison, is a single experience competing not only with MCC but with the legacy of the entire franchise.

Still, I can't help but find it fascinating that whenever Halo fans are given the choice, so many of them continue to spend their time with the older games. Whether that's nostalgia, preference for classic gameplay, the sheer volume of content, or something else entirely is up for debate, but I don't think it's a trend that's easy to dismiss.

I always like to use opportunities like this to once again beg for Halo: The Master Chief Collection to get mod support on consoles, so if anyone out there is listening, please make it happen.

Other than that, that's really all I have to say on the matter. Which Halo game do you still routinely play? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!

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In a report from Mr. Rebs (also known as Rebs Gaming), we now have some new details regarding Halo Infinite’s multiplayer story, which was unfolding before eventually being canceled in June 2023.

According to Mr. Rebs, the cancellation was largely due to layoffs at then 343 Industries, now known as Halo Studios — although for simplicity’s sake, I’ll continue referring to the studio as 343 Industries throughout this report. For additional context, Project Tatanka was reportedly Halo’s attempt at a Battle Royale experience before later evolving into more of an extraction shooter project.

Its current status remains unclear, although previous reports have suggested the project was either heavily reworked internally or canceled altogether, and according to Mr. Rebs, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer narrative was originally intended to help bridge players toward Project Tatanka.

In his report, Mr. Rebs states that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer story was originally intended to sort of mirror what we got with Spartan Ops in Halo 4, but with a more narratively cohesive structure that would also introduce characters from the wider Halo universe.

He also claims future multiplayer maps would have featured narrative context tied directly to these cutscenes, helping further develop Halo Infinite’s ongoing story.

However, these plans were ultimately scrapped after Halo Infinite’s Season 2 cutscenes were released, with layoffs throughout 2023 reportedly having a major impact on the internal teams responsible for creating these narrative scenes.

According to the report, the sound team and other cinematic-related teams were heavily affected during these layoffs, leaving 343 Industries without enough staff to continue supporting the multiplayer narrative cutscenes.

Mr. Rebs also teased that the multiplayer narrative was building toward “something playable,” although exactly what that was remains a mystery. What was clarified, however, is that it reportedly was not playable Elites, something many Halo fans, myself included, had long hoped would eventually come to Infinite.

I’ve said many times just how big a Halo fan I am, and I genuinely believe Halo Infinite was 343’s best attempt at a Halo gam. In fact, they even released a new update to Infinite recently, which is good fun, and you should check it out!

Still, it's such a shame to hear how things reportedly unfolded this way for a title that was originally intended to last an entire decade, and with that said, I’d love to know your thoughts.

Did you enjoy Halo Infinite’s multiplayer story, or are you glad 343 Industries shifted focus elsewhere?

Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll below:

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I’m sure he needs no introduction at this point, but in a new report from Mr. Rebs, we have some new details regarding what’s next for Halo’s campaign. According to the report, the project is reportedly being internally referred to as “Halo Next,” which we know exists thanks to a job listing posted by Halo Studios for a new Narrative Design Director.

Before jumping into the full details on that, Mr. Rebs also shared information regarding what writer Joseph Staten reportedly wanted for what he referred to as “Campaign Next,” a sequel to Halo Infinite that was reportedly in development before the 2023 layoffs. According to the report, Staten’s vision for Halo’s future did not include the Flood, or at least not right away, which may disappoint some longtime fans.

I will, before we jump into everything, give a fair spoiler warning, as Halo Infinite’s ending will be discussed, alongside some slight details regarding Halo: Edge of Dawn. So, if you wish to avoid spoilers, you’ve been warned.

As many fans know, the Flood played an integral role in the original Halo trilogy, essentially serving as Halo’s version of zombies, albeit on a much more terrifying scale. In the report, Mr. Rebs also recaps the ending of Halo Infinite, explaining the role of the Endless, who were teased as the franchise’s next major threat after being released at the end of the game.

In the new Narrative Design Director job listing, Halo Studios directly references “Halo Next” while also mentioning a “campaign experience,” with Mr. Rebs claiming the studio is actively developing the next mainline Halo campaign. However, it remains unclear whether Halo Studios will stick with plans surrounding the Endless, especially since Halo: Edge of Dawn, which takes place directly after Halo Infinite and appears to help set up the next game, while also heavily involving the Flood.

As a lifelong Halo fan myself, I just want Halo Studios to release a good, polished, and finished game, something we rarely seem to get these days. Based on the details shared here, I’d personally love to see the Flood return in some capacity, but I also understand that the franchise needs to move forward, and The Endless could help push Halo in a new direction without Halo Studios simply relying on nostalgia.

Be sure to send some love over to Mr. Rebs on either X or YouTube, as these details come thanks to his reporting!

With that said, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the details shared here. Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll below:

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Given that Halo Infinite developer Halo Studios said the game's big Operation Infinite update last November would be its last, I — along with most other Halo fans — figured we'd never see more new content come to the winding down free-to-play Xbox and PC live-service shooter. That assumption turned out to be wrong, however, as this week, the studio added a new Gauntlet mode to the game in a surprise update.

The update dropped out of nowhere and raises questions about whether or not Halo Studios is truly done with Halo Infinite, but that's not the subject of this article. Instead, I'm here to gush about how fun the new Gauntlet game type is, and why I'll probably be grinding it whenever I can convince my friends to join my fireteam.

Gauntlet is a four-player co-op PvE mode that essentially plays like Firefight on steroids. Players are given a short time to grab preferred weapons and equipment and then select an upgrade for their damage, speed, health, or shield regen; then, they're teleported to a randomly selected mini combat arena where endless hordes of Banished troops spawn.

The objective is to kill minibosses — elite enemies taken straight from Halo Infinite's campaign — that spawn alongside the waves of regular baddies, as defeating them all will win you the round and give you a chance to get more upgrades and powerful weapons. Failing to do so quickly once they appear, however, will result in the Harbinger from the campaign showing up. Though killable, she's tanky and harasses you aggressively, making her tough to contend with.

You and your teammates can revive each other, though since this takes a few seconds, it can be risky to do. Alternatively, downed players can respawn after a lengthy 30-second timer. If all four players are downed at once, it's a game over.

I dove into the mode myself for a few hours today, and am ecstatic to report that it's an absolute blast — though it's also surprisingly difficult, and much more challenging than Halo Infinite's existing Firefight PvE. Outside of Legendary campaign difficulty, it's the closest thing we've ever had to an endgame Halo PvE experience.

Even on the "Easy" difficulty at the start of a match, the Banished are about as threatening as Heroic campaign AI — and the difficulty only continues to scale up as you progress, demanding better accuracy, positioning, and use of different weapons with each passing round. The never-ending waves of Banished also means the action is intense and constant; perfect for players like me that crave Halo PvE chaos.

It also demands truly intelligent use of Halo's sandbox, as the way the game encourages you to quickly kill bosses facilitates combining different damage types for maximum killing efficiency. An Elite boss with a shield is best taken down with plasma guns followed by a clean headshot with a precision weapon, while a Gravity Hammer-wielding Brute or a Hunter is most susceptible to explosive heavy weapons or skillful plasma grenade sticks.

Now, the mode isn't perfect — I feel a few of its combat stages lack adequate cover, the timer to get weapons and upgrades is frustratingly short, and the experience as a whole is a bit janky since Halo Studios used the Forge mode to make it — but it's still excellent fun, and a great way to enjoy the famous PvE action Halo is famous for.

Thus far, the community agrees: "Gauntlet is some of the most fun I've had in Halo PvE in a long time," reads one of the top posts on the Halo subreddit right now.

Overall, I've wanted something like this for Halo PvE for years, and I'm very glad we've finally gotten it. I hope we get something similar in the next mainline Halo game, or perhaps as a mode brought to the upcoming Halo: Campaign Evolved at some point after launch.

Are you going to jump into Halo Infinite to check out the Gauntlet mode? Let me know in the comments, and in our poll.

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Halo Infinite was 343 Industries, now Halo Studios, the last attempt at a Halo game. Of course, there's more on the horizon with the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved this year.

I will say too, before we get into the details, and despite its troubled development, I actually found Halo Infinite to be their best effort from a gameplay perspective. Of course, it’s hard to mention the game without immediately thinking about its rocky launch and lack of content.

That said, that conversation has been done to death. Instead, I bring some good news, as Halo Infinite has surprisingly received a brand new update, adding a fresh mode and more, so let’s take a look at what’s new.

In this new update, Halo Infinite is receiving a new gamemode, Firefight: Gauntlet, in this new mode four players must band together and survive various challenges featuring endless waves of enemies and a boss battle to boot.

With this mode, if you take too long to defeat the boss, or arena champion, as they’re called, the Harbinger will join the battle, adding to the increasing difficulty as you fight across five arenas. The mode also features a point system, where players can spend points on upgrades such as increased damage, resistance, recovery, and speed.

It’s honestly impressive that we’re even getting a new mode in Halo Infinite, a game which has, for all intents and purposes, ended its development.

With this new mode also comes two new Forge maps, and given how strong Halo Infinite’s Forge is, they look quite decent. Alongside this, the Ranked Legacy playlist is also in rotation, featuring classic gameplay and maps.

As I’ve already said, I’m genuinely surprised we’re even getting new content in Halo Infinite, let alone an entirely new mode, so hats off to Halo Studios, or whoever worked on this update. It’s actually made me want to jump back in and check the game out after not touching it for a long time.

Are you as surprised as I am to see Halo Infinite get a new update? Do you even care that it’s received new content, or have you moved on to other games?

Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll below:

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Halo Studios, the rebranded 343 Industries that continues to shepherd Microsoft's flagship FPS series into the future, has been in the spotlight a lot this month — and not for good reasons. A few weeks ago, former art director Glenn Israel alleged that several "unethical and/or unlawful acts" occurred at the studio during his time there, prompting scrutiny from players and investigators.

Further comments have come from Israel and other developers, and a recent report revealed that a Halo multiplayer project (potentially an extraction shooter) codenamed Project Eker was allegedly in development in 2023, and could eventually come out either as a standalone release or as something tied to the next mainline title. Another report this week brought to light that the 2021 live-service shooter Halo Infinite was going to be a hub for future games.

However, a large number of developers reportedly left Halo Studios soon after Infinite's launch, which was then followed by a hiring freeze from Microsoft implemented in preparation for the firm's massive January 2023 layoffs that hit the studio particularly hard. At the time, affected Halo devs were very vocal about how poor leadership was — and now, a new report from known Halo insider Rebs Gaming reveals alleges just how destructive the layoffs were, and how poorly they were managed.

In his latest video, Mr. Rebs says his sources have confirmed that Halo Studios' studio head Pierre Hintze chose to lay off nearly the entire Halo Infinite campaign team and audio team, with former audio director Sotaro Tojima not replaced by Becky Allen until over a year later; these cuts reportedly hindered post-launch content development significantly.

Mr. Rebs also noted he was told that in the wake of the layoffs, remaining employees at Halo Studios were saddled with "double the responsibilities and duties," leading to higher stress and a general feeling of being very understaffed. Allegedly, staff were so overwhelmed that they reached out to their laid off colleagues "to ask how to do jobs they weren't trained or hired for."

Reportedly, Hintze also controversially referred to the layoffs at the developer as a "mass culling" during a studio-wide Microsoft Teams meeting; this upset several of Rebs Gaming's sources, all of which felt that the use of that terminology was extremely disrespectful and devalued their contributions to the franchise.

Ultimately, all of this new information lines up with the criticisms of Microsoft and Halo Studios leadership that former Halo devs have voiced in the past, and after this story as well as everything Glenn Israel has alleged recently, the community is pushing for Microsoft to conduct an investigation of the developer and make high-level changes.

Notably, Israel himself has done the same, going so far as to comment the request on a LinkedIn post from the new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. "Ask for a certified third-party investigation into Halo Studios," he said.

One thing that seems clear is that there are some major issues with Halo Studios' development processes, and I hope that big improvements for them come sooner rather than later. As for what's next for Halo itself, Halo: Campaign Evolved — an Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved — is coming this year, with a rumored July 28 release date.

What are your thoughts about the situation at Halo Studios? Do you believe Microsoft needs to step in and make major changes at the studio? Let me know in the comments, and by voting in our poll.

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In another report from Mr. Rebs released on Monday, we got insight into what 343 Industries, now Halo Studios, had planned for Halo Infinite. As with any report like this, it’s worth mentioning that this information is based on sources and is not officially confirmed by Halo Studios or Microsoft.

After covering Project Eker, a potential extraction shooter or solo multiplayer project, Mr. Rebs said he could not confirm the full details at the time.

However, he has since found a former senior animator who described work on an Unreal Engine-based multiplayer project that was already playable as early as last year. The extraction shooter itself, though, has seemingly been canceled, according to a former developer.

Moving onto what Mr. Rebs reports regarding the original plans for Halo Infinite, he states that in 2022, then creative head Joseph Staten held a company-wide Microsoft Teams meeting.

During this, Staten outlined plans for the next Halo campaign and showed off concept art that included Forerunner structures in snowy environments, a lava biome similar to Mustafar from Star Wars, and a brute skiff among large trees.

Mr. Rebs also claims that a Halo Infinite sequel was in development in 2022. Alongside this, he states that plans included a Banished Scarab and characters from the Halo books.

He also claims Halo Infinite was intended to act as a central hub for future Halo games. I must admit, hearing this is I am quite surprised given how rough Halo Infinite’s menus were at launch.

Following the launch of Halo Infinite, 343 Industries reportedly faced mass attrition, with a wave of developers leaving the studio in a relatively short period of time.

At the same time, Microsoft reportedly implemented a hiring freeze ahead of the January 2023 layoffs.

According to Mr. Rebs, this left the team significantly understaffed during a critical post-launch window. As a result, support for Halo Infinite slowed, and the flow of new content dropped off.

It also helps explain why updates during that period were so limited, despite expectations for ongoing live service support. This likely wasn’t helped by a reliance on contract workers, something Bloomberg reported on over four years ago.

Interestingly, Mr. Rebs also claims that internal discussions had already begun around bringing Halo to PlayStation during this timeframe.

This report does explain a lot, and I’d urge people to watch the full video and give Mr. Rebs a follow on both X and YouTube.

I’d also love to hear your thoughts on Halo Infinite and this report. If what Mr. Rebs said is true, it offers an interesting look into the game’s development.

Make sure to let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!

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Halo Studios, the rebranded 343 Industries development studio that's served as the steward of the Halo franchise ever since Bungie's departure from Microsoft and Xbox, has found itself in quite a scandal recently.

About two weeks ago, former Halo Studios art director Glenn Israel alleged that several instances of "unethical and unlawful acts" have occurred within the studio, including cases of blacklisting, fraud, "rampant favoritism/cronyism" in the hiring and promotion process, and harassment campaigns orchestrated to oust "unwanted" workers. His claims came months after his 2025 departure, during which he hinted at having more to say "when it is absolutely safe to do so next year."

As you can imagine, this stirred up a major controversy and shone a spotlight on Halo Studios' business practices, with additional comments from Israel and former community manager Tyler Davis only fanning the flames. Microsoft said it does "take all claims seriously for both current and former employees," implying these allegations are being investigated as fans demand direct action from Xbox leadership to address the situation.

Some of that anger has fallen onto Halo Studios developers as well as its management, however, and many have used Israel's claims as ammunition to complain about "woke" diversity and inclusion policies at the studio. In response, Israel has written a post on Reddit to address this, as well as some other common talking points he believes are misconceptions.

Firstly, he handwaved the notion that "the devs hate Halo" — a belief born from an infamous quote from former franchise director Frank O'Connor in which he said 343 Industries sought out employees critical of the series to work on 2012's Halo 4. "The studio I knew only hired fans, and while there may be truth to the idea that they hired some fans who were willing to express critical opinions on the franchise, or had ideas about how it might evolve or improve, that’s true of every single fan here," Israel pointed out.

More miscellany from a former Halo art director from r/halo

Then, on the idea that Microsoft should "fire the devs and give Halo to the fans," he said "I’ll reiterate, the studio I knew only hired fans. They agree with you more than they’re allowed to say," though he added that "early on, super-fandom in the studio for the 'extended universe' was a real problem — the narratives were too dependent on lore the average player did not know and would not be motivated to discover in a book or a comic."

"I’ll also point out that if you lock any three Halo fans in a room, there’s gonna be a fight over which Halo defines Halo," he continued. As someone who's spent years knee-deep in the discourse, I can say that truer words have never been spoken.

Lastly, Israel dismissed claims that a diversity and inclusion "agenda" is in place, noting that while Microsoft "places considerable importance" on inclusiveness, people shouldn't "get lost in the fog of culture war," because he "never saw an agenda promoted."

"In practical terms, it might just mean making sure that the introverted genius in the corner who knows their manager is making a mistake feels safe enough to speak," he added. Ultimately, "Halo is stronger when all Spartans are welcome."

In conclusion, Israel commented that "you are not wrong to be angry, or frustrated, or sad, and you’re not wrong to want things to be different and better than they’ve been these many years," but implored fans to direct that critical energy to the executives overseeing Halo, and not the individual devs making it.

"I only ask that you direct that where it belongs and don’t let yourself get distracted," he said. "Hold management accountable. Protect the devs."

Do you believe Microsoft needs to step in and make significant changes at Halo Studios? Let me know in the comments, and in our ongoing poll.

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I’ve been covering a lot of the details recently shared by Mr. Rebs around Halo Studios' approach to outsourcing, including its work with co-development studio Abstraction on major parts of Halo: Campaign Evolved.

Now, a new report released a few days ago adds even more context. It outlines details on prequel missions set before the events of Halo: Campaign Evolved, alongside what to expect from the Covenant, references to Reach, and even mentions of ODSTs. So, let’s dive right in.

All details revealed in latest report from Mr. Rebs

For those unfamiliar, Mr. Rebs, also known as Rebs Gaming, has built a reputation as a fairly reliable source for Halo-related reports, having accurately shared details in the past.

This time, it returns with fresh information on the previously announced prequel missions set before the events of Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved.

The three new prequel missions have now been partially detailed, but if you want to avoid spoilers, it’s best to stop reading here.

With that out of the way, the first details point to one of the missions focusing on a long-standing rivalry. Fans of the books may already be familiar with the tension between ODSTs and Spartans.

For added context, Master Chief kills two ODSTs during a sparring match shortly after receiving his augmentations to become a Spartan.

Other details suggest we’ll see a nod to Halo: Reach, along with the inclusion of Brutes, a faction that was not introduced until Halo 2.

We’ll also see a brand-new Covenant faction, with models built entirely from scratch. Its behavior is described as far more religious than what players typically expect from the Covenant.

Outside of the prequel mission details, Mr. Rebs also outlines that assets from Halo: Infinite are being reused. I’m personally not too concerned about this, as Infinite is the best-looking Halo game from 343i/Halo Studis and arguably the closest to the original Bungie-era art style.

For now, that’s everything revealed. Mr. Rebs is planning a follow-up report with more details, but it does encourage fans to stay vocal, as feedback and concerns are still being heard.

If you want to stay more up-to-date, make sure to give Mr. Rebs a follow on both X and YouTube.

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Halo Studios' free-to-play Xbox and PC live-service shooter Halo Infinite is officially no longer getting major updates as the developer moves on to Halo: Campaign Evolved and whatever's next for Xbox's flagship FPS, but that doesn't mean the game's passionate Forge community isn't hard at work creating amazing fan-made experiences for players to enjoy.

We've seen everything from remakes of campaign missions from past games and hilarious Pokémon battle arenas to incredible Baldur's Gate 3-style RPG combat encounters and even a Helldivers 2-inspired mode come to Halo Infinite thanks to Forge and its forgers. One very special new creation, though, might just be the wildest thing somebody's made with the mapmaking tool yet.

That creation is Shard of Ascension, a Destiny-style raid co-op mission built for 4-6 communicating players built entirely with Forge and its tools. It was designed by one person: MadmanEpic, a solo game developer that's currently working on the upcoming boomer shooter AVENGE MYSELF, but pivoted away from that project to work on this one for half of 2025.

For the unaware, raids in Bungie's looter shooter FPS games Destiny and Destiny 2 are difficult and long six-man co-op levels with a set of encounters (typically four) with mechanics that require significant teamwork, communication, and coordination. After playing through the series and its raids early last year, MadmanEpic was struck with the idea — and the desire, thanks to "brain worms" — to make one in Halo.

Both the map and mode required to play the raid are available to bookmark on Halo Waypoint and Halo Infinite's in-game Content Browser, and since the game is free, you can play Shard of Ascension without spending a penny. You can watch the trailer for it with this link or through the embed below, and I highly recommend watching the devlog in which MadmanEpic goes over the raid in detail, too (provided you don't mind having its mechanics spoiled).

In said devlog, MadmanEpic explains that at the heart of the design document they created for Shard of Ascension, there were a few main goals to target to make the raid feel like a good fit for Halo: physical mechanics like throwing an object or interacting with buttons, with Destiny's "magic buffs" avoided; good use of Halo's sandbox, including various weapons and vehicles; and an approachable design that players can reasonably work out after a few tries.

I won't spoil the specifics of the raid here, but after watching the full video, seeing Shard of Ascension in full — three action-heavy puzzle encounters and a final boss fight — and speaking as a longtime Destiny 2 player and raider until recently, I can say that the raid is, without a doubt, an incredible achievement.

It has everything players love about Destiny raids — plenty of combat, baseline mechanics that get utilized in creative new ways as the raid progresses, and even a platforming section to balance the pacing — adapted perfectly to Halo and the design goals MadmanEpic outlined.

It's not a stretch whatsoever to call it a masterpiece, especially since MadmanEpic built it all themselves in just six months, finding remarkably creative solutions to deal with Forge's limitations.

It even has a cool plot and setting, with the raid taking place on the Alpha Shard (a shard of the destroyed Halo ring from Halo: Combat Evolved), and a fireteam of Spartans tasked with stopping Iratus — the antagonistic Banished AI from Halo Infinite's multiplayer story — from hooking into and taking over a powerful Forerunner network.

Shard of Ascension is so good that players are clamoring for Bungie to hire MadmanEpic to its Raid and Dungeon (RAD) team, and in the comments of the devlog, two individuals claiming to be developers (one of which says they work on Destiny) have praised their creation and their talent highly, with one saying the "right eyes are indeed watching."

Of course, there's no way to know for sure if these are actually developers. Regardless, I really hope someone picks up MadmanEpic, both because they've said they're looking for a job and because they've clearly got some amazing level design talent. Fingers crossed.

What do you think of the Shard of Ascension raid? Will you download or come back to Halo Infinite to check it out? Would you like to see Halo experiment with Destiny-style raids in future games? Let me know in the comments.

For those unaware, Halo Infinite wrapped with a fairly open-ended conclusion, leaving the door wide open for a direct continuation. That could have taken the form of a sequel, or more realistically, campaign DLC. Since the game’s release, we have learned that campaign DLC was indeed planned but later cancelled, based on reports from Rebs Gaming that outlined the project’s early direction and eventual shelving.

It is no secret that Halo Infinite was originally positioned as a 10-year live service platform, intended to grow and evolve over time. What ultimately shipped fell well short of that ambition.

While it took roughly four years for Halo Infinite to reach feature and content parity with Halo: Reach, it is now generally accepted as a solid entry in the series. Some even regard it as 343 Industries’ strongest contribution to the franchise to date, and that contribution just got its sequel, but it isn’t what you think.

How Halo continues its story outside of games

I will avoid spoilers here for anything post Halo Infinite, but the Halo games since 343 Industries took over, and now under Halo Studios, have unfortunately felt increasingly disjointed. While the studio got off to a strong start, despite my own issues with the gameplay, Halo 4 delivered a largely cohesive story that directly continued from the events of Halo 3.

Sadly, this was the last time the mainline Halo games felt meaningfully connected. The jump from Halo 4 to Halo 5 proved confusing for anyone who had not kept up with the expanded universe through books, with the introduction of Blue Team for the first time in the games, leaving some players confused.

That confusion was only compounded by the fact that Halo 5’s story is widely regarded as the weakest in the franchise. As a result, large portions of its narrative were quietly abandoned in favour of the direction taken with Halo Infinite. While that was likely the right decision, very little was done to bring game-only players up to speed, especially when Halo 5’s ending is picked up directly in a book rather than a game.

This is not a new phenomenon either. Halo 3: ODST also received its narrative follow-up outside the games, with Halo: New Blood focusing on Buck, a fan favourite character, whose story is continued in Halo: New Blood following on from the events of ODST and detailing his eventual recruitment into the Spartan IV programme.

The Halo Infinite sequel

If you have not pieced things together yet, the sequel to Halo Infinite is, in fact, a book. Halo: Edge of Dawn was released within the past week and is written by Kelly Gay.

She is a well-established name within the Halo universe, having authored several well-regarded entries, alongside her own Gods and Monsters and Charlie Madigan series.

The book picks up immediately after the ending of Halo Infinite, acting as a direct continuation of the campaign rather than a standalone side story. It expands on the Endless, reveals the chosen name of the Weapon, Master Chief’s new AI companion following Cortana’s departure, and provides deeper insight into Zeta Halo itself.

Without spoiling any details, the story raises an important question about the future. When Halo 7 eventually releases, will players be expected to already understand these developments, or will the game retread ground that has already been covered in the books, something the series has rarely, if ever, done before?

As a lifelong fan who also enjoys the novels, because they are all genuinely great books, it is still disappointing to see major story developments reach only a small portion of the audience. At times, it genuinely feels as though Halo has become a book series first, with the occasional game used to move things forward.

Halo’s story has increasingly continued outside the games, with major plot developments now unfolding in books rather than playable campaigns. Does that approach work for you, or does it make the series harder to follow if you only play the games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and take part in the poll below.

There's some bittersweet news for Halo players looking forward to having more to do in Halo Infinite, as developer Halo Studios shared on Friday that the next update is coming soon...and it will be the last planned content update for the game.

Halo Studios is working on "multiple Halo titles," including the recently announced Halo: Campaign Evolved, and as such, the team is moving on.

Ironically titled Operation Infinite, this update introduces a huge number of new armor sets and other cosmetics for players to earn, with a free 100-tier Operation Pass and more that will arrive on Nov. 18, 2025.

One of the new armor sets in the Operation Pass, dubbed Serpin, is specifically designed to resemble the armor of Honor Guard Elites seen in Halo 2. In-universe, this armor is specifically granted by the former Arbiter Thel 'Vadam to Spartans that have proven themselves in combat alongside the Swords of Sanghelios.

Accompanying this update is a 2X boost for Career Rank and Spartan Points, making it easier to unlock new equipment in the Exchange.

Speaking of the Exchange, over 200 new pieces of armor and other customization items are being added, coming on top of the recently-added sets celebrating Fireteam Osiris from Halo 5: Guardians.

Looking ahead to the future

To close out the news of the update, the studio shared a message of sentiment, thanking the players that have taken part in Halo Infinite over the years.

"As the Halo Studios team shifts focus to in-development projects such as Halo: Campaign Evolved, we’d like to thank our Halo Infinite players for years of steadfast support," the team says.

"It’s been a legendary run of Seasons, Events, Fractures, and Operations, with plenty of maps, modes, sandbox additions, Forge tool upgrades, and incredible memories along the way. None of those milestones would have been possible without the guidance and enthusiasm of our community."

Looking ahead, Halo: Campaign Evolved is slated to launch at some point in 2026. It'll be available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. I had the chance to visit Halo Studios and go hands-on with the remake, so be sure to read my impressions if you haven't yet.

As for Halo Infinite, I'm sad to see this be the final update, though I can't act too shocked. The team has been quite clear about transitioning into a customized version of Unreal Engine 5 for the future, which means leaving Halo Infinite behind.

Still, I'm happy the game is landing in a far better place than it started. There is a lot to do, and I'll definitely be diving in for some more Firefight and Big Team Battle to earn those new armor sets.

I can't help but speculate and hope in regards to "multiple" Halo titles being on the way. While one of those games is almost certainly Halo 7 or some other Infinite follow-up, is it too much to dream of Halo Wars 3? Probably, but that won't stop me from doing it all the same, and I'll be signing off all Halo-related stories in the same way in recognition of that fact.

Furthermore, Halo Wars 3 must be developed.

FAQ

Jamie Griesemer is a former Bungie designer who worked on several early Halo games. He was a designer on Halo: Combat Evolved, a design lead on Halo 2 and Halo 3, and also contributed design work to Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach.

Griesemer helped shape the Halo sandbox, combat encounters, and overall pacing. He has now reflected on his work during the Bungie era and reignited the long-running debate around sprint in Halo.

His comments offer insight into how sprint affects Halo’s identity, how it interacts with level design and combat, and whether it makes sense at all.

Griesemer lays out his stance very clearly. He argues that asking whether Halo should have sprint is the wrong question entirely. He explains this by saying:

He believes sprint is not inherently good or bad and must be evaluated within the specific Halo title being built.

For the Halo CE Remake, sprint is currently optional. Griesemer believes this is the wrong approach. He says that if you “make a game mechanic optional you have abandoned your post, thrown up your hands and admitted you have no vision and that someone else should design the game. In this case, everyone else should design the game.”

His concern is that the optional sprint makes it impossible to tune the experience properly. Encounters depend on knowing where the player will be, and when. AI, timings, waypoints, sound triggers, and music cues all rely on predictable traversal speeds. If a player can sprint, they may outrun an intended moment, skip a beat that should land, or miss a vehicle or weapon placed to shape the encounter. Even a single missed element can weaken the pacing or the emotional weight.

Why sprint disrupts pacing and level design in Halo

The upsides of sprint are obvious. It lets you move faster when replaying missions or backtracking, and it helps you cross large empty spaces when a vehicle is not available. Griesemer believes these benefits only work if the campaign is designed around sprinting from the beginning. If it is not, sprinting can trivialize or let players skip combat encounters that were meant to shape the pacing. It also creates moments where players run past important details.

When this happens, pacing starts to fall apart. Developers then compensate with locked doors, walk-and-talk moments, or other slowdowns that exist only to keep the mission flow intact. These additions often feel artificial because sprinting lets players outpace the structure of the level.

Another issue is how sprint mechanics undercut vehicles. Griesemer says he has seen playtests where players finish full vehicle missions on foot because sprint makes it harder to recognise that the space was designed for a vehicle. Sprint solves the same problem vehicles were meant to address and leaves encounters flat.

Griesemer has suggested a few ideas to rein in sprint, although he treats these as temporary fixes rather than long-term solutions. These include draining shields while sprinting, creating extra noise that alerts enemies, increasing the damage players take during a sprint, or briefly preventing players from firing after they stop. These add risk, but they do not solve the core issue.

His view is that these ideas only treat the symptoms. The real fix is to build the campaign around sprint from day one so that pacing, encounters, and traversal all support it naturally. When sprint is part of the foundation, the game does not need penalties or workarounds to keep it under control.

The sprint debate continues

The debate will likely go on forever. Sprint has never been my cup of tea for Halo, but that’s okay. I think Halo Studios found a solid balance with sprint in Infinite, and I would argue that the grapple hook disrupts the game’s flow far more than sprint ever could. I would love to know where others stand on this. Let me know whether you care about sprint, want it, or are not all that bothered.

FAQ

There are some odd happenings right now for the iconic Halo franchise, as a longtime art director has left developer Halo Studios with an ominous statement.

Glenn Israel, who worked as an artist on numerous games such as Halo 3: ODST, Halo 4, Destiny, Halo 5: Guardians, and Halo Infinite across Bungie and later, 343 Industries (the former name for Halo Studios) shared on LinkedIn that he was leaving the team.
"As of today and after seventeen long years, I am officially no longer contributing to the Halo universe. There is little more I can say for the moment, though I intend to share this particular story in its entirety when it is absolutely safe to do so next year. In the meantime, I have a message for anyone and everyone who needs to hear it," Israel writes.

"I know that the state of our industry seems dire, but never forget that you are *free to choose*. No illusion of security nor promise of wealth or fame or power is worth trading away your health, your dignity, your ethics or values - and no one can force you to. Stay strong, take evidence when necessary, and find where you belong."

This also comes as Halo-focused YouTuber Rebs Gaming put out a new video, in which he claims sources have told him of leadership problems at Halo Studios.

While developers shift and leave jobs for myriad reasons, this is certainly eyebrow-raising. At the same time, it's just the statement of one person, leaving out of hundreds that are still at the studio. We'll have to wait to find out more.

Halo Studios has been through a huge shake-up over the last several years, beyond the name, with changes in leadership and significant layoffs back in 2023.

Halo stands at a pivotal moment

This also comes at a time when players are waiting to hear more about the world of Halo. While Halo Infinite is still receiving updates, the frequency and size of many of these updates have died down, and the fanbase is looking to hear more about the future.

To that end, Halo Studios has strongly indicated players won't be waiting for much longer. In 2024, the team revealed its rebrand away from 343 Industries, unveiling the new name alongside a tech demo called Project Foundry.

Project Foundry was built in Unreal Engine 5, showing reimagined assets and characters from Halo: Combat Evolved, updated with modern visual fidelity. Halo Studios also confirmed at the time that, in addition to switching to Unreal Engine 5, it was working on multiple new games, though there weren't any other details shared.

Earlier in 2025, Halo Studios teased that there would be an announcement worth tuning in for at the Halo World Championship on October 24 through 26.

"Speculation is always fun, but if you want the official scoop on what Halo Studios has been working on, you won’t want to miss this year’s Halo World Championship. We really hope you’ll join us in Seattle this October!" the team wrote.

Personally, I remain curious about the projects (plural) aspect of Halo Studios. While speculation and reports have indicated some kind of remaster could be on the way — something that's strongly aided by the direction of Project Foundry — I can't help but wonder about what else the team is working on.

I was pretty convinced we’d never see much more from Halo Infinite. It had a stellar launch and a few weeks of hype, but people quickly realized it didn’t have much content. 343 Industries then spent two years quietly trying to patch it up behind the scenes.

Eventually, it announced major leadership changes, revealed plans to move the series to Unreal Engine, and even rebranded as Halo Studios while beginning work on the next Halo project. I assumed Infinite’s development was over.

To my surprise, and I’m sure many others feel the same, the game is now almost at feature parity with Halo: Reach. Halo also seems to be everywhere right now, with collaborations in Fortnite and Helldivers 2. It’s great to see the franchise getting more love than ever.

Invasion Mode Makes a Triumphant Return

In celebration of Halo: Reach turning 15, Halo Studios has worked with the community to bring Invasion back as a Forge-made mode with Forge-made maps into Halo Infinite. It’s a fitting tribute to Reach’s anniversary, reviving one of its most beloved experiences.

For those who never played it, Invasion was a staple mode in Reach. It pitted Spartans against Elites in large-scale battles. Infinite doesn’t have playable Elites, but that hasn’t stopped it from feeling great. The community has done a superb job recreating Reach’s Invasion maps.

The new version features six maps in total. Breakpoint and Recovery (formerly Boneyard) return from Reach, joined by four brand-new maps.

Invasion pits two teams against each other, with attackers trying to push through the map by capturing objectives while defenders work to stop them. A dedicated Invasion playlist will be available until October 7, 2025, before the mode moves into the Squad Battle playlist.

Ranked Legacy Playlist Revives Classic Halo Rules

In addition to Invasion, fans have also helped create a classic-style Legacy playlist that aims to recapture the feel of the original trilogy. It’s the one I’m most excited about, as I’ve always preferred that classic gameplay over what we saw in Halo: Reach, Halo 4, and Halo 5: Guardians.

That said, I think Halo Infinite has struck a nice middle ground, and I’d be happy to see it continue to evolve. The Legacy playlist includes maps from the original trilogy and brings back iconic modes like Slayer, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, and Oddball.

Sprint, clamber, and motion trackers are disabled, while player collision has been turned on (thank you!). Everyone spawns with a Battle Rifle, and the goal is to recreate that original magic that Bungie perfected.

Operation Pass Rewards and Limited-Time Collaborations

Along with Invasion and the Legacy playlist, there’s also a free 20-tier Operation Pass that includes a new armor set and coating. A premium version is available too, offering new weapon coatings and other cosmetic rewards.

This update also marks the final chance to earn the coveted Hayabusa helmet. The crossover helmet originally appeared in Halo 3 as part of a promotion with Ninja Gaiden. It’s available to earn through The Exchange until October 21, 2025, or it can be purchased with real world money.

The Operation Pass itself will only run until October 7, 2025. Halo Studios has moved away from permanent battle passes in favor of limited-time ones, likely to help drive more funding for the next game.

Celebrating Halo: Reach’s 15-Year Legacy at the Halo World Championship

September 14, 2025, marked 15 years since the release of Halo: Reach in 2010. It brings back vivid memories for me, as Halo has always been my favourite franchise.

When Reach launched, my parents had booked our first holiday abroad. Younger me was gutted — all my friends were levelling up while I was stuck using the hotel computers just to chat with them about the game.

Looking back, it was a silly thing to get upset about, and I’d definitely choose the holiday over playing Reach now. But at the time, Halo felt like the most important thing in the world to me.

That’s just one of my many memories with the franchise. The anniversary of Halo: Reach was celebrated online with a new art piece shared by Halo Studios on X, and Brian Jarrard (Ske7ch), the studio’s community director, will be hosting a Halo: Reach anniversary panel at the Halo World Championship 2025 on October 24–26.

It’s also where Halo Studios plans to share what’s next for Halo, so it’s well worth marking your calendars

Halo may be one of the most legendary video game franchises of all time, but its position has been unstable over the last few years with the lukewarm reception of Halo Infinite, the latest mainline title.

Even with hints that the next Halo game could be slated for announcement as early as next year, though, the newly rebranded Halo Studios hasn't given up on Halo Infinite. The Fall 2025 Update has just arrived, and it brings with it a substantial amount of added content and features.

It's probably too late to convince me to reinstall Halo Infinite at this point, but I'm still happy to see the game get some much-needed treatment. Here's what you need to know about the most recent Halo Infinite update, starting with Operation: Shadows.

Operation: Shadows and a whole lot more Halo Infinite

Halo Infinite's "Fall 2025 Update" introduces a ton of new changes and content on its own, and it also lays the groundwork for a total of three limited-time Operations with new game modes, additions, and rewards (and the first kicks off with this update).

You can check out the preview at HaloWaypoint.com for more information, but I'll quickly summarize what to expect right here.

• New vehicle. First up is the UNSC Falcon, a new flying vehicle that seats five Spartans (one cockpit, two jump seats, a grenade launcher, and a turret). It has been added to Forge and five Big Team Battle maps, and fills a hole that I feel was missing from the current Halo Infinite garage.
• New weapon. The Vestige Carbine is also here, a new Covenant rifle that fires iconic green projectiles with speed and precision. Lore-wise it's a relic from a past era, but for Spartans it's a new tool to quickly dispatch opponents at range.
• New modes. There are also two new game modes. One, Famished Famished Falcons, is basically Capture-the-Flag but with nothing but Falcons, encouraging team play in an intense, extended dogfight. There's also Banished Slayer, an asymmetric game mode that equips one team with UNSC gear and the other with Covenant and Banished tech.
• New Operation Pass. Operation: Shadows kicks off with a free 20-tier Operation Pass featuring a new armor set, while a premium 50-tier Operation Pass is available for those who want it all, with four complete armor sets and plenty of other cosmetic items. There will also be new items and bundles in the store.
• Forge updates & more. Not long after the news that many Halo Forgers have given up, the Forge has gotten a not insignificant update with new radial menus, custom input mapping, message options, and more, in addition to the new Falcon and Vestige Carbine. That's on top of a ton of other miscellaneous additions and improvements, including weapon and game mode balancing, bug fixes, more community spotlight maps, expanded Weapon Bench customization support, and more.

Reception from the dwindling Halo Infinite player base has been positive regarding this update, and I've also seen multiple people claiming this update has made them want to reinstall and revisit the game.

I won't be one of those players, though.

It's still too little too late for me, but I'm happy to see Halo breathing

I may be in the minority, but I truly loved Halo Infinite even at launch. I put in the time to 100% the main campaign, and I poured dozens of hours into the multiplayer, even when many called it content anemic.

My love for the game's truly stellar foundation couldn't outlast the underwhelming post-launch support from Halo Studios (then 343 Industries), though. It took far too long for Halo Infinite to gain meaningful new features and content, and my interest was drawn away by other games.

Now that we're here, I'm truly happy to see Halo Infinite continue to get support. Genuinely, this game finally delivers on the potential of its foundations and is an excellent first-person shooter with a ton of content.

But with the potential of a new Halo on the horizon and months separating me from my last Infinite match, there's still not enough here to convince me to reinstall the game and return for some more Spartan-on-Spartan action.

Halo Infinite isn't dead yet and just had a fair bit of new life breathed into it, but I still can't help but feel like its days are numbered, and that's saddening.

Halo Infinite's Fall 2025 Update, alongside Operation: Shadows, is now available across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass.

It's been nearly four years since we — in the boots of none other than Spartan John-117, the Master Chief himself — took the fight to the Banished on Zeta Halo in the Halo Infinite open-world story campaign, but we've yet to follow up on the narrative's conclusion. However, details about a sequel to 2021's Halo Infinite were just revealed recently...though it's not quite the continuation you probably think it is.

The sequel in question isn't a video game, but a novel — Halo: The Edge of Dawn from the prolific Halo author Kelly Gay, to be specific. First announced in January with little more than a title and a confirmation that it's going to be a story about Master Chief, the book recently got more of a spotlight in a Canon Fodder blog post in which Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) let slip that it directly follows Halo Infinite's campaign and its cast of characters as they continue opposing the Banished. Here's the official synopsis:

2560. After eliminating War Chief Escharum and sending the Banished leadership into chaos, the Master Chief continues the fight on Zeta Halo, accompanied by his new AI companion and their loyal pilot Fernando Esparza.

As Spartan-117 searches for scattered allied forces, a young combat medic—tortured and imprisoned for months by the Banished and the enigmatic Harbinger—may hold the key to unlocking deeper mysteries within this ancient ringworld. But every step toward answers is haunted by the sinister and elusive blademaster Jega ‘Rdomnai, who is hellbent on vengeance...

Based on that description, it's clear that Master Chief, his Cortana-like AI companion "The Weapon," and Fernando "The Pilot" Esparza will serve as the novel's protagonists, with the unknown combat medic captured by the Banished also playing a key role. Jega ‘Rdomnai — the Banished assassin that attacks Master Chief near the end of Halo Infinite and survives the encounter — will serve as a major antagonist determined to hunt Chief down.

It's been said that Halo: Edge of Dawn can be thought of as analogous to Halo: First Strike — Eric Nylund's 2003 novel that encompassed the aftermath of the events of the Halo: Combat Evolved game while also taking fans on a new adventure that preceded the story of Halo 2. Similarly, Edge of Dawn will follow up on Halo Infinite while telling a narrative of its own.

Notably, Halo: Edge of Dawn's cover artwork has also been unveiled. Illustrated by Chris McGrath, it depicts Master Chief holding The Weapon while Jega ‘Rdomnai looms in the background, energy swords in hand. In the artwork's reveal, Halo Studios notes that the book as a whole is a "self-contained adventure"; this should assuage fears that fans will need to read the novel in order to understand what's going on in the next Halo game.

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Speaking of that, it's unclear what the next Halo game will be, though a Phil Spencer tease during the recent Xbox Games Showcase suggests we'll be playing it in 2026 in time for Xbox's 25th anniversary. It's rumored to be a Halo: Combat Evolved remake in Unreal Engine 5 — the intent to move to Unreal was announced last year — but who knows? Maybe it's the next mainline Halo after all.

Regardless, Halo: Edge of Dawn will surely be worth checking out if you want to follow up on Halo Infinite's narrative, even if it's not going to be required reading. Having read many of her books myself, I can attest to Kelly Gay's talent as an author; Edge of Dawn will be her sixth entry for Xbox's flagship sci-fi franchise, and the first Halo book she's written since last year's Didact-focused Halo: Epitaph. Before that, she penned Halo: The Rubicon Protocol — a novel that focused on the UNSC's war with the Banished on Zeta Halo before the events of Halo Infinite.

It's recommended to read Halo: The Rubicon Protocol and play the Halo Infinite campaign (it's on Xbox Game Pass) before picking up Halo: Edge of Dawn when it releases on December 16, 2025. The book is available to preorder now from various retailers, with the digital Amazon Kindle version costing $13.99 and the paperback variant selling for $19.

Community-created Halo Infinite maps and modes built using the robust mapmaking tool Forge — first added in late 2022 and expanded significantly over time with improvements — have been at the heart of the Xbox and PC shooter's content updates for several years. One well-known team of Forgers, though, has voiced its frustrations working with developer Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) and announced its intent to cease creating Halo Infinite projects.

That team is The Forge Falcons, a group you may recognize given that it's responsible for making arguably the best Halo Infinite Forge creations. These include a CoD: Zombies-inspired Survive the Undead mode that was briefly added to matchmaking, a 24-player Halo Battle Royale mode complete with three maps, and an extremely impressive Helldivers 2 mode that brought the co-op intensity of Arrowhead Game Studios' beloved shooter to Halo Infinite.

Addressing both Halo Studios and the community at large in a letter posted to social media, The Forge Falcons — emphasizing that it's speaking to its own experiences, and not that of other Forgers — explained that its members have been disheartened by a lack of support from Halo Infinite's developers. Specifically, the team feels that its hard work has not been appropriately acknowledged or appreciated, and that what should be a collaborative back-and-forth between its Forgers and the devs instead feels very one-sided.

"None of us ever started making things in the hopes we'd get compensated and have never expected it, and to our knowledge, not a single forger in the community has," the group wrote. "But to see your work used in promotional material for a game, plastered all over in-game and featured in Matchmaking, to not receive even a simple sincere thank you or anything to make us feel appreciated beyond marketing events for the game, it's just a odd feeling."

"So many amazing Forgers have just given up working in Halo Infinite because of the lack of support and it is honestly just such a shame, some even for the same reasons we are stating here," it continued.

The Forge Falcons went on to note that when working on projects that could potentially come multiplayer matchmaking, it's felt that it's had very little choice when it comes to the direction maps and modes are taken in. Speaking to Windows Central, the team stated it has "very little choice overall" and rarely receives meaningful help from Halo Studios.

"The way the community is viewed and treated in regards to Forgers, needs serious work to be a really fun, collaborative and a reward-feeling experience," the post reads. "In our experience, it feels very one-sided on the Forgers throughout the entire process, even down to decision making on a feature or how an experience plays for example, and it just makes the experience working on it for Matchmaking un-fun, when it should be the complete opposite."

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As a result of these frustrations, The Forge Falcons will no longer develop new Halo Infinite Forge creations after the release of its next one (the team says it's already finished), and will instead move to make content in Unreal Engine for Fortnite. Notably, Fortnite developer Epic Games has a robust Island Creator Program in which community creators can apply to get engagement-based payouts for the Fortnite maps they build and publish.

The team says it looks forward to "the next Halo and the next Forge" — also coming to Unreal Engine — and hopes for major improvements to both the tool itself as well as the process of collaborating with Halo Studios.

It then concluded the letter with the following: "And to Halo Studios, Forgers deserve better and they deserve to be rewarded for their immense contributions to this franchise, it's saddening these conversations are still happening in 2025, please, do better."

While it's true that Halo Studios accurately credits Forgers for their creations in marketing materials like trailers and blog posts, this account from one of Halo Infinite's most prominent community Forge teams speaks to a worrying lack of open-minded teamwork from the developer. As someone who's greatly enjoyed The Forge Falcons' work, I'm sad to see it leave Halo Infinite behind — and given how much of its post-launch content has come from Forgers, I hope future partnerships between them and the studio are more cooperative.

While the bulk of the Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) development team appears to be focused on its next Halo project being built in Unreal Engine 5, the developer is still making sure its free-to-play live-service Xbox and PC shooter, Halo Infinite, gets regular content updates. The latest of these — Operation: Last Stand — has just recently gone live, and it's arguably the best Operation-style patch that the game's gotten yet.

The highlight of the update is the new Mutilator, a Banished double-barrel shotgun power weapon with some unique quirks. The first of these is the ability to choose between firing each shell individually for better accuracy at range or firing both at once, giving you a huge burst of damage that can easily one-shot other players, but only if you're very close to them.

The second (and far more interesting) feature is essentially the miniaturized business end of a Gravity Hammer on the weapon's barrel that allows you to perform a big slam attack with your melees. With this, you can combo your opponents by softening them up with some buckshot before finishing them off with a ground pound. In close-quarters scraps, the Mutilator is sure to shake things up and lead to interesting engagements, especially against other short-range weapons like the Bulldog, Heatwave, Energy Sword, and Gravity Hammer.

Operation: Last Stand's other big addition is the Battle of the Academy playlist that brings something I never thought I'd see in the game: new campaign-style story missions. Specifically, there are two, both of which were built using a linear variation of the PvE wave defense mode Firefight. The first is a level from community Forgers Cousin Tim and Timmyforges called Cole Protocol in which players have to protect valuable UNSC data from invading Banished troops. while the second is a dev-made mission called Out With a Bang that sees players escape the Banished with a vehicle-led charge to a Pelican extraction.

While these levels lack bespoke voice acting or cutscenes, they make use of various elements like waypoint markers, customizable objective updates on your HUD, and clips of dialogue from multiplayer match announcements to both tell a story and guide the player's progress. One particularly noteworthy trick employed here is the use of scripting to change the name of certain NPCs multiple times in a sequence when approached, effectively creating readable custom dialogue.

Narratively, the missions follow up on the story that's been slowly developing over the course of all of Halo Infinite's major updates. In it, Spartans managed to capture a Banished AI called Iratus that was taken to the in-universe academy where multiplayer matches are held for study. However, Iratus eventually broke free of his containment there and began to take over the base's systems, ultimately compromising the armor of several Spartans and broadcasting the academy's location to the Banished. These levels show what happens once the enemy force arrives.

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New cosmetic items and options comprise the rest of the update, with a free 20-tier Operation Pass available for all players that includes an ONI-themed SECOPS armor set, a new Cold Justice armor coating (skin), and some other items. You can also pay to get access to a larger 50-tier Premium Operation Pass with three additional armor sets inspired by Halo 3, Halo 4, and the animated Halo film Headhunters. Opting for the Premium option also instantly unlocks the Commander Agryna armor kit, Academy Champion coating, Pendragon and Victor visors, and the Chibi Johnson weapon charm.

Also, weapon coatings are now compatible with a much wider collection of Halo Infinite's sandbox, and there are multiple new and returning unlocks available in The Exchange — the shop where you can spend Spartan Points you earn while playing for armor pieces, character poses, and more. The game's microtransactions store also has new Headhunter Constellation, ODST Orcus, and X-Treme Sidekick bundles that add new armors and skins.

All in all, this is undoubtedly one of the best Operation drops we've seen come to Halo Infinite thus far. Compared to previous relatively tepid additions to the sandbox like the Bandit (essentially just a Halo: Reach DMR) and the Avenger (an Assault Rifle with shorter range and a deeper magazine), the Mutilator is a genuinely interesting and creative weapon I'm excited to play around with. The new story missions are incredibly cool, too, and for the first time in what feels like forever, there are more quality cosmetics to earn through gameplay than there are to buy in the shop.

I've had Halo Infinite uninstalled since I stopped playing after enjoying the Classic Firefight mode added in early March, and didn't expect I'd be downloading it again any time soon. And yet...here I am, installing once again to check out everything Operation: Last Stand has to offer. If you're curious, you should too — regardless of whether you're a longtime player or a Halo newcomer. After all, it's free-to-play (with an excellent single player campaign playable through Xbox Game Pass).

Fans of the popular wave defense-based Firefight: King of the Hill mode in Halo Infinite will be happy to hear that the latest update for the game, Operation: Blue Team, has brought even more co-op PvE goodness to matchmaking in the Xbox and Windows PC live-service shooter.

It comes in the form of Firefight Classic, a returning version of Firefight that brings back its original rules from 2009's Halo 3: ODST and 2010's Halo: Reach. In Firefight Classic, you and a team of three others fight to last as long as you can against endless waves of increasingly difficult enemies, with five waves to a round and three rounds and a low-stakes bonus round to a set. Your squad shares a limited pool of seven lives, and lives can only be earned by completing a set or for every 1,000 points scored during bonus rounds.

The one notable difference between old-school Firefight and Halo Infinite's Firefight Classic is that the latter gives you the option of ending the match after a set if you want to; two of the team's four players have to enter an extraction zone that appears after a set is completed to initiate this. If they don't, the next set will begin.

Accompanying Firefight Classic is a suite of Forge maps, including new arenas as well as returning ones from past Halo games. These include remakes of Halo 3: ODST's Alpha Site and Security Zone and Halo: Reach's Courtyard, along with an expanded version of the official House of Reckoning stage and a lush level set in overgrown ruins called Forest Firefight.

If you ask me, the addition of Classic Firefight is definitely the highlight of this Operation update — as much as I love Firefight: KOTH, I also missed having the classic ruleset as an option and have wanted it to return for ages — but it's not the only thing that makes it worth checking out. Another new game mode, Hot Swap, has come to Halo Infinite with its arrival as well.

Hot Swap is a pretty weird one; it's standard 4v4 Team Slayer, but the twist is that every 30 seconds, everyone on both teams is given an identical loadout selected from a pool of 13 that are available. In one second, everyone could be fighting with Battle Rifles and wallhack-granting Threat Sensors, but in the next, you might suddenly find yourself wielding Heatwave shotguns and the mobility-enhancing Thruster equipment.

The mode will mostly be played on Halo Infinite's standard Arena map rotation, though there is one new one that's been added to the list: Nemesis. Based on the image of it shown in Halo Studios' Hot Swap explainer article, it looks like an aging Forerunner facility nestled between several pieces of mountainous, craggy terrain.

From now until April 8, players can also progress through a free 20-tier Operation Pass that includes cosmetics inspired by Blue Team — Master Chief's legendary Spartan squad, and the namesake of this Operation. At the end of the pass is the HERMES-class Mjolnir armor worn by Blue Team member Kelly-087; by upgrading to the event's Premium Pass, you'll get Kelly's Wintergeist armor coating, an extra Challenge slot to boost XP gains, and bonus XP given directly as well.

The rest of Blue Team's armor that featured in Halo 5: Guardians, including Linda-058's Argus kit, Frederic-104's Cohort suit, and Master Chief's Mark VI MOD GEN2 armor, is available from a Blue Team Bundle in the Halo Infinite microtransaction shop. Also included in it are additional cosmetics like the Nornfang sniper rifle skin, an Inferno skin for the Bandit DMR, the mythic Wyrd Aura visual effect, and multiple armor pieces and coatings.

A very welcome Halo Infinite update

All in all, this is a great new Halo Infinite patch that's added a beloved classic mode, a creative new one, fresh maps to enjoy, and a nice little collection of free-to-earn cosmetics along with some premium purchasable ones (check out the full developer overview). While the 2021 free-to-play shooter ultimately failed to take off and has struggled to grow over the years, it's great that Halo Studios is at least still supporting it with fairly major updates like this one. Granted, a lot of it is made possible by the developer leaning on community Forgers, but still.

At this point, with Halo moving to Unreal Engine 5 — a decision that sparked optimism in me for faster and better updates in the next game — it seems clear that Halo Infinite's life cycle is nearing its end. Even so, I'm happy that it's still getting regular patches, which I'm sure the game's small-but-dedicated player base appreciates greatly.

Whatever's next for this iconic Xbox franchise remains to be seen, but at least we've got a pretty darn solid game to enjoy until it comes. Halo Infinite has improved greatly over time, after all — far more than its player count metrics suggest.

What you need to know

• The demo for Halo 2 shown during E3 2003 was one of the biggest and most iconic pieces of marketing for Bungie's beloved Xbox shooter, but since its engine was scrapped, it never got a public release.
• Over 20 years later, though, developers from Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) have collaborated with community modders to recreate the demo from the ground up using updated versions of its original assets.
• A playable version of the demo is being released as a free mod for Halo: The Master Chief Collection on the Steam Workshop on November 9 — Halo 2's 20th anniversary.
• Additionally, on November 5, Halo Infinite is getting a new Operation: Great Journey update with Halo 2-themed cosmetics, maps, a new playlist, and a weapon called the MA5K Avenger that's inspired by Halo 2's SMG.

There's only a few days left until the 20th anniversary of 2004's Halo 2 — Bungie's beloved sequel to the original sci-fi FPS that kickstarted Microsoft's flagship Xbox franchise, and one of Xbox Live's biggest early multiplayer titles. Without a doubt, it's one of the best Xbox games as well as one of the most popular and influential games of all time, and this weekend, you'll be able to play a demo of it I thought was completely lost to time.

I'm referring to Halo 2's famous E3 2003 demo that was shown to the trade event's audience a year before the game's release, and is widely considered to be one of its most memorable pieces of marketing. The demo build was created using a version of the Halo 2 engine that was scrapped during development, and as a result, it never made its way into player hands officially. However, thanks to extensive collaboration between Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) developers and dedicated community modders, it's been recreated from the ground up using updated versions of its original assets.

"Even the original executable is difficult to work with, as you need an Xbox developer kit to get it to boot, which is in increasingly short supply even within the studio. But now, in 2024, we have the Digsite-developed tools to analyze and automate up-porting old assets, and the unearthed knowledge to know why Bungie built things the way they did in the demo," said Halo senior franchise writer Kenneth Peters in a new Xbox Wire blog post. "Digsite" is the name given to the team of developers and modders that work together to restore content from older Halo games.

“Steven Garcia (known to the community as General_101) was vital ... He was a one-man army and did a significant chunk of the work in developing tools, updating scripts, and even arting the levels," Peters continued. "Digsite team members Ludus, Neo Te Aika, Sean T, xScruffyDaSasquatchx, and Killzone then provided finishing touches ... Without them, we would probably have only had a rather unceremonious drop of raw assets and that was it."

A playable version of the demo is scheduled to come to Halo: The Master Chief Collection (MCC) — a bundle of all the pre-Xbox One Halo FPS games updated with modern features and improvements — on November 9, which is Halo 2's 20th birthday. It's being added as a free Steam Workshop mod, which unfortunately means you won't be able to check it out if you play on an Xbox console or through the Microsoft Store on Windows (and by extension, that means no Xbox Game Pass access, either). The good news, though, is that the Halo 2 portion of the MCC can be purchased separate from the rest of the game for $10 on Steam, which should be all you need for the mod to work. Notably, the MCC also goes on sale frequently, so it's not too hard to get all of it for less than its $40 MSRP.

The demo itself features a short campaign level that never made it to Halo 2's full release, though its similarities to the missions Outskirts and Metropolis will be strikingly apparent to fans of the game. In it, Master Chief and a squad of ODSTs arrive in the city of New Mombasa on Earth to help UNSC Marines repel Covenant invaders, holding out until air support arrives and then leading a Warthog charge through the streets. From a gameplay perspective, it looks almost identical to regular Halo 2, though it does have a few noteworthy quirks; namely, the Battle Rifle is single-shot instead of burst fire, Ghost vehicles don't seem to be able to boost, and the Gauss Warthog can shoot terrifyingly fast.

Admittedly, this isn't really a huge release or anything, but even so, I'm looking forward to experiencing this relic from Halo's history after seeing it dozens of times over the years. I've always thought it looked fun to play, and love some of its cool moments like bombers blowing up Covenant artillery cannons and Brutes jumping from their dropships to hijack vehicles.

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Halo Studios' celebration of Halo 2's legacy doesn't stop with the release of this demo, by the way. On Tuesday, November 5, the live-service Xbox and Windows PC shooter Halo Infinite is getting an Operation: Great Journey update that features content inspired by the beloved classic. This includes several themed cosmetics and a new weapon inspired by Halo 2's SMG called the MA5K Avenger that operates as a close-range alternative to the regular Assault Rifle, along with a special new 4v4 multiplayer playlist called Delta Arena.

Delta Arena features seven remakes of fan-favorite Halo 2 maps (Ascension, Turf, Lockout, Warlock, Midship, Sanctuary, Beaver Creek) made by talented community Forgers, along with custom settings to make Halo Infinite's gameplay feel as close to Halo 2 as possible. Notable tweaks include disabled sprint, enabled collision with allied players, 120% jump height, and the inclusion of the new Avenger as the weapon you spawn with (try and track down a Battle Rifle ASAP).

I got a chance to play some Delta Arena early (along with PvE Firefight in third-person, which is also coming with Operation: Great Journey) last week, and greatly enjoyed my time in the playlist. If you were a big fan of Halo 2 multiplayer back in the day, definitely make sure you check it out once it's live in Halo Infinite tomorrow. Note that Halo Infinite multiplayer itself is free-to-play, and that its campaign is playable through Game Pass.

Tech giants continued to battle this week. Arm canceled its license with Qualcomm, which could have long-lasting effects on smartphones and computers. The feud between the CEO of Salesforce and Microsoft Copilot also got a new chapter. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Nadella made an astronomical amount of money, thanks in large part to Microsoft's success in AI.

It's been a busy week in the land of Microsoft and Windows, and we have the latest news stories summarized right here. Catch up on the latest drama, plus the biggest deals and spiciest reviews right here.

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Arm cancels Qualcomm license

Arm canceled its licensing agreement with Qualcomm as part of an ongoing legal dispute between the two tech giants. If the cancelation stays in place, it could have a massive effect on the smartphone and PC industries. The cancelation is the latest part of an ongoing saga that began in 2021 and that centers around processors such as the Snapdragon X Elite. That processor and other chips in the same family power many of the best AI laptops.

Qualcomm has 60 days to comply with Arm's demands, but the conclusion may take a different shape.

The end result of this corporate clash could be catastrophic for Windows on Arm PCs, though I'm not sure how likely the worst-case scenario is. Qualcomm and Arm have been in a legal battle for around three years, and the latest maneuvers and statements could very well be tactics that result in a new licensing agreement. Then again, Jerry Hildenbrand argued in a piece for Android Central that "Qualcomm needs Arm more than Arm needs Qualcomm."

It appears unlikely that either side will back down voluntarily. Following initial reports of the license cancelation, both companies issued statements.

Arm offered the following:

"Following Qualcomm’s repeated material breaches of Arm’s license agreement, Arm is left with no choice but to take formal action requiring Qualcomm to remedy its breach or face termination of the agreement. This is necessary to protect the unparalleled ecosystem that Arm and its highly valued partners have built over more than 30 years. Arm is fully prepared for the trial in December and remains confident that the Court will find in Arm’s favor."

Qualcomm later shared:

"This is more of the same from ARM – more unfounded threats designed to strongarm a longtime partner, interfere with our performance-leading CPUs, and increase royalty rates regardless of the broad rights under our architecture license. With a trial fast approaching in December, Arm’s desperate ploy appears to be an attempt to disrupt the legal process, and its claim for termination is completely baseless. We are confident that Qualcomm’s rights under its agreement with Arm will be affirmed. Arm’s anticompetitive conduct will not be tolerated."

Perhaps I've grown jaded as I've gotten older and covered years of tech giants arguing over billions of dollars. I just want the best Copilot+ PCs to be excellent devices that push competition from Intel and AMD while also standing on their own as devices. I don't especially care which billion-dollar corporation gets more money, as long as everyday users get more choices when shopping.

Microsoft CEO makes millions

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella shared a letter with shareholders recently. While much of the letter focused on AI and Microsoft's successes, the main takeaway for many was the compensation figure for Nadella. The executive received a package worth $79.1 million for the last year, most of which is in the form of Microsoft stock. Many criticized the figure, since Microsoft laid off quite a few employees over the last 12 months.

It's always unfortunate to see hard-working people lose their jobs, and those affected by Microsoft layoffs are no exception. But Nadella's compensation is tied to company performance, and Microsoft became the world's most valuable company recently. While there's certainly a place for debate regarding the compensation of executives and how it compares to the salary of employees and the stability of jobs within companies, it's not surprising to see Nadella earn so much.

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Salesforce CEO calls out Microsoft again

If you've been craving a battle between tech giants, the CEO of Salesforce is here to deliver. Mark Benioff, who has been critical of Microsoft and Copilot recently, tossed more shade Microsoft's way. Shortly after claiming Copilot is "just the new Microsoft Clippy," Benioff said Microsoft is in "panic mode." Those comments came in response to Microsoft announcing Copilot agents, which automate tasks and compete with Salesforce's Agentforce.

Benioff shared the following on X (formerly Twitter):

"Microsoft rebranding Copilot as ‘agents’? That’s panic mode. Let’s be real—Copilot’s a flop because Microsoft lacks the data, metadata, and enterprise security models to create real corporate intelligence. That is why Copilot is inaccurate, spills corporate data, and forces customers to build their own LLMs. Clippy 2.0, anyone? Meanwhile, Agentforce is transforming businesses now. Agentforce doesn’t just handle tasks—it autonomously drives sales, service, marketing, analytics, and commerce. With data, LLMs, workflows, and security all integrated into a single Customer 360 platform: This is what AI was meant to be."

I agree there are valid criticisms to be shared about Microsoft's Copilot branding, but Benioff is off base here. Microsoft did not rebrand Copilot as agents. Microsoft literally announced "Copilot agents." If Microsoft was moving away from Copilot branding, the tech giant would not use Copilot in the name of its new agents.

Reviews

Our experts ran a ton of devices through the ringer this week, getting hands-on experience with the latest laptops, CPUs, and games. The Razer Game Room earned the best score of the week, though several pieces of hardware received high marks.

"Razer has been making some of the best RGB-lit gaming accessories for years, but I still didn't expect the new Razer Gamer Room and its Aether family of products to be so immediately competitive with the biggest smart home lights players," said our Zachary Boddy. "Razer isn't targeting the budget end of the market, but each Aether product exudes quality in both setup and use."

The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 made a strong case to be among the best AI PCs as it went through testing. "The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 packs AMD's latest Ryzen AI chipset for incredible real-world performance, battery life, and AI capabilities," said Boddy. "On top of that, actual Thunderbolt 4 ports and HP's Wolf Security suite make this AMD laptop more versatile and secure. All the magic is on the inside, though, as the OmniBook Ultra 14's design is average and its IPS LCD display is bland."

With seven reviews the catch up on, there's sure to be a device or game worth a closer look.

Deals

Each week, our team scour the web for the best deals. Luckily for those shopping this weekend, there are plenty of sales going on. Early Black Friday deals will save you hundreds of dollars on laptops, accessories, and more.

What you need to know

• Helljumpers is a player-made PvE mode in Halo Infinite that's directly inspired by Arrowhead Game Studios' hit co-op shooter Helldivers 2. It was built using the game's advanced mapmaking tool that's called Forge.
• First announced seven months ago in March, the mode has finally now been released in Early Access and is available to play now in Halo Infinite Custom Games. An explanation of how you can access Helljumpers' map and mode can be found below.
• Helljumpers works across Xbox and PC, and since Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play, anyone on either of these platforms can install it and check the mode out without spending a penny.
• The mode is particularly beneficial for Xbox users, as Helldivers 2 is exclusive to PS5 and PC right now. Though Arrowhead's game could come to Xbox at some point, Helljumpers looks to be the best alternative currently available.

Microsoft's live service Xbox and Windows PC shooter Halo Infinite has gotten plenty of updates since its 2021 release that've improved the game substantially, but one that's proven to be one of the biggest boons is the addition of Forge mode. Since the latest iteration of the series' beloved mapmaking tool came out in late 2022 and was improved in 2023 with the ability to spawn campaign AI, creative fans have been using Forge to make everything from Pokémon battle arenas to a Baldur's Gate 3-style tabletop RPG experience. What may be the most impressive project yet, though, is a custom mode derived from one of this year's biggest games — and several months after its development was announced, it's finally out.

That mode is Helljumpers, a mammoth-sized PvE experience built by the renowned community development team The Forge Falcons. Heavily inspired by Arrowhead Game Studios' popular co-op shooter Helldivers 2, Helljumpers aims to bring the thrill of the 2024 hit to Halo with custom-made stratagems, randomized objectives, an extraction system, a mid-match progression system that emulates unlocking upgrades in Helldivers, and a gigantic, highly detailed urban map that looks straight out of Halo 3: ODST. With 4,000+ scripts, every bit of Halo Infinite's generous Forge budget used, and a full playthrough length of 3-5 hours, it's arguably the most ambitious Forge project to date (this overview video goes into extensive detail about how it works).

For that reason, it's taken seven months for The Forge Falcons to build and polish the experience. At long last, though, you can finally check it out, as it's released today on Xbox and Windows PC. To play it, you'll first have to either bookmark both the Helljumpers map and the mode to play on it on Halo Waypoint while signed in with your Microsoft account or bookmark these in-game with Halo Infinite's Content Browser. Once that's done, you can select these in Custom Games to get a session running (you can also look for public Helljumpers lobbies with Halo Infinite's Custom Games Browser).

Something important to know about Helljumpers is that it's been released in Early Access, with The Forge Falcons stressing that players may encounter bugs. The team does eventually plan to fully launch the experience with a 1.0 version, but first wants to let fans test it out and report any issues they run into.

"Early Access allows us to release the experience for you all to play whilst it still being in a development phase," wrote the group on social media. "We want to work with players and use their feedback to make Helljumpers the best it can be, before launching into 1.0." Note that The Forge Falcons has a Discord server where you can report bugs and organize sessions with other players, so make sure you join it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Helljumpers — much like Helldivers 2 itself — has a strict team size limit of four players. The creators say trying to play it with more than that will "break the mode," but you can play it with less if you'd prefer to drop into battle by yourself or with a smaller squad.

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I've been following this project since it was revealed in March, so it's awesome to finally see it get a public release. I can't wait to try it out soon with my friends, because if it plays as good as it looks, it's going to be an absolute blast. I'm confident that it will be, too, as The Forge Falcons are known for making excellent, well-polished Forge experiences; its CoD: Zombies-inspired Survive the Undead mode recently came to Halo Infinite matchmaking permanently after a test run earlier this year, and its battle royale mode is the most advanced take on that genre I've seen made for the game.

Though it's available on both Xbox and PC, Helljumpers is particularly great for users of the former, as Helldivers 2 isn't on Microsoft's consoles right now and there's not really an alternative out there to fall back on. Helldivers 2 could come to Xbox at some point if Sony and Microsoft work something out, but until there's news on that front, Helljumpers is a great way for Xbox players to get a taste of its high-octane action.

Best of all, though, is the fact it's completely free-to-play since Halo Infinite multiplayer doesn't cost a penny. That means you can jump in regardless of whether you already own and play the game or not, which is fantastic (the campaign costs money, though it's excellent and also available with Xbox Game Pass).

Tech giant executives fill the headlines this week, as Salesforce's CEO dubbed Copilot the "new Microsoft Clippy" and NVIDIA's CEO called Elon Musk "superhuman." Unsurprisingly, AI continues to be the main topic on everyone's mind, but we also saw Qualcomm cancel its Snapdragon X Elite Dev Kit this week and Microsoft shadow drop two Xbox games.

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Salesforce CEO says "Copilot is just the new Microsoft Clippy"

Microsoft has several Copilots available to general users and in the enterprise space, but a major tech CEO believes Copilot is the new Microsoft Clippy. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff claimed that "Salesforce can beat Microsoft in AI" in a recent podcast.

"When you look at how Copilot has been sold to our customers, it's disappointing. It doesn't work," said Benioff. "It spews data all over our floors, it doesn't deliver value. I haven't found a customer who has transformational work with Copilot. Copilot is just the new Microsoft Clippy."

Of course, the CEO of Salesforce is far from unbiased on the topic. Salesforce's Agentforce competes in the same space as Microsoft's AI offering. Specifically, the tool helps create custom AI agents.

It's fairly common to see CEOs promote their own products or downplay the competition, though Benioff was a bit more direct than some CEOs. We'll have to see if the Salesforce CEO's prediction about Copilot not being around for long comes true.

"Elon Musk is Superhuman," says NVIDIA CEO

If I told you a tech CEO said Elon Musk is superhuman, you would likely assume Musk said the praise about himself. But in a recent interview it was NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang lauding Musk's AI efforts.

"As far as I know, there's only one person in the world who could do that; Elon is singular in his understanding of engineering and construction and large systems and marshaling resources; it's just unbelievable."

Huang's praise of Musk focused on the xAI team setting up a powerful supercomputer in 19 days. NVIDIA's CEO said the process would normally take years, not weeks. He went on emphasize that the networking, wiring, and engineering required to create a supercluster featuring 100,000 H200 Blackwell GPUs is massive.

Usually, I remind folks on the internet that praising Musk will not make the celebrity offer a job, but that advice doesn't apply here. NVIDIA works closely with Musk, including collaborating with the xAI team across engineering, networking, infrastructure, and software. It's safe to say stroking Musk's ego is a sound strategy for NVIDIA's CEO.

Qualcomm cancels Snapdragon X Elite Dev Kit

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite Dev Kit was supposed to be in the hands of consumers and reviewers this week, but the chipmaker canceled the device instead. While a small handful of people were lucky enough to get a Snapdragon X Elite Dev Kit, the vast majority of those who ordered the mini PC will not receive a unit.

Qualcomm emailed customers this week, clarifying that the Snapdragon X Elite Dev Kit did not meet its "usual standards of excellence." As a result, Qualcomm canceled the product and will issue refunds to anyone that purchased one of the devices.

Anyone who placed an order will receive a refund, including anyone who already received a Snapdragon X Elite Dev Kit. The dev kit was supposed to ship in June, but it faced delays. Ultimately, the PC did not ship at all.

The Snapdragon X Elite Dev Kit faced many challenges, including the removal of an HDMI port at the last minute and Qualcomm failing to pass FCC regulation before shipping units.

While there are other Snapdragon X Elite-powered PCs available, Qualcomm's dev kit was the only device set to run on the top-end X Elite SoC (the X1E-00-1DE) with a higher 4.3GHz boost frequency.

Microsoft shadow drops two Xbox games

While the majority of the announcements from Microsoft's October Xbox Partner Preview event focused on upcoming games, Microsoft snuck out some titles during the event. Blindfire and Animal Well are now available to play on Xbox Series X|S, though the former is in early access.

Blindfire is a PvP shooter with a unique gameplay mechanic that has defeated players able control cameras and traps in the arena. Those defeated players can exact revenge on those that slayed them, aid certain players, or help a specific team (Blindfire has both solo and team modes).

Animal Well launched earlier this year on PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. It's now available on Xbox Series X|S, giving those in the Xbox ecosystem a way to play the Metroidvania platformer.

Reviews

Our Senior Editor Ben Wilson got behind the wheel over the last week, literally. Wilson reviewed the MOZA R3 racing wheel, which earned a perfect score.

"There isn't anything close to MOZA's offering for Xbox gamers eager to try super-realistic sim racing with a high-end direct-drive wheelbase," said Wilson. "Some alternatives offer PlayStation support but leave Microsoft's console out in the cold, with the natural carry-over to PC support that most peripherals exhibit passively. Ultimately, it's the best racing wheel for Xbox because it offers unparalleled value for money and the best force feedback technology you can get."

Metaphor: ReFantazio also earned high marks from our Zachary Boddy, who praised the game for its "excellent worldbuilding and narrative direction, captivating and engaging characters and relationships, and fun, tactical turn-based combat with flexible strategies."

Boddy kicked off their review by saying " Metaphor: ReFantazio has cemented itself as the best game I've played this year so far." That's quite the praise from someone who spends hours playing the best Xbox games.

Deals

Prime Day and Anti-Prime Day may be in the rearview mirror, but there are still plenty of great deals going on. Discounts on the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge and Dell XPS provide great opportunities to upgrade to a new laptop. You can also save big on mini PCs, gaming desktops, and more.

Profits were a bit of a theme this week in the world of tech news. Prime Day and Anti-Prime Day deals dominated much of the headlines, as companies raced to present the best deals of the season to shoppers. Many would consider deals on highly rated products good news, but we also saw the dark side of chasing profits this week. A Nobel Prize winner argued that Sam Altman and OpenAI placed profits over AI safety.

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Nobel Prize winner calls out Sam Altman

OpenAI's Sam Altman was accused of placing profits above safety when it comes to developing AI; priorities which led to his firing by Ilya Sutskever (Altman was later reinstated). I doubt many are surprised to hear Altman prioritizes profits over developing safe AI, since it's a common accusation shared online. The weight of the quote comes from the fact that it was made by Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, who used to be a Sutskever's teacher.

"I'm particular proud of the fact that one of my students fired Sam Altman," said Hinton. The Nobel Prize winner went on to discuss how OpenAI was set up with a large focus on safety, but that its leaders have gone in a different direction.

"Over time, it turned out that Sam Altman was less concerned with safety than with profits."

Altman is a polarizing figure. OpenAI are on the forefront of artificial intelligence, which places a burden of responsibility on the shoulders of OpenAI leaders. Many, including Sutskever, believe OpenAI has placed profits over safety.

Steam says you don't own games

Purchasing games through Steam now looks a bit different. A recent addition to Steam will display text clearly stating that you are purchasing a license of a product rather than owning a game you buy.

To be entirely honest, I'm not sure the change by Steam will be impactful. I appreciate honesty and transparency, even if done ahead of law changes, but Steam's message to consumers does not change the fact that people now license games rather than owning them. I suppose it's better to be upfront about what someone is buying than to hide the licensing set up.

Surface Duo is dead

This disappointing story of Microsoft-made phones fizzled out this week. After just one Android OS upgrade, Microsoft pulled the plug on the Surface Duo 2. The final security update for Surface Duo 2 shipped to the device and the foldable will reach its official end of support on October 21, 2021.

Microsoft has received plenty of criticism for its strategy around Surface Duo, but the fact that the phone only received a single Android OS upgrade is particularly damning. Smartphones in the $1,500 price range, which is where there Surface Duo 2 launched, almost always receive multiple Android OS upgrade. Generally, phone makers ship three Android OS upgrade to flagship devices. Our Senior Editor Zac Bowden called the single Android OS upgrade "pitiful," and I agree with him.

The writing has been on the wall about Surface Duo for quite a while. Microsoft chose to cut back on the Surface device portfolio, which factored into the departure of ex-Windows and Surface boss Panos Panay.

Now, the Surface Duo line is dead. Microsoft famously stepped back from smartphones when it killed Windows Phone and Lumia in 2017. While the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 ran Android, enthusiasts enjoyed Microsoft's novel approach to smartphone hardware.

Halo Infinite's Helldivers 2 mode

Halo Infinite players will soon have an exciting new game mode to enjoy. Helljumpers will become available on October 25, 2025, and we got to see a gameplay trailer recently. When the mode launches, it will be available to play on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC.

Inspired by Helldivers 2, the game mode made by The Forge Falcons features Banished and Covenant enemies, custom-scripted stratagem call-ins, randomized objectives, and dynamic enemy spawns. It also has a massive Halo 3: ODST-inspired map.

Since Halo Infinite's multiplayer is free, you won't have to pay any extra to enjoy Helljumpers multiplayer.

Reviews

Our team took a look at the latest tech and shared their thoughts over the past week. Several items earned nearly perfect scores, including the Samsung T7 SSD, ASUS ProArt P16, and the Alienware Pro Headset. Windows 11's 2024 Update also received praise.

"The ASUS ProArt P16 (2024) is a gorgeous and immensely powerful laptop aimed directly at creatives, artists, and engineers. It packs the latest AMD and NVIDIA hardware and AI capabilities, the 4K OLED display is wonderful, and the hardware is incredibly refined," said our Zachary Boddy about ASUS' powerful laptop for creators. "This is an excellent laptop no matter how you look at it, but it is very expensive and still suffers from the inconsistent endurance we've come to expect from such powerful PCs."

Our Richard Devine was equally effusive about the Samsung T7, stating, " The Samsung T7 portable SSD is every bit as good as the T7 Touch but at a lower price. It makes it a brilliant all-purpose portable SSD that can be used for both computers and the latest Xbox consoles. "

Deals

Prime Day and Anti-Prime Day ran throughout much of this week, slashing the prices of PCs, consoles, games, and accessories. We covered dozens of deals and have updated pieces focused on discounts that are still live, so make sure to check out our deals hub. Below are some of the best deals that are still live.

What you need to know

• Helljumpers is a community-made Helldivers 2 mode coming to Halo Infinite soon. It's being made by The Forge Falcons, a team of talented fans using the game's Forge mapmaking tool to create custom gameplay experiences.
• Strongly inspired by Arrowhead's popular co-op shooter, Helljumpers will feature intense encounters against Banished and Covenant enemies, complete with custom-scripted stratagem call-ins, randomized objectives, dynamic enemy spawns, a colossal Halo 3: ODST-inspired map, and more.
• During a panel held during the October 4-6 Halo World Championship 2024 esports event, The Forge Falcons debuted its first-ever gameplay trailer for Helljumpers that you can watch below. This trailer also revealed that after over seven months in development, the mode is finally releasing on October 25.
• The mode will be playable on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC, and access to it will be completely free-to-play since Halo Infinite multiplayer is.

Ever since Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries implemented the ability to add PvE campaign enemies to maps in the game's Forge mode mapmaking tool, its community has built many custom levels and modes that creatively make use of the feature. Among the most exciting of these is Helljumpers, an action-packed, Halo-flavored take on the popular co-op shooter Helldivers 2 that took Windows PC and PS5 gamers by storm earlier this year. First announced by The Forge Falcons — the skilled team of Forgers behind the mode — in late March, Helljumpers has been in development for over seven months now.

Featuring bespoke stratagem call-ins, randomized objectives, mid-match upgrade and progression systems, an extraction mechanic, a colossal map inspired by Halo 3: ODST's gloomy nighttime cityscape, and more, Helljumpers is ambitious, to say the least (this overview covers its gameplay specifics in more detail). With 4,000+ script nodes and a maxed out Forge budget, The Forge Falcons have spared no effort in its quest to bring the bombastic fun of Helldivers 2 to Halo fans on Xbox and PC — and now, we finally know when the mode will be in our hands.

During a panel The Forge Falcons held during the October 4-6 Halo World Championship 2024 esports event, it debuted the first-ever gameplay trailer for Helljumpers, along with its official release date: October 25. You can view the trailer below, or by clicking this link to its YouTube webpage.

The trailer shows a squad of four players dropping into Helljumpers' gloomy urban environment, recovering some sort of critical artifact and then infiltrating a relay tower to blow it to kingdom come before extracting on a Pelican dropship. Throughout the battle, waves of various types of Banished troops land en masse to impede the group, with the Spartans using their weapons alongside heavy artillery strikes and tools like defensive shields to fight their way to their exfil.

Everything from the visual design of and details in the map itself to the pace of combat and the mode's custom-coded stratagems look absolutely fantastic, and based on what we know of Helljumpers' structure, players can look forward to even more thrilling and chaotic encounters when its intensity ramps up after initial sets of objectives are completed. Overall, the Helldivers 2 inspiration really shines through in this teaser, and I can't wait to experience the adrenaline rush of Arrowhead Game Studios' hit in Halo once the mode drops in a few weeks. It'll feel even more like the Starship Troopers-esque shooter once Halo Infinite gets third-person perspective support in November, which The Forge Falcons has already said Helljumpers will work with.

Something important to note is that once Helljumpers is out, you'll be able to drop in  without paying anything whatsoever since Halo Infinite's multiplayer — including Forge mode and all the player-made creations that come from it — is completely free-to-play across both Xbox consoles and Windows PC (the campaign requires a purchase, though it is on Xbox Game Pass). This is a boon for Xbox players in particular, as Helldivers 2 isn't available on Microsoft's consoles.

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More Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals

We at Windows Central are scouring the internet for the best Prime Day deals and anti-Prime Day deals, but there are plenty more discounts going on now. Here's where to find more savings:

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The dream, of course, is official matchmaking support for Helljumpers, though I'm not sure whether that actually has a chance of happening or not. The Forge Falcons' CoD: Zombies-style Survive the Undead mode was briefly added to matchmaking earlier this year and is actually scheduled to become a permanent part of Halo Infinite's content suite on October 8, but its matches are generally pretty quick — only a few minutes long, in most cases. In contrast, a full playthrough of the Helljumpers experience has been said to be between 3-5 hours long, which may be far too lengthy for matchmaking consideration.

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Still, there's always a chance it could be tweaked and adapted for matchmaking support at some point, and even if it's not, you'll always have the option of dropping feet first into hell with a group of friends. Don't forget about Halo Infinite's Custom Game Browser, either, which I'm sure will be flooded with players looking to squad up come October 25.

What you need to know

• Halo Infinite multiplayer first launched back in November 2021, with the campaign following in December.
• Since then, the game has received a number of new modes, maps, and quality-of-life features, like the Match Composer added earlier in 2024.
• Developer 343 Industries shared that Halo Infinite is getting a third-person mode in November 2024.
• This mode will allow players to adjust their camera, playing Halo Infinite like a third-person shooter.

There's a big change coming for one of gaming's biggest names in first-person shooters.

Halo Infinite is getting a third-person mode, as shared by Xbox Game Studios developer 343 Industries on Friday. This comes as the Halo World Championship 2024 series is kicking off. You can see some work-in-progress footage of the mode below:

Right now, it's not clear exactly what the mode entails, if this will be available as a toggle, or even if it'll be available in the campaign mode or if it's being constrained to multiplayer. All of the footage shown in the work-in-progress video is from the multiplayer, but time will tell.

There's no exact release date for when the third-person mode is coming to Halo Infinite, but 343 Industries notes that it can be expected at some point in November 2024.

Earlier in the year, Xbox head of consumer products John Friend noted in an interview that the team has plans for celebrating some big anniversaries of Xbox-owned franchises, including the 25th anniversary of Halo. Nov. 9, 2024 also marks the upcoming 20th anniversary of Halo 2, an original Xbox title that helped catapult the franchise into becoming a household name. 

Personally, I'm looking forward to testing this third-person mode out. Options are cool, even though it'll never be the primary way that I play Halo. The mainline franchise is a first-person shooter, but if the developers can have a pleasant third-person option as well, I won't object, especially considering the games already shift to a third-person perspective when in vehicles or using turrets.

Halo Infinite is one of the best Xbox games available, and the multiplayer is currently available as a free-to-play game across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC, while the campaign is paid and included in Xbox Game Pass.

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What you need to know

• Helljumpers is an upcoming community-made game mode for Halo Infinite that uses its Forge mapmaking tool to create a PvE experience similar to Arrowhead Game Studios' popular co-op shooter Helldivers 2.
• The mode was originally scheduled to launch in June, but its creators delayed it in order to rework some aspects of the mode and free up more Forge budget (there are limitations for objects and scripts).
• Now, its developer — a team of Forgers under the banner of The Forge Falcons — has released a new overview video that goes over the mode in detail. It, along with a summary of that video, can be found below.
• The Forge Falcons will have a panel at the Halo World Championship 2024 esports tournament running from October 4-6, and plans to share Helljumpers gameplay and a release date during the event.

First announced earlier this year in February, one of the most exciting upcoming Halo projects is Helljumpers — a brand new game mode that's heavily inspired by 2024's explosively popular co-op shooter Helldivers 2. The mode is being developed with Halo Infinite's powerful Forge mapmaking tool, and the team behind it is The Forge Falcons — a group of incredibly talented community Forgers behind fan-favorite releases like Halo Battle Royale and the CoD: Zombies-inspired Survive the Undead that appeared in official matchmaking in late May.

Helljumpers has been in development for seven months now, and much like Helldivers 2, it will feature "procedural objectives, in-game progression, upgrade systems, boss fights, extraction, drop pods and much much more." Originally scheduled to launch in June, The Forge Falcons ended up delaying it to rework aspects of the project and give themselves more Forge budget to work with (the level editor has a limit to how many objects and scripts it can handle). Now, however, the team has released an official overview video for Helljumpers that covers every feature in the mode while also teasing when we'll get a new concrete release date. 

You can watch the video with the link in the previous paragraph or through the embed beneath this text. Note that while I'm going to summarize the overview below, I recommend watching the deep dive itself since it explains Helljumpers in detail, features some helpful visuals to illustrate how it works, and even includes a cinematic trailer for the mode at the end.

Since Halo Infinite and Forge doesn't support progression between sessions, The Forge Falcons have designed Helljumpers to be a longform campaign-style experience with multiple missions in a single sitting (it's estimated to be 3-5 hours long). When it begins, players will designate someone in their party as their squad leader, with that player then able to ping a map to determine where everyone will land and choose a faction to fight. At launch, there will be two: the Covenant — made up of Elites, Grunts, and Hunters — and the Banished, which will consist of Brutes, Jackals, and Skimmers. Regardless of which foe you pick, though, you'll also have to contend with rogue Spartans that aim to take you down.

Before dropping into a mission, everyone can use points to get stat-boosting perks, stratagems, and weapons for their loadout. Much like actual Helldivers 2 stratagems, Helljumpers stratagems can be used to clear away large swathes of enemies or assist their team with aid or crowd control, with the former being offensive stratagems and the latter being support ones. Every player in the squad can carry one of each, though you'll need to be careful with some of them since stratagem firepower can kill you and your teammates (I can't wait to experience this mode's equivalent of a poorly thrown Eagle Cluster Bomb beacon). 

Perks can give you up to four tiers of boosted damage, health, and movement speed, while loadout options determine which weapons you'll spawn and respawn with as you play. Notably, unlike Helldivers 2, Helljumpers will allow you to trade your loadout weapon for arms dropped by fallen combatants — a fun part of the Halo combat loop that will help distinguish the mode from Arrowhead Game Studios' game.

Once everyone drops into the sprawling cityscape below your ship, you'll be tasked with completing a story objective and two main objectives before you can be extracted by a Pelican. Story objectives are randomized but have a consistent difficulty throughout the game, while main objectives are also randomized but get progressively more challenging the longer you play. Once all three are done, you can call for extraction, return to your vessel, and choose a new round of upgrades before dropping back in and repeating the process. As you progress, the likelihood of more difficult enemy units spawning will increase, and you'll have to adapt to Skulls that modify moment-to-moment gameplay as well.

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What The Forge Falcons is putting together here is ridiculously ambitious, and given that it's been confirmed it requires over 4,000 scripting nodes and 100% of the Forge budget, it's safe to say that the mode is pushing the level editor to its limits. In fact, the team says Helljumpers is "the most advanced, feature packed Forge experience ever made," and that "it has roughly 2x more scripts then our Battle Royale and Survive The Undead experiences, combined." The Forge Falcons also plan to expand Helljumpers with "more content and changes up until and after launch to make this experience as good as it could possibly be."

I absolutely cannot wait to play this, and soon enough, we'll know exactly when we'll be able to. That's because The Forge Falcons will have a panel at the Halo World Championship 2024 esports event running from October 4-6, and plans to share more gameplay of Helljumpers and a release date for it there. With any luck, it'll be in our hands sooner rather than later, though above all else I'm glad that its developers have taken the time they need to polish the experience and make their vision for it a reality.

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Once it does come out, it will be completely free-to-play, as only Halo Infinite's story campaign costs money to access (it is on Xbox Game Pass). Custom Games multiplayer and Forge creations have no barriers to entry whatsoever, giving Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players a way to experience something similar to the PS5 and PC-exclusive Helldivers 2 without spending a penny. Forge in general makes Halo Infinite one of the best Xbox games and best PC games to check out if you enjoy community-created content, as fans have made thousands of amazing maps and modes with it.

What you need to know

• Halo Infinite's latest Operation, Fleetcom, is now available, bringing a new pass for players to complete. 
• Operation: Fleetcom is restoring the ability to grenade jump, a mainstay of the Halo franchise. 
• The Headhunter mode from Halo: Reach is also being added at a later point during the Operation.

More iconic modes are coming back from across Halo's history. 

Halo Infinite Operation: Fleetcom is now live, bringing a new pass for players to complete with new cosmetics to unlock. As detailed on Halo Waypoint, this Operation is also introducing some changes to rewards, with players earning Spartan Points for every match they play. Spartan Points were introduced earlier in the year, and can be spent on a rotation of returning cosmetics in the Exchange.

While it's not available right at launch, this Operation will also see the return of the Headhunter mode. First introduced back in Halo: Reach, Headhunter tasks players with gathering skulls from defeated enemies, with a player's skulls dropping all around them if they fall in combat. There's no word on exactly when Headhunter will be available except that it's coming "soon."

Halo Infinite weapon balance notes

In addition to the impending arrival of Headhunter, several weapons and vehicles have been tweaked, with a balance pass that's intended to make things more competitive while also restoring one big ability that's been sorely missed by a number of players: Grenade jumping! Thanks to this change, you can again use carefully-timed grenades to propel yourself up. You can see the full balance pass below:

• Disruptor
  • Damage-over-time feature returns.
  • 8 shots to kill (2 supercombines).
• MA40 Assault Rifle
  • Adjusted error angles to give a more consistent feel, improving the Assault Rifle’s reliability.
• Ravager
  • Increased damage output—now five shots to kill instead of six. (Get ready to paint the battlefield with incendiary plasma!)
• M41 SPNKR
  • Improved damage fall off for better consistency.
  • Slight reduction in outer damage radius.
  • Increased maximum ammo reserves (from 6 to 8).
• M392 Bandit & Bandit EVO
  • Slower rate of fire to address community feedback around time-to-kill.
  • Improvement to red reticle headshot accuracy.
• Sentinel Beam
  • Increased base damage.
  • Removed damage fall off.
  • Removed headshot multiplier.
• Skewer
  • Faster reload to give players more opportunities to utilize this weapon during combat.
• S7 Sniper & CQS48 Bulldog
  • Increased maximum ammo reserves (from 20 to 24 for the S7 Sniper; from 21 to 28 for the CQS48 Bulldog).
• Grenades
  • Grenade jumping returns! The impulse for Fragmentation, Plasma, and Spike grenade physics has been increased, giving players increased jump height.
• Ravager Rebound
  • Primary fire will now explode on direct player impact, or bounce off level geometry and explode.
  • Primary fire will now shoot one projectile.
  • Charged up shot will instantly kill a player on a direct hit.
  • Increased the damage of charged shot’s area-of-effect.
• Impact Commando
  • Reduced bloom.
  • Adjusted aim-down-sight transition time.
• Volatile Skewer
  • Trajectory now matches the default Skewer.
  • Increased reload speed (like the default Skewer).
  • Increased damage.
• Riven Mangler
  • Increased rate of fire.
  • Reduced gun kick.
• Stalker Rifle Ultra
  • Three shots to kill instead of four.
  • Increased rate of fire.
  • Adjusted aim-down-sight transition time.
• Unbound Plasma Pistol
  • Primary fire now shoots three projectile bursts.
  • Primary fire is now more accurate.
  • Increased heat resistance.
  • Charged shot now has EMP effect.
  • Charged shot now shoots 8 projectiles (previously 6), it is slightly slower but also more accurate.
• Flexfire Sniper
  • Added animation modifier block element to barrel configuration.
  • Increased ready initial playback modifier 0.3%.
• Banshee
  • Increased splatter damage resistance.
  • Plasma cannons are better.
  • Fuel rod projectile moves faster, and cooldown is reduced.
  • Rolling to the left and right go further.
• Ghost
  • Lowered health for the Ghost’s left and right wings.
  • Decreased reverse speed.
  • Slower strafe acceleration from side-to-side.

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What you need to know

• The latest update for Halo Infinite is now live, bringing the Anvil Operation to players on Xbox and PC. 
• This Operation adds a new 20-tier pass with cosmetics themed after Anvil Station, which is jointly operated by UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios forces.
• There's also a new gameplay mode called Big Team Battle: Sentry Defense, with each team tasked with defending two monitors.

More Halo action awaits. 

Operation Anvil is now live in Halo Infinite, bringing new cosmetics for players to earn and a big new gameplay mode to check out. As detailed on Halo Waypoint, Anvil Operation is themed after the in-universe Anvil Station, an orbital station staffed jointly by UNSC Spartans and warriors from the Swords of Sanghelios. 

That's reflected in the Operation's cosmetics, which features some armor designed inspired by Sangheili patterns. As with other recent passes, Anvil Operation is 20 tiers that are free to earn for the duration of the Operation. Anyone that purchases the pass can keep it and make progress forever, as well as getting a couple of extra cosmetic items.

Anvil Operation introduces Big Team Battle: Sentry Defense

The other big addition in Anvil Operation is the new Big Team Battle: Sentry Defense mode. In this mode, players are tasked with defending and repairing two large monitor constructs, like the ones seen in Halo Infinite's campaign. Each team starts with 2,000 points, losing points as their sentries take damage. 

Right now, this new mode is live now across the Fragmentation, Highpower, Deadlock, Oasis, Scar, and Command maps. Each map will also have at least one Repair Field item, meaning players can obtain the precious piece of equipment and use it to repair their Sentries if damage accumulates, but requiring more careful planning as teams are forced to choose between defending their sentries or going after the enemy team's constructs.

Analysis: Another reason to keep playing

Halo Infinite has received some pretty solid updates this year, with the addition of the beloved Mark IV Halo Wars-era armor and Juggernaut mode in prior months. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more of Big Team Battle: Sentry Defense fairly soon. It's a great shake-up compared to how other Big Team Battle modes tend to play out, and I have no doubt it'll really require teams to think carefully compared to even other objective-based modes like Capture the Flag.

I'm also happy to see Elite-inspired cosmetics making an appearance here. The Arbiter's Swords of Sanghelios are super cool, and while I'll forever find it a shame that playable Elites weren't available in Halo Infinite, it's good to see humanity's allies haven't been forgotten.

Halo Infinite is one of the best Xbox games available, and the multiplayer is currently available as a free-to-play game across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC, while the campaign is paid and included in Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• The latest content update for Halo Infinite is available now across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC. 
• Halo Infinite's long-awaited Match Composer is now here, allowing players to fine-tune what modes they want to play in a particular playlist. 
• Halo Infinite has also brought back the iconic Juggernaut mode, which was first introduced all the way back in Halo 2. 
• Juggernaut pits one player against all the rest with some advantages, but if the Juggernaut is killed, the killer becomes the new Juggernaut.

There's a new juggernaut in town. 

The latest content update for Halo Infinite is now live across all platforms, bringing the newest 20-tier Operation Pass, Tenrai IV, as well as some other long-awaited additions. 

As detailed by developer 343 Industries on Halo Waypoint, Halo Infinite's match composer is finally available for everyone, giving players the the ability to fine-tune modes when selecting a particular playlist. If you feel like playing Land Grab and King of the Hill, but not Slayer, you can set your choices accordingly. This content update also sees another big add-on in the form of a fan-favorite mode: Juggernaut.

When was Juggernaut mode introduced in Halo?

Juggernaut was first introduced to the Halo franchise with 2004's Halo 2. It quickly became a popular mode and series mainstay, with one player empowered in unique ways while they tried to take out everyone else in a match, with ownership of the Juggernaut title and abilities passing to whoever killed the Juggernaut.

Halo Infinite's official version of Juggernaut sees one player gain a speed boost, damage increase, stronger shields, a gravity hammer and a Quantum Translocator. Halo Infinite also includes the variant mode, Ninjanaut, which sees the Juggernaut equipped with an Active Camo, infinite plasma grenades, and a Grappleshot. The Active Camo runs out over time, but is recharged through kills. 

Analysis: A cool mode that took long enough

Juggernaut is another mode that, frankly, shouldn't have taken this long to officially be added to Halo Infinite, though I'm aware enterprising modders had recreated it already through the ever-amazing Forge mode. Still, I'm glad it's here, and I'll definitely be hopping into these playlists with my friends and family once the weekend showcase madness is over. 

I'm also really happy to see the Match Composer finally added. It's a great way of increasing your enjoyment if you're just frustrated with one particular mode at a certain time. I think anyone who has ever played a multiplayer game has run into the feeling of "How am I playing this mode on this map again already?" and that should be easy to alleviate now. 

Halo Infinite is one of the best Xbox games available, and the multiplayer is currently available as a free-to-play game across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC, while the campaign is paid and included in Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• The Forge Falcons, a group of talented community members known for their impressive Forge creations, has just released a new Halo Infinite battle royale mode.
• Simply dubbed "Halo Battle Royale," the gametype features three distinct maps, a dynamic shrinking zone, randomized loot rarities and spawn locations, a bespoke start-of-match spawning system, and more.
• The mode is essentially a relaunch of Inheritor, a battle royale experience the team originally created in 2023. This new version of it features several extensively reworked mechanics and additional play spaces.
• The Forge Falcons is also responsible for creating the Survive the Undead CoD: Zombies-style mode that's currently in official Halo Infinite matchmaking, as well as a Helldivers 2 experience called Helljumpers that's slated to release on June 28.

The status and even the existence of Certain Affinity's long-rumored "Project Tatanka" battle royale mode for Halo Infinite is unclear at this point, with rumors of its cancellation swirling earlier this year. Regardless of whether Tatanka is on the way or not, though, players hoping for a PvP battle royale experience in 343 Industries' free-to-play Xbox and PC shooter don't have to wait any longer to jump into one.

That's thanks to the efforts of The Forge Falcons, an incredibly talented team of community members using Halo Infinite's Forge level editor to build custom gameplay experiences for players. Best known for creating the Survive the Undead CoD: Zombies mode that got added to Halo Infinite matchmaking earlier this month, The Forge Falcons also made a Halo Infinite battle royale called Inheritor that just got a big relaunch. Now, it's simply called "Halo Battle Royale" (bookmark it here), and it's got a suite of impactful changes and additions for players to check out.

Matches begin aboard a Pelican dropship that everyone drops out of, with players given the option to glide for up to 10 seconds to where they want to land or to activate a custom piece of equipment that drops them to the ground instantly. From there, it's a fight to survive against up to 23 other players and AI-controlled enemies and emerge victorious as the last Spartan standing, with everyone in the lobby getting a single respawn (for a total of two lives). Right now, there's only a "solos" free-for-all (FFA) version of the mode available, but The Forge Falcons is working to add squad-based variants and team-based 12v12, 8v8v8, and 6v6v6v6 options, too.

The mode's shrinking playable space — a feature found in every battle royale that facilitates engagements between players — is fully dynamic, with seven randomized phases that ensure the pace of the match varies from game to game. Additionally, the loot boxes around the maps that give players weapons and pickups when opened have random spawn locations and custom loot pools based on their rarity (from most to least common: green, blue, purple, yellow), adding more of the unpredictability and replayability that fans of the genre enjoy. There are even special "loot cave" caches you might stumble across as you move around the map; these have red "Mythic" loot boxes that contain some of the best items in the mode's sandbox.

Currently, Halo Battle Royale has three custom-made maps: Forerunner, a stage set around ancient ruins and UNSC bases with "a wide range of gameplay" engagements; Reclaimer, an abandoned city with massive skyscrapers that promotes a large amount of vertical movement; and Inheritor, a map at a UNSC mining facility with lots of trees, underground tunnels, and points of interest. Be careful if you go down into the mines on that last one — The Forge Falcons say "the Flood don't come too kindly to" them, so you might find some unsettling threats down there.

Note that while you can (and should) bookmark the mode and its maps so you can host play sessions with friends, you can also play Halo Battle Royale by looking for groups playing it with Halo Infinite's built-in Custom Games Browser. This is generally the best way to jump into fan-made Forge experiences like this one, and will make finding games a breeze.

To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of battle royale — I got my fill of it back during the 2017 PUBG era — so I probably won't be playing this mode too much. Still, I know there are a ton of folks who've wanted a quality battle royale experience in Halo Infinite for a long time, and I'm glad there's finally one on the table. Sure, it's not made by 343 Industries, but given that The Forge Falcons just got a mode into official matchmaking, it's safe to say that the quality of the team's work speaks for itself.

What I will be playing a ton of, though, is the Helldivers 2 mode the team is making for Halo Infinite. The Forge Falcons plan to release it on June 28, and while I'll be deep in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion at that time, I'm definitely going to jump into the ambitious co-op experience in July. With custom-built stratagem call-ins, a wide variety of main and side objectives, escalating difficulty, and longform upgrades, it's aiming to bring the thrill and intensity of Arrowhead's PvE shooter to Xbox and PC fans (Helldivers 2, while available on PC, is a PS5 console exclusive).

Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play (its campaign costs $59.99, but is also on Xbox Game Pass), and it's one of the best Xbox games and best PC games for folks who enjoy science fiction and arena shooters. While it's certainly gone through some steep peaks and deep valleys over time, the fact you can play awesome Forge experiences like this one in it makes it worth the download.

What you need to know

• Halo Infinite matchmaking has gotten a brand new PvE horde mode directly inspired by Call of Duty: Zombies that's called Survive the Undead, and you can play it now on Xbox and PC with up to three other players. It will be available for two weeks, from now until June 4.
• Created with Forge by the talented community members at The Forge Falcons, Survive the Undead features two maps (including a remake of the classic Nacht der Untoten stage) and several CoD: Zombies mechanics recreated in Halo Infinite.
• The Forge Falcons are also working on a Helldivers 2-themed mode for Halo Infinite called Helljumpers that's scheduled to launch next month on June 28, though it won't be in matchmaking. Instead, it will be playable in Custom Games.
• Notably, Survive the Undead is the first community-made PvE mode ever added to official matchmaking, which has players hoping additional experiences will come in the future.

Creative Halo Infinite players have been putting together some incredible projects ever since its Forge mode — a mapmaking tool that's frequently used in-tandem with game settings to make community-made modes for Custom Games multiplayer — released in late 2022, and they've only gotten more impressive since developer 343 Industries added support for campaign AI to Forge in 2023. Now, one such mode called "Survive the Undead" has come to Halo Infinite matchmaking, and it's available to play from now until June 4.

Built by the renowned team of community members at The Forge Falcons, Survive the Undead essentially brings Call of Duty: Zombies — a wave-based horde mode in which players fend off swarms of zombies by building defenses and using points to buy weapons and upgrades — to Halo Infinite using Banished enemies from the campaign. At launch, the playlist has two maps: a highly detailed and faithful remake of the first ever CoD: Zombies map, Nacht der Untoten, that's called Night of the Undead, and a wholly original stage named Installation of the Dead that has a looping circular design. It supports up to four players, so you can play with three friends or matchmade teammates.

Both maps prominently feature recreations of classic Zombies mechanics like special Territory areas that gradually unlock as you complete more and more waves, points earned by getting kills that you can exchange for new weapons and boosts to your health, damage, and movement speed, and randomly dropped power-ups that grant bonuses like full ammo refills or extra points. There are even boss waves, a version of the beloved Pack-a-Punch Machine that swaps your current weapon for one with unique and upgraded effects, and the Mystery Box that gives you a random weapon. Make sure to check out the trailer for the mode below:

You can learn more about Survive the Undead on The Forge Falcons' official webpage for the mode; it's been available for quite some time as an unofficial game mode in the Content Browser and has gone through several iterations, with its creators tweaking and refining it over time (the developer's say a feedback survey will come later this week, so keep an eye out for it). It's generally considered to be one of the best Halo Infinite Forge creations ever made, so it's awesome to see 343 Industries partner with the team behind it and bring it to matchmaking.

Notably, Survive the Undead's addition to an official playlist comes roughly a month before The Forge Falcons plan to release Helljumpers, a Halo Infinite version of Helldivers 2 that aims to bring the thrill of Arrowhead Game Studios' intense co-op shooter to Xbox and PC players (Helldivers 2 is exclusive to PS5 and PC). It's scheduled to launch on June 28, with a gameplay trailer coming a week before then "to give players the full in-depth look into the mode before release." Additionally, it's been said that a reworked version of the group's Battle Royale mode "Inheritor" is coming on May 31.

I've covered Helljumpers extensively before, and am extremely excited for its release next month. Like the red-hot game it's inspired by, it will have "procedural objectives, in-game progression, upgrade systems, boss fights, extraction, drop pods and much much more," including throwable stratagems for artillery and air support call-ins. It will also feature a custom-made campaign "around 5 hours in total," which is how The Forge Falcons are emulating the feel of Helldivers 2's mission-based progression structure.

The effort 343 Industries has put into Forge continues to pay dividends; Survive the Undead's official release marks the first time a community-made PvE experience has been added to Halo matchmaking, and I suspect other highly polished and creative modes from talented Forgers will make their way there in time, too — maybe we'll even get one soon after Survive the Undead is rotated out. I've certainly got my fingers crossed.

Keep in mind that Halo Infinite multiplayer is entirely free-to-play, which means that you can jump in and play Survive the Undead in matchmaking without forking over a penny. Forge and Custom Games are included in this, too, so you can enjoy Helljumpers, the overhauled variant of Inheritor, and any other custom experience made by the game's community for free as well.

The only thing you can't access in Halo Infinite without a purchase is its campaign, though it's definitely worth getting, and one of the best Xbox games and best PC games to play if you enjoy single player shooters. If you don't want to buy it directly, you could always play it through Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• Arrowhead Game Studios' PvE co-op shooter Helldivers 2 is one of 2024's biggest games on PC and PS5. However, it's not available on Xbox, and isn't likely to be in the future since it's published by PlayStation.
• Soon, however, Xbox fans will have an alternative they can turn to: Helljumpers, an ambitious PvE mode for the free-to-play multiplayer shooter Halo Infinite that's being made by The Forge Falcons, a legendary team of community Forgers.
• Helljumpers will be a Halo and ODST-themed spin on Helldivers 2 "with procedural objectives, in-game progression, upgrade systems, boss fights, extraction, drop pods and much much more." It takes advantage of the fact Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries added campaign AI to its level editor tool Forge in Season 5 last year.
• The Forge Falcons team has revealed that it plans to release Helljumpers in June, with a launch early in the month planned. However, it "will push it back a few more weeks if it needs it."

Gamers on PC and PS5 have been having an absolute blast this year with Helldivers 2, Arrowhead Game Studios' Starship Troopers-inspired PvE co-op shooter. Since its release in early February, the game has had a consistent presence on Steam's Top Sellers list, and according to SteamDB data, has also maintained concurrent player counts well over 100,000 on Valve's PC gaming platform. To say that it's been an explosive hit is an understatement, frankly — and for Xbox users, that makes the fact it's a PlayStation console exclusive all the more devastating.

There are hopes that Helldivers 2 will one day come to Microsoft's consoles, but the chances of that happening are pretty slim. The good news, however, is that a new mode directly inspired by the game is coming to 343 Industries' free-to-play FPS Halo Infinite in just a month or so. That mode is Helljumpers, a massive project being made in Halo Infinite's map-making Forge tool by a team of legendary community creators called The Forge Falcons. You might know of it from its popular Battle Royale-style mode Inheritor and the COD: Zombies-like Night of the Undead (that one is coming to official Halo Infinite matchmaking soon, by the way), but now the group is hard at work on a Halo and ODST-themed Helldivers 2 experience.

The Forge Falcons first announced Helljumpers back in late February (I covered it then, as well), and since then, have both explained much about how it'll work and teased snippets of its work-in-progress visual and audio elements on its Twitter (X) account. The recently released reveal trailer for the mode's map — a dark city reminiscent of Halo 3: ODST's New Mombasa — confirms that it will launch in June. Its developers are aiming for a release earlier in the month, though "will push it back a few more weeks if it needs it."

Like Helldivers 2, Helljumpers will be a co-op PvE experience "with procedural objectives, in-game progression, upgrade systems, boss fights, extraction, drop pods and much much more," with The Forge Falcons using Forge's advanced scripting capabilities to recreate things like Helldivers' throwable stratagem call-ins and airstrikes in Halo Infinite. Though Forge doesn't support custom audio, it will even have its own soundtrack composed by community member Sgt Avel that you'll be able to listen to on Spotify while playing.

Notably, since Helljumpers will be playable in Halo Infinite and isn't a separate game, its structure is a little different than Helldivers 2's. Instead of being mission-based, the mode will feature a huge custom campaign in which you and your fireteam will deploy and return to your ship for upgrades multiple times, with each playthrough culminating in "absolutely badass battles and expertly crafted cinematic events." The Forge Falcons say that Helljumpers will take around two or three hours to beat if you mainly stick to main objectives, though "you are probably looking at around 5 hours in total" if you tackle all the optional side content, too.

There hasn't been any gameplay of the mode shown off yet, but we'll likely start seeing some soon, as its developers say there's a gameplay trailer coming in May that will "give you your first in depth look into the gameplay and experience on a bigger scale." In the days and weeks leading up to its release, you can also look forward to "small teases of gameplay." 

The fact something as ambitious as Helljumpers is even possible in Forge continues to prove that the addition of campaign AI to the level editor in Season 5 was one of the best updates that 343 Industries has ever released for Halo Infinite. It also serves as a testament to how truly remarkable Forge is as a tool, as do some other mind-blowing projects like this Baldur's Gate 3-style Halo RPG that was built in it earlier this year.

It's also worth noting that since Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play, you'll be able to check out Helljumpers without spending any money at all once it's out. That'll certainly help Xbox fans assuage the sting of no Helldivers 2, and it means PC players can easily jump into this Halo-themed spin on Arrowhead's co-op shooter, too.

Make sure you follow The Forge Falcons on social media to keep up-to-date with its progress on Helljumpers, and join its official Discord server as well. Also, give Halo Infinite itself a try if you haven't — it's improved a lot over the last few years, and its excellent Firefight mode makes it one of the best Xbox games and best PC games to play if you want a fun and easily accessible PvE challenge. I'm also a big fan of its campaign, which you can either purchase or play on Xbox or PC through Xbox Game Pass.

What you need to know

• The next content update for Halo Infinite is scheduled to arrive on April 30, 2024.
• Titled Banished Honor, this update features a 20-tier pass, two new Forge palettes (including one themed after the Flood), and more.
• As part of this update, the Plasma Pistol is gaining the ability to stun vehicles with overcharged shots like in some past Halo games. 
• This update also adds the Exchange, where players can purchase returning cosmetics with a new earnable currency called Spartan Points.

The next big update is returning a fan-favorite feature to the Halo sandbox. 

Developer 343 Industries shared an overview of the next Halo Infinite content update on Tuesday, revealing a new earnable currency, free pass, and some features that players can look forward to as part of the Banished Honor theme. Of all the announcements, one of the biggest is the return of a feature that's been a Halo staple since 2007. Starting with this update, the Plasma Pistol will again be capable of disabling vehicles through overcharged shots, adding a great deal of functionality to the oft-overlooked Banished sidearm. 

Some other big additions include two new Forge item palettes, including one that's themed around the Flood, with plenty of betentacled, infested gunk for Forge users to build horror-themed maps with. 

This update, which is set to arrive on April 30, is also introducing a new 20-tier pass. Like others of its kind, the pass is entirely free, with a paid option that comes with an exclusive coating and the ability to keep making progress in it once a new pass arrives. This pass will also come loaded with Spartan Points.

What are Spartan Points?

Spartan Points are a new earnable currency that players will get for going through matches and completing passes. Spartan Points can then be used in the Exchange on returning cosmetics that have rotated out or been unavailable for months and years since the game first launched back in November 2021.

Did the Plasma Pistol always disable vehicles in past games?

The Plasma Pistol (like many Halo weapons) has fluctuated throughout the years, with tweaks to its damage, shot count, rate of fire, and even the ability to disable vehicles. While it's a feature burned into the brains of many a Halo player, it wasn't present in Halo: Combat Evolved or Halo 2, instead being added in Halo 3, which also introduced equipment such as the Power Drain. 

Analysis: Some good features, but questions remain

I've had a lot of fun hopping back into Halo Infinite this year, and I'm looking forward to earning this pass. I really like the idea of allowing players to earn a currency through playing and progressing that can then be spent on cosmetics they might've previously missed. 

While Halo Infinite's battle pass model has been better than many other live-service games — seriously, having the ability to just grab a pass and not worry about it ever expiring removes so much FOMO and I wish more games would do it — there's still a large number of cosmetics that I and many other players have never earned due to the realities of time. So I'm all for Spartan Points!

Looking ahead however, it's not lost on me that there simply isn't a roadmap of what to expect from Halo Infinite right now. We get hints or mentions that the developers are looking into a feature a couple of updates ahead, but for the most part we're in the dark. Even if chunks of 343 Industries are now working on future Halo titles, I'd like to have a better idea to what's coming in 2024 (and beyond) for the game I'm playing right now. This game has come a long way, joining the ranks of the best Xbox games available, and I'd like to see that work continue.

Halo Infinite multiplayer is currently available as a free-to-play game on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC.

The Amazon Spring Sale has begun, and if you're looking to pick up some great Xbox games at discounted prices, now is a great time to look for deals. Amazon is far from the only retailer offering markdowns right now, though, and one of the best deals of the event I've found so far actually comes from Best Buy. Right now, a physical Xbox copy of Halo Infinite's excellent single player campaign is available for just $14.99 at Best Buy. Alternatively, you can get the digital version for $23.99 at Best Buy, which gives you the added benefit of being able to play the game on PC via Xbox Play Anywhere.

Regardless of which version and discount you choose to take advantage of, you'll be paying far less than its full $59.99 MSRP — in fact, this is the lowest price I've ever seen a physical copy of Halo Infinite go for. And considering that it's got one of my favorite shooter game campaigns in recent memory, I strongly recommend snagging it while it's this affordable.

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A must-play for any FPS fans on Xbox

Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer is generally what most people talk about when they discuss the game, and for good reason — it's improved massively since its rocky launch back in late 2021, especially with additions like the top-tier PvE Firefight mode. However, I'm here to tell you that its single player campaign is absolutely worth playing, too. In fact, it's one of the best FPS campaigns from the last few years, with Metro Exodus being the only recent title I enjoyed more (play that too, if you haven't).

I'm not going to spoil anything here, but know that Halo Infinite features a heartfelt, expertly told narrative that is precisely what the flagship Xbox franchise needed after the awful writing we got in Halo 5: Guardians. Plenty of subtle, yet deeply meaningful character moments are interspersed throughout the tale, with series protagonist Master Chief and his comrades — a stranded dropship pilot and a mysterious Cortana-like AI — at the core of it. Opposing them is Escharum, who leads the fearsome Banished forces battling humanity for control of the alien ringworld Zeta Halo. Escharum, much like the Master Chief, is a legendary warrior who's been battered by years of intense combat, and he's one of the most compelling antagonists Halo has ever had.

Speaking of Zeta Halo, it's the setting in which Halo Infinite takes place, and the backdrop for its open world gameplay. Its dynamic, highly intelligent AI and varied weapon and vehicle sandbox thrives within this open-ended structure, with diverse enemy squads, reactive patrol spawns, and tons of side objectives making Zeta Halo truly feel alive.

The open world isn't flawless — there aren't any distinct biomes that shake up exploration of different regions, for example — but the nice thing about Halo Infinite is that its main story beats come in linear missions reminiscent of classic Halo levels. If you're ever getting bored with the open world, you can simply head off to your next "main story quest" objective and dive into something more curated.

My review of Halo Infinite goes over my full thoughts, but ultimately, know this: it's a top-notch game, a "Great Journey you can't miss," and easily one of the best Xbox games you can play if you enjoy story-driven FPS campaigns. You should absolutely pick it up while it's this cheap (note that you can also play through Xbox Game Pass); if you plan to and want to get the physical copy, make sure you sign up for a free My Best Buy membership for free shipping.

What you need to know

• Helldivers 2 is one of 2024's most popular new games and a terrific co-op shooter, but sadly, it's exclusive to PS5 and PC and can't be played on Xbox.
• However, it looks like Xbox gamers will soon have an enjoyable alternative to Helldivers 2 to play thanks to the hard work of talented Halo Infinite Forgers.
• A sizable team of Forgers called The Forge Falcons is creating a "Helldivers 2 experience for Halo Infinite" called Helljumpers. Notably, the group is known for previously making popular modes such as the battle royale experience Inheritor.
• Helljumpers will have "procedural objectives, in-game progression, upgrade systems, boss fights, extraction, drop pods and much much more," and is "coming soon."

Arrowhead Game Studios' new third-person PvE co-op shooter Helldivers 2 is the talk of the town right now, and has been putting up some seriously impressive numbers ever since it released on February 8. Sadly, though, it's not on Xbox, as it's been kept exclusive to Sony's PS5 console and the PC platform Steam. That means that unless they happen to have a solid gaming rig that's up to Super Earth standards, users of Microsoft's console aren't able to enjoy what is undoubtedly one of the best co-op games in recent memory.

That's a huge bummer, and one day, I hope Sony decides to bring Helldivers 2 to Xbox after all (pretty much the game's entire community seems to be asking for that, including many PlayStation players). There is good news, though: thanks to a team of talented Halo Infinite Forgers, hopeful fans may soon have an enjoyable alternative to play while waiting to see if the pipe dream of a Helldivers 2 Xbox release ever comes true.

That team is The Forge Falcons — best known for creating the popular Halo Infinite battle royale mode Inheritor and the COD: Zombies-like Night of the Undead game type — and the project they're working on is Helljumpers, a "Helldivers 2 experience for Halo Infinite" that's now "in active development with a team of nearly a dozen extremely talented forgers working on it." The group revealed it was starting to build Helljumpers on February 21, and has begun to share additional details about the mode in the days since.

"Helljumpers is by far our most ambitious project and we intend to see it through to the fullest extent, with procedural objectives, in-game progression, upgrade systems, boss fights, extraction, drop pods and much much more," wrote The Forge Falcons in a post on X (Twitter). "A new flawless Halo PvE experience, is what we're aiming for and it's coming soon. Prepare to step feet first into hell, Helljumper."

Given that it's built in Forge and will be playable through Halo Infinite, a few of Helldivers 2's mechanics will have to be reworked for Helljumpers. For example, the team has explained that extracting from the battlefield won't end the game like it does in Helldivers; instead, you'll get flown to your ship and can use points you earned by completing objectives and extracting to "purchase weapons, upgrades or orbital assistance" before dropping in again and starting a new mission.

This is the extent of what we know about Helljumpers at the time of writing, though The Forge Falcons say more details are coming soon. "We will share more details soon on how the game is set up every time to make it different with procedural objectives, dynamic events and more," the group confirmed. As for its release, that's said to be "coming soon," too.

343 Industries' decision to bring campaign AI to Forge mode when Halo Infinite Season 5 launched last year continues to pay dividends, and even though I'm having a blast playing Helldivers 2 on PC, I'll definitely be checking Helljumpers out whenever it becomes publicly available. The team behind it is stacked with some of the best community Forge talent there is, and after seeing someone make Baldur's Gate 3-style tabletop RPG gameplay with Halo Infinite Forge last month, I'm convinced that pretty much anything is possible with enough scripting.

Something that's also important to note is that since Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play, Xbox players won't even have to spend a cent to dive into this alternative Helldivers 2 experience. And hey, free is about as good as it gets, so there's zero reason to not check Helljumpers out when it drops.

Personally, I'm just happy to have more PvE content in Halo to enjoy, especially after the recent, rather depressing news that tons of ODST games were pitched but never saw the light of day. The flagship Xbox franchise is home to some of the best shooter AI in the biz, and every chance we get to do battle with them is one I treasure.

Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play (its campaign costs $59.99, but is also on Xbox Game Pass), and Helldivers 2 is available for $39.99 on both PS5 and PC. Both are some of the best PC games available for shooter fans, and Halo Infinite is one of the best Xbox games as well.

What you need to know

• 343 Industries shared details on what's coming in Halo Infinite's next update on Jan. 30, 2024. 
• Halo Infinite is getting a Mark IV armor core, which is based on the iconic bulky armor from the time period of the original Halo Wars. 
• An upcoming Operation called Spirit of Fire is heavily focused on Mark IV customization, with armor pieces and emblems themed after Halo Wars. 
• Other additions include a new Arena map, Covenant-themed items for Forge, and more. 
• Halo Infinite's seasonal structure is ending, with the game receiving content update instead of new dedicated seasons. 

There's a fair bit on the way for Halo players to enjoy. 

In a community-focused stream on Friday, developer 343 Industries shared details on what's coming in the next Halo Infinite update on Jan. 30, 2024. One of the biggest additions coming is a Mark IV armor core, giving players the option of looking like a bulky, Halo Wars-era Spartan. 

Fittingly, one of the upcoming Operations is called Spirit of Fire, and includes plenty of customization bits geared around the Mark IV core and calling back to the crew of the titular ship from the Halo Wars games. More armor pieces are also coming in the form of crossovers with Halo The Series season 2. 

There's also a hefty number of improvements for Forge (more on that below) and the list of Halo Infinite multiplayer maps is growing, with a new Arena map called Illusion coming in this update. 

While 343 Industries is continuing to work on Halo Infinite, the team confirmed that the "Seasons" structure that the game has used is ending, meaning there won't be a true Season 6 in name. Instead, the game is shifting to content updates like the one coming on January 30. 343 directly compares this to the way Halo: The Master Chief Collection was supported over time, while cryptically noting that other teams at the studio are working on other projects. 

Halo Infinite Forge mode continues to expand

Halo Infinite's Forge mode continues to grow, with the January update including a Covenant-themed collection of items. That means tons of deep purple objects, including the iconic Covenant sniper tower that housed devious Jackal sharpshooters in games like Halo 3. Players will also be able to change the colors on certain "biome" objects, adjusting the colors of vegetation and similar items.

More themed palettes are headed to Forge in the future, with an alien flora pack and a collection of slimy Flood items on the way, though it's important to note these two packs aren't coming on January 30 but are instead coming further out. 

Analysis: Cool stuff on the way, but the shift is interesting

I'm a massive fan of the Halo Wars games, so getting the Mark IV armor core and similar cosmetics soon is right up my alley. I'll definitely be diving in for the Spirit of Fire operation, and I'm eager to see what the Forge community does with the soon-to-be-added Covenant items. 

Halo Infinite moving away from Seasons is interesting. As long as the game still gets regular content updates (which seems to be the plan) it doesn't affect how I play that much, but this move is telling about the future of the game, as 343 Industries is openly hinting at working on other projects outside of Halo Infinite. Whatever those look like, I'll cling to the unlikely hope Halo Wars 3 is one of them. 

What you need to know

• Halo YouTuber and Forger Red Nomster has created a fully functional Halo tabletop RPG game in Halo Infinite's Forge mode.
• The game essentially brings Baldur's Gate 3-style combat to Halo Infinite, tasking one team with using UNSC Marines to rescue a prisoner and the other to stop them with squads of Banished units.
• Players get two actions per turn, and can switch between first-person and top-down perspectives, turn on immersive sound effects, toggle tabletop figurine-style movement, and add spectators to the game whenever they want.
• The dice-roll driven randomness of D&D comes through in the game through the natural behaviors of the AI in combat, such as with missed shots or grenade throws.
• The mode is called "The Halo RPG," and Red Nomster used roughly 1,400 scripting nodes to get it all working as smoothly as it does.

I thought I might stop being completely flabbergasted by the incredible talent and creativity of Halo Infinite's Forge community eventually. After all, with amazing complete remakes of iconic Halo campaign missions and nifty Pokémon battle arenas landing on the in-game Content Browser every week, I can't help but set my expectations sky-high. Yet, even despite how lofty they are at this point, there are projects that still exceed them — and the latest from Halo YouTuber Red Nomster has left them absolutely shattered.

Their new creation is The Halo RPG (make sure you bookmark its map and mode), a stunning and fully functional turn-based tabletop game built entirely in Forge using roughly 1,400 scripting nodes. Set in a gorgeously detailed attic atop a colorful Halo-themed board, the game gives one team control over a fireteam of human UNSC Marines mounting a daring rescue, while the other commands forces of the Banished tasked with the defense of an excavation site. The game is won whenever one side loses all their units, or if the UNSC team is able to break a special prisoner Marine out of a prison cell and escort them safely back to a Pelican dropship.

I recommend watching Red Nomster's full breakdown video below for a complete overview of the rules and how to play, but in short: each time it's your turn, you can use the Halo Infinite ping system to select a unit, then zoom in with the camera and ping another spot or an enemy within the "radius of opportunity" that appears to make them move or attack. Players can take two move or attack actions with any of their units per turn, and then end their turn by pinging one of the two notecards on the table that explain how to play. You can also switch between a first-person and a remarkably smooth top-down perspective by pressing the "switch weapon" input.

It's basically Baldur's Gate 3 combat but with Halo Infinite AI, and it's nothing short of phenomenal. Several elements of D&D action like varied abilities and dice roll-driven attack rolls even come through, too; the AI units all have different weapons, can sometimes miss their shots or grenade throws, and in the case of Grunts, may even flee in fear as if they failed a Wisdom saving throw.

On rare occasions, the AI may fail to move where they're told to go properly, but Red Nomster thought ahead and implemented a workaround for this that simply moves them to where you commanded them if they get confused while pathing. By hopping onto the green button on the map, you can toggle all AI movement to work this way.

There are a few other buttons on the board you can press as well, such as a red one that switches on immersive sound effects for the game environment as well as a purple one that assigns any spectating players to one of the teams. The former is an awesome way to make the experience more immersive to play, while the latter comes in very handy if you're hosting join-in-progress matches on the Custom Games Browser.

There have been tons of incredible Forge maps made since the mapmaking mode's debut, especially after the start of Halo Infinite Season 5 in October last year gave creators campaign AI to play around with. Out of all of them, though, this is hands down my favorite — and I'm not just saying that because I'm deep into a Baldur's Gate 3 playthrough with friends (okay, maybe it's influencing my opinion a little). The ingenuity on display here is wonderful, and is yet another reminder of how awesome Forge is as a tool.

Stellar community-built experiences like this one are part of an large ongoing Halo Infinite renaissance that began late last year, spurred on by the arrival of an excellent Firefight mode, the addition of tons of multiplayer playlists, some long-awaited quality of life improvements, and more. The game's rating even jumped up to "Mostly Positive" on Steam in December, and has remained there since.

Halo Infinite multiplayer (including Forge and Firefight) is free-to-play, while its campaign is $60 (but often much cheaper) on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. Notably, you can also play it through any tier of Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service.

What you need to know

• A complete remake of the iconic Halo: Combat Evolved level Assault on the Control Room has been made using Halo Infinite's Forge mode.
• The remake is extremely authentic and accurate, with everything from the mission's environments and combat arenas to its AI placements and available weapons and vehicles nearly identical to the original.
• It takes anywhere from 40-60 minutes to play through, and is so large that it requires two separate map downloads. It supports 1-4 players, too, so you can play it co-op with friends.
• You'll find more information about the remake as well as information on how to download and play it in the text below.

It's been just under three months since developer 343 Industries added campaign AI to Halo Infinite's map making and editing tool Forge, and since then, the game's community has put together some amazing creations with them. From original, open-ended campaign missions to huge PvPvE maps inspired by Halo 5's Warzone mode, there are plenty of ways players have used the Banished have spiced up Custom Games multiplayer — and now, you can take them on in one of the most impressive level remakes I've ever seen.

That project is Assault on the Control Room, an incredibly authentic Halo Infinite recreation of the massive and iconic mission from the first Halo game, Halo: Combat Evolved. Its authors HMkiller05, Nikos, and xXBarthXx made it so painstakingly accurate and detailed that it took over two months of hard work to finish, and it's so large that they hit Forge's (generous) budget limitations before completing it, forcing them to split it into two separate map files. As detailed in Nikos' behind the scenes video, the trio also had to deal with loads of glitches, scripting bugs, and game crashes throughout the entire process as Forge mode struggled to remain stable beneath thousands of placed objects and hundreds of scripting nodes.

Put simply, it took a colossal effort for the creators to realize their vision, but it absolutely paid off. The mission is nothing short of phenomenal, with everything from the aesthetic and visuals of the level to its AI spawns, weapon and vehicle placements, and scripted moments as close to the original experience as they can possibly be. There are even custom versions of the Assault Rifle and Sidekick that function like the Combat Evolved Assault Rifle and Magnum pistol, which is an awesome touch.

To play the remake, you can either bookmark part one and part two of it on Halo Waypoint, or do so in Halo Infinite itself through the Content Browser. Don't forget to get the Easy, Normal, Heroic, and Legendary difficulty game modes designed to be used with it, too. Note that it supports 1-4 player co-op, too, so you can jump in alone or with up to three friends.

In terms of length, the mission has a runtime of about 40-60 minutes depending on which difficulty you choose and how experienced of a Halo player you are. As Nikos said in his video, it's "an odyssey" of a level that sees players battle their way through tight interior facilities, lengthy open-air bridges, sprawling, snow-covered valleys, and more on their way to the control room of the Halo ring Installation 04. During each playthrough, you'll have the opportunity to use tons of different human and alien weapons, along with fan-favorite vehicles like the Ghost, Warthog, and Scorpion with UNSC Marine allies.

I could do without the repetitive layout of its interior sections, but even so, I've always considered Assault on the Control Room to be one of the quintessential Halo levels — an action-packed romp across a diverse set of environments, brimming with engaging AI to fight and a plethora of toys from the sandbox to play with. To experience it so faithfully remade in Halo Infinite with its modern visuals and a few twists from its own arsenal is incredible, and it's a testament to how amazing this latest iteration of Forge mode is. The only things missing are music tracks, which Forge doesn't allow for (though I'm hoping 343 Industries lets people add official tracks from each Halo game to their creations in a future update).

If you like expansive and authentic recreations like this one, you'll be happy to know that HMkiller05, Nikos, and xXBarthXx aren't stopping here. According to Nikos, the three authors are planning to make additional remakes in the near future.

"This mission is awesome," they said in their overview video. "It is a blast to play with friends, and hopefully soon, we can get more maps and remakes out for you guys."

This creation is one of the many stellar Forge projects helping to fuel Halo Infinite's ongoing renaissance, which began in 2023 and started to pick up substantially with the launch of Season 5: Reckoning in October. The addition of AI to Forge, as well as an official PvE Firefight mode and several new maps, playlists, and quality of life improvements, has brought many players to Microsoft's live service shooter following a few years of struggles.

Halo Infinite multiplayer (including Firefight) is free-to-play, while its campaign is $60 (but often much cheaper) on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. Notably, you can also play it through any tier of Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service.

What you need to know

• On Valve's PC gaming platform Steam, Halo Infinite's rating has jumped up to "Mostly Positive." For most of its lifespan, it's been "Mixed."
• This news comes after the launch of the PvE wave defense mode Firefight earlier this week, which caps off a year that has seen many sizable improvements come to Halo Infinite.
• The current season, Season 5: Reckoning, also brought new maps, gametypes, sandbox items, quality of life changes, and more.
• Early in its life, Halo Infinite struggled due to a notable lack of content and systems that players widely disliked. Now, at the end of 2023, most of these problems have gotten much better or have been fixed entirely.

Things continue to look up for Halo Infinite, as Microsoft's free-to-play live service shooter has now jumped to a "Mostly Positive" rating on its Steam page, with 72% of all reviews in the last 30 days positive. For the majority of the two years that the game has been available on Valve's PC gaming platform, it's had a "Mixed" review score.

While Halo Infinite struggled in late 2021 and much of 2022 due to an overall lack of content, disappointing progression and customization systems, and performance issues (among other things), developer 343 Industries has since made great strides in its efforts to improve the game. Tons of important fixes, new maps, tons of fresh modes and playlists, exciting sandbox additions, and features like the Forge mapmaking tool and Career Rank progression have come in 2023, to the point where Halo infinite finally feels like a complete experience — and if the game's new rating as well as its heightened player count is anything to go by, fans have taken notice.

Season 5: Reckoning, which began on October 17, has arguably brought the best updates yet. Two new maps, the return of Halo 4's Extraction mode, new Forge canvases and items, options to add and code campaign AI enemies in Forge maps, and quality of life improvements like the ability to earn Battle Pass XP in Custom Games and use any helmet on any armor core all came when the season began. Then, on December 5, a special Mid Season Update brought Halo's beloved PvE co-op wave defense mode Firefight to matchmaking, as well as a new equipment piece that can heal players and vehicles called the Repair Field.

Halo Infinite's iteration of Firefight is my favorite one yet, and I've been having a blast battling hordes of Banished troops ever since it became available on Tuesday. The mode also launched with full Forge compatibility and Custom Games integration, so it's only a matter of time until the community starts pumping out some incredible custom Firefight experiences.

Speaking as someone who was very critical of Infinite's multiplayer in its opening months — especially the poor content offerings, shallow customization options, and rampant cheating problem it had at the time — it's great to now open the game and see that these issues (and others) have either been significantly improved or completely fixed. For the first time since those early days, I actually feel excited to play, and that makes me happy as a lifelong Halo fan.

Of course, that doesn't mean the game is perfect. Most armor pieces still can't be used across different armor cores (though tons of coatings can, thanks to a patch), Custom Games connections are often pretty spotty, and performance on PC could still be a bit better. But overall? Halo Infinite finally feels like it's come into its own, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes next.

Halo Infinite multiplayer (including Firefight) is free-to-play, while its campaign is $60 (but often much cheaper) on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. Notably, you can also play it through any tier of Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service.

Ever since Bungie introduced the concept with Halo 3: ODST, the cooperative PvE wave defense mode Firefight has remained one of my favorite ways to play Xbox's flagship sci-fi shooter. It's often the only way to enjoy combat against campaign AI outside of Halo campaigns themselves, and it's been in every game other than 4 since 2009. To see that it wasn't a part of Halo Infinite when it released in 2021 was a major disappointment, but I and many other fans hoped 343 Industries would bring it to the game post-launch.

A leak in June suggested that wish would be granted, and when Halo Infinite Season 5 kicked off in October, the developers confirmed it with the announcement that a new free-to-play iteration of Firefight called "Firefight: King of the Hill" (Firefight: KotH) would be added in a mid-season patch. That update is scheduled for December 5, and ahead of its arrival, I got a chance to go hands-on with the mode in late November — and even though I only got to play for a few short hours, I'd experienced enough to know that this is going to be my favorite version of Firefight yet.

Firefight Evolved

Like previous iterations of Firefight, Firefight: KotH pits a team of four players (or more in Custom Games) up against wave after wave of enemy units from the Halo Infinite campaign, with the difficulty of each escalating as the match goes on and supply drops between waves giving you a healthy number of weapons, ammo, and equipment pieces to work with. Some maps also feature vehicles like Warthogs you can use as well, though these don't respawn if destroyed, so being careful with them is important (you can repair them with the new Repair Field equipment, however).

That alone would satisfy me, as Halo Infinite's Banished AI are some of the most dynamic and impressive in the franchise and fighting them is a blast. But what sets this new version of Firefight apart is how it evolves the experience. 

The biggest change, as the mode's name suggests, is the addition of points on the map for players to capture and hold. Controlling these zones is the only way to earn one of the five points you'll need to win, but heads up — Banished forces will constantly run in to contest you, and can even capture hills and earn points themselves to snatch victory away (you can also lose if everyone on the team dies at once). This forces your fireteam to move around the map when each new zone appears in a random location, encouraging more active and varied gameplay instead of static turtling.

Secondly, named minibosses with extra health and high-tier weapons will also occasionally spawn in alongside large numbers of regular Banished troops, resulting in thrilling moments where you and your allies have to try and focus fire them down as they lead a small army into the fray. Their presence often evokes quite a bit of tension, and they, along with the horde of foes that accompany them, challenge your squad to position well and make the most of the gear you have. For example, the final moments of one game became an intense slugfest between our fireteam and a pair of lethal Hunter bosses supported by Elite and Jackal infantry; to break the stalemate, two of my teammates distracted the Hunters while I moved behind them to hit their weak spots with my high-damage shotgun, all while our fourth kept the other forces at bay with rockets and grenades.

Speaking of difficulty, Firefight: KotH will ease it back or ramp it up on the fly with gameplay-tweaking skulls (or the lack thereof), which is a first for Firefight; in previous versions, skulls would turn on as you played regardless of your performance. Teams that go a while without any deaths will likely find themselves facing waves with higher-ranked enemies or less extra ammo, for example, while modifiers like these may not be applied to groups that are struggling. This ideally will ensure a balanced experience for every unique fireteam, though the main Normal (easier), Heroic (solidly challenging), and Legendary (tough) difficulty settings determine each match's overall level of challenge.

These adjustments do quite a bit to freshen up Firefight gameplay individually. But together, they — along with Halo Infinite's excellent enemy AI and sandbox variety — make it more dynamic, engaging, and exciting to play than it's ever been before.

With Forge, Firefight's potential is limitless

Notably, Firefight: KotH is the first variant of the PvE mode to feature support for the incredible Forge mapmaking tool, which means that players will be able to create and share their own Firefight maps to be played in Custom Games. This is something that players have been asking for since 2010's Halo: Reach, and I can't wait to see what the community puts together now that the dream has become reality.

During my preview session, I was told that almost every aspect of the mode can be edited through Forge scripting and settings changes. This includes everything from how, when, and where enemy squads spawn and which types of AI appear to capture zone locations, whether or not there are zones, the rate at which they're captured, the number of points you need to win, weapon and gear spawns, and much more. You could even set up spawns for allied AI such as UNSC Marines or "traitorous" Banished soldiers, giving your fireteam some extra buddies to fight alongside.

We'll know what the exact limitations of custom Firefight: KotH maps and modes are once the exceptionally talented Forge community gets its hands on it soon, but overall, it sounds like the sky's the limit. And even if Halo Infinite never ends up getting an official campaign DLC, I'm glad its fans have the tools to create their own PvE experiences.

Firefight is back, and it's better than ever

After a long two-year wait, Firefight has finally come to Halo Infinite in the form of Firefight: KotH — and with all of its well-thought-out changes as well as the inclusion of full compatibility with Forge scripting and mapmaking, it's arguably the best Firefight we've ever had. It's definitely my favorite, and I think many players will end up feeling the same way once they're able to play it tomorrow.

Notably, the mode launches with nine different developer and community-made maps to play it on, as well as full integration with Halo Infinite's Match XP system. That means PvE fans finally have a highly replayable way to make progress on their battle passes, and since Season 5 added Match XP to Custom Games, you can even do so while enjoying Forge-made Firefight maps. Awesome.

Firefight: KotH is probably the best thing to come out of Halo Infinite other than Forge itself, and ever since I got to check it out, I've been itching to jump back in. Once it goes live at 11:00 a.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. ET tomorrow, I'll be doing just that — and I hope to see you fighting the Banished by my side. 

Halo Infinite multiplayer (including Firefight) is free-to-play, while its campaign is $60 (but often much cheaper) on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. Notably, you can also play it through any tier of Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service.

What you need to know

• Halo Infinite is getting a Mid Season Update next week on December 5 at 11:00 a.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. ET. Its release date was revealed during a broadcast at Comic Con Experience 2023.
• The update will add Firefight: King of the Hill to the game, which is an official implementation of the classic PvE horde mode with capturable hills players have to defend.
• Another addition coming in the patch is the Repair Field, a new piece of equipment that heals nearby players and vehicles on both teams when deployed.
• A new Halo Infinite trailer is coming on December 4, and while it hasn't been confirmed yet, it's very likely for Firefight: King of the Hill.

Rejoice, fellow Halo fans, for it's finally happening: two years after Microsoft and 343 Industries released its live service FPS Halo Infinite, an official implementation of the classic fan-favorite PvE wave defense mode Firefight is coming to the game next week. Though custom-made experiences with campaign AI have been playable since Season 5: Reckoning began and brought spawning options to Forge, this mode is wholly developer-made and will be available to matchmake into.

This iteration of Firefight, dubbed Firefight: King of the Hill, will be added in the Halo Infinite Mid Season Update. Its release date, which has been revealed in a broadcast at Comic Con Experience 2023, is scheduled for December 5 at 11:00 a.m. PT / 2:00 p.m. ET.

Firefight: King of the Hill is "a new take on the classic mode where four players must capture and defend hills against an onslaught of Banished forces," (that description comes from the official Halo Infinite Season 5 page) with each wave of enemies getting tougher and tougher as you play. Like previous iterations of Firefight, players will be reinforced with weapon and equipment drops between waves, ensuring that you'll have plenty of gear and ammo to use against the Banished. I got a chance to play the mode in late November, and will be able to share my full thoughts on it come December 4.

In a rather comical post on X (formerly Twitter) that imitates the imagery of Rockstar Games' GTA 6 trailer announcement, the official Halo account has confirmed a new Halo Infinite trailer is coming on December 4 at 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET as well (there'll be a deep dive for Firefight, too). The subject of the trailer hasn't been revealed, but the new Firefight mode comes out the day after. You do the math.

In addition to Firefight: King of the Hill, the Mid Season Update will also add a new piece of equipment to the game called the Repair Field. Think of this like Halo 3's Regenerator but with some expanded functionality; like it, the Repair Field will rapidly restore the health and shields of any player — friend or foe — in its area-of-effect until it times out. However, it will also repair vehicles, too, and can even be attached to them so it heals them while they're on the move.

Ultimately, it's very exciting that Firefight is coming, even if it is quite disappointing that it's taken two years to get it in the game. Its arrival looks to be another win for Season 5, which has steadily risen Halo Infinite's popularity over the last few months.

Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play, while its campaign is $60 (but often much cheaper) on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. Notably, you can also play it through any tier of Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service.

Halo Infinite's slow-but-steady comeback in the live service multiplayer space is currently the talk of the town, but allow me to also point you toward the game's excellent single player campaign. It stands tall as one of the best in the series, and even though it's totally worth its standard $59.99 MSRP, you can get it on Xbox (and PC via Xbox Play Anywhere, if you buy the digital version) for just $14.99 at Best Buy right now. However, since Cyber Monday has officially ended, the clock's ticking; the deal could end at any moment, so take advantage of it right away if you're interested.

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Don't overlook this fantastic Halo game

Halo Infinite takes place a full two years after the events of Halo 5: Guardians, in the aftermath of a massive and mysterious three-way battle between the forces of humanity's UNSC, the fierce coalition of alien mercenaries known as the Banished, and the Created AI faction led by Master Chief's former companion-gone-rogue, Cortana. Chief — found drifting in the vacuum of space and rescued by a lone surviving pilot — must work with him and an AI clone of Cortana designed to defeat her called "The Weapon." The trio venture down to the Halo Installation that was the site of the battle during the campaign, rallying UNSC survivors, fighting to wrest control of the ringworld from the Banished, and investigating what happened there.

No spoilers here, but the Master Chief-centric story in Infinite was quite a significant bounce back after the terrible writing of Halo 5. It's chock-full of subtle, yet touching and heartfelt moments between the Spartan supersoldier and his allies, and it's home to a suite of charismatic minor and major antagonists you'll love, too. It also wraps up what Halo 5 started in what is probably the cleanest way possible, giving future Halo narratives a good foundation to build off of.

Gameplay-wise, you can look forward to the same tight gunplay, dynamic enemy AI, and diverse sandbox of creative weapons and equipment that gave Halo its status as one of the best Xbox games for FPS fans. Things get taken to another level in its open world, though, where enemy squad compositions, patrol locations, and the types of weapons and vehicles they're using all get fine-tuned in the background in response to your own actions and arsenal. This makes sure it's never hard to find the repeatable "30 seconds of fun" the franchise is known for, and that makes roaming around Zeta Halo a blast. There are plenty of Banished outposts and bases to assault, too, as well as unique minibosses to hunt down, collectibles to find, and more.

The open world can get a bit dull after a while, especially since Halo Infinite has a notable lack of distinct regions and biomes. Thankfully, the game's nonlinear exploration is broken up by more traditional Halo missions that push the story forward and feature lots of structured action and scripted set pieces. These balance the campaign out quite a bit, and I strongly recommend going to do a story mission or two whenever you feel like you're "zoning out" in free roam. 

Overall, it's one of my favorite Halo campaigns — I didn't even talk about the awesome soundtrack, by the way — and when it's this affordable thanks to Cyber Monday, there's no reason not to check it out. Just make sure you pull the trigger soon, because Cyber Monday is over, and that means it could go offline at any moment. Something important to note is that it's playable on Xbox Game Pass as well, and you can save big on Game Pass with these deals while they're still available, too. 

If you do decide to get the game and opt for the physical version of it, you should sign up for a free My Best Buy membership to take advantage of free shipping.

What you need to know

• At the time of writing, Halo Infinite has passed Destiny 2 on the official list of most played Xbox games in the United States. Halo is now at #16, and Destiny is now #17.
• Even though Destiny 2 is experiencing a bit of a rough patch, this nevertheless indicates that Halo Infinite is enjoying some improved success right now.
• This is due to everything added in Season 5: Reckoning, including campaign AI in Forge, new maps, a new game mode, the ability to earn Battle Pass XP in Custom Games, and more.
• Since its release in late 2021, Halo Infinite has struggled to keep players engaged with post-launch updates. The success of Season 5 suggests that things may finally be looking up, though.

At the time of writing, Halo Infinite has surpassed Bungie's space fantasy looter shooter Destiny 2 on the official most played Xbox games list in the United States, with the former at #16 and the latter now at #17. This is the first time I've seen this happen since the launch period for Microsoft and 343 Industries' live service FPS in late 2021, and it's indicative of the improved success that Halo Infinite is currently enjoying.

The increase in player interest is owed to Season 5: Reckoning, which kicked off last month on October 17. By far, its most exciting addition is the power to create custom PvE experiences by plonking down campaign AI in Forge. On top of that, though, there's a pair of new Arena maps, fresh Forge canvases and items, the return of the fan-favorite Halo 4 mode Extraction (deploy and protect extraction sites to score points), and more, including Master Chief's armor as a reward for reaching Hero rank and the ability to earn Battle Pass XP in Custom Games. Oh, and you can finally wear any helmet on any armor core. Let me do that with all my armor, please.

It's all great stuff, and there's more coming, too — an official King of the Hill-based PvE Firefight mode is slated to come before the season ends on January 30, as is a shield and vehicle-regenerating equipment piece called the Repair Field. There's also a pair of "Operation" events, one of which is active from now until December 19 and features 20 tiers of free rewards to earn, as well as a "Halo 3 Refueled" matchmaking playlist with community-made remakes of beloved Halo 3 maps.

It's important to note that Destiny 2 is going through a rough patch right now, as its player count has fallen to an all-time low due to a myriad of issues with the game's latest expansion and its core systems. It's also the end of Season of the Witch, so some players are undoubtedly checking out other games until Season of the Wish starts on Tuesday. But even so, it's impressive to see Halo Infinite top it on Xbox at all, even if that lead doesn't last for more than a few days.

Indeed, it's a good sign that things are finally looking up for Halo, which has struggled to keep fans engaged throughout the two years since its release. For the first time in a long time, I actually feel compelled to jump in and check out what's new, and based on the game's steadily rising player count on both Xbox and the Steam Charts, I'm not the only one.

To be clear, it's still not all sunshine and rainbows for Halo Infinite — Custom Games bug out pretty often, armor customization still feels lacking due to the continued existence of the restrictive armor core system, and prices in the microtransaction shop are often a bit much. But it's getting there. And hopefully things only continue to get better in 2024 and beyond.

Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play, while its campaign is $60 (but often much cheaper) on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. Notably, you can also play it through any tier of Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass service.

Halo fans are excited about the prospects of the recently released Season 5. Halo Infinite is seeing a resurgence of players as developer 343i finally figures out the balance of fun and content delivery. To celebrate Halo Infinite finally delivering on the live-service promise Xbox made to us during its reveal, it's the perfect time to pick up the same beautiful Halo-themed products from my desk.

Razer offers a Halo-themed BlackWidow V3 mechanical keyboard, DeathAdder V2 mouse, Goliathus Chroma mouse pad, and Kaira Pro wireless headset to make sure you're performing your best in-game. 

If you haven't jumped back into Halo Infinite yet, check out all of the great new content that was added for season 5. Some of the most exciting updates for the game are coming out later in the season, like the anticipated firefight mode. If you're looking to make the move to PC, need to upgrade your mouse and keyboard, or want to play mouse and keyboard on your Xbox Series X or S, these accessories are great options. 

Are these Halo-themed accessories any good? 

I decided to pick up the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and the Razer DeathAdder V2 Gaming Mouse to add some green and black flair to my gaming setup, as well as display my long-time love for Halo. Because I haven't used the Razer Goliathus Extended Chroma Gaming Mousepad or the Razer Kaira Pro Wireless Gaming Headset, I can't give my thoughts on those, but they both received great reviews and would complete the ensemble for the ultimate Halo fan.

That being said, I have used both the Razer BlackWidow V3 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and the Razer DeathAdder V2 Gaming Mouse extensively and can't wait to share my thoughts on these functional and aesthetically pleasing accessories. 

BlackWidow V3 keyboard

The Razer BlackWidow V3 has an amazing 4.7 stars out of over 4,000 reviews on Amazon. In my humble opinion, putting the halo skin on gives it at least 0.3 points, giving it a perfect score. We gave the wireless BlackWidow V3 mini a great review and the new BlackWidow v4 has so much RGB, God may complain. I have thoroughly enjoyed using the BlackWidow V3. The keys are tactile and responsive. The switches aren't so loud that they go over my microphone while on Zoom calls or gaming. The RGB options are great, and it's all supported through Razer Synapse 3.

It boasts some great features and while now a generation old, it's still a great pickup. Take a look at some of these top-tier selling points. 

In my personal experience with the keyboard, I don't have any complaints. I personally like having the full-sized keyboard with the number pad. While playing Halo on it, I don't have issues with accidental inputs or anything else you might experience with non-mechanical keyboards. Most of all, there is nothing like looking down and seeing the green and black Halo colorway with that infamous number, 117, pushing me to play just one more game. 

DeathAdder V2 mouse

I know, a wired mouse in 2023, but don't overlook the Razer DeathAdder V2 Gaming Mouse. It has a 20K DPI Optical Sensor and 8 programmable buttons, so you can custom-tune it to fit perfectly with your gameplay style. 

I haven't had any issues with it while playing Halo, COD Warzone, or any other game I've tried. It is super smooth, and it has a drag-free braided cord that does its best to stay out of the way. It's a great introductory mouse and has all of the best gaming features for a wired mouse. 

With all of these great features, the Razer DeathAdder V2 Gaming Mouse is a great option, and one of my favorite purchases this year. It feels great, is light, and the RGB looks great as well.

Razer Goliathus Chroma mousepad

While I haven't been able to test the Halo Razer Goliathus Extended Chroma Gaming Mousepad, if you want to have the entire Halo-themed offering from Razer, then it's definitely not going to let you down.

If you haven't used a full desk mousepad before, you definitely need to pick one up. The convenience of never having to worry about your mouse slipping off of the edge of a smaller mousepad, plus your keyboard being slide-proof makes a huge difference in gaming. Here are some of the features you get with this custom mousepad.

Kaira Pro wireless headset

The Razer Kaira Pro Wireless Gaming Headset was released after the other items discussed here today. We covered its announcement back when it was set to launch. 

Overall, it looks like a great headset, and while I don't have this exact Razer headset, I do have a different Razer headset that I like quite a lot. The headset comes in at the highest price and there might be other headsets that have some better features for around the same price, but nothing beats being able to complete the full Halo-themed ensemble and truly celebrate Halo Infinite coming into its own. 

Something for console gamers

If using a keyboard and mouse is not your thing, the Numskull Official Halo Gaming Locker is a great addition to your gaming room. It holds 4 controllers, 10 games, and your headset, all with a great Halo theme. 

I have one, and it's super convenient to grab my headset, and my controller and sit down and relax. I also like that it can store physical games, as I am starting to run out of room on my shelves. It isn't very expensive and the build quality isn't that great, but it is functional and looks great on my shelf.

What you need to know

• This week, Halo Infinite grabbed a sizeable update as part of its Season 5 launch. 
• Reckoning is has added new maps, performance tweaks, a new Firefight mode mid-season, and more. 
• Reckoning also added NPC AI to Forge mode, vastly expanding the creative possibilities within the toolkit. 
• Players are already building intriguing mini-games and beyond using the toolkit, including an entire Pokemon-style battle arena from @DanTheBloke. 

Halo Infinite is enjoying something of a renaissance right now. 

Halo Infinite launched to widespread critical acclaim, owing to its fun shooter sandbox gameplay and tight, performant multiplayer. However, the honeymoon period was short-lived. Not long after launch, it became rapidly apparent that Halo Infinite's live service was underbaked. Fresh content and new seasons came along far slower than some of the game's contemporaries. The steep drop-off eventually led to a high-profile restructuring of developer 343i, which also saw franchise head Bonnie Ross leave Microsoft. 

A few years later, however, things started to look up a bit. Halo Infinite's player counts are resurging, and the seasonal content has become well-received. 

Season 5: Reckoning is a sizeable update for Halo Infinite, bringing a new battle pass to earn rewards through, in addition to new maps and the promise of Firefight mid-season. Additionally, it has also added a wealth of new content to Forge mode. Forge is Halo's user-generated content mode, capable of producing mini-games and new maps with an array of powerful tools. Reckoning added AI combatants to the fray, however, and players have already begun producing impressive results. 

Shared by @DanTheBloke on Twitter (X, via MintBlitz), one map showcases the power of the new scripting tools and NPC behavior to produce a Pokemon Stadium-style battle arena. Armed with a spawnable "Pokeball," DanTheBloke is able to spawn new units and pitch them in combat, complete with health bars. 

There are tons of examples on the #HaloForge hashtag showcasing how players are utilizing the new features. Players are building new maps, making fun art pieces, and building entire game modes using the toolkit. If Halo Infinite continues to grow in this way, there's no telling where it could all go. Many major games and even entire genres grew from user-generated content, and Forge really is starting to put the "Infinite" into the game's namesake. 

You can grab Halo Infinite multiplayer for free on Xbox and PC, with the campaign mode available for $60 or via Xbox Game Pass. 

What you need to know

• Halo Infinite Season 5 content dropped on October 17.
• The game's player base saw a boost in concurrent players as tracked by SteamDB, with active player numbers having doubled just a few hours after the launch.

Halo Infinite received a fresh season of content that may have injected some new life into Xbox's flagship franchise. Halo Championship Series partnered streamer Mint Blitz noted via Twitter an image from SteamDB of Halo Infinite reaching 18,003 concurrent players via Valve's PC gaming platform, Steam. Shortly after the tweet, the 24-hour peak player count topped out at 18,007.

The streamer speculated that there could be as many as 60,000 concurrent players across Xbox and PC. Microsoft does not release active or concurrent player stats, however, so verifying any speculation on the health of the player base across all platforms can be difficult. 

A ton of new Halo Infinite features

Halo Infinite: Season 5 adds a mountain of fresh content to the game. Firefight mid-season, new Arena maps, and advanced AI in Forge mode are just some of the headline features. 343i has also tweaked the balance of various weapons based on fan feedback, and Halo Infinite also enjoyed a successful World Championship event in the past few weeks. 

Unofficial Halo stat tracker Halo.IP on Twitter also shared unofficial statistics for Halo Infinite following the launch of Season 5, putting the concurrent player count at 46,184 players across PC and Xbox as of 4:30 PM PT on October 17, 2023. 

The account clarified that the statistics were not gathered during peak hours; however, they still surpassed the player counts recorded during Halo Infinite's launch of Season 4, which peaked just below 30,000 concurrent players.

SteamDB has listed Halo Infinite as trending, and the game is currently sitting among Steam's top sellers at #9. Viewership for Halo Infinite on Twitch is also up, with a 24-hour peak of 9,828 viewers watching Halo Infinite livestreams. 

What you need to know

• 343 Industries shared an overview of what players can expect from Halo Infinite Season 5: Reckoning. 
• Season 5 is adding two new Arena maps, Flood-inspired cosmetics, cross-core helmet support, and Forge AI tools. 
• Later in the season, 343 Industries is adding Firefight: King of the Hill, a new version of the classic Halo Firefight PvE mode.

Halo players can look forward to a slightly spooky new season. 

Developer 343 Industries shared an overview of Halo Infinite Season 5: Reckoning on Monday, revealing everything that players can look forward to. This season is packed with new additions, including two new Arena maps. One of these maps, Prism, appears to include giant Needler crystals that can be shot to damage other foes, while the second map, Forbidden, looks like it's inspired by Delta Halo in Halo 2. 

These season also adds a number of new cosmetics inspired by the Flood, with bulbous pustules and slender tendrils coming off of and outside of Spartan armor. Arguably the biggest addition is the launch of Forge AI, allowing players to add Banished enemies to their Forge creations. You can take a look at the trailer for the season below:

Players will get XP from custom matches when the season begins, and will be able to use any helmet on any armor core.

While all of this stuff arrives when the season begins on Oct. 17, 2023, there's more to look forward to further in. Firefight: King of the Hill is on the way later in Season 5, adding a new version of the classic Halo Firefight experience to the Halo Infinite game mode roster. 

Analysis: Now this is fantastic

Halo Infinite had a long road getting to this point, with delays and feature cancellations plaguing the game's first year on the market. Things started to look up with Season 3 and Season 4, but the additions in this season are absolutely fantastic. I'll have to get back to playing weekly matches when this drops. 

Developer 343 Industries' Halo Infinite is promising to provide an epic multiplayer suite, with new and returning gameplay modes and maps for players to explore. As such, we're tracking all the maps we know about right now. Here's the complete list of maps in Halo Infinite, as announced and in the game so far.

List of maps in Halo Infinite

So far, there are 19 maps in Halo Infinite, two of which were added post-launch in Halo Infinite Season 2, three added in Halo Infinite Season 3, two added in Season 4, and another two added in Season 5.. Halo Infinite's multiplayer suite is divided across 4v4 Arena and 12v12 Big Team Battle, as well as a variety of other modes such as Last Spartan Standing and Infection.

Please note this is only counting the original maps created by the developers, not Forge community creations or official Forge remakes by 343 Industries, of which there are now many!

By reviewing the list of currently available maps, players can be sure about where they'll be spending time online in what could be one of the best Xbox games available.

Halo Infinite maps: Aquarius

Aquarius is one of the launch maps for Halo Infinite and is an Arena map. It's a very "classic Halo" map, with symmetrical spawns and side passages, making any team pushes very easy to repel if they aren't coordinated carefully.

Halo Infinite maps: Bazaar

The East African Protectorate's plan to rebuild the glassed urban core of Mombasa was ambitious and expensive, but Project Rebirth investment by the UEG and UNSC activity at the nearby Voi Excession has revitalized some sections of the metropolis.

One of the three maps included in the first technical preview, Bazaar is set in the same spot as a portion of the Halo 2 campaign. In our experience, the market square makes for a contested, chaotic brawling arena, with a SPNKr Rocket Launcher available for dealing out serious damage. Threat Sensors also shine here, with a dense network of rooms flanking either side of the market, making it crucial to understand the location of foes.

Halo Infinite maps: Behemoth

It has survived for a hundred millennia, but this ring still holds fast to secrets yet unknown.

Behemoth is a larger map, suited for massive engagements despite being an Arena map. Numerous vehicles like the Ghost, Warthog, and new Wasp aircraft are all present, making for a deadly sandbox when combined with dangerous weapons like the one-hit kill, Warthog-flipping Skewer.

Halo Infinite maps: Breaker

A truly massive Big Team Battle map introduced with Season 2, Lone Wolves. Breaker is a desert-themed map, where Banished are cutting apart old UNSC ships for raw materials. In addition to some man cannons that can provide a tactical edge, the map features a large hazard in the form of a moving cutting laser, which can destroy vehicles and players who pass through it.

Halo Infinite maps: Catalyst

The second of two maps included in Season 2, Catalyst is an Arena map. It's Forerunner-themed, with light bridges connecting narrow passages, while an Energy Sword spawn can allow for map control if used appropriately.

Halo Infinite maps: Chasm

Chasm is the first of three maps added with the launch of Halo Infinite Season 3, Echoes Within. It's one of two Arena maps added with the season.

"Chasm is a unique map, its much smaller than any of our other current maps so combat will be more frenetic. It is leaning very heavily into the Forerunner art style, and is a direct call back to one of Infinite’s initial campaign missions, “Foundation,"" says Sean Baron, 343 Industries’ head of live performance.

Halo Infinite maps: Cliffhanger

The second Arena map added with the launch of Halo Infinite's third season is Cliffhanger, which is also the first map to feature any snow.

"Cliffhanger is an arena map. It’s asymmetrical, with a cross-map man cannon. It’s got a great Halo: Reach vibe. Feels very much like that moment when you’re dropping down into the first mission, “Noble Actual,"" Baron explains.

Halo infinite maps: Deadlock

Deadlock is a Big Team Battle match included at the launch of Halo Infinite. The map is somewhat asymmetrical, leading to vicious matches of Capture the Flag. The downed Pelican sees some of the fiercest fighting, while the Banished Anti-Air cannon in the middle of the map provides cover.

Halo Infinite maps: Forbidden

An Arena map added in Halo Infinite's fifth season, Forbidden is set deep in ancient ruins on Zeta Halo, the same Halo ring that Halo Infinite's campaign is set on and around.

Halo Infinite maps: Forest

One of two maps introduced with Season 4 of Halo Infinite, Forest is an Arena map explicitly designed to harken back to the design of Delta Halo in Halo 2. 

Halo Infinite maps: Fragmentation

Now more than ever, Installation 07's serene surface belies a deeper strain and conflict.

Fragmentation is another larger map. The architecture, terrain, and overall basic layout appear to make it something of a spiritual successor to Valhalla from Halo 3. The Warthog, Banshee, and Wasp have all been spotted here in pre-release trailers, alongside a new Brute weapon called the Stalker.

Halo Infinite maps: Highpower

Another map included at the launch of Halo Infinite, Highpower is a Big Team Battle map. The design pulls from maps seen across Halo 2 and Halo 3, with multiple lanes, a sniper vantage point, and tight areas for air power to dominate.

Halo Infinite maps: Launch Site

Launch Site is an Arena map that debuted at the launch of Halo Infinite. It's a large map considering it's used for rounds of Arena, with players encouraged to use more long-range weapons and study corners very carefully...or just risk using the man cannon to directly reach the enemy spawn.

Halo Infinite maps: Live Fire

Instructors at the Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science ensure their Spartans are prepared for any challenge that a hostile galaxy throws at them.

As the first map available to players in testing, Live Fire features numerous smaller pathways and multiple Drop Shield equipment spawns, allowing chokepoints to develop across the map. A Sniper Rifle and Skewer alternate spawning in the middle, close to an elevated vantage point with high visibility. That visibility goes both ways though. Knowing the weapon spawn locations is key to controlling this map, as is constant movement, given various tight paths and open spaces.

Halo Infinite maps: Oasis

Oasis is a Big Team Battle map added with Halo Infinite's third season, Echoes Within. There are two bases, as well as multiple ways of getting to your opponents around the titular Oasis.

"It has great lanes for vehicle combat, but those lanes don’t leave you at a huge disadvantage as a player on foot. The vehicle combat on this map should be pretty compelling. But that doesn’t come at the cost of more close-quarters-combat," Baron says. "The map features great indoor spaces – some of them are quite large – that players can control if they want to avoid being outside dealing with vehicles. I love this map’s design direction."

Halo Infinite maps: Prism

Set on Suban, a moon of the Elite homeworld of Sanghelios, Prism is an Arena map added with Halo Infinite Season 5: Reckoning. The map is set in the Blamite mines, where workers harvest the crystals that power weapons like the Needler and Needle Rifle. Clusters of these crystals can be detonated to track and damage enemies, introducing a unique mechanic for the Halo franchise.

Halo Infinite maps: Recharge

Resource infrastructure facilities such as those run by Axys' hydroelectric division help maintain stable energy grids for colony worlds throughout the UEG.

The second map tested by players selected for the first technical preview, Recharge is all about verticality. This map was practically made to show off the Grappleshot, with plentiful ledges for players to grab onto and use in flanking opponents. There's also an alternating Gravity Hammer and Energy Sword spawn depending on the map variant. Using the physics of the game, clever players can actually bring this weapon over to them from its plinth with a well-placed Plasma Grenade throw or Grappleshot.

Halo Infinite maps: Scarr

The second map added with the launch of Halo Infinite Season 4, Scarr is a Big Team Battle map that pulls heavily from the Banished war industry aesthetic. The presence of a special Diminisher of Hope gravity hammer encourages concentrated fighting.

Halo Infinite maps: Streets

Another Arena map that made it in at the launch of Halo Infinite. Tight streets make for fierce fighting, making this a great map for King of the Hill or Slayer.

Growing platform

Halo Infinite will continue to grow over time, with more maps added post-launch in further seasons. There'll also be a variety of weapons, vehicles, and a host of equipment from which to choose, which may also change as some are introduced to the sandbox in the seasons ahead. 343 Industries has noted that the team doesn't want to do straight-up remakes of maps, instead preferring to have "spiritual successors."

This doesn't mean remakes can't happen in other ways, with 343 Industries releasing a remake of The Pit from Halo 3 using Forge. 

Progression is garnered through the different Battle Passes across different seasons, but there's no fear of missing out to be found. 343 Industries confirms that every Halo Infinite Battle Pass will always be available in the game, and players who take a break can choose what to put their experience towards first, so you're not missing a ton of cool cosmetics.

Halo Infinite is currently available for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC. The multiplayer portion of the game is completely free to play on all platforms and supports 120 FPS on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.