Halo Infinite won't have a battle royale mode

Microsoft's annual E3 2018 press briefing surfaced countless Xbox One announcements but the highly-anticipated Halo Infinite stole the show. As the next mainline chapter in the Master Chief's adventures, the game is expected to further explore the relationship between the super soldier and his AI companion, Cortana. Its E3 presence may have focused on its in-house Slipspace Engine, though we're already starting to uncover more about the game itself.

One of the hottest trends in the industry right now is battle royale – an increasingly popular mode where dozens of players fight for survival in competitive last-man-standing gameplay. While the initial success of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) can be attributed to its boom, Fortnite now dominates the genre – with other major franchises hopping on the trend.

Halo 5: Guardians

Halo 5: Guardians (Image credit: Microsoft)

Speaking on its weekly Social Stream, 343 Industries writer, Jeff Easterling, touched on the team's viewpoint for battle royale – and whether the mode will feature in Halo Infinite. Responding to fans, Easterling stated "the only BR we're really interested in is Battle Rifle... the original BR. So, calm yourself."

Without a battle royale mode seemingly in the works, it appears 343 Industries is skipping out on this industry trend. Major shooter franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield are set to debut last-man-standing modes this fall, among a wave of competition. Especially with Halo Infinite expected between 2019 and 2020, the battle royale landscape may have drastically changed.

Would you like to see battle royale in Halo Infinite? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Halo Infinite: Everything We Know

Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.