Halo Infinite is a 2021 first-person shooter video game created by 343 Industries and released by Xbox Game Studios. It is the sixth main game in the Halo series, following Halo 5: Guardians from 2015. The game’s story follows a human super soldier named Master Chief as he battles a group of fighters for money called the Banished on a large ring-shaped world built by ancient beings called Zeta Halo. Unlike earlier games in the series, the multiplayer part of the game is free to play.

The game was originally planned to release with the Xbox Series X/S consoles but was delayed in August 2020 after a gameplay preview in July 2020 received negative comments from critics and fans. A test version of the multiplayer mode was released on November 15, 2021, which happened to be the 20th anniversary of the Halo series. The main story of the game was released on December 8, 2021, for Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Halo Infinite received mostly positive reviews from critics, who said it was a good comeback for the series. They praised the game’s visuals, gameplay, open world design, music, and story.

Gameplay

Halo Infinite is a first-person shooter game. In the game's story mode, players play as Master Chief, a character who fights against the Banished, an alien group. Players move through the open world of Zeta Halo, using a mix of vehicles and weapons to battle the Banished. Players can also use special tools, such as the Grappleshot, which helps pull Master Chief toward enemies, collect items, or move across the environment.

The campaign mode has a partially open world design, allowing players to explore parts of Zeta Halo. These areas are separated and not fully accessible at first. Across the environment, players can find Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), which can be captured after defeating enemies. Captured bases act as fast-travel points. Other locations on Zeta Halo include targets to destroy, groups of Marines to rescue, and structures that spread Banished propaganda. Completing these side tasks earns players Valor, which can be used to unlock weapons and vehicles available at FOBs. The more structured areas of Zeta Halo follow traditional Halo mission formats. These missions advance the story and can be replayed using the in-game TACMAP. Collectibles, such as audio logs, provide extra details about the story.

The multiplayer mode includes deathmatch, capture the flag, and other games played in standard 4-versus-4 matches or larger team battles with up to 24 players. Power-up items let players use special abilities a limited number of times. These abilities include dashing, becoming invisible, and using "repulsor" charges to push enemies, projectiles, and vehicles backward. A training mode lets players test weapons in drills or practice against computer-controlled opponents. Players can customize their avatars by changing armor, colors, and patterns (called coatings), as well as weapon designs. These customizations are earned by completing campaign missions, earning battle passes (free or paid), or making purchases through microtransactions.

Synopsis

Halo Infinite takes place in the year 2560. In the events of Halo 5: Guardians, Cortana, a human artificial intelligence (AI), and other AIs rebel against their creators, the United Nations Space Command (UNSC). Cortana takes control of ancient Forerunner weapons called Guardians and controls the galaxy. Cortana and the UNSC are opposed by the Banished, a group of mercenaries made up of aliens and humans led by the Brute Atriox. The game takes place on Installation 07 (Zeta Halo), a Forerunner ringworld that has suffered mysterious damage. The player controls Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, a UNSC "Spartan" soldier who is sent to stop Cortana, his former ally.

In addition to the main story, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode includes a seasonal story about Spartan Commander Laurette Agryna leading a new group of Spartans after Cortana attacks UNSC military bases.

In December 2559, the UNSC ship Infinity arrives at Halo Installation 07. The ship is attacked by dreadnoughts controlled by the Banished. While defending the ship’s hangar bay, Master Chief is surprised by Atriox, the leader of the Banished, and loses a one-on-one fight. Atriox throws Master Chief from the hangar bay, leaving him stranded in space.

Six months later, a UNSC pilot finds Master Chief floating in space. The pilot wants to leave, but Master Chief insists on continuing the fight. Together, they travel to Zeta Halo, which has been seriously damaged by an unknown disaster. On the ring, Master Chief finds the Weapon, an AI designed to copy Cortana in order to capture and delete her. The Weapon claims she completed her mission but failed to delete herself as required. Master Chief retrieves the Weapon and sees Cortana’s memories and thoughts stored as data.

Zeta Halo is now controlled by the Banished, led by Atriox’s lieutenant, Escharum, after Atriox’s apparent death. Atriox, near death, wants to fight Master Chief as his final opponent. Master Chief, the Weapon, and a reluctant pilot gather scattered UNSC forces on the ring’s surface, searching for Spartans who survived attacks by The Hand of Atriox, Escharum’s team of Spartan killers. Inside the Forerunner installation called the Conservatory, Master Chief meets Despondent Pyre, an AI who cares for Zeta Halo. Despondent Pyre warns Master Chief about a threat on the installation but is destroyed by the Harbinger, an alien awakened by the Banished. The Harbinger says her people, the Endless, were trapped by the Forerunners on Zeta Halo. She allied with the Banished to rebuild the Silent Auditorium, a facility that would free her people. The Banished plan to use the repaired Halo as a weapon against humanity.

Master Chief protects the pilot from two Spartan killers sent by Escharum. The pilot reveals he was a civilian engineer on the Infinity who stole a Pelican to escape the battle. Master Chief comforts him, admitting his guilt over failing to save Cortana. Master Chief and the Weapon stop Zeta Halo’s repair by disabling spires on the ring but cannot prevent part of the Auditorium from being rebuilt. When the Harbinger tries to hack the Weapon, Master Chief activates a failsafe to delete the AI. The Weapon stops the Harbinger and deactivates the failsafe, asking why Master Chief does not trust her. After seeing a vision of Cortana using the Guardians to destroy the Brutes’ home planet, Doisac, the Weapon realizes she is a copy of Cortana and insists Master Chief delete her so she does not repeat Cortana’s actions. Master Chief refuses, saying he wants to trust her. The pilot is captured by Jega 'Rdomnai, an Elite Spartan killer and friend of Escharum, as bait for Master Chief. Master Chief saves the pilot, defeating Jega 'Rdomnai and Escharum.

Master Chief and the Weapon rush to the Auditorium to stop the Harbinger. They learn Cortana was captured by Atriox after the Weapon locked her down. Cortana destroyed herself, damaged Zeta Halo, and prevented the Weapon from being deleted. In a recorded message, Cortana says goodbye to Master Chief and encourages him to work with the Weapon. Master Chief defeats the Harbinger but cannot stop her from contacting someone about the Endless. Later, the Weapon and Master Chief reunite with the pilot, who reveals his name is Fernando Esparza. The Weapon decides to choose a name for herself.

In a post-credits scene, the surviving Atriox uses a key to unlock a sealed door leading to the Endless. If the game is completed on Legendary difficulty, a scene shows Despondent Pyre and a Forerunner official discussing the imprisonment of the Endless. Despondent Pyre says she cannot study the Endless alone, and the Forerunner mentions that the AI Offensive Bias has been sent to help her.

Development

Developer 343 Industries created Halo 4 (2012) and Halo 5: Guardians (2015) as part of the "Reclaimer Saga," a series of games originally planned as a trilogy. Halo Infinite was developed by 343 Industries with help from SkyBox Labs, Sperasoft, The Coalition, Certain Affinity, and Atomhawk.

The studio explored the idea of making Halo an open-world game, inspired by other games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This would allow players to explore large areas and complete the game in any order.

Halo 5 received mostly positive reviews, but the campaign was criticized for not featuring enough of Master Chief. 343 Industries promised to focus more on the character in future games.

Halo Infinite uses the new Slipspace Engine. The game was written by Paul Crocker, who also worked as an associate creative director. Justin Dinges and Nicolas Bouvier were selected as artists. The multiplayer part of the game was directed by Tom French and Pierre Hintze. The Slipspace Engine used basic tools called Faber, some of which were created in the early 2000s and used for Bungie’s Halo games. These tools were difficult for 343 Industries to use, leading to technical challenges. The studio also relied heavily on contract workers, who made up about half of the team. However, Microsoft’s policy limited contract workers to 18 months, causing the number of workers to decrease over time.

Halo Infinite faced more problems during development. The studio struggled with creative disagreements, and some teams worked on multiple versions of the game at the same time. By summer 2019, two-thirds of the planned game was removed, which changed the original vision. The planned release date for November 2020 was deemed impossible to meet. Development director Frank O’Connor said in August 2019 that the game would look and play well on Xbox One, with improvements planned for Xbox Series X/S.

After the campaign gameplay reveal on July 23, 2020, many people criticized the game’s graphics and performance. Eurogamer described the visuals as "fake plastic trees" and "surface level." Aaron Greenberg, Xbox’s marketing manager, said the game was a work-in-progress and that the final version would be visually impressive. Narrative experience director Dan Chosich said the team valued feedback and aimed to honor the legacy of Bungie’s work.

A screenshot of a Brute character, nicknamed "Craig" by players, became a popular internet meme. 343 Industries’ community director, Brian Jarrard, acknowledged the meme. Later gameplay videos showed improved visuals for "Craig," which the team called a "glow-up." The positive response to "Craig" helped the team gain more time to refine the game. An Easter egg referencing "Craig" was added to the campaign.

The July 2020 gameplay reveal led to changes in development. On August 27, 2020, Joseph Staten, a former lead writer and director for Bungie’s Halo series, joined 343 Industries as Campaign Project Lead. Later, he became Head of Creative for Halo Infinite. Staten convinced Microsoft to delay the game to 2021 for a stable launch. He provided reasons for the delay, and the game received improvements, including better graphics. On October 28, 2020, Bloomberg News reported that Studio Head Chris Lee had left the project.

Halo Infinite was planned to include split-screen campaign co-op after its removal in Halo 5: Guardians, but the feature was delayed and eventually canceled by September 2022. The game supports cross-platform play and save progression between Xbox and Windows versions. Campaign co-op was added in the Winter Update of November 2022, along with other features like replaying missions through the in-game TACMAP.

Kazuma Jinnouchi, the in-house composer for Halo 5, left 343 Industries in 2018 to pursue other work. The music for Halo Infinite was created by Gareth Coker, Curtis Schweitzer, Joel Corelitz, Alex Bhore, and Eternal Time & Space, with Joel Yarger as the music supervisor. The campaign soundtrack was released digitally on December 8, 2021, in two albums. A third album, covering post-launch music, was released on February 23, 2024.

Release

Halo Infinite was first introduced in a trailer at E3 2018. At that time, the game was planned for release on Xbox One and Windows. The developer confirmed that all scenes in the trailer were created using the game’s engine. During E3 2018, it was announced that a beta test would be held before the game’s release, described as an insider flight program.

At E3 2019, it was confirmed that Halo Infinite would be a launch game for the next-generation Xbox consoles. In January 2020, Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios, stated that the studio had no immediate plans for Xbox Series X exclusives at launch. Instead, the company planned to gradually phase out support for older hardware, similar to how PCs operate. The COVID-19 pandemic caused many developers to switch to remote work.

After the Xbox Games Showcase on July 23, 2020, 343 Studio Head Chris Lee said a public beta was unlikely due to the pandemic, even though Microsoft had previously mentioned a public beta at E3 2018. 343 Industries announced that the game would receive a free ray tracing update after its release. On July 31, 2020, it was announced that the multiplayer portion of the game would be released as a free-to-play version.

On August 11, 2020, the game was delayed to an unspecified date in 2021 due to various challenges, including the pandemic. Microsoft had initially planned to split the game into parts but changed its mind. It was reported that 343 Industries outsourced much of the game’s development to external companies, which contributed to delays. A spokesperson for 343 Industries denied that the Halo TV show affected development, though reports suggested a significant portion of the game was outsourced to third-party contractors.

In December 2020, 343 Industries announced that Halo Infinite would be released in late 2021, later setting a December 8, 2021, release date.

A technical test for the multiplayer portion of the game took place from July 29 to August 2, 2021, allowing select members of the Halo Insider Program to play on three maps in 4v4 Slayer mode against bots. On August 20, 2021, it was announced that the game would launch without campaign co-op, a feature previously included in the series. It was also announced that Forge, a map-creation tool, would not be available at launch. On August 25, 2021, the release date was confirmed as December 8, 2021. Additional testing sessions occurred in September and October 2021, with feedback from players used to improve the game before its release.

On October 25, 2021, 343 Industries released a video showing the game’s campaign mode for the first time since its initial debut in July 2020. The footage provided a look at new gameplay and story elements.

On November 15, 2021, an open beta for the multiplayer portion of Halo Infinite was released on Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S to celebrate the Xbox and Halo series’ 20th anniversary. The game was released to manufacturing on November 19, 2021, and officially launched on December 8, 2021.

Because E3 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic, Microsoft shared the first gameplay footage of Halo Infinite via livestream. On June 24, 2020, the official Halo YouTube channel released a teaser titled “SIGNAL DETECTED. TAG DESIGNATION: FOE,” which included an audio clip of a character representing the Banished, a faction from Halo Wars 2.

Merchandise related to the game included Monster Energy Drink, a “Moa burger”-flavored Pringles, and Dr. Squatch “Spartan Soap.” Players can earn in-game items like weapon skins, nameplates, and emblems. Augmented reality experiences were also available through Snapchat as part of the promotion.

A trailer titled “Step Inside,” produced by 215 McCann, was released alongside the gameplay reveal. The trailer showed how Master Chief’s armor was made and marked the start of a campaign called “Become,” which highlighted how ordinary people in the Halo universe influence the game’s events.

At E3 2021, Microsoft released two new trailers: one focused on the multiplayer campaign and the other on the game’s story.

On August 25, 2021, a CGI trailer for the first season of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode was released, focusing on the backstory of a new character, Commander Agryna, in an occupied London.

Microsoft created an Infinite-themed console and Elite Wireless Controller to coincide with the game’s release. Other tie-in products included hard drives, keyboards, mice, and a limited number of Halo-themed Radeon RX 6900 graphics processing units.

Reception

In August 2021, the multiplayer beta of Halo Infinite was praised for improvements to its gameplay. However, the Battle Pass system faced criticism for slow progress. In response, 343 Industries adjusted the Battle Pass to make progress faster.

Critics gave Halo Infinite "generally favorable" reviews, according to Metacritic. GamesRadar described it as "Halo as you've never seen it before," and Eurogamer called it "the best it's been in a decade."

TechRadar called the game "a triumph," noting its story and gameplay appealed to both longtime fans and new players. IGN praised the single-player campaign and multiplayer, though it found the Battle Pass rewards weak. The open world design and player freedom in certain areas were also highlighted as strengths. GameSpot’s Jordan Ramée commended the new grappleshot feature and the single-player progression system.

PCMag praised the soundtrack, which included music for exploration, combat, and in-between moments. PCGamesN appreciated the variety of weapons and their realistic feel. While PC Gamer praised the combat, it found the level design similar to Halo: Combat Evolved but less impressive than earlier games like The Silent Cartographer or Halo 3. Rock Paper Shotgun liked the world design but said the story was limited by earlier games in the series.

Halo Infinite was named Game of the Year by Game Informer. By January 2022, the game had reached 20 million players.