I’ve had quite a turnaround on Halo Infinite in the past couple of months. Hell, I’ve had a bit of a renaissance with some of my favourite shooter franchises. It’s been great, and some recent changes in Halo Infinite have made it more fun to progress in multiplayer than ever before.
Seasonal battle passes and free, smaller ones with rewards like armour cores and coatings, too. Halo Infinite is far more giving, more generous and more respectful of your time than it has been since launch.
It’s worth noting that the 343 Studios team has taken some serious hits recently. With Microsoft laying off staff all over the place, and senior, long-time staff leaving, too. The future of Halo is likely in question, and I’m worried, no doubt. However……as of right now, Halo Infinite is in a much better place and a really good time!
Season 3
Back in Season 2 of Halo Infinite, the Spartan Academy received some unexpected guests. Spartan Sigrid Eklund emerged from a commandeered Phantom with an unconscious Hieu Dinh, whose life was jeopardized by the Banished AI known as Iratus who resides within his neural interface.
Season 3 picks up from here, kicking off with the Mindfall event which explores a pivotal moment from Spartan Dinh’s past as Iratus plunders his mind.
Mindfall runs from March 7-21 and brings with it a free 10-tier Event Pass containing a variety of cosmetics to outfit your new MIRAGE IIC Armor Core, along with new cinematics.
This is the first of two narrative-focused events, as Site Unseen will conclude the story of Season 3 from May 2-16.
NEW MAPS
Season 3 delivers three new dev-made maps: Oasis, Cliffhanger, and Chasm.
Oasis is an all-new BTB map that is a perfect mosh pit for vehicular combat and big team mayhem. Cliffhanger is an asymmetric Arena map set on an ONI black site overlooking a vast mountain range, featuring varied elevation and tight indoor spaces. And Chasm is an Arena map set within the cavernous substructures of Zeta Halo, answering the question of “What would you get if you took the spirit of Boarding Action from Halo: CE and put in some Grappleshots?”
With three new maps to play on, we know you’re going to want to jump straight into the action, and you can do exactly that in the New Arena Unlimited playlist. This playlist will run from March 7-14, and the New BTB Unlimited playlist will run from March 14-21.
Looking to jump straight into the new stuff? These playlists, which exclusively feature Season 3’s new maps, are your first port of call. Of course, these maps have also been added into the rotation of other playlists as well.
New gear!
This is quite a big one really. The first release of a new weapon, and a new equipment item. Halo Infinite introduced some cool stuff at launch (including the incredible addition of a grappling hook) but there’s been very little since. Granted, the initial release of multiplayer has meant it needed work elsewhere, but now we’re here, it’s a great time to get some new kit.
Halo Infinite’s first new weapon and equipment item has arrived: the M392 Bandit and Shroud Screen.
Designed to reward accuracy and careful precision, the semi-automatic M392 Bandit is perfect for mid-range encounters. Touting formidable stopping power fit only for a super-soldier, the Bandit is at its deadliest with well-timed and well-placed shots.
The Shroud Screen features a hand-held launcher that enables the player to fire an opaque, spherical shroud. While projectiles can still pierce the shroud (make no mistake, this ain’t no Bubble or Drop Shield!), players outside it can’t see through—and vice-versa.
In addition, players inside the shroud are concealed from their opponents’ motion sensors. Tactical positioning, map knowledge, and key timing are the name of the game for gaining an edge over your enemies with the Shroud Screen.
To Infinity…..and beyond
I need to finish the campaign still, that’s on me. But playing multiplayer is fun and rewarding, giving you that classic Halo “feel” and honestly, with how it’s come on over the past few months, everyone should be giving it a second chance if they dropped off early doors.
I love Halo and have a bias towards it, that’s fair. But being critical, I can accept Infinite for what it is, and see what it’s becoming. You’re in for a treat if you’re coming back, and if you’ve stayed with it, you already know how far it’s come along.
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