Halo Infinite: Everything We Know So Far - Ultimate Guide

Ambar Jimenez

2021-07-26 09:29:48

Halo, the iconic first-person shooter franchise that was first spawned by the Xbox, is finally making a comeback this year.

Halo Infinite has been a long time coming. It was first announced way back in 2018, but a poor showing in 2020 meant that Microsoft made the choice to delay it for another year to give it more time in development. Halo veteran, Joseph State, was even bought on board as a writer to help bring the project to completion.

However, the wait is finally over and we’ve been reassured that 2021 is indeed the year that this monster franchise will return to life again.

If you’re chomping impatiently at the bit for some new Master Chief action, keep on reading for everything you need to know about Halo Infinite.

What’s Halo Infinite All About?

Taking place in an open-world environment akin to Halo: Combat Evolved, the storyline centres around Super Solider in a brand new Halo campaign.

Not much is known at the moment about the actual plot or gameplay, but 343 Industries have deemed Infinite a “spiritual reboot” of the series. We do know that it will take place less than a year after humanity lost the war, and the Elites and dual-wielding will not be making a return.

Infinite is also set to be the most “expansive campaign” yet in the series; it’s intended to both immerse experienced players in the Halo universe and provide an introduction to newbies with its sandbox team battles and multiplayer arena combat options.

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Release Dates

Sadly, there’s still a lot of mystery surrounding the actual release date for Halo Infinite. While it was intended for release in conjunction with the Xbox Series X|S last year, then marked for a fall 2021 release, it has since slipped into “holiday release” territory.

This effectively means it’ll be dropping in either November or December, but when exactly could depend on the release schedules of competitor games.

What’s Coming Back?

So, what delights can we gamers look forward to with this new Halo instalment?

For starters, Forge Mode is coming back. Skybox Labs (the studio responsible for Halo 5’s map-making tool) has taken the lead on development this time around, so we’re sure this feature is in capable hands. Each new edition of Forge brings with it enhanced capabilities and we’ve got high expectations for the Infinite iteration.

Halo Wars 2 fans will be delighted to know that The Banished are also coming back for Infinite. This fearsome faction has been described as “super cool” by 343, so it was only natural that the fan-favourites would be making a comeback.

Last year’s teaser trailer hinted at the intentions of this rebellious faction, with the message that “the hour approaches. Our forces occupy the ring. Within hours it will be under our control. Humanity will burn...” giving the gaming community collective chills.

Since then, we’ve been able to get a look at the brutal War Chief Escharum, the leader of The Banished, who could just be this instalment’s main antagonist.

Will Infinite Make or Break the Franchise?

Gaming fans worldwide are waiting with bated breath for Infinite to hit the shelves and there's a lot of talk about whether or not this instalment will make or break the franchise.

However, just like how Halo 5's infuriating ending didn't "break" it - despite it being easily one of the most disappointing in the history of video games - it's unlikely that Infinite will have any long-term negative effects if it doesn't turn out to be everything fans have been hoping for.

Xbox head Phil Spencer has stated that “Halo will be here 10 years from now” and that Infinite is not the “lynchpin” on whether the franchise survives that long.

What Else?

Halo Infinite multiplayer mode is going to be free to play and, while there will be multi-player battle arenas, 343 has stated that no, there isn’t going to be a Battle Royale mode.

Cross-progression will be available for all systems, while the Halo Infinite Battle Pass will be free of all microtransactions (this means no loot boxes, randoms, or items that could influence the sandbox – hurrah!). Spartan customization will also be available for players to customise each element of their character's armour, from helmet to knee pads.

Pre-orders are Go!

Whilst pre-orders are live right now, beware of the ones that give specific release dates. Dates like 31st December are just placeholders and represent the last potential date a game could be released, so any pre-order streams giving dates will be fake.

It’s also only available in the standard version. A collector’s edition will no doubt crop up somewhere down the line but, for now, there are no other official editions.
If you do want to pre-order Infinite, do so at Amazon, Best Buy or Gamestop.

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