For as much hype as Halo Infinite generated on release, 343 has been in a state of perpetual catch up since. I couldn’t believe the way the development team had nailed it – mixing the old with the new – to bring the best Halo game since the Bungie years. And this is what hurt the most. Halo Infinite was (and is) an incredible game, but its lack of content has always been a reminder of ruined potential.
Fast forward to today and it seems like things are finally turning around. It’s been a while now (over 2 years), but we’ve gotten plenty of new arena maps, some BTB additions, a free battle pass, forge, and community map playlists. Season 4: Infection feels like a pivotal point because in addition to all of the new content, its debut comes 3 months after Season 3: Echoes Within. This pace of content is significantly better, and has arguably been what 343 has been building towards with their smaller non-seasonal additions.
This new season, releasing on June 20, will add:
- Forest (Arena map)
- Scarr (Big Team Battle map)
- 2 new pieces of equipment
- Infection (mode)
- 5 seasonal events
- Career progression
- New free Hazmat armor
- Forge updates
It’s quite meaty and, speaking to the Halo nostalgia in me, plays into past releases quite a bit. I can’t help but feel it will pull in other long time fans as well. Forest looks like an incredible addition to Arena and really elicits the vibe of Sanctuary (first seen in Halo 2). I’m sure those that played Halo 2 also vividly remember Infection customs (Foundation anyone?). And to top everything off 343 is adding a career progression system that’s clearly inspired by Halo 3.
Will this update speak to the masses?
No, and I’m not sure Halo Infinite will ever reach that point. I’m not sure 343 should aspire to that either. What Halo Infinite needs is more, and an expansion of, what it’s already doing. The 3 month release cadence also needs to be maintained. I think that in time Halo Infinite can grow a very healthy player count if they can keep this up. It’s been rough going, but Halo Infinite is one of my favorite shooters period in a very long time.
The foundation and sandbox is on point, it feels fantastic to play, and still maintains some of the series’ best characteristics while cleverly advancing it forward. Who knows, maybe Project Tatanka (the rumored battle royale mode) will help Halo Infinite hit it big. In the meantime hopefully 343 can see that Halo Infinite is really starting to resonate with players. Despite all of the flak it gets I think it has a ton of potential to continue to grow – there’s something to be said about the work being put in and the player base it maintains now.
Lover of games, tech, nature, and strange electronic music. Shaped by Sega, PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox – platform agnostic ever since. Currently overwhelmed by choice on my Xbox Series X thanks to Game Pass.