Halo Infinite has been through a rough year in the eyes of its players. The game launched late last year, and it was met with a warm reception thanks to a solid campaign and multiplayer suite. Players and critics had few issues with its gameplay but wished that it had more content, including features that had been delayed such as campaign co-op and the map-editing Forge mode. After a long period, some of those features are finally arriving in Halo Infinite when its Winter update drops on November 8.
Developer 343 Industries has provided a new video preview to show players what they can expect from the game come early November. It’s worth noting that the third official season of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer was delayed until March 2023, which is why the developer has tried to fill in the gap between now and then with some appreciated content.
The first major new feature will be the inclusion of online campaign co-op. Campaign co-op has been a fan-favorite mode in the Halo series since it began, and its absence in Halo Infinite was a sore spot for many fans of the series. Unfortunately, players will still not be able to play the campaign in split-screen co-op, at least not in an official capacity, but the Winter update will finally allow groups of up to four players to take on Master Chiefs’ latest adventure together.
The developer goes into detail about how it works in action. Players will begin a co-op campaign using the progress of the player who is farthest behind in the story to ensure that no one is jumping ahead and spoiling things for themselves. Any skulls that players have unlocked will appear in the pre-game lobby and are shared between the group. Additionally, there is a maximum radius that players can travel away from each other while on the open world map, but 343 makes clear that it has given players plenty of breathing room to move around freely.
Forge mode has been a part of the Halo series dating back to Halo 3, and it is also set to return in the Winter update for Halo Infinite. The studio has been releasing a series of recent Forge-focused videos on YouTube to cover all of the new options that the latest iteration of the map editor is capable of, and it seems to be a truly impressive step above the Forge mode that was featured in Halo 5: Guardians. The two new maps that will arrive with the Winter update were created entirely in Forge.
When it comes to multiplayer, 343 is finally introducing per-match XP. Players will be able to earn XP that is dependent on their in-game performances and victories, and that should contribute to their progress on the battle pass. The Winter update will bring a new 30-tier battle pass that is free for all players. Finally, there’s also a new asymmetrical mode called Covert One Flag.
The Halo Infinite Winter update arrives on November 8. The game is available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
