Halo Infinite's road to launch has seen its moments of highs and lows, but recently wowed fans and critics during its short technical test a few months ago, showcasing what fans of the series can expect when the game's multiplayer kicks off. While the game is shaping up to be an exciting addition to Master Chief's adventures, some aspects of the free-to-play multiplayer have received criticism, mainly how progress is handled in the game.
Currently, the progression system focuses on a battle pass-based initiative, with no XP being earned traditionally in matches outside of the challenges. Yesterday, in 343 Industries September update, the developer decided to finally address the issues fans have.
We have heard community feedback around wanting more progression options including things like “match XP” to feed into the Battle Pass and an entirely separate, incremental system along the lines of earning SR152 in Halo 5: Guardians. Expanding Multiplayer progression offerings is something the team is actively exploring, and we look forward to continuing to evolve the experience in future seasons post-launch.
343 Industries explains that the battle pass has, "one primary progression path for players which is tied to a seasonal Battle Pass. The pass, which includes avenues for both premium and free unlocks." Items will include free consumables and cosmetics for the player to customize their Spartans.
Halo Infinite will also now feature limited-time event passes, and weekly challenges will be unique to each person, with around twenty available each week. This is to make sure it's rare for each person in the match to have the same challenge.
343 Industries just announced the next set of dates for another technical test at the end of this month, starting on September 23. The first weekend allows for players to engage in Arena mode, the traditional 4v4 matches featuring Slayer and objective-based games until September 26. Big Team Battle begins on September 30 to October 3, pitting 12 players against each in game modes such as capture the flag.
Halo Infinite launches on December 8 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. The multiplayer is free-to-play, and the game will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.