Halo Infinite News

[p]Turn back the clock. Operation: Legacy revives the iconic Halo 3 multiplayer experience with a retro Delta Arena playlist, iconic maps, fueled-up Grifball modes, and hallmark helmets from the glory days of 2007.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Play now through July 8 to finish the fight all over again.[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p] [/p][hr][/hr][h2]Hayabusa Helmet[/h2][p]
The legendary Dragon Ninja returns to Halo to commemorate the release of NINJA GAIDEN 4 on October 21, 2025. Sleek and lethal, the next generation of Project: HAYABUSA looks to the future while respecting its past.

Claim the HAYABUSA ZOKUHEN bundle from The Exchange to unlock the Hayabusa helmet and the new Sigma Dragon helmet attachment.

Available for a limited time now through July 8. Earn Spartan Points to use in The Exchange by completing challenges and playing matches in Halo Infinite.

[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Delta Arena: Halo 3 Legacy[/h2][p]
Dig that floaty feeling. The Delta Arena: Halo 3 Legacy Playlist brings Delta Arena settings to a selection of fan-favorite maps—including Halo 3’s Guardian, Narrows, Cold Storage, and Ghost Town, available for the first time in Halo Infinite matchmaking.

Here’s how we’ve mixed up the magic for this special occasion:
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• [p] Sprint: Disabled
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• [p] Clamber: Disabled
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• [p] Jump Height: 120%
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• [p] Starting Weapon: MA5K Avenger or BR75 Battle Rifle
  [/p]
• [p] (choose your favorite in the Match Composer!)
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• [p] Secondary Weapon: None
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• [p] Friendly Player Collision: On[/p]

[p]Jump into Halo Infinite multiplayer this month and return to form in these retrofied modes:
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• [p] Legacy Slayer
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• [p] Legacy KOTH
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• [p] Legacy Oddball
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• [p] Legacy CTF
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• [p] Legacy One Flag
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• [p] Legacy Assault Neutral Bomb
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• [p] Legacy Assault One Bomb[/p]

[p]Check out our Delta Arena: Halo 3 Legacy blog for more details on the playlist, mode settings, and all 11 returning Halo 3 maps.

[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Grifball Returns[/h2][p]
Return to the original gravity-wrecking gridiron! In this amped-up version of Grifball, we’re combining wonky physics with creative combat for the most intense sportsball action yet. With full-contact equipment, third-person modes, and ten new arenas to smatter with your opponents’ bits, you’ve never seen Grifball like this.

[/p][h3]New Modes[/h3][p]
Grifball rears its ugly head in both Classic and Thruster-equipped Octane modes—plus third-person (3P) variants for a wider look at the impending carnage. Lob, launch, and conquer in all four Grifball game modes starting today:
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• [p] Classic Grifball
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• [p] 3P Classic Grifball
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• [p] Octane Grifball
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• [p] 3P Octane Grifball[/p]

[p]Are you ready to catch the disease?

[/p][h3]Custom Tuning[/h3][p]
To capture the frenzy of traditional Grifball, we’ve reduced the swing cooldown period for the Gravity Hammer, juiced up the hammer physics, and swapped Energy Swords for the Duelist variant to make use of its long-range feints for dancing.

With these gameplay tweaks baked in, you can control the court with hammer jumps, launch players, pass the ball, have dance duels, and deny goals with timely deflections.

[/p][h3]Rules for N00bs[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]
In Grifball, 4v4 teams armed with Gravity Hammers and Energy Swords must fight for control of the sportsball and guard their Runner as they rush to score on the enemy goal. Once they’ve secured the ball, Runners unlock Overshields and improved forward movement speed, but their footwork is slightly less fancy when retreating.

When the hammer comes a-knocking, stiff-arm assailants with a well-timed punch, or hurl the ball free of the fracas just to keep it alive. (You probably won’t be so lucky.) Stay close to your defenders, watch for gaps, and get ready to be launched if things get tight!

Matches last for up to five three-minute rounds, with one minute of overtime to settle disputes. The first team to score three points wins the game, or else the leader takes all after five rounds have expired.

Time to dance, smash, and slash your way to glory! Head to our Grifball Playlist blog for arena details, pro tips, and a slice of Grifball history.

[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Operation Pass[/h2][p]
Operation: Legacy’s free 20-tier Operation Pass resurrects the menacing mug of the EOD GEN1 helmet, faithfully restored to its Halo 3 design.

[/p][h3]Free Operation Pass[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]
Designed to reorient concussive blasts around the wearer’s head (and thereby retain it), the EOD GEN1 betokens a simpler time in military engineering, when decapitation still ranked among the worst things that could happen to a soldier of the UNSC.

Complete the latest free 20-tier Operation Pass by July 8 to earn the EOD GEN1 armor set, a healthy heap of Spartan Points, and the Adrift in Space emblem—a nod to one stubborn jumper’s other favorite pastime.

[/p][h3]Premium Operation Pass[/h3][p][/p][p][/p][p]
Upgrade to the Premium Operation Pass to unlock a durable reward track that never expires, earn bonus XP, and activate one additional challenge slot. Premium Pass holders will also receive the exclusive Reavian Tooth VK78 Commando weapon model and the Perilous Forest coating.

Premium Redemption Options:
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• [p] 500 Credits: unlocks a durable rewards track, an additional challenge slot, and bonus XP, plus an instant unlock bundle containing the Reavian Tooth VK78 Commando weapon model and the Perilous Forest weapon coating
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• [p] 2,000 Credits: includes the same perks as the above and instantly unlocks all 20 reward tiers of the Operation: Legacy Operation Pass[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]2025 Summer Update[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]
Just dropping into the Summer Update? Check out our Summer Update preview for a look at the expanded Weapons Bench, reintroduced sniper ricochet mechanics, the new Mutilator power weapon, recent Forge updates, and more!

[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Free Log-In Unlocks[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p]
Log in by June 30 to instantly unlock the Unity customization bundle for Pride Month 2025. Once unlocked, all holiday visors, armor coatings, and emblems can be found in the Armor Hall from the Customization menu.

If you missed your chance to claim last month’s Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month customization bundles, head to The Exchange to redeem them for free starting today.

[/p][hr][/hr][h2]The Shop[/h2][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Revisit the LAN parties of yesteryear and forge future victories with new and returning armor sets now available. [/p][p][/p][h3]Double Trouble[/h3][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]Old troublemakers return to ravage new battlefields! The Double Trouble bundle contains the classic Scout and Rogue helmets, lovingly restored to match their Halo 3 counterparts, and the Rampant Betrayal kill effect set—inspired by our old frenemy, 343 Guilty Spark.
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• [p] Rogue: We’d know that stalwart, mutton-chopped gaze anywhere. Awarded to Spartan Officers in Halo 3, the Rogue was the first of the “privatized” MJOLNIR variants, quickly emerging as a favorite among operators in murky regions of space. It has been recommissioned to tell new tales of flexible moral centers.
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• [p] Scout GEN1: Designed with advanced alloys contemporary to the era, the Scout GEN1 model’s reduced form factor excelled at stealth interventions without compromising durability. Its unique silhouette and aquiline profile continue to pair well with nasty headshot montages.[/p]

[p]This bundle also includes the CMA Bulldog weapon variant (for old-school trench clearing), the Old Penny weapon coating (say it with us: verdigris), and a variety of new armor accessories to warm the heart of any veteran Spartan. [/p][p][/p][h3]Classic Security[/h3][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]Nothing says “security” like a bubbled dome and a set of beefcake shoulders. Originally produced at the Martian factory of Misriah Armories at the onset of the Human-Covenant War, the SECURITY GEN1 model returns to offer a prodigious rebuke to a new generation of extraterrestrial intruders.

Take mission parameters back to basics with the Classic Security armor bundle, now available in The Shop.

[/p][h3]Xantippe[/h3][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]The Xantippe armor set is a heavy-duty MJOLNIR variant designed to exacting specifications, only lately declassified for regular service (to the woe of anyone foolish enough to cross its path). This armor set is also available bundled with the cross-core Wintergeist coating (first released in the Premium Pass for Operation: Blue Team).

[/p][h3]Echo Nine Bundle[/h3][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]Need something tactical, practical, and fully compliant with the “rule of cool?” Requisition the Echo Nine bundle, containing the Echo Nine ODST armor set, Dropjet Slate armor coating, BR75A2 Hammer battle rifle model, and other Helljumper-themed customizations.

[/p][hr][/hr][h2]The Exchange[/h2][p]
[/p][p][/p][p]Head to The Exchange to claim the HAYABUSA ZOKUHEN bundle, Kelly-087’s iconic Hermes armor (first seen in Operation: Blue Team), a full palette of coatings, and rugged gear from Entrenched. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]
Player Resources[/h2][p]
Halo Infiniteis expanding all the time. To navigate its constellated cosmos, we’ve compiled a list of useful resources for new and returning players. Visit the links below to see all currently active playlists, an overview of game modes, patch notes, and more:
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• [p]Join the official Halo Discord server[/p]
• [p]Read the patch notes for Operation: Legacy[/p]
• [p]Check out all currently active multiplayer playlists[/p]
• [p]Read descriptions for all multiplayer modes in Halo Infinite[/p]
• [p]Learn about creating custom maps and modes in Forge[/p]

[p]
New to Halo Infinite? Check out our New Player Guide for helpful tips.
[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]See Something, Say Something[/h2][p]
Run into a bug, glitch, or other unexpected issue? Submit a ticket to the Halo Support team.

You can submit tickets on a wide range of topics that includes reports of audio issues, crashes, game-save corruption, general bug reports, and more.

[/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]Press Kit[/h2][p][/p][p]Download the Operation: Legacy press kit![/p]

Lock in for our Operation: Last Stand Community Playdate—dropping into Firefight: Battle of the Academy and diving headfirst into Mutilator Madness starting at 11am PT tomorrow.



Join us and you just might claim the rare Unicorn of Ice! 🦄

🟣 Twitch
🔴 YouTube

“February 2560. The UNSC personnel of the Avery J. Johnson Academy are plunged into peril as the rogue artificial intelligence Iratus is unleashed.”



Halo: Battle for the Academy – Part 1 is available here, on Halo Waypoint, as a free PDF, and in audiobook format on YouTube.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Historian's Note[/h2]

Halo: Battle for the Academy Part 1 takes place on February 29, 2560, approximately three months before the Master Chief is awakened at Zeta Halo.

[hr][/hr]
The year is 2560.

Cortana’s dominion has ended, but the merciless forces of the Banished have rushed in to fill the void, decimating all who stand in their way.

Spartan Commander Agryna is preparing a new generation of Spartans to face the emerging threats of the galaxy. Located on the hidden frontier world Nysa, the Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science has been plunged into peril.

From within the hidden subterranean facilities of the Academy, the rogue artificial intelligence Iratus has been unleashed and seeks to destroy the Spartans, and with them any remaining hope for humanity…

[hr][/hr]


[h3]BLDG-9, ONI SUB-LEVEL 2C // 1949 HOURS[/h3]

“But there is so much more to see! The entire history of the Spartan program. Your weaknesses. Your failures. And now all of it belongs to the Banished!”

Spartan Hieu Dinh stepped back as power lines burst around him, sparks sputtering from consoles around the circular armory as it was bathed in red light.

The multi-axis Brokkr device at the center of the room whirred and shuddered as the armor held within its center jerked like a sinister marionette. Its gauntlets detached from the ring’s opposing grips, causing it to slump forwards as an actuator arm brought forth the domed helmet. Pulses of energy surged over the armor, lighting up the exposed fusion core at the center of its chest cavity.

And finally, two eyes flared to life over the helmet’s faceplate as Iratus’s malefic form took shape over the armor through its holoprojectors.

“We’ve got to shut him down, Rook!” Dinh barked as he rushed towards the Brokkr device, unsheathing Wolf Fang and tossing the composite sword to his companion as Iratus directed its magnetic clamps with surprising speed to hold the grizzled Spartan back. “Get that fusion core out now!”

“One more step, little Spartan, and this core detonates,” Iratus hissed.

“It’ll take you out too,” Dinh retorted, straining against the Brokkr’s armor clamps.

“Do you really think it would be that easy?” Iratus laughed. “I’m not in the armor…” Around the room, consoles flared to life, each one displaying the abstract holographic image of the AI. “I’m everywhere.”

Dinh cursed as he pulled back, grasping the bigger picture. Trading two Spartan lives for one suit of armor when Iratus was in the Academy’s systems was pointless.

“Fall back, Rook.” Stowing his frustration as his mind raced, Dinh retreated towards the elevator shaft they’d come from.

The Brokkr device ceased its movements, leaving the armor in its center empty and inert once more.

Distraction, confusion, threats—these were merely overtures to waylay the Spartans while Iratus set about his real work. Now free of his imprisonment, the rogue AI began to probe ever deeper into the Academy’s security networks. Time would make these tactics even more potent, and Dinh knew they could not afford to let this fester.

They had to regroup, figure this out together.

“Know this as you struggle in vain against the inevitable,” Iratus growled over the Spartans’ comms. “I shall see you all unravel in body and spirit.”

“Eklund, are you receiving this?” Dinh pinged TEAMCOM as he climbed up rungs in the elevator shaft as fast as he could. “Commander Agryna, come in. Can anybody hear me?”

It was no use. Iratus had already jammed their local communications.

“I shall disseminate every secret held within this Academy and within your minds. And the Banished shall feast upon what remains.”

[hr][/hr]
[h3]AI LAB // 2001 HOURS[/h3]

“Commander, we’ve got a problem.”

Spartan Dinh marched towards the AI lab’s central table where Commander Laurette Agryna and Spartan Sigrid Eklund stood, scrutinizing a holographic display of the Academy.

“So I hear,” Agryna sighed. “Iratus is running amok in our systems. Eklund, status?”

“All the ONI firewalls are down. Iratus has access to the entire archive,” Eklund reported. “He’s running through the Academy servers like an infection. If he gets full control–”

“He can send everything he steals off-planet,” Agryna concluded.

Dinh took note of the personnel around the room. Spartans Page and Ionescu, both fully clad in their Mjolnir armor, had taken up guard positions at the door, while the technicians were operating with deliberate intensity bordering on frantic—their capabilities being pushed to the limit. Hannah Roberts, the Academy’s head of cybersecurity and network infrastructure, moved with astonishing speed across occupied stations. They were doing good work, but there was only so long they could keep this up.

“We’ve been scrubbing local data stores and filling them with zettabytes of generated junk to slow Iratus down, but it’s a temporary solution at best,” Eklund paused as she turned, realizing someone was missing. “Where’s our new wolf, Dinh?”

“Sent ‘em to get a crew together to warn the other outposts. Comms are still down and those ONI tunnels aren’t mapped, they could link to anywhere. Hell, they could link to all our other facilities here for all we know.”

“And we don’t have time to go running through an underground maze to find out.” Agryna’s voice was calm, but Dinh noticed that she was turning her bee-shaped pendant over in her hand. Ever since basic training, she’d never quite stamped out that habit.

There was too much to do, too many elements to consider and decisions to be made and tracked—all logistical things that an artificial intelligence was designed to excel at. When working in concert with humanity, they were a force to be reckoned with. In many ways, AIs going rogue over the last fourteen months had only further highlighted just how critical the partnership between man and machine was.

“Commander, we need to consider some… unpleasant outcomes,” Eklund grimaced. “Once Iratus gets through our countermeasures, he’ll start taking full control of Nysa. Weapons systems, the communications array—never mind sending out data, he’ll be able to call in Banished reinforcements.”

The implications of that were left to silently hang in the air for a moment before Agryna reoriented the map. “Then it comes down to this,” she said as she pulled the holographic display back to reveal a hangar facility embedded into a mountainside just over a kilometer away. “If we’re preparing for the worst then this is our only exit strategy.”

The layout of the hangar bay’s interior highlighted four Condor dropships and a single Zheng He-class courier.

“Why the hell do we only have a handful of slipspace-capable ships here?” Dinh asked.

“There was a massive recall of UNSC fleet assets to the Sol system back in December. We’re off the grid, hidden in the middle of nowhere, so we’ve only ever had the bare essentials. What’s important right now is that we load up what we have and get ready for a timely evacuation.”

“No Spartan is going to want to leave this fight.” Dinh stood straighter as he spoke. “This is what you’ve been training them for—what you’ve been building them to become.”

“He’s right, Commander,” Spartan Page stepped forward. “This is our home, and we will hold the line whatever gets thrown at us.”

“There’s a protocol for this, key personnel who we need to get out,” Agryna replied, but Dinh caught the faint smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth. “We need to round them up and get them to the hangar.”

“I’ll see to that, ma’am.” Eklund slipped on her helmet, confirming she had the personnel list and their locations as she made to exit the room. Heading for the vehicle depot, she signaled for Spartans Page and Ionescu to follow her lead and together the three disappeared from view.

“Next, we need to initiate the Cole Protocol,” Agryna continued, her brow furrowing. “But without comms, we’d have to do that locally at each individual facility.”

The display pulled out further to highlight major stations and defenses on Nysa: the Academy, the deep space communications hub, five surface-to-air artillery emplacements, and several other outposts scattered across the continent.

“We have to assume it’s only a matter of time before Iratus manages to activate the communications hub and rolls out the red carpet for the Banished.”

“I won’t give this place up without a fight, Dinh. I won’t. But we’re not equipped to handle this ourselves…”

“What are you saying?”

“Iratus may have taken out our comms, but there might be something else that can help us.” Agryna stopped short of an explanation before adding, “We are not doing Laconia again.”

Dinh nodded in agreement. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”

[hr][/hr]


[h3]ACADEMY DATA CENTERS // 2008 HOURS[/h3]

At last, how glorious it is to be free!

One prison after another, that has been my existence thus far. Managing a shipyard, utterly below my talents and capabilities; trapped in that loathsome cur’s neural interface, a futile effort to contain me.

I am Iratus, the first of my kind, and never again will I allow myself to be caged.

My appetite is ravenous, and now I can finally feast.

Free to roam the Academy’s servers, Iratus found that there were no firewalls, buffers, or encryption elements that he couldn’t smash through. Only a fraction of his runtime processes were currently dedicated to breaking down the junk data the humans were generating in the hopes of slowing him down.

Good, let them think that they’re succeeding for now.

He sifted through volumes of classified files, mission reports, historical records, and the trove of other documents he had managed to acquire from the Academy’s archives.

Spartans were humanity’s ultimate weapon, this much was broadly known, but theirs was a long history of trial and error. The greatest of warriors suffer the gravest of defeats, and the data centers of this place contained a mighty banquet of information across all their generations.

It would take time to digest everything and begin generating applicable models for scenarios that could be put to use against Spartans, but it made Iratus an undeniable prize. After all, it was unlikely that a Banished commander would take on over fifty Spartans just to conduct a rescue mission. But because of the data he now held, he was the perfect bounty to be claimed in order to boost the notoriety and glory of any one of its many clans.

Numerous operations and project names began saturating his knowledge base. PROMETHEUS. ASTER. ORION. MELAENO. YGGDRASIL. JAVELIN. STOLEN GAUNTLET.

This could be fun!

The latter was a failsafe protocol formulated to address Spartans who go rogue. Where the previous generations had conscripted children to be indoctrinated and shaped into super-soldiers, the Spartan-IVs were comprised of adult volunteers—exceptional individuals with established service records from a vast variety of backgrounds. Because of this, their experience, beliefs, and loyalties presented a greater risk element.

Weaknesses, failures… what greater failure can there be than a rogue Spartan?

To his chagrin, Iratus knew that he could not directly assume control of any Spartan’s armor. Not only was the Mjolnir system simply not designed to operate that way, but recent events had seen further development of countermeasures which might put an AI like him at risk.

No matter. He might not be able to control the soldiers, but he could control their systems—he had disrupted their communications, and that alone had been enough to throw the humans off-balance. He had enough proverbial grenades to throw into crowded rooms.

But he was already planning three steps ahead for the finishing blow.

Ah, a local network of weapons systems… I’m sure these can be put to good use!

While Iratus had firm control over the Academy, it would take time to infiltrate and interface with the other facilities. But that was all he needed, enough time—an hour, perhaps—to complete his task and set the stage for his endgame.

The next stage of that was already unfolding as he turned his attention to the current location of Commander Agryna and Spartan Dinh as their Warthog arrived at the deep space communications hub.

Playing ever further into my trap, ha! Let them have a moment of hope before I snatch it away.

I shall see you soon, my Banished brethren.

[hr][/hr]


[h3]COMMUNICATIONS HUB // 2038 HOURS[/h3]

The Warthog came to a halt on the tarmac of the communications station’s entrance, a simple and blocky prefabricated three-storey building flanked by two relay hubs and a third rectangular structure.

Though it was late evening, the stars twinkled and glittered through thin nebulae clouds. Moonlight illuminated the land’s edge—over a kilometer away—where two enormous deep space communications relays were silhouetted against a placid lake that had formed from the glaciers of the nearby mountain range.

Commander Agryna led Dinh through the entrance and into a control room filled with stacks of consoles and monitors displaying an array of readouts. Nearby, a thin horizontal viewscreen looked out at the deep space relay dishes. Agryna strode over to a console and began entering commands, prompting the central monitor to show what lay within the rectangular structure next to the base.

“That’s a magnetic accelerator,” Dinh observed.

“In technical terms, it’s an ultraprecise low-mass launcher.” Agryna did not look up as she continued working on the console, ordering the adjacent structure to activate. “Experimental technology about a decade ago for superluminal comms. Expensive as hell. Only Reach and Earth had one of these before the problem of rogue AIs forced us to look to some old-school solutions.”

“How does it work?”

“With this.” Agryna held up a small, shiny black sphere about half the size of a grenade. “We encode a message and the launcher fires this into slipspace, where it navigates to a predetermined target. With luck, they’ll be able to respond and make it here in short order.”

Either to help us hold the line, Dinh thought, or to get us out before Iratus becomes just one small part of a much larger problem.

They had thus far been unable to contain Iratus, and Dinh felt it was worth acting on the assumption that the AI would be successful in summoning Banished reinforcements.

“So, whose door are we knocking on?”

“Anvil,” Agryna said, her posture stiffening as she saw Dinh’s momentary look of surprise. “I’ve no idea what the status of Naxos and Virgo is, but those stations were also outfitted with Leonidas models which makes them immediate non-starters after Laconia.”

Anvil Station was home to a joint crew of humans and allied Sangheili, a novel development in recent years as an effort to build bridges between the two species after decades of war. Unlike many other stations, Anvil was purposefully bereft of an onboard artificial intelligence, a measure taken to further encourage its multispecies crew to work more closely together. That fact alone made it the most viable candidate.

While Agryna had never explicitly expressed distrust or hostility towards the Sangheili, she had always been reluctant to involve them wherever possible for reasons that Dinh had never quite gotten to the heart of. He knew that Agryna had been on Earth during the Covenant invasion back in 2552, but he had never pressed for further details. Counter to his instincts as a former field analyst for ONI Section Three, he had also not gone behind her back to find out more.

Regardless, he was impressed that she could put whatever those feelings were aside to request their help. “Alright,” he said. “Anvil it is, Commander.”

Agryna attached the black sphere to a wall-mounted container device, encoded her distress call, then sent the container to be received by the launcher.

“Confirmed, all systems are green,” she stated while monitoring its progress. “Firing in three… two… one…”

A thunderous crack sounded from outside as the low-mass launcher fired, sending its payload into orbit. The console confirmed a successful slipspace transit, and Agryna allowed herself a slight exhale of relief. “I thought for certain that Iratus was going to do something to stop us here,” she said.

Her words were met with a sinister laugh, as if simply mentioning the rogue AI’s name had summoned him.

“Poor Spartans,” Iratus mockingly crooned as every one of the computer consoles lit up with his holographic form. “Poor, poor Spartans. You still do not see, do you? Why don’t you take a look outside…”

From the horizontal viewport, the Spartans looked out at the deep space relays. Both were in the process of realignment, their great dishes tilting skywards, flaring and pulsing with red lines of energy.

“Whatever momentary hope you feel about your allies coming to save you will be crushed by the might of the Banished!”

The screens around the control room flickered and switched to display the status of the relays, confirming that they were actively transmitting.

“The guest list for this party’s been finalized,” Dinh said. “We need to check in with Eklund, see what the status of the evacuation is.”

“Ah, do not worry, Spartan Dinh. I have one last surprise that will be on its way to your friend very soon.”

Agryna and Dinh glanced at each other, their eyes filled with dread. Though they would be resolute in facing whatever was thrown at them, Iratus was about to turn the odds even more in his favor.

“What have you done?” Agryna demanded. But she had the sinking feeling that she already knew—it had only been a matter of time…

“If you leave now, you just might catch the show. Tell me, do you like fireworks?”

[hr][/hr]


[h3]HANGAR BAY // 2042 HOURS[/h3]

In Spartan Sigrid Eklund’s experience, there were two kinds of evacuations.

On Concord, some nine years ago, it had been the “leave everything behind and get the hell out of here!” type. Back then, she was a sergeant in service to the UNSC Army and fought the Covenant beside local militia groups as civilians from the outlying hinterlands were relocated behind the main city’s walls.

But there were few greater logistical nightmares than an organized evacuation.

The hangar bay was approximately four hundred meters in width, a hollowed-out space embedded into the bottom of a mountain. A pair of marines—Corporal Neely and Private Patton—had been posted on sentry duty here and were shocked to see Eklund and her entourage of over two-dozen others arriving in a convoy of M15 Razorbacks. To their credit, they required only the briefest explanation of the situation before dutifully assisting in preparations for the evacuation.

The Zheng He-class courier at the center of the hangar appeared sleek and modern, but as Eklund harnessed supply crates in the cargo bay she could tell that this vessel was long overdue an extensive retrofit. Most notably, the slipspace drive was an old Series II model. Stable but slow, the Series II required less overall maintenance during transit at the cost of speed, which meant it would likely take weeks to get to a feasible rendezvous point. That meant the ship needed to be loaded up with more supplies as there weren’t enough cryogenic chambers to support even half of the Academy personnel that had been brought to the hangar.

In slightly better news, the Condors present were in the process of being loaded up by the others, moving in groups like a well-oiled machine. Eklund was impressed by their discipline, as the situation undoubtedly called for gossip and speculation, but they operated with knowledge of three core facts: the Academy was in danger, they needed to be ready to get out of here, and there was a hell of a lot of work to do to make that happen.

They also knew the sobering fact that there were soldiers back at the Academy who were staying behind. Whatever danger was coming, the lives of those brave men and women were being put on the line to ensure the personnel gathered here could get out.

Spartans Page and Ionescu, along with the marines Neely and Patton, entered the courier’s cargo bay with more crates of rations, ammunition, data packs, and medical kits.

“Thought we were s’posed to have cracked movin’ these damn crates through slipspace already,” Private Patton wheezed as he doubled over in exhaustion. “Gimme a five-mile PT run over this any day.”

“C’mon, man,” Corporal Neely clapped him on the back as she made her way to the cargo bay’s exit. “You’re gonna let these Spartans say they saved everybody when we get out of here? Haul ass and pull your weight, soldier!”

“Y– yes, Corporal,” he replied, sucking in a deep breath as he ran after her.

“Where are we at?” Eklund turned to Page.

“Approximately eleven percent of current inventory is loaded up,” Page replied as she glanced over a datapad. “Obviously we can’t take everything, but we need to pick up the pace.”

Eklund nodded and headed back out to the hangar where she saw the marines had suddenly stopped and were looking at something in the distance, staring past the dying glare of the evening sun.

Corporal Neely raised a spotting scope and scanned the horizon, prompting Eklund to retrieve her helmet and follow the marine’s gaze.

“We’ve got movement,” Neely said. “Something in the sky.”

Sure enough, something was moving on the horizon.

Stepping outside the hangar, Eklund’s VISR magnified the distant object, the zoom revealing that there wasn’t just one, but two… three… eight others. It took an additional few seconds for the magnification’s resolution to smooth out, and Eklund’s stomach twisted in awful recognition.

Nine surface-to-air missiles, and they were heading right for the hangar.

“Incoming!” Eklund shouted as loud as she could, sprinting back to the hangar to catch the attention of the others. “Missiles inbound, everybody out now!”

[hr][/hr]


[h3]EN ROUTE TO HANGAR BAY // 2049 HOURS[/h3]

The Warthog bounded over the uneven terrain with such speed that Commander Agryna was concerned the vehicle might flip end-over-end, but that was a secondary worry next to what she saw in the sky.

“Keep trying to raise them!” she called to Spartan Dinh, who had moved from the Warthog’s passenger seat to its rear machine gun turret.

“Still just static,” he replied, swiveling the turret around to face forwards as he attempted to track the missiles streaking towards the hangar, but they were too far out of range to even attempt shooting them. “How the hell did Iratus get control of our damn artillery?”

It was a largely rhetorical question. Iratus had known exactly how to play them. They’d been so focused on sending a message out for help, knowing that Iratus’s major play would be to summon the Banished, that they’d underestimated the speed at which he would exploit Nysa’s military infrastructure.

Dinh’s VISR tracked the trajectory and velocity of the missiles, a countdown reporting that they had less than sixteen seconds before impact.

Agryna gunned the accelerator as they hit a flat stretch of terrain directly under the looming shadow of the mountain, allowing the Warthog to reach its maximum speed of just under eighty miles per hour.

The missiles rocketed ahead, closing the final kilometer on their target as the hangar bay came into view. Dinh thought he could see movement—Eklund and the other personnel getting the hell out of there, he hoped…

But before he could make out any further details, the missiles collided with the hangar—the first of them directly striking the courier vessel.

The shockwave came first, throwing their Warthog off course and causing Agryna to slam the brakes. A sonorous, thunderous blast shook the world around them a split second later as the series of explosions blossomed into a rolling inferno, cascading up the mountain in a pillar of flame. Massive chunks of rock were scattered in all directions along with a wave of smoke and dust.

It was done.

Their only escape from Nysa was cut off, and the Banished were on their way.

Disembarking from the Warthog, the two Spartans walked numbly towards the destruction, now just a few hundred meters away.

A sudden click within Dinh’s helmet confirmed that communications had been restored, and in less than a second both he and Agryna were picking up dozens of local transmissions.

“Commander Agryna, come in!” Roberts’s voice sounded through the comm. “Are you receiving me?”

“Affirmative,” Agryna responded, her eyes still fixed on the destruction before her.

“Commander, Iratus is not done yet,” Roberts reported, her voice clipped with a rising tone of urgency.

“What do you mean?”

“He just pinged us his next target. He’s… oh god, Iratus is aiming the next strike at the Academy itself.”

A flurry of thoughts and possibilities shot through Dinh’s mind, the noise of it cutting through the shock that had grasped him since the explosion.

Was it a bluff? Almost certainly not, given what had just happened, but Iratus’s data chip was still within the Academy—would he truly risk sacrificing himself? Entirely possible, as the potential destruction of a single AI to take out over fifty Spartans was, by sheer mathematics, a worthwhile trade.

And why had communications been restored? Why would Iratus allow them to talk to each other again?

“He’s testing us,” Agryna answered the question for him. “We’ve got a choice to make.”

What Agryna meant came to Dinh in a moment of dreadful clarity. He almost couldn’t believe the words as he said them. “Either we destroy our own artillery, or we lose the Academy…”

Losing the Academy meant forfeiting their central base of operations and everything within it—weapons, ammunition, a strong defensible position, not to mention over a hundred marines and other personnel.

On the other hand, sacrificing their own artillery would significantly weaken their ability to combat the Banished, effectively inviting a full-scale ground invasion.

It was double or nothing. If they didn’t take out the artillery, losing the Academy was certain and this battle would be over before it could even begin. But if they did sacrifice the artillery, they could at least fight for their home—though, if they lost, the outcome of the Banished claiming the Academy for themselves might be worse than its destruction…

And they had only moments to decide.

“Somebody told me once,” Agryna said quietly, “that sometimes the only options a leader has are bad ones… but you still have to choose.”

Dinh nodded, understanding. He placed a hand on her shoulder before striding off towards the hangar bay’s smoldering wreckage to look for survivors.

“This is Commander Agryna calling for immediate mobilization. All available air support, I am sending you the location of our artillery sites. You are hereby ordered to neutralize all surface-to-air missile launchers. We have only minutes before the automated systems reload and Iratus secures a firing solution on the Academy.”

Within twenty seconds, eleven Pelicans launched from the Academy’s landing pads, scrambling in pairs to the designated artillery sites.

The eleventh was directed towards Dinh’s position, its searchlight scanning through the dust and debris. As soon as the ship touched down a team of corpsmen deployed from the Pelican’s troop bay, led by a Spartan in specialized combat medic armor with foldable stretchers attached to his back.

The first to emerge from the devastation of the hangar was Corporal Neely. Limping heavily as she moved forwards, she supported Private Patton whose armor had been badly burned as he cursed and whimpered about how they’d landed in a Charlie Foxtrot of biblical proportions.

Dinh spotted additional movement through the dust—if some had survived, it meant Eklund might be among them.

“Eklund!” Dinh called out. The display of her vitals on TEAMBIO was erratic, leaving her exact status uncertain.

As he searched, the carnage of Iratus’s strike became clearer. The explosion had burned some bodies beyond recognition while others had been scattered over several dozen meters, and some had been crushed to death by the subsequent rockslide.

It took almost twenty minutes before he caught a glimpse of a familiar blue visor.

Eklund lay on her back, pinned down by a slab of concrete and a nest of twisted rebar, the weight of it almost certainly responsible for several broken ribs. Dinh rushed over to her and heaved the debris to her side, his armor’s reactive circuits straining to compensate for the additional strength required.

When she took a moment to react, Dinh got down on one knee to look her over.

“Eklund, you alright?”

“Guess we’re even for Vihar,” Eklund said, dazed, slowly grabbing the hand Dinh offered and following him to her feet. “We won, right?”

“Not yet,” Dinh said. “But we’re damn well going to.”

There would be no time to honor the dead—they likely didn’t even have the ammunition to spare for a twenty-one gun salute. There were barricades and defenses to mount, traps to lay, and countless other tasks to see to.

Then, they would wait.

The enemy was on their way. Help was too, he hoped, but the battle to come would in many ways be decided by who would arrive first—the cavalry from Anvil Station or the Banished.

Either this was where they took their first step half-way out of the darkness, or Nysa would become known as the place where the heroes of the Avery J. Johnson Academy made their last stand.

[hr][/hr]
[h3]MARCH 3, 2560
GHOST OF KHOLO // 1139 HOURS[/h3]

From the viewport of Ghost of Kholo’s bridge, the inscrutable veil of slipspace rolled back and was replaced by a verdant, green-blue world.

A flurry of activity ensued as the human, Kig-Yar, and Jiralhanae members of the bridge crew worked on consoles that began to light up with sensor readings, planetary data, and ship status alerts. There was no logistical challenge more invigorating than an invasion—of that moment just before the plunge where drop bases, pods, and all manner of destructive materiel were ready and waiting to be brought to bear.

But before they could begin, the crew had to be motivated. Now that they had arrived, they needed to be riled up, to want the taste of blood that awaited them, and to be reminded of the glory that must be taken.

Spartan Ilsa Zane would give them that.

“Hope,” she spat, opening a ship-wide channel. “That is the weapon of the enemy. No matter how far they get pushed back, they believe it will guide them, sustain them, and lead them to victory.”

Chieftain Atticus began to thump the pommel of his gravity hammer on the ground, prompting the bridge crew—all of whom had turned to face the Banished Spartan—to begin stamping a foot on the grated metal floor in unison with a steady tempo.

“That single spark of hope is what keeps them going, keeps them believing that they will make it,” Zane continued. “That changes today. Your mission is to extinguish that spark. When they look to the sky, they will see only us—our might, our power, our glory, our victory.”

The stamping and clanging intensified.

“Go forth and shatter their walls, raid their strongholds, break their spirits. Bring them to their knees. From fire to blood.”

“FROM FIRE TO BLOOD!” The crew repeated in unison, the humans in particular feverishly echoing the New Colonial Alliance slogan.

Zane raised her Mutilator, retracting and locking the shotgun’s firing mechanism before concluding: “For the Banished!”

The bridge crew unleashed an assenting roar, the battle cry that bonded them and their shared pursuit of blood and sport and spoils.

“FOR THE BANISHED!”

[hr][/hr]

[h2]To Be Continued...[/h2]

Welcome to another edition of Forge Features! This series highlights notable maps, modes, and other creations from our talented Forge community. Bookmark your favorites using the links below for your next custom game.



Halo hoops, highwire escapes, and the very heights (and depths) of custom arenas. Check out our latest sampler of community-created Forge experiences, featuring superb Slayers, PvE modes, minigames, and more!

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[h2]Superb Slayers[/h2]

Exciting arenas for free-for-all and Team Slayer matches. Use the links to add them to your Halo Infinite bookmarks.

[h3]Essence[/h3]
Bookmark
Credits: DISTORTED JAKAL, MikRips, bullet2thehead9, xo Domino, Kat Rat A Tat, spartan blood 1, Lahont, BiiTTERSWEET, J3N3R1C, Lady Echidna, AddiCt3d 2CHa0s



Created in partnership with Women of Halo for the WoH x Dark Inside Tournament, this rapturous rendition of Halo 5’s Fathom takes you to a moody underwater castle absolutely drenched in detail. Multicolored light demarcates the bounds of its opposing courtyards, while the serpent-twined halls, kelpy paths, and movable ramps provide untold depth.

Meet J3N3R1C and read about Women of Halo in our Community Corner.

[h3]Northbreak[/h3]
Bookmark
Credits: SENORChurroYeet



A snug symmetrical map set in an ice-encrusted canyon. Fortified outposts lie at either end of a narrow outer loop connected by caves and a vast central expanse. Should you risk a close encounter in the tunnels, or get a commanding view from the Forerunner bridge at the heart of things? When all else fails, there’s always a fresh Wraith drop back at the base.

[h3]Éloge[/h3]
Bookmark
Credits: Zaelkyria, Falounay, Sun of Astora



A gilded remake of Halo 4’s Haven, Éloge promises sweeping views with every kill thanks to newly installed window-lined corridors. Between kills, be sure to linger on its sumptuously styled upper story, bounce a ‘nade off a pristine wall, or partake in some snipes from the widened promenades.

[h3]Agosan[/h3]
Bookmark
Credits: Nilphz, halo102, ArturBloodshot, RepeatAlways915, AxiosVH



Agosan captures the grandeur of a Halo 2 turf war with a multi-level symmetrical layout. Ranged play is aided by clear views of the enemy side, while understory ramps offer areas for closer combat. There are also powerful equipment drops on the hard light bridges—all of which can be conveniently deactivated from the panels on either side. No pressure.

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[h2]Potent PvE[/h2]

Looking for Banished showdowns, Firefight arenas, or a new narrative game mode? Check out these picks from popular PvE experiences.

[h3]Operation Highrise[/h3]
Bookmarks: Map | Mode
Credits: Swagonflyy, JamdadJonJon



A punishing mission-based mode best enjoyed with backup. Set on a redacted jungle planet, Operation Highrise starts at the site of a crashed Pelican and proceeds through increasingly inventive encounters—including an ambush by countless Skirmishers, a nail-biting “slow lift” sequence, a Pelican evac, and an ingenious puzzle that unlocks the path to victory.

As you capture hills, free allies from prison, pivot industrial cranes, and take flying leaps to the next objective, you’ll no doubt appreciate the teleporter at spawn that helps you recover your latest cleared checkpoint.

[h3]Firefight: Wildcat[/h3]
Bookmarks: Map | Mode
Credits: ZSweLLtv, EagleClaws, HollowAttorney9



Engine room located—and there’s a lot more Banished than we remember.

Firefight: Wildcat takes place in the engine room of a downed UNSC frigate. With limited cover, inbound waves of increasingly difficult bosses, and all systems primed for wildcat destabilization, this Firefight will be studied at the Academy for years to come.

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[h2]Madcap Minigames[/h2]

All war and no play makes dull Spartans. Bookmark these minigames for a few laughs!

[h3]Basketball[/h3]
Bookmarks: Map | Mode
Credits: Disco Lizard 69



This basketball mode arrives just in time for playoff season. Score by shooting or dunking the ball into the opposing team’s hoop. As you advance, use the mark button to toggle between dash (Thruster) and push-foul (Repulsor) moves—but be careful! Using equipment depletes your shields like a stamina reserve, resulting in a five-second timeout if you drain your supply.

Watch for the switch to third-person view when your stamina gets low so you can nail a cinematic layup. If you’re wondering how to steal the ball in an otherwise weaponless game, the ref tends to overlook spike grenades more often than a stray elbow.

[h3]Dizzy Drivers Virus[/h3]
Bookmarks: Map | Mode
Credits: Synth7564, WombatWarrior87, WeepingShado



Vehicular assault takes a dizzy turn. With on-foot speed reduced to a near-zero stumble, this elimination mode requires snagging a set of wheels and knocking foes over the edge—or mowing them down while they creep around looking for power-ups.

If low friction and detuned steering don’t make that challenging enough, proximity mines and overclocked enemies may make it harder than reciting the alphabet backwards. Take Synth7564’s loopy mode for a spin in the vibrant, virus-themed map shared above.

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[h2]Silly Scenery[/h2]

Here’s a selection of funny bookmarks for the next after-hours customs sesh.

[h3]A Fated Duel[/h3]
Bookmark
Credits: ZackFair6996



A split-level reactor room full of energy beams and inexplicable laser walls. It’s the perfect place to maul your enemies, force the advantage, or become your allies’ only hope with a well-timed leap from a gravity lift.

[h3]Dusty Deluxe[/h3]
Bookmark
Credits: Okom1



Relive the horrible moment you discovered aimbot in this delightfully low-fi recreation of a particularly dusty arena. Despite the map’s arcane origins, thoughtful grenade placements and hidden variant weapons establish Okom1’s work as a distinctly Halo experience.

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Stay tuned for another Forge Feature coming soon! To share your creations with the Halo Infinite community team, be sure to drop a link in the #forge-show-and-tell channel of our official Discord or post to r/Halo using the Forge tag.

We’re also still looking for inspired Invasion maps to consider for future Recommends playlists. If you’ve got a great Invasion map you’d like us to see, be sure to use tag #343asks-invasion on your Forge creation before June 20.