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Halo Infinite News

Black History Month 2024

Divided, we are sand. United, we are a rock.



Halo Infinite is celebrating Black History Month with a brand-new suite of customizations.

Players logging in during the month of February will gain access to the Black History Month armor coating, visor, and emblem suite.

Operation: Spirit of Fire | CU29

Halo Infinite’s latest update, Content Update 29 (“CU29”), has arrived alongside the launch of the newest Operation: Spirit of Fire!



The latest free update for Halo Infinite brings the legendary Mjolnir Mark IV armor core, multi-core shoulder customization alongside a slew of HCS and Silver Team-themed goodness for your Spartan, a new map, three new Operations, and much more—let’s dive into to check it all out…

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Overview[/h2]
  • UPDATE OVERVIEW – Catch up on our January 19 community livestream which outlines the content coming in CU29 and our approach to Halo Infinite going forwards this year
  • MAP OVERVIEW – Take a guided tour of Illusion, the new Arena map coming in CU29
  • FORGE OVERVIEW – Learn more about the new features and improvements coming to Forge, including the Covenant palette, Mode Creator, and more
  • CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW - Get a closer look at the Mark IV Armor Core, customization improvements, and upcoming Operations


[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[hr][/hr]
[h2]Operation: Spirit of Fire[/h2]

As part of today’s update, all players will receive the classic Mark IV Armor Core for free. Simply jump into the game and you’ll find it waiting for you in the Armor Hall.

This fan-favorite armor has appeared in the likes of Halo Wars and Halo Wars 2, Halo Legends, Halo 5: Guardians, and now this legendary iteration of Mjolnir has come to Halo Infinite.



And what better way to kick off the update than with the opportunity to further outfit the Mark IV Armor Core?

Enter Operation: Spirit of Fire, which runs from January 30 to March 5 and features 20 tiers of free customization rewards, including new armor attachments, coatings, weapon charms, emblems, and more.

You know the drill with Operations now: in addition to the free pass, there are two additional premium options you can purchase.
  • 500 credits will make the Operation Pass durable (it will not expire), offers bonus XP during the Operation’s live window, an extra Challenge slot while your pass is equipped, and comes with an exclusive customization item
  • 2,000 credits instantly unlocks all 20 tiers of the Operation Pass at purchase and includes the exclusive bonus customization item

The bonus customization item for this Operation is the Evolved MA5—a weapon model for your Assault Rifle that will transform the sleek and modern MA40 into the classically chunky design reminiscent of the MA5B seen in Halo: CE and Halo Wars.



When the Spirit of Fire Operation concludes on March 5, there are still two more free Operations that will take us through April 30!

[h3]Cyber Showdown III[/h3]
March 5-April 2

Themed around the concept of a “viral machine,” the latest exploration of these Created champions veers more into the realm of cybernetic horror that reflects the twisted nature of their creation. Jump into Halo Infinite on March 5 to unlock 20 tiers of new customization rewards for your CHIMERA Armor Core.

[h3]The Yappening II[/h3]
April 2-30

The Yappening II arrives in April to help you celebrate the season of fools with 20 tiers of Grunty goodness.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Illusion[/h2]

Today’s update also brings a brand-new map to Halo Infinite, titled Illusion.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Illusion takes place within an abandoned ONI black site where old experiments with recovered (and familiar) Covenant technology remain.

Described as a love letter to the map design of Halo: Combat Evolved, Illusion features a unique mid-section where a corridor possesses the traits of active camouflage—so players who go into the center will turn invisible.

Check out our full breakdown of Illusion in our Map Overview blog.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Multi-Use Shoulder Customization[/h2]

Our multi-use journey for Halo Infinite’s customization continues with the addition of shoulder pads that can be equipped across any Armor Core.

Like before, this multi-use expansion of armor works retroactively, so all of your current shoulder pads are multi-core enabled and all shoulders going forward will be multi-core as well.

Following on from work that has been accomplished over previous updates to make helmets, visors, and many coatings multi-core, there are now billions of possible combinations available in Halo Infinite. We can’t wait to see the latest and greatest Spartan drip out on the battlefield!



[hr][/hr]
[h2]Forge Updates[/h2]

Forge continues to evolve as we target highly requested additions, enhancements, and quality-of-life improvements. Here are some of the highlights of the new toys you’re able to play with in Halo Infinite’s Forge:

[h3]Covenant Object Palette[/h3]



Need more purple? Over 70 new Covenant-themed structure pieces, primitives, accents, and decals are now available for Forgers to create exciting experiences that harken back to Halo’s roots.

[h3]Forge Mode Creator[/h3]



This new functionality allows players to script modes in the Node Graph like a prefab, then save, share, and play those experiences—just like you would share a mode created in the Custom Game menu.

The Forge Mode Creator will make it easier for modes to be shared and played, hooked up to community maps, and free up map budget (as mode logic will no longer come with a map budget cost).

To learn more about the ins and outs of the Forge Mode Creator (along with a more thorough breakdown of other additions and improvements), check out our Forge Overview blog!

[h3]Material Swap[/h3]

Players can now adjust up to three colors on select foliage objects and add further set dressing and detail to their maps with decals that mimic stains, foliage overgrowth, and more.



[h3]Forge AI Toolkit Improvements[/h3]

New behaviors and traits have been added to the Forge AI Toolkit, including:

  • New Squad Behavior – Wander When Idle

Available on the AI Spawner object. When set to ON, AI units in this spawned squad will wander around their assigned AI Move Zone when idle.
  • New AI Trait Nodes

New AI Traits include:
  • Bonus Health
  • Bottomless Clip
  • Damage Resistance
  • Health Recharge
  • Movement Speed
  • Movement Speed With Turret
  • Prevent Weapon Firing
  • Vampirism
  • Weapon Damage

More is on the way to Halo Infinite’s Forge this year, including Flood and alien-themed palettes.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Silver Team, Silver Screen[/h2]

Season Two of the Halo television series debuts on Paramount+ with a two-episode premiere on February 8, and we’ve got some unmissable Ultimate Rewards for you to earn!

Complete all your challenges on these respective weeks to earn each of these Silver Team helmets, available across all your Armor Cores.

WEEK ONE: KAI-125
January 30-February 6



WEEK TWO: RIZ-028
February 6-13



WEEK FOUR: VANNAK-134
February 20-27



Visors for each member of Silver Team will also be given as free rewards! Simply log into Halo Infinite on these corresponding weeks and they will be unlocked for you.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]HCS[/h2]
[h3]Year One Launch Bundles Return[/h3]

After much demand from the community, we are bringing back the first bundles for each HCS team that Halo Infinite launched with back in 2021—with some major improvements!

The armor and weapon kits have been unlocked, which means you can now customize with these coatings for the first time ever. Additionally, they are all now multi-use which means you can wear the armor, visors, or weapon coatings on any armor, helmet, or UNSC weapon.

If you already purchased these launch bundles when Halo Infinite released, the content will be applied retroactively. If you missed these bundles the first time around, they’re now available again for teams that are still in the Halo Championship Series: FaZe Clan, OpTic Gaming, Sentinels, Spacestation Gaming, and Cloud9.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Year Three Launch Bundles[/h3]

Year 3 HCS bundles have also arrived with all-new designs, featuring new multi-use armor coatings as well as visors. These have been created by the teams themselves, featuring their unique branding.

Additionally, acquire the Dracon Bandit weapon model for the M392 Bandit and Bandit EVO by grabbing the bundle that supports your favorite HCS team—the majority of the profits go to the partnered teams to maintain their involvement in the Halo ecosystem.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Shop[/h2]

Head to the Shop and you will find some exciting new Halo Wars-inspired bundles, featuring the likes of Omega Team to further outfit your free Mark IV armor...



...and the Stanchion weapon model for your S7 Sniper.



[hr][/hr]
[h2]See Something, Say Something[/h2]

Today’s update delivers many updates and fixes that the team have been working on to improve the Halo Infinite experience. Head over to the Halo Support site to check out the full list of patch notes.

Run into a bug, glitch, or other unexpected issue? Submit a ticket and notify the team on the Halo Support site.

You can submit tickets on a wide range of topics that include reports of Audio Issues, Crashes, Game Save Corruption, Report a Player, General Bug Reports, and more.

[hr][/hr]

Operation: Spirit of Fire is live and Content Update 29 is officially ready for download!

Explore Illusion and see what fun Easter eggs you can find, outfit your new Mark IV Armor Core and start working your way through that free 20-tier Operation Pass, take a look at what new shoulder pad combinations can perfect the look of your Spartan, check out the latest additions and improvements to Forge, and chip away at those weekly challenges to unlock the helmets of Silver Team over the next few weeks.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Press Kit[/h2]

Download the CU29 press kit here!

Customization Overview | CU29

Content Update 29 (“CU29”) for Halo Infinite releases on January 30!



It brings the classic Mjolnir Mark IV armor as seen in Halo Wars alongside three new Operations, multi-use shoulders, new (and returning) HCS bundles, and the helmets of Silver Team.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Mjolnir Mark IV[/h2]

What it meant to be a Spartan would be defined shortly after first contact with the Covenant, an alien alliance that initiated a war against humanity that would rage for almost three decades.

On November 27, 2525, Doctor Catherine Halsey and her Spartans were delivered to the Damascus Materials Testing Facility on Chi Ceti IV. This top-secret military installation was where a critical component of the SPARTAN-II program had been constructed—Project: MJOLNIR.

A half-ton of hyper-dense composite armor fueled by a compact fusion power plant, capable of being worn only by humans who had undergone extensive biological augmentation. Outfitted with a warship-grade computer core, automedic system, and uplinks to the UNSC battle network, the Mjolnir Mark IV would become like a second skin to the Spartans, enhancing their speed, strength, and strategic capabilities.

Mjolnir Powered Assault Armor went on to become a symbol of hope for the UNSC, and perhaps the greatest human weapon that the Covenant would come to fear. And this is where it began…



The legendary Mjolnir Mark IV armor will come as a free new Armor Core in CU29 for Halo Infinite, offering a new suite of customization for those who like to step onto the battlefield with an old-school look. When you log into the game after CU29 drops, it’ll be waiting for you in the Armor Hall.

This will be available as part of the first of three Operations. Let’s take a closer look at ‘em!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Spirit of Fire[/h2]



“If they want war, we’ll give ‘em war!”

Outfit your Spartan with customization rewards themed around the heroes of Halo Wars. The Spirit of Fire Operation Pass features 20 tiers of free rewards that will be available from January 30 through March 5.

On the premium front for the Operation Pass, players have two additional options that can be purchased from the in-game Shop or Switcher:
  • 500 credits will make the Operation Pass durable (it will not expire), offers bonus XP during the Operation’s live window and an extra Challenge slot any time the Premium Operation Pass is equipped, and comes with an exclusive customization item
  • 2,000 credits instantly unlocks all 20 tiers of the Operation Pass at purchase and includes the exclusive bonus customization item

The bonus customization item for this Operation is the Evolved MA5—a weapon kit for your Assault Rifle that will transform the sleek and modern MA40 into the classically chunky design of the MA5B seen in Halo: CE and Halo Wars.



And if you head to the Shop when CU29 launches, you’ll find Red Team’s super-soldier siblings waiting for you.



And, for fans of the Stanchion—an anti-matériel rifle featured in the Halo Graphic Novel, Halo: Contact Harvest, Halo Wars 2, and other media—you can acquire the Stanchion bundle which includes the type of weapon model you just might never take off your S7 Sniper Rifle!



[hr][/hr]
[h2]Cyber Showdown III[/h2]

Welcome back, Executor…

Do you feel that ominous chill race down your spine, or do you mean to inspire it in others? Jump into Halo Infinite on March 5 to unlock terrifying new customization rewards for your CHIMERA Armor Core in the Cyber Showdown III Operation (which runs until April 2).

Themed around the concept of a “viral machine,” the latest exploration of these Created champions veers more into the realm of cybernetic horror that reflects the twisted nature of their creation.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]The Yappening II[/h2]

“You ever wonder what a shaved Brute looks like? Not until I mentioned it, right? Try and get that image out of your heads, humans!”

The Yappening II arrives in April to help you celebrate the season of fools with all the greatest Grunty goodness. So gear up for a new Operation (which runs from April 2-30) and get ready to have some fun!

For a visual breakdown of the customization rewards in these upcoming Operations, check out the relevant segment of our Community Livestream.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Multi-Use Shoulders[/h2]

Our multi-use journey for Halo Infinite’s customization continues with the addition of shoulder pads that can be equipped across any Armor Core.

Like before, this multi-use expansion of armor works retroactively, so all of your current shoulder pads are multi-core enabled and all shoulders going forward will be multi-core as well!



Following on from work that has been accomplished over previous updates to make helmets, visors, and coatings multi-use, there are now billions of possible combinations available in Halo Infinite.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Silver Screen[/h2]

Season Two of the Halo television series debuts on Paramount+ with a two-episode premiere on February 8, and we’ve got some unmissable Ultimate Rewards for you to earn.

Complete all your challenges on these respective weeks to earn each of these Silver Team helmets, available across all your Armor Cores. Let’s see how those helmets look with some multi-use armor customization.

[h3]Week 1: KAI-125[/h3]



[h3]Week 2: RIZ-028[/h3]



[h3]Week 4: VANNAK-134[/h3]



Visors for each member of Silver Team will also be given as free rewards! Simply log into Halo Infinite on these corresponding weeks and they will be unlocked for you.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]HCS[/h2]
[h3]Year One Bundles Return[/h3]

After much demand from the community, we are bringing back the bundles for each HCS team that Halo Infinite launched with back in 2021—with some major improvements!



The armor and weapon kits have been unlocked, which means you can now customize with these coatings for the first time ever. Additionally, they are all now multi-use which means you can wear the amor, visors, or weapon coatings on any armor, helmet, or UNSC weapon.

This bundle will be available in the HCS Shop when CU29 launches on January 30. If you already purchased this bundle when Halo Infinite released, the content will be applied retroactively—including those for teams no longer in the HCS.

These bundles have only been released for teams that are still in the HCS: FaZe Clan, OpTic Gaming, Sentinels, Spacestation Gaming, and Cloud9.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Year Three Launch Bundles[/h3]

Year 3 HCS bundles are also arriving alongside CU29 with all-new designs, featuring new multi-use armor coatings as well as visors. These have been created by the teams themselves, featuring their unique branding.



The first of three new weapon models is also included, starting with the Dracon Bandit (for both the M392 Bandit and Bandit EVO). The remaining Grim Reaper and Extermination weapon models will be available later in the HCS season.

Acquire the Dracon Bandit by grabbing the bundle that supports your favorite HCS team—the majority of the profits go to the partnered teams to maintain their involvement in the Halo ecosystem.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[hr][/hr]

That wraps up this look at what’s coming on the customization front for CU29. We can’t wait to see how everybody outfits their Mark IV armor.

CU29? More like CU January 30!

For more on CU29, check out our other blogs:
  • UPDATE OVERVIEW – Catch up on our January 19 community livestream which outlines the content coming in CU29 and our approach to Halo Infinite going forwards this year
  • MAP OVERVIEW – Take a guided tour of Illusion, the new Arena map coming in CU29
  • FORGE OVERVIEW – Learn more about the new features and improvements coming to Forge, including the Covenant palette, Mode Creator, and more

Operation: Spirit of Fire

Halo Infinite’s latest update, Content Update 29 (“CU29”), has arrived alongside the launch of the newest Operation: Spirit of Fire!



The latest free update for Halo Infinite brings the legendary Mjolnir Mark IV armor core, multi-core shoulder customization alongside a slew of HCS and Silver Team-themed goodness for your Spartan, a new map, three new Operations, and much more—let’s dive into to check it all out…

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Overview[/h2]
  • UPDATE OVERVIEW – Catch up on our January 19 community livestream which outlines the content coming in CU29 and our approach to Halo Infinite going forwards this year
  • MAP OVERVIEW – Take a guided tour of Illusion, the new Arena map coming in CU29
  • FORGE OVERVIEW – Learn more about the new features and improvements coming to Forge, including the Covenant palette, Mode Creator, and more
  • CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW – Get a closer look at the Mark IV Armor Core, customization improvements, and upcoming Operations


[hr][/hr]
[h2]Operation: Spirit of Fire[/h2]

As part of today’s update, all players will receive the classic Mark IV Armor Core for free. Simply jump into the game and you’ll find it waiting for you in the Armor Hall.

This fan-favorite armor has appeared in the likes of Halo Wars and Halo Wars 2, Halo Legends, Halo 5: Guardians, and now this legendary iteration of Mjolnir has come to Halo Infinite.



And what better way to kick off the update than with the opportunity to further outfit the Mark IV Armor Core?

Enter Operation: Spirit of Fire, which runs from January 30 to March 5 and features 20 tiers of free customization rewards, including new armor attachments, coatings, weapon charms, emblems, and more.

You know the drill with Operations now: in addition to the free pass, there are two additional premium options you can purchase.
  • 500 credits will make the Operation Pass durable (it will not expire), offers bonus XP during the Operation’s live window, an extra Challenge slot while your pass is equipped, and comes with an exclusive customization item
  • 2,000 credits instantly unlocks all 20 tiers of the Operation Pass at purchase and includes the exclusive bonus customization item

The bonus customization item for this Operation is the Evolved MA5—a weapon model for your Assault Rifle that will transform the sleek and modern MA40 into the classically chunky design reminiscent of the MA5B seen in Halo: CE and Halo Wars.



When the Spirit of Fire Operation concludes on March 5, there are still two more free Operations that will take us through April 30!

[h3]Cyber Showdown III[/h3]
March 5-April 2

Themed around the concept of a “viral machine,” the latest exploration of these Created champions veers more into the realm of cybernetic horror that reflects the twisted nature of their creation. Jump into Halo Infinite on March 5 to unlock 20 tiers of new customization rewards for your CHIMERA Armor Core.

[h3]The Yappening II[/h3]
April 2-April 30

The Yappening II arrives in April to help you celebrate the season of fools with 20 tiers of Grunty goodness.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Illusion[/h2]

Today’s update also brings a brand-new map to Halo Infinite, titled Illusion.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Illusion takes place within an abandoned ONI black site where old experiments with recovered (and familiar) Covenant technology remain.

Described as a love letter to the map design of Halo: Combat Evolved, Illusion features a unique mid-section where a corridor possesses the traits of active camouflage—so players who go into the center will turn invisible.

Check out our full breakdown of Illusion in our Map Overview blog!

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Multi-Use Shoulder Customization[/h2]

Our multi-use journey for Halo Infinite’s customization continues with the addition of shoulder pads that can be equipped across any Armor Core.

Like before, this multi-use expansion of armor works retroactively, so all of your current shoulder pads are multi-core enabled and all shoulders going forward will be multi-core as well.

Following on from work that has been accomplished over previous updates to make helmets, visors, and many coatings multi-core, there are now billions of possible combinations available in Halo Infinite. We can’t wait to see the latest and greatest Spartan drip out on the battlefield!

[IMAGES OF MULTI-CORE SHOULDERS FROM LIVESTREAM]

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Forge Updates[/h2]

Forge continues to evolve as we target highly requested additions, enhancements, and quality-of-life improvements. Here are some of the highlights of the new toys you’re able to play with in Halo Infinite’s Forge:

[h3]Covenant Object Palette[/h3]



Need more purple? Over 70 new Covenant-themed structure pieces, primitives, accents, and decals are now available for Forgers to create exciting experiences that harken back to Halo’s roots.

[h3]Forge Mode Creator[/h3]



This new functionality allows players to script modes in the Node Graph like a prefab, then save, share, and play those experiences—just like you would share a mode created in the Custom Game menu.

The Forge Mode Creator will make it easier for modes to be shared and played, hooked up to community maps, and free up map budget (as mode logic will no longer come with a map budget cost).

To learn more about the ins and outs of the Forge Mode Creator (along with a more thorough breakdown of other additions and improvements), check out our Forge Overview blog!

[h3]Material Swap[/h3]

Players can now adjust up to three colors on select foliage objects and add further set dressing and detail to their maps with decals that mimic stains, foliage overgrowth, and more.



[MATERIAL SWAP IMAGE]

[h3]Forge AI Toolkit Improvements[/h3]

New behaviors and traits have been added to the Forge AI Toolkit, including:
  • New Squad Behavior – Wander When Idle

Available on the AI Spawner object. When set to ON, AI units in this spawned squad will wander around their assigned AI Move Zone when idle.
  • New AI Trait Nodes
    • New AI Traits include:
      • Bonus Health
      • Bottomless Clip
      • Damage Resistance
      • Health Recharge
      • Movement Speed
      • Movement Speed With Turret
      • Prevent Weapon Firing
      • Vampirism
      • Weapon Damage

More is on the way to Halo Infinite’s Forge this year, including Flood and alien-themed palettes.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Silver Team, Silver Screen[/h2]

Season Two of the Halo television series debuts on Paramount+ with a two-episode premiere on February 8, and we’ve got some unmissable Ultimate Rewards for you to earn!

Complete all your challenges on these respective weeks to earn each of these Silver Team helmets, available across all your Armor Cores.

[h3]Week One[/h3]
KAI-125, January 30-February 6

[h3]Week Two[/h3]
RIZ-028, February 6-13

[h3]Week Four[/h3]
VANNAK-134, February 20-27

Visors for each member of Silver Team will also be given as free rewards! Simply log into Halo Infinite on these corresponding weeks and they will be unlocked for you.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]HCS[/h2]
[h3]Year One Launch Bundles Return[/h3]

After much demand from the community, we are bringing back the first bundles for each HCS team that Halo Infinite launched with back in 2021—with some major improvements!

The armor and weapon kits have been unlocked, which means you can now customize with these coatings for the first time ever. Additionally, they are all now multi-use which means you can wear the armor, visors, or weapon coatings on any armor, helmet, or UNSC weapon.

If you already purchased these launch bundles when Halo Infinite released, the content will be applied retroactively. If you missed these bundles the first time around, they’re now available again for teams that are still in the Halo Championship Series: FaZe Clan, OpTic Gaming, Sentinels, Spacestation Gaming, and Cloud9.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[h3]Year Three Launch Bundles[/h3]

Year 3 HCS bundles have also arrived with all-new designs, featuring new multi-use armor coatings as well as visors. These have been created by the teams themselves, featuring their unique branding.

Additionally, acquire the Dracon Bandit weapon model for the M392 Bandit and Bandit EVO by grabbing the bundle that supports your favorite HCS team—the majority of the profits go to the partnered teams to maintain their involvement in the Halo ecosystem.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Shop[/h2]

Head to the Shop and you will find some exciting new Halo Wars-inspired bundles, featuring the likes of Omega Team to further outfit your free Mark IV armor…



and the Stanchion weapon model for your S7 Sniper.



[hr][/hr]
[h2]See Something, Say Something[/h2]

Today’s update delivers many updates and fixes that the team have been working on to improve the Halo Infinite experience. Head over to the Halo Support site to check out the full list of patch notes.

Run into a bug, glitch, or other unexpected issue? Submit a ticket and notify the team on the Halo Support site.

You can submit tickets on a wide range of topics that include reports of Audio Issues, Crashes, Game Save Corruption, Report a Player, General Bug Reports, and more.

[hr][/hr]

Operation: Spirit of Fire is live and Content Update 29 is officially ready for download!

Explore Illusion and see what fun Easter eggs you can find, outfit your new Mark IV Armor Core and start working your way through that free 20-tier Operation Pass, take a look at what new shoulder pad combinations can perfect the look of your Spartan, check out the latest additions and improvements to Forge, and chip away at those weekly challenges to unlock the helmets of Silver Team over the next few weeks.

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Press Kit[/h2]

Download the CU29 press kit here!

Forge Overview | CU29

Forge continues to evolve in Content Update 29 (“CU29”), which arrives on January 30.

Ever since Halo Infinite’s Forge arrived, we have been continually blown away by the creativity of the community-made maps, modes, and experiences that have been crafted. Our goal is to continue supporting Halo’s community cartographers as much as possible, and CU29 aims to deliver some of the most highly requested features—new toys and enhanced tools that will help to further unlock and unleash Forgers’ creative potential.

CU29 brings with it the addition of the Covenant object palette, the new Mode Creator feature, AI Toolkit enhancements, along with additional quality of life updates, and more!

Read on below to learn more about the latest update to Forge, and check out some of it in action from our stream last week.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

[hr][/hr]
[h2]Covenant Dance[/h2]
“When we joined the Covenant, we took an oath…”

Since Forge’s arrival in Halo Infinite, we’ve continued to build on making the object palettes and aesthetics of the Halo universe available to the player—from the UNSC, to the Forerunners, to the Banished… and now, CU29 will update that list once more with some fashionable purple pieces.

The Covenant palette is coming to Halo Infinite!



Over 70 new structures pieces, primitives, accents, and decals will be available for Forgers to create exciting experiences that harken back to Halo’s roots. Let’s take a look at some pretty pictures of those objects…



[hr][/hr]
[h2]Forge Mode Creator[/h2]
The Forge Mode Creator is a new functionality that lets players script modes in the Node Graph, then save, share, and play those experiences—just like you’d share a mode created in the Custom Game menu.

Our goal with the Forge Mode Creator was threefold:
  • Make it easier for modes to be shared and played
  • Make it easier for modes to hook up to community maps (and vice-versa)
  • Free up map budget, as mode logic will no longer come with a map budget cost

We have created new assets in Forge to enable this: the Mode Brain and Mode Prefab.

[h3]Mode Brain[/h3]Similar to a Script Brain, but this is specifically used for Forge Modes. This can be accessed in the Scripting section of the Object Browser

[h3]Mode Prefab[/h3]A Prefab dedicated to holding Mode Brains

[h3]Mode Brain[/h3]



Here’s how the Forge Mode Creator works:

  1. Create a Mode Prefab Out of Mode Brains: To create a Forge Mode, the first thing players should do is place two or more Mode Brains and then create their mode in Node Graph with them—players will need to create a Mode Prefab out of the Mode Brains that contain the scripting for your mode. With multiple Mode Brains selected, bring up the Action Menu and select “CREATE MODE PREFAB.”



    Mode Prefabs function similarly to object prefabs, but these can only consist of Mode Brains. Conversely, regular object prefabs cannot use Mode Brains.

  2. Mode Prefab Settings: You can cycle the parent Mode Brain in the Object Properties menu after selecting a Mode Prefab. Since the Node Graph loads the parent Mode Brain when going into it with a Mode Prefab selected, this will allow you to control which Mode Brain scripts you want to edit after you have created a Mode Prefab.

    The Mode Variant value is important as it tells the game if you want to create a mode based on existing official mode logic or want to build all the logic from scratch by selecting Minigame.



  3. How to Save Mode Prefab to My Files: After creating a Mode Prefab, there is one more step to actually create the Forge Mode. With the Mode Prefab selected, open the Action Menu and select “SAVE MODE PREFAB.”

    Saving a Mode Prefab does two things:
    • Saves the Mode Prefab (the Mode Brains)

    Saved Mode Prefabs can be found in the Object Browser – Modes category, where you can place them in a map and then edit in the Node Graph.



    • Saves a Forge Mode based on the logic in the Mode Prefab’s Mode Brains

    Saved Forge Modes can be found in My Files and the Custom Game Editor Mode List. After saving a Forge Mode, you can then publish and/or play your Forge Mode.


NOTE: If you want to create a NEW Mode Prefab from an existing Mode Prefab, break apart the Mode Prefab FIRST and then create a new Mode Prefab from the ungrouped Mode Prefab. Ungrouping a Mode Prefab breaks its connection to the saved Forge Mode and Mode Prefab.



With this approach to mode creation, we can’t wait to see what the community is going to create with this new addition to Forge!

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[h2]Material Swap[/h2]
Another highly requested feature from the community is material swapping for foliage and decals, which is another improvement added to Forge in CU29.
[h3]Foliage[/h3]
Players will be able to adjust up to three colors on select foliage objects to add a greater variety of visual flair for their creative vision.
[h3]Decals[/h3]
Players will be able to mimic stains, foliage overgrowth, and other forms of discoloration to add more set dressing to their creations.

[h3]Halo Infinite Material Swaps[/h3]



This opens up even more artistic options for Forgers when adding layers of detail to a map.

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[h2]Forge AI Toolkit[/h2]
The Forge AI Toolkit made its debut with Season 5, and in CU29 we are continuing to update and enhance this feature to help build the best experiences possible with Halo Infinite’s AI units.

[h3]New Squad Behavior – Wander When Idle[/h3]
Wander When Idle is a new squad behavior available on the AI Spawner object. When set to ON, AI units in this spawned squad will wander around their assigned AI Move Zone when idle, which will make them seem a bit livelier.

I don’t know about you, but I could spend hours watching Grunts waddle around!

[h3]New AI Trait Nodes[/h3]
Players will have the ability to give AI units certain traits which can help to spice up those campaign-style and PvE experiences you have been building.

AI Traits include:
  • Bonus Health
  • Bottomless Clip
  • Damage Resistance
  • Health Recharge
  • Movement Speed
  • Movement Speed With Turret
  • Prevent Weapon Firing
  • Vampirism
  • Weapon Damage


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[h2]Quality of Life Improvements[/h2]
[h3]Improvements to single axis selection on both the scale and transform widgets[/h3]
It’s now easier to grab a selection axis of the movement and scaling widgets when using a mouse
[h3]Added "On Player Infected" node to Node Graph[/h3]
This event node fires when a player is infected and returns both who got infected and who did the infecting
[h3]Added “On Repair Field Heal” node to Node Graph[/h3]
This event node fires when a player or object is repaired. Returns the Repair Field Object, Healed Object, Healed Amount, and Full Regen Completed
[h3]Added Infected Energy Sword and Mythic Sandwich as weapons[/h3]
Some weapons are just too powerful, too terrible, and indeed too delicious to even contemplate letting folks use them. The Mythic Sandwich in the wrong hands could spell doom for the entire galaxy, a weapon more devastating than the Halo Array itself… but do you know what these are? The wrong hands!



The Infected Energy Sword and Mythic Sandwich will be available in the power spawner, weapon pads, weapon trunks, and as individually placed weapon objects.

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[h2]Future Forge Updates[/h2]
As we have said, we are committed to the continued improvement of Forge and we’ve got more to come on that front this year. Of course, we can’t just tease you like that and stay quiet—how uncivilized that would be!

Coming in future Halo Infinite updates will be a Flood-themed palette and an alien-themed palette for you to play around with. Let’s take a look!



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That brings us to the end of this Forge Overview for CU29, which is just days away from launch on January 30!

We can’t wait to see what you make this year. We’re coming up on almost thirty issues of Forge Features, which has showcased and spotlighted what is ultimately just a tiny fraction of what you’ve been building—so don’t forget to share your maps by tagging them with “343ask” in-game.

Happy Forging, we’ll see you next week!

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For more on CU29 of Halo Infinite, check out our other blogs:
  • LIVESTREAM RECAP – Catch up on our livestream about all things Halo Infinite in 2024
  • MAP OVERVIEW – Take a guided tour of Illusion, the new Arena map coming in CU29
  • CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW – Get a closer look at the Mark IV Armor Core, customization improvements, and upcoming Operations