Halo Infinite News

Forge has evolved.

With the arrival of Season 5 of Halo Infinite, players have now got their hands on the Forge AI Toolkit which has well and truly changed the game, as you can now add AI units to the maps you create.



Already, we have seen PvPvE experiences populate the Custom Game Browser, along with recreations of classic campaign missions and even brand-new ones. As we hit our twentieth issue of Forge Features, that seems like a nice round number to start showcasing some of these incredible new experiences that you can jump in and play right now.

For a fuller breakdown of the additions made to Forge in Season 5, check out our Forge Overview blog.
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[h2]Firefight Custom Game Mode[/h2]



When setting up a custom game for Firefight, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got the right mode set up to have the optimal experience. Sometimes you can use one that’s more “general,” but sometimes there will be maps that use their own specific mode variant(s). Some even come with difficulty levels.

For a good general Firefight mode where the player simply needs to survive ten rounds, be sure to bookmark the following:

Firefight – WoodComet673577

For others which are more map-specific, you will find these included below.
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[h3]Inclemency[/h3]

Credits: MadmanEpic
Mode: Inclemency Campaign



An early example of what a “custom campaign mission”-type experience using Forge AI looks like, where you’ll be fighting Banished in the snow.

There’s a vehicular section as you navigate through several Banished checkpoints; there are some narrow bridges and walkways; you’ll storm a Banished facility and fight a hammer-wielding Chieftain in close-quarters, before heading to the extraction point and fighting off several waves of tough enemies.

Either jump in solo or grab a couple of friends and try it out!
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[h3]Firefight Halo Revamped[/h3]
Credits: JAYZEN0009, ghostlyswat12



Battlecruisers and corvettes are inbound with enemy troops! Survive five rounds against an onslaught of enemies and hold the line to claim victory.

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[h3]H2 Outskirts Firefight[/h3]
Credits: Ju Jitsu X, Squishiop9, tttwyson
Mode: Easy | Normal | Heroic | Legendary



“We’ve got Jackals in the courtyard!”

It’s the holdout section from Halo 2’s Outskirts mission, featuring some adjustments to the overall layout. You can bookmark different modes which scale the AI difficulty, so maybe you’re looking for an easy time ploughing through enemy waves, or perhaps you’ve gathered a group of friends and you’re looking for a challenge to test your mettle on Legendary.
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[h3]Infinite Firefight Refuge[/h3]
Credits: Cousin Tim, InfiniteForges, Michael B 2K8, NightAvenger01, I Crush All, CertifiedChamp, ItzSkittz3964



Just when you thought you couldn’t be more in awe of the maps this crew puts together, they deliver this…

Abandoned and overgrown, Halo 2’s Headlong has become a battleground for the Banished.

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[h3]Installation 07 Firefight[/h3]
Credits: TJtheForger



One of the encounters that Firefight naturally ended up evolving out of were the holdout sections in Halo: Combat Evolved’s second mission, where the Master Chief must seek out and protect Marine survivors from several waves of Covenant dropships while exploring the Forerunner structures and beam towers that almost serve as “lighthouses” for these encounters.

It is only natural, then, that this experience has been recreated with Forge AI in Halo Infinite.
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[h3]PvPvE Bloodgulch[/h3]
Credits: ghostlyswat12, DaringMacil, AlphaEpsilon



Many years ago, I remember one of the first videos of Halo modding that I ever saw was of a big AI battle on Blood Gulch where Hunters were sat on Scorpion tanks and all manner of explosive green chaos ensued.

That was well over fifteen years ago, and now you can actually create this experience for yourself in Halo Infinite.

This PvPvE experience offers 12v12 for players and 16v16 AI – with some being aligned to your team, and others on the enemy’s. It is, perhaps, one of the purest possible expressions of Halo imaginable.
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[h2]Tutorial Training[/h2]

Interested in making maps that utilize the Forge AI Toolkit for yourself? Well, there’s a variety of video guides you can watch to get a greater understanding of the systems and options that are at your disposal.

Forge Fundamentals: Season 5 & AI Toolkit

First up, we did our own showcase of the Forge AI Toolkit during a Community Stage panel at the 2023 Halo World Championship.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Join 343 staff John Junyszek (Sr. Community Manager), Michael Schorr (Forge Lord), and Connor Kennelly (Forge Technical Designer) as they dive into the details of what’s new to Forge in Season 5 and how you can use it.

How To Spawn AI In Forge | Beginner Tutorial

Ducain23 has been putting together a series of tutorials on the Forge AI Toolkit, and this is a great place to start – how to spawn AI on your map and make them move around.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

This video will give you a good understanding of things like nav mesh and move zones (how AI movement on the map works), the various methods of spawning (like whether they arrive by drop pod, Phantom dropship, or fade in), and how to put these things to the test.

Halo Infinite Forge PvE Campaign Scripting Guide

For something a little more advanced and long-form, check out MadmanEpic’s video on how he put together the scripting for his Inclemency campaign-style mission experience.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

As MadmanEpic puts it himself, the Inclemency map isn’t copy protected and he encourages players to jump into Forge to fiddle around with the map and see how he put it all together.
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That rounds us out for this issue of Forge Features, which has now become even more exciting with the new kinds of maps and experiences that players are able to create using these new tools.

It’s not even been two weeks since Season 5 launched and we’re already seeing some incredible creations from the community – we can’t even begin to imagine just how much farther there is to push the envelope of possibility here, which just means that we’re every bit as excited as you are to discover that alongside you all.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, the next wave’s droppin’ in and it’s about to get hot!

What is the color of night? Sanguine, my brother.



Purchase the Sanguine Gift bundle in the Shop to inject some life into your Mark VII armor with:

• Camazotz helmet
  
• TAS/VETALA helmet attachment
  
• Sanguine Gift chest attachment
  
• Life Thief MA40 AR weapon kit
  
• Mischief Machine mythic effect set
  
• Lil' Devil armor effect
  
• Hex Bats visor
  
• Gangrel Blood armor coatings
  
• Sanguine Slash weapon coatings

Take action of some sort whilst the courage of the day is upon you and swoop to the Shop today!

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Patrol this place at your own peril.



Complete all of your Weekly Challenges and the Ultimate Challenge to earn this week’s Ultimate Reward – the suite of Peril Patrol weapon coatings.

A new Ultimate Reward will become available every week, so be sure to keep an eye on your Challenges and take advantage of these free rewards.

A reckoning has come. Season 5 of Halo Infinite is here!

The free Season 5: Reckoning update brings with it a vast amount of new content. Two new maps, Halo 4‘s Extraction mode reimagined, multi-core helmets, a new 50-tier Premium Battle Pass (that never expires) alongside two Operations, Flood-themed customization, the Bandit Evo, and more…

Also featured in this update is the next game-changing evolution of Forge. Players are now able to populate their maps with friends and foes from the Halo Infinite campaign – UNSC, Banished, and Forerunner units can now be used to create your very own PvE experiences.

That’s a lot to take in, and we’ve just gotten started. Let’s get you a full debrief!



Season 5: Reckoning – Full Patch notes on Halo Support!

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[h2]Overview[/h2]

• OPERATIONS & BATTLE PASS & OVERVIEW – Everything you need to know about how Halo Infinite’s Events are evolving into Operations
  
• HALO GEAR REWARDS – Learn more about the Halo Gear Rewards program for Season 5
  
• EXTRACTION OVERVIEW – Learn more about the return and revamp of Halo 4‘s Extraction mode
  
• MAPS OVERVIEW – Take a guided tour of Forbidden and Prism with our multiplayer designers
  
• FORGE UPDATES OVERVIEW – Find out about the AI toolkit for PvE, along with new objects, palettes, options, and more coming to Forge
  
• RANKED OVERVIEW – All you need to know about Ranked, sandbox, and balancing updates and changes in Season 5
  
• CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW – A complete breakdown of new customization content coming in Season 5, the Battle Pass, Shop changes, and more

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[h2]Welcome to Season 5 of Halo Infinite[/h2]
[h3]The Flood[/h3]



“We are the last of those who gave you breath and form, millions of years ago. We are the last of those your kind defied and ruthlessly destroyed. We are the last Precursors. And now we are legion.” —Halo: Silentium

The Flood have come to Halo Infinite’s customization.

Your Spartan augmentations turned you into a sharpened tool of destruction, but it is only by embracing the Shaping Sickness that you will become a refined instrument of true primordial power.

In Season 5, the appearance of your Spartan and your weapons can be altered with parasitic prettiness, as individual armor pieces, armor effects, and Armor and Weapon Kits are available to earn through the Battle Pass and can be purchased in the Shop.

[h3]New Maps[/h3]

Halo Infinite has two new maps with Season 5, Forbidden and Prism.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Forbidden takes place within a vast complex of ancient stone ruins on Zeta Halo, and Prism delves into the crystalline caves of Suban – the so-called blood-moon of Sanghelios – as a battle in the sky rages between the Arbiter’s Swords of Sanghelios and Atriox’s Banished forces.

[h3]New Mode[/h3]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Extraction comes to Halo Infinite in Season 5!

Extraction is an objective-based game mode that was first introduced in Halo 4, and now this beloved mode has a new coat of paint with the latest UNSC and Personal AI tech in Halo Infinite.

Deploy Extraction Sites at different locations on the map to score points. Protect the site as it counts down to capture, as the enemy team can convert and extract it for themselves.

[h3]Multi-Core Helmets[/h3]



Multi-core helmets have arrived in Season 5!

We have made adjustments to every helmet in Halo Infinite, which means that all helmets in the game are available on all Armor Cores.

We can’t wait to see what combinations you come up with as customization flexibility becomes more expansive than ever.

[h3]New Look[/h3]

Upon launching the game, players will be greeted with a refreshed title screen and main menu.

The skies of Suban, the blood-moon of Sanghelios and setting of the new map Prism, will be the first thing you will see at the game’s title screen. As you transition to the main menu, you’ll be taken to the ancient ruins of Forbidden where things may look a little different to how they have been previously.

Your Spartan now stands at the center of the main menu, and you will also see your challenge deck on the right-hand side (beneath the Battle Pass).

[h3]Bandit Evo[/h3]



The M392 Bandit has a new variant – the “Bandit Evo.”

When the M392 Bandit was originally added in Season 3, it replaced the scope of the familiar DMR with iron sights to make it more of a close-to-medium range weapon. The Bandit Evo features a new scope along with improved recoil and bloom control, making it the perfect tool for those mid-ranged encounters – but if you get hit while aiming, you will get descoped.

Skill with this weapon is expressed through precision. Five headshots or seven body shots will net you a kill, so make those shots count!

[h3]Hero Rewards[/h3]



We’ve been holding out for a hero, and with the release of Season 5 those of you who reach the end of your Career Rank journey by attaining the maximum Hero rank will be suitably rewarded with the following:

• Hero emblem set
  
• Infinite Mark VI Kit for your Mark VII armor
  
• Campaign Season armor coating (for all Armor Cores)
  
• Midway Emerald armor coating (for all Armor Cores)

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[h2]Season 5 Battle Pass[/h2]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Season 5 brings an all-new Battle Pass, and we’re doing things a bit differently this time…

The Reckoning Battle Pass will overall be tighter with better-quality content, allowing you to play however you want to earn Match XP (in Matchmaking or, for the first time, Custom Games) and progress its 50 total tiers. This pass consists of 50 tiers because, thanks to further improvements with our systems, multiple items can now be bundled together in the same reward tier—so items that were previously multiple unlocks (such as coatings and shoulder pads) are now bundled into one.



The Reckoning Premium Battle Pass will be available for 1000 credits, never expires, and includes:

• 50-tier reward track (including 1000 credits)
  
• Bonus Match XP in Season 5 while the pass is active
  
• Fourth Challenge slot (while the pass is active)
  
• Instantly unlock the Defiled Bulldog Weapon Kit

The Reckoning Premium Battle Pass Bundle will be available for 2800 credits, never expires, and includes everything from the Reckoning Premium Battle Pass list above along with fifteen level grants in the reward track.


[h3]Free Pass[/h3]

For the free track: the first 20 tiers of the Battle Pass are free for all players and this period will last until the first Operation launches (November 14).

• Upon expiration, the 20 free tiers of content will no longer be available to unlock if you haven’t already completed those tiers. Players will retain everything they’ve unlocked
  
• Players who would like to finish the pass beyond the stated cut-off date can purchase the Premium Pass in the shop at any point

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[h2]Forge Updates[/h2]
[h3]Forge AI Toolkit[/h3]

The next evolution of Forge is here. For the first time ever, players can now place AI enemies on their maps and create their own PvE scenarios, which can be further enhanced by new Node Graph scripting functions.

The Forge AI Toolkit features 43 total units from Halo Infinite’s campaign, including UNSC, Banished, and Forerunner characters.

• Grunt (5 variants)
  
• Jackals (4 variants)
  
• Skimmers (3 variants)
  
• Elites (5 variants)
  
• Brutes (16 variants)
  
• Hunters (2 variants)
  
• Marines (6 variants)
  
• Bosses (2 variants)

Players can adjust numerous options around these AI units through Forge settings and node graphs, from how they arrive into the map (whether they are deployed by a Phantom, drop pod, or spawn in) to whether they’re friend or foe, what they react (or don’t react) to, their difficulty level, and so much more.

Maybe you want to spice up your PvP matches with some AI units – you can make it so capturing a neutral zone spawns two Hunters who will fight by your side. You can play the role of a Halo Wars leader and direct your friendly AI units using the Player Mark command. You can create Tower Defense or even MOBA-style scenarios, or recreate campaign moments. Or maybe you’ve got a photographer’s eye and want to create some cool screenshots for Theater mode – be it of your own scenarios or scenes from Halo media.

Season 5 delivers the systems to make it possible, and the rest is in your hands. We can’t wait to see what you create!

[h3]Banished Palette[/h3]

It wouldn’t be a full-scale Banished invasion of Forge if there wasn’t an expanded Banished palette to go alongside it, and that’s exactly what Season 5 delivers.

The Banished palette includes:

• 11 Primitive Pieces
  
• 27 Structure Pieces
  
• 86 Accent Pieces
  
• 10 Lights
  
• 15 Decals
  
• 13 VFX

[h3]Snow & Ice Palette[/h3]



Also included in Forge with the arrival of Season 5 is a snow and ice-themed palette, just in time for the Holiday season!

The snow and ice palette includes:

• 84 Snow/Ice Covered Biome Objects
  
• 21 Snow/Ice Materials
  
• 9 VFX

[h3]New Canvases[/h3]

The Forge playground expands even further with two new canvas maps for players to create maps on – Deadlands and Permafrost.



Deadlands is a canvas themed around what remains after a Banished bombing. The area is blackened and littered with craters, some of which have filled with water. Broken and dead trees are scattered throughout, with a handful of unscathed trees on the outskirts of the play space.

Permafrost is a snow-covered variation of Deadlands. Nestled between sharp mountain peaks and surrounded by frozen ponds, ice, and jagged mountains, Permafrost provides Forgers with the ability to create snow and ice-themed maps.

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[h2]Operations[/h2]

In Season 5, Events are evolving into Operations.

Like the Events we have come to know, Operations are totally free activities that will include 20 tiers of earnable, themed rewards. Operations will run for approximately four to six weeks, giving players more time to unlock these rewards.

The way you progress Operations will be based on Match XP (not challenges), which you can earn in Matchmaking or Custom Games, and once an Operation ends it will be purchasable via the Switcher or Shop. These developments – along with the length of Operations – have come as the result of player feedback around Events, which have often felt limiting due to their short windows and lack of ability to obtain their content if they are missed.

[h3]Premium Options[/h3]

Players can simply work their way through an Operation completely for free, but there are some additional premium options available as well.

• A 500 credit upgrade will make the Operation durable (it will never expire so you can go back to progressing it whenever you want) and includes an additional bonus customization item
  
• A 2,000 credit upgrade will instantly unlock all 20 tiers of the Operation Pass and additionally includes the bonus customization item

Let’s take a look at the upcoming Season 5 Operations!

[h3]Combined Arms: November 14-December 19[/h3]

MIRAGE and RAKSHASA-themed customization for Spartans who find themselves working alongside alien allies.



[h3]Winter Contingency III: December 19-January 30[/h3]

All units are set to be mobilized and merry with these Holiday-themed customization rewards!



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[h2]Still to Come...[/h2]
[h3]Firefight King of the Hill[/h3]

Coming later in Season 5 is Firefight King of the Hill – a new take on the classic mode where four players must capture and defend hills against an onslaught of Banished forces.

You may find yourself thrown into battle within the bloodied walls of the House of Reckoning, or you might just find that Firefight King of the Hill will take you to some other battlefields as well…

[h3]"Hey Look, A Mark V!"[/h3]



The Master Chief’s iconic Mjolnir Mark V armor from Halo: CE has been lovingly and authentically recreated as an Armor Kit in Halo Infinite, and will be made available in the Shop during the Combined Arms Operation which goes live on November 14 – just in time for Halo’s birthday!

Both the Mark V and Infinite Mark VI armor will be available as Armor Kits, which have also been updated and enhanced for Season 5, as they now allow for coating, visor, emblem, and FX customization. That means players have more flexibility to personalize how their Spartan looks if they equip an Armor Kit, rather than being locked to any specific appearance.



[h3]New Equipment: Repair Field[/h3]

Enhance your tactical support gameplay with a new piece of Equipment coming to Halo Infinite later in Season 5: the Repair Field.

Deploy a device that attaches to surfaces and vehicles, which – after a short arming time – emits a healing field that restores Spartan health and repairs vehicles before it eventually self-destructs. Be wary: the Repair Field’s effect is neutral, so it’ll do the same for your enemies as it will for you.

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[h2]Halo Gear Rewards[/h2]

Halo Gear Rewards return in Season 5 with the Halo Tactical Carrier!



This UNSC-style backpack is mission ready and designed with utility in mind. The Tactical Carrier has three primary compartments, reinforced straps and carry handle, and sufficient nylon and Velcro areas for attaching pins, patches, and other insignia.

Players can earn access to purchase the Tactical Carrier by completing the 50-tier Premium Battle Pass. Upon completion, players will receive their unique code via Waypoint notifications to make their purchase in the Halo Gear Shop – and you’ll be able to add on some Operations-themed patches for an additional cost.


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[h2]Shop & Ultimate Reward[/h2]

Secure the Flood super bundle and enhance your Spartan’s Mark V armored casket with some horrifying new augmentations…

• Contaminator and Blighter helmets
  
• Cursed Blisters and Defiled FARNDALE helmet attachments
  
• Cursed Guard & Defiled Guard shoulder pads
  
• Cursed Vigor & Defiled Grenadier chest attachment
  
• Cursed Growths hip attachment
  
• Defiled Munitions wrist attachment
  
• Defiled Drive knee pads
  
• Eternal Rest & Gauss Forest armor coatings

Corpses shift and offer room for defilement of your weapons with the Defiled SPNKr & S7 Sniper Rifle as well.

Oh, and, if you get the super bundle, you will additionally be granted two timed-exclusive Armor FX.

• Blightland Marauder Armor effect
  
• Hidden Malignancy Death effect

And finally, complete all your challenges this week to unlock your first Ultimate Reward of Season 5: the Brushfire armor coating.


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

Season 5 brings with it a host of 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.

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Season 5 is officially live and ready for download!

Jump in and take in the sights of Forbidden and Prism, try out the new Bandit Evo, play around with Forge AI and see what PvE scenarios you come up with using the new Banished palette and canvases, dive into the Custom Game Browser to earn Match XP and work through that new Battle Pass, give yourself to the timeless chorus of Flood infection, and work your way through Career Rank to attain the legendary status of Hero in order to unlock that iconic Infinite Mark VI armor.

You can get Halo Infinite’s free-to-play Multiplayer here. And, in case you haven’t yet experienced the Master Chief’s epic return to battle the Banished on Zeta Halo, be sure to get the Halo Infinite Campaign here.

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[h2]Season 5 Press Kit[/h2]

Download the Season 5: Reckoning press kit here!