Live service games, which range from battle royales like Apex Legends and Fortnite to shooters such as Destiny 2 or Call of Duty: Warzone, have made seasons and battle passes the standard format to keeping players engaged. Not only do seasons help keep games feeling fresh by adding updated, changes, and new content to explore, but it gives players a reason to keep logging in month after month to earn new content.
However, for most of those games, seasonal content is only available for a limited time, adding a layer of FOMO or fear of missing out for those who don't log in. Some games like Destiny 2 have slowly been working towards eliminating the feeling of FOMO, adding weekly challenges that can be completed throughout the season rather than going away after the new week begins. Halo: Infinite, while adopting both seasonal and Battle Pass content like other live-service games, is taking a completely different approach.
As 343 Industries revealed earlier this month, battle passes in Halo: Infinite are permanent, allowing players to always go back and work through it as they see fit. In a recent interview, live team design director Ryan Paradis stressed that this decision was to purposely ensure that it didn't feel like a grind for players and that they weren't simply playing the game like a chore to just unlock the battle pass. Instead, making a purchase means the battle pass is available forever, allowing the player to work through it on their own time and not the developers.
Alongside the Battle Pass, 343 has confirmed that seasonal content will last three months, which the studio feels gives players plenty of time to experience and check out the seasonal content before being removed for what's next. Again, the studio doesn't want to pull the rug out from the player and force them to play and log a ton of hours per week. The guiding thought behind this is that they want players to have fun in Halo: Infinite without it feeling like they need to grind it like a job.
We looked at other titles, where you buy something that provides time-limited access to the pass, and now you feel obligated to play... That's not fun, and it's not player-first. If you put the trust in us, and purchase something from us, it's yours. No strings attached.
The multiplayer teaser from Microsoft's E3 2021 press conference gave a few small teases for what players can expect from season one in Halo Infinite. Titled Heroes of Reach, many have started to assume that Reach-themed cosmetics will be available. However, it was confirmed that players will have an opportunity to earn the samurai inspired armor set known as Yoroi Spartan simply by playing events during the first season.
Halo Infinite releases Holiday 2021 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Halo Waypoint