Coming in the next update to Halo 5, fans will get their hands on the controls of a new vehicle as well as face off against a never-before-seen Grunt boss.

Halo 5 developer 343 Industries hasn't given an exact release date for Halo 5's next update, but it's coming soon. When it does, it will add a brand new mode, Warzone Firefight, which mashes together what fans loved about the wave-based Horde mode Firefight from ODST and Halo: Reach with the large-scale battles and REQ system of Halo 5's Warzone mode.

Coming in the update with the 24-player Warzone Firefight mode will also be a new boss, the Grunt Goblin, and a new vehicle, an aircraft called the WASP.

The Grunt Goblin is a new enemy type added to the Halo 5 sandbox, and has both Legendary and Mythic variants; it's essentially a giant mech suit piloted by an Elite Grunt. 343 Industries writer Nick Ardizzone said expect the same zaniness from the enemy, a hallmark of Halo's Grunts:

"We really wanted to make the Goblin jockeys fun, memorable enemies to fight. We made sure to give them lines that show for all the time they spent learning to pilot their Goblins, they spent at just as much honing their cutting insults (‘You’re real bad at fightin’!’) and terrifying threats (‘Gonna smash all your important parts!’)."

But just because the Grunt Goblins will keep their humor intact doesn't mean they are any joke. They are packing some new ordnance for players to deal with. The Goblin is equipped with a grenade launcher as well as a double-barreled heavy needler, which can quickly destroy player vehicles. Its other attack is a needle barrage that can target eight players at once, but players will be able to disable that attack by destroying a backpack on the rear of the Goblin. Add in a devastating melee and short-range EMP blast, and the Goblin is sounding like a worthy adversary.

As for the new player vehicle, the WASP is a new flying craft never before seen in the Halo universe. Systems designer at 343 Tim Temmerman has some pointers on how to best use the WASP effectively:

"In-game, players will want to use it as a quick-strike vehicle, flying in low for a kill and bugging out quick to allow the shields to recharge. The armor on the Wasp is light in order to keep it aloft, so the recharging shield provides the moderate protection needed to re-engage at a later time. The key is to keep moving, drop in low to maximize weapon effectiveness, and steer clear of vehicles with heavy weapons."

To get a chance at flying the WASP, players will have to earn its respective REQ card. For those fans of Forge the WASP will be a placeable object in Forge. This next update, just as the game's other updates, like the recent Hog Wild expansion, will be completely free.

Halo 5 was missing in action at E3 this year, but Microsoft did say that Halo 6 will release on PC alongside Xbox.

Halo 5: Guardians is available now on Xbox One.

Source: Polygon