Halo Infinite has had its fair share of ups and downs ever since its release back in late 2021. But the latest addition to the popular franchise was still the biggest launch in Halo history, recording as many as 20 million players in January. Following this initial success, 343 Industries has been looking to regain momentum with new content and tweaks. Recently, one of the more interesting additions to Halo Infinite has turned out to be one of Microsoft's famous digital mascots in the form of a cosmetic item.
Fans have been craving new Halo Infinite content for a while, and the recent release of Halo Infinite Season 2 seems to have given some reason to get excited. Dubbed "Lone Wolves," the season comes with new game modes, maps, weapon drills, plenty of balance changes, and upgraded AI bots. Additionally, the new season brings new cosmetics ranging from nameplates to armor kits. One of these cosmetics is none other than Microsoft's old help button, Clippit, better known by its nickname, Clippy.
The iconic character is one of the additions in Season 2, and players can find him as an epic Halo nameplate or a legendary gun charm. A tweet from Xbox Hardware Senior Product Manager James Shields offers a glimpse of what Clippy looks like within Halo Infinite. Here, Clippy doesn't appear as emotive as it was in its original form, but the details are still distinctive and impressionable. Although Clippy has been gone for years, some fans have been wanting the character back for a while. In fact, Halo players even created a concept art AI based on Clippy months before Halo Infinite's official launch.
Despite the character's popularity today, Clippy was an unpopular feature among Windows users back when it came about as an Office Assistant. It was first introduced as part of the Microsoft Office 97 Release. However, with many users complaining that Clippy was intrusive and annoying, the feature was eventually removed from Office in 2007. But prior to its appearance on Halo Infinite, Microsoft promised Clippy would come back as the new paperclip emoji following a tweet last year. While it's unclear if fans will hear of Clippy again, it wouldn't be a surprise if it's not the last time considering the reception for the nostalgic character in Halo Infinite.
In other Halo Infinite news, rumors of a possible upcoming battle royale mode continue to grow louder among fans. Although 343 Industries is yet to officially confirm anything on the matter, many speculate that the battle royale may debut somewhere in Season 3 or later. Recent Halo Infinite battle royale leaks suggest that the mode may even come with certain single-player campaign elements from the game. Either way, only time will tell what fans can expect next from Halo Infinite.
Halo Infinite is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.