Forge Mode was once available offline in prior Halo titles, leading many active players to wonder why the returning mode relies on an internet connection in Halo Infinite. 343 Industries saw a lot of discussion surrounding the mode in the Halo Infinite community, so Forge Lead Designer Michael Schorr decided to explain the reasoning behind Forge Mode requiring a stable internet connection.On Twitter, Schorr went into detail about Halo Infinite's Forge Mode, its reliance on internet connection, and server usage. The map-baking process in Forge Mode generates a ton of data, and Halo Infinite's online servers improves the experience by directly handling the data uploading process. Map-baking involves various assets such as lighting, nav mesh, audio, and other forms of necessary data, so the servers speed up the creation of assets. Coincidentally, Halo Infinite data being consumed by other players and uploaded to 343 Industries' dedicated servers must be secure according to Schorr. Stable internet connections are required to facilitate Forge Mode's various processes without users being able to introduce malicious content into the game.Since Halo Infinite is available on PC, 343 Industries can't trust saved content coming directly from a user's local storage since malicious data may slip into the game's online services. Schorr explains that Halo Infinite's dedicated servers protects players from suspicious data that may be slipped into map data. Additionally, Forge Mode allows players to drop in and out of continuous sessions, and the fireteam leader may leave without ending the whole session due to the game's online capabilities. As a result, Forge Mode relies on internet connectivity to protect Halo Infinite players and preserve the core experience.
Key Forge Mode features such as saving and publishing maps relies on internet connections. In fact, Halo Infinite players cannot connect to 343 Industries' servers to access Forge Mode without a stable internet connection. Many users have advocated for an offline setting within Forge Mode since progress may be lost if connectivity issues arise.
Halo Infinite's post-launch issues continue nearly one year after launch, and Forge Mode needed to be a feature that would raise the morale of player base. Although Halo Infinite can benefit from dedicated servers and online capabilities, classic Forge Mode fans cannot play the mode as it was originally intended in prior titles.
The current situation surrounding Forge Mode adds to the community's dissatisfaction following the cancelation of Halo Infinite's split-screen co-op. At the very least, 343 Industries launched the biggest update yet for Halo Infinite, and more content is on the way including a battle royale mode.
Halo Infinite is available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.