After speculation and rumors continued to mount over the weekend, Microsoft confirmed that the Halo Infinite multiplayer is going live on the 20th anniversary of Halo, not December as most people ininitally thought. The special announcement came during Microsoft's Xbox 20th Anniversary Livestream event where the team at 343 Industries, as well as Joseph Staten and Tom French, revealed the news.
Unlike past games int he franchise, Microsoft is not only splitting the campaign and multiplayer into two parts, but for the first time ever, the multiplayer component is completely free to download for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. While the campaign is still scheduled for launch on December 8, players can jump into Season 1 of Halo Infinite multiplayer and have access to all maps, core modes, as well as unlocking all of the rewards that comes with the Battle Pass.
While Microsoft considers this time a beta, any progression made prior to December 8 will carry over, so fans won't need to worry about anything resetting or starting over. This includes the Halo: Reach themed gear as well as the highly sought after Samurai Spartan Armor.
Unlocking the Yoroi Samurai armor
One of the standout features from the Halo Infinite multiplayer reveal over the summer during Microsoft's E3 2021 event was the unique looking Samurai Armor. Known as the Yoroi Spartan Armor, players won't have to climb any specific rank lists or battle pass teirs in ordert to unlock it.
Starting next week on November 23, simply playing the first limited time event called Fracture: Tenrai during season 1 is enough to score the gear. The limited time event also comes with its own free event pass, which will feature the armor. In addition, the in-game store will have even more Yoroi-inspired cosmetics that players can purchase if they so choose. 343 will be going into more details as the event gets closer.
Other Rewards and Modes In Season 1
One thing 343 Industries have stressed is that Halo Infinite battle passes are all about fun, without a forced grind. Not only are Battle Passes permanently available for those who choose to purchase them, but all time-limited aspects and challenges have been removed as well. As such, the first season for Halo Infinite will last until May 2022, giving fans plenty of time to work through the game's initial content.
At launch, players will find a suite of game modes available including classics like Capture the Flag, Oddball, Slayer, One Flag CTF, and more. For those who want a bit more chaos, Big Team Battle is also available and includes modes like Capture the Flag, Slayer, Total Control, and Stockpile. Event playlists will also come online periodically and for those who want to hone their skills, Bot Bootcamp is available for teams of 4 human players to take on 4 AI enemies. Finally, there's also a ranked arena mode with different reward teirs ranging from Bronze to Diamond.
Following the multiplayer launch, 343 confirmed that during the first season, Halo Infinite will continue to have multiple in-game events, each with their own rewards and activities to discover. The Premium battle pass has over 100 rewards that can be unlocked including the flaming Spartan helmet, visors, coatings, emblems, armor FX, gear based on the characters from Halo: Reach, and new AI like the ODST Superintendent.
Halo Infinite releases on December 8. The multiplayer is available now.