Halo Infinite will take place on Zeta Halo, also known as Installation 07. Once part of the original 12 Halo array, Installation 07 is the oldest in-tact Halo and the setting of novel Halo: Primordium. There, Master Chief will face off against the destructive ambitions of the Banished, a faction which split off from the Covenant towards the end of the Human-Covenant War and became a powerful mercenary force in the galaxy determined to take control of a Halo.
Although details have been few and far between, 343 has been slowing revealing more concepts for some of the characters Master Chief will encounter on Installation 07. Some of these reveals have included enemies, including a Brute boss named Hyperius who may hint at where Halo Infinite is taking the series.
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Hyperius is a Brute - also known as a Jiralhanae - and a member of the Banished. Though the Banished contains a sample of most of the former alien races found in the Covenant by the time Infinite is set, it is primarily composed of Brutes like Hyperius that rebelled against their Elite superiors and claimed much of the dying empire's resources following the Great Schism.
This penchant for scavenging can be seen in Hyperius' armor. Several pieces of HUNTER-class Mjolnir armor can be seen being used to modify his existing equipment, with the helmet and torso from the set attached to his left shoulder as a make-shift pauldron. His own helmet appears to be a modified Spartan helmet with a bone-like substance replacing the bottom that can also be seen tied to the armor on the Brute's right leg.
Equipped with a gravity hammer and a Jiralhanae jump pack, Hyperius with be one of the bosses in Halo: Infinite. Halo has had boss fights in the past, but the reveal of Banished Elite Jega 'Rdomnai back in August 2020 suggests that boss fights will be more integral to the game's story this time round.
In fact, when Jega 'Rdomnai was announced the lead writer of Halo Infinite claimed that every single boss encounter in the upcoming game would be a vital piece of Master Chief's story. Hyperius certainly seems to have had encounters with Spartans in the past, with a necklace of what look like Mjolnir armor-encased fingers around his neck.
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Hyperius was introduced alongside his brother Tovarus, who will also be a Banished boss in Halo Infinite. It seems likely that Master Chief will have to take on the pair together, though that has yet to be confirmed.
Fans of story-centric games full of memorable boss fights might notice similarities with 2018's God of War, where the player was pursued by bickering brothers Magni and Modi. Whether Hyperius and Tovarus will have the same competitive dynamic - or will enjoy the same positive reception from fans of the franchise - remains to be seen. Halo figure producer Mega Construx has already revealed the figure for Hyperius. This version is carrying a slightly different version of the gravity hammer seen in the concept art, but most notably still has the HUNTER-class Mjolnir helmet attached to its shoulder.
With Halo Infinite getting closer to its slated release this fall, fans will be curious to see how new characters like Hyperius are dealt with over five years since the last main entry in the Halo series. Some of the new characters being introduced including Hyperius are nowhere to be found in Halo Wars 2 or the novels that flesh out the lore in the lead up to Halo Infinite. Hopefully that will only make their encounters all the more memorable.
Halo Infinite is expected to be released in Fall 2021 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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