Halo Infinite is slated to release around the holiday season this year. While Halo Infinite's journey has been tumultuous due to multiple high-level departures, a negative response to its first gameplay trailer, and a delay, there is a lot about the game for fans to get excited about.
Developer 343 Industries has talked about how Halo Infinite is returning to the series' roots by seeing Master Chief land on a ring that features enemy factions more similar to the original trilogy. However, the series will also take some massive steps forward when Halo Infinite releases later this year.
RELATED: Halo Infinite Won't 'Make or Break' the Series According to Microsoft
Halo Infinite will feature both a story mode and a multiplayer mode, but both will look different from how they have previously. The biggest change is that Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode will be completely free-to-play. This move will ensure that the mode will attract a lot more new players, which will help it have a bigger player base, and in-turn will help ensure that the mode receives more updates and longer post-launch support.
Halo Infinite's story mode will also take some big steps forward, with it following a semi-open world design. This seems like it will make Halo Infinite's ring feel bigger and more alive than any others have before, while also affording players more freedom in how they approach the game's missions and combat encounters. It also will be included with Xbox Game Pass, which will make it much more accessible to Halo fans on Xbox consoles as well as PC. The campaign has also been confirmed to bring back full split-screen support, which was dropped for Halo 5: Guardians and should be a very welcome return for longtime Halo fans.
Halo Infinite's multiplayer being free-to-play opens the door for the game to find new avenues for monetization, and Halo Infinite is taking a step forward in this regard as well. The game will allow players to purchase cosmetic items through microtransactions, which will include armor sets, color themes, and other items. Halo Infinite will feature countless customization options, with many of them also being completely unlockable through player progression. This system is an improvement over Halo 5: Guardians' REQ system that saw players purchasing randomized packs with microtransactions but not knowing what items they would get for their money.
Halo Infinite will also feature a battle pass system that will allow players to purchase the battle passes and continue to level them for as long as it takes, even if its season has ended. This is a system that allows players to unlock the content they paid for regardless of how much time they want to dedicate to the game. Halo Infinite's developers have spoken about ensuring that the game's battle passes are aimed at fun rather than forcing players to grind to complete them as quickly as possible. Both of these systems will seemingly lead Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer to allow more players to enjoy the game without predatory monetization tactics, which should help the game be more enjoyable for everyone.
Halo Infinite is in development for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE: What the 'Heroes of Reach' Season Name Likely Means for Halo Infinite