It was the 20-year anniversary of Halo 2 at the weekend, which saw the shooter's modern counterparts celebrating with classic multiplayer maps and long-lost levels. But also emerging from the dust of time are insights to the sequel's development back in 2004. Rolling Stone interviewed two key designers of the game and made a fun discovery. The Flood (the sickly pale alien infestation that briefly turns Halo into sci-fi horror) was partly inspired by a colourful and innocent children's book about a nice elephant.
]]>Halo Infinite recently received a big update in the form of Delta Arena, a playlist that features recreations of Halo 2's most popular maps and a special third-person mode. The true highlight, though, is yet to come. And that's through an entirely different Halo game: The Master Chief Collection. Soon enough, you'll be able to play Halo 2's lost E3 demo on it, thanks to some lovely modders.
]]>Back in 2021, that dark epoch known as the Pre-Edwin Age, there was but one Ed at Rock Paper Shotgun - the venerable Ed Thorn, aka Edders. Edders had a dream, the dream of Halo Infinite getting a battle royale mode. Like Moses descending from the mount with a Needler in either hand, he bedazzled and amazed us with visions of "an enormous playground stitched together from some of Halo's most iconic maps of yore; Warthogs and Mongooses roaming the lands; players racing to the M41 SPNKR as it spawns; grappling to a rooftop and laying down covering fire; some contrived reason as to why there's a circle of poison gas closing in... but hey, rings are what Halo does best, right? It's 100% doable."
Ed Thorn has always been a journalist of great sagacity and supernatural insight, so it was of no surprise to the RPS editors of the era when rumours bubbled up a few months later that Certain Affinity had partnered with 343 Industries (nowadays Halo Studios) to make Halo battle royale a reality. These rumours have now been confirmed by Certain Affinity's former design director Mike Clopper, who says the now-cancelled mode could have been a "game changer".
]]>Halo creators 343 Industries are having a bit of a glow-up. They're now calling themselves Halo Studios, a piece of rhetorical doubling-down that reminds me of those dril tweets about "James Bond, author of James Bond". They've also abandoned the proprietary Slipspace game engine used by Halo Infinite in favour of Epic's Unreal Engine 5, which will be the basis for "multiple new games". To celebrate the occasion, Halo Studios have released some footage of Project Foundry, an expansive Unreal Engine 5 prototype and spawning vat for actual Halo games, which is billed by the Xbox Newswire as a kind of ur-Halo - "a true reflection of what would be required for a new Halo game using Unreal, and a training tool for how to get there".
]]>Halo Infinite won't receive a sixth season update and is moving away from the 'seasons' model entirely. Instead, on January 30th it'll receive a new arena map, a new operation and a handful of other new features, and it'll continue to be updated with shorter "Operation" battle passes in future.
]]>343 Industries' and Microsoft's well-reviewed, but fan-derided and far from chart-topping sci-fi FPS Halo Infinite is experiencing a slight revival, and it's all thanks to the magic of, er, Pokemon. Pokemon being one of several new custom gametypes knocked together by intrepid Halo players using the Forge map editor's new AI toolkit, added in the Halo Season 5: Reckoning updates, which allow you to bring campaign AI into Forge maps and tweak its behaviour at length. I choose you, Master Chief!
]]>Halo Infinite’s Season 5 lands next week with a reimagined game mode returning from Halo 4, a bunch of new cosmetics - including some inspired by the goopy Flood aliens - and two new maps for its Arena mode, while reworking the game's Battle Pass to make it less of a chore.
]]>As promised last year, Halo Infinite’s season 3 update has arrived with a new ray tracing option for us PC folks. Although it was announced as part of a promo event for AMD’s Radeon RX 7000 GPUs, Infinite’s ray tracing works on any graphics card that can usually handle RT effects; all you need to do is download the update and flick it on in the display settings.
Granted, it’s not the most visually sumptuous form of ray tracing I’ve clapped a visor on. Reflections and global illumination are unchanged, as it’s only sun shadows – shadows cast using a simulated sun as the light source – that get the RT treatment.
]]>Halo Infinite has been in an extended slump since its second season began 10-months ago, but 343 Industries are hoping to turn things around when Season 3: Echoes Within starts next week on March 7th. Echoes Within is undeniably the biggest update to Infinite since launch, as it’s adding new maps, weapons and equipment, and expanding the multiplayer’s narrative - which has been a series of perpetual teases so far.
]]>A Bloomberg report from yesterday has revealed new details on the state of the Halo franchise and the turmoil at developer 343 Industries. This news comes after 95 employees lost their jobs, following mass layoffs across Microsoft. The layoffs affected long-time 343 devs, as well as contractors who only had a few days' notice. Halo Infinite has been trying to find its footing after a rocky first year, but this report doesn’t inspire much hope from fans, at least for the series’ short-term future. The report delves into the studio’s switch to a different engine, an upcoming battle royale game, and most importantly, the lack of any single-player content in development.
]]>343 Industries "will continue to develop Halo now and in the future," says studio head Pierre Hintze. The statement was released in response to rumours that 343 would instead take a backseat on future Halo games by serving to manage external studios, rather than developing the games themselves as they had on Halo Infinite.
]]>Microsoft has announced mass layoffs that will affect the developers behind Starfield, Halo Infinite, and Gears Of War. Bloomberg report that it’s not yet known what the scale of the job losses at Bethesda and 343 Industries will be, and Kotaku has also confirmed that The Coalition will also lose staff. Sources claim that some of the staff who’d lost their jobs at the affected studios were veterans who’d been with Microsoft for more than a decade. This layoff announcement from Microsoft has been made exactly a year after the company revealed they were buying Activision Blizzard.
]]>What’s the purpose of creative tools such as Halo Infinite’s Forge beta if you can’t use them to stuff things from other, completely unrelated games into your timesink of choice? Well, Hinfinite map makers LudoHT and Its L0L0 have done exactly that, crafting a surprisingly authentic version of Mario Kart’s DK Mountain track. It sounds like there’ll be more tracks to slide your Mongoose around too, as they’ve also gone and made a Mario Kart race gametype for Halo Infinite.
]]>Halo Infinite Forge mode users were already creating some wild maps on launch day, so it shouldn’t be surprising to see some The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim locales appear in-game too. If you’re unfamiliar, Forge is a long-time Halo mode that allows players to create their own custom maps and modes. In the past, players used Forge to remake classic maps or remix existing ones. But Infinite’s take on Forge is more robust, allowing forgers to create maps that don’t look like they belong in Halo. No, seriously, what is Whiterun doing in Infinite?
]]>Halo Infinite’s Forge mode has only been out for a day as part of the winter update, but fans have already created some seriously impressive stuff. Players have forged remakes of classic Halo maps and entirely new designs that give us a peek at what’s possible in the engine. If you’re unfamiliar, Forge is a long-time Halo feature that allows players to create and edit their own maps and modes, leading to some of the most fun experiences in the franchise. Let’s take a look at the community’s creativity.
]]>Multiplayer sci-fi shooter sequel Halo Infinite’s big winter update has finally jumped out of its dropship, and developers 343 Industries are committing to shorter seasons for the game in 2023. They’re also touting more frequent updates to an FPS game that’s been relatively Spartan in terms of content, so far. Another game update is planned for later in 2022, which means Halo Infinite players can almost certainly expect something in December.
]]>Players of 343 Industries’ futuristic open-world shooter Halo Infinite will be able to bask in the glow of ray traced graphics when the game’s season 3 arrives next year. The inclusion was announced at AMD’s recent, horrifically named AMD Presents:together we advance_gaming livestream, where the company showed off their latest Radeon RX graphics cards. Season 3 of Halo Infinite is expected to launch on March 7th, 2023.
]]>Halo Infinite's winter update will finally bring network co-op and the Forge Beta to the drips-and-drabs scifi shooter. While those are large, long-coveted features, a new trailer focuses on a couple of smaller additions: two new multiplayer maps, and a new mode, Covert One Flag. And one of the maps looks particularly lovely.
]]>Longtime Halo support studio Certain Affinity have hinted that they’re working on something “big and new” for the sci-fi series’ most recent, and troubled, entry, Halo Infinite. Certain Affinity exec Paul Sams made the comments in an interview with VentureBeat, adding further fuel to the rumours that a battle royale mode might be coming to the live-service game in the future. Certain Affinity have contributed to many projects in a support role, including Amazon’s New World and the upcoming Potter ‘em up Hogwarts Legacy.
]]>343 Industries founder and studio head Bonnie Ross has announced that she’s leaving the Halo: Infinite studio. Ross said her departure was due to a “family medical issue” in a statement shared on her Twitter account. She’d been at the company since it was established in 2007.
]]>Halo series stewards 343 Industries have given a rather sombre update on the state of Halo Infinite’s future, and there’s a lot of delays and cancellations. The game’s campaign network co-op, season 3 of multiplayer, and Forge mode have been pushed back, and couch co-op outright cancelled. And if there’s one thing about Halo that you don’t mess with then it would seem that’s couch co-op.
]]>Halo Infinite's many modes and features have been trickling out piecemeal, and next up is the scifi shooter's co-op campaign. Eight months after the game first launched, co-op is now in public beta testing for those who have been signed up to the Halo Insider program for at least three months and who have an Insider XP level of 5 or higher.
]]>Sci-fi shooter Halo Infinite finally sees some movement to get campaign co-op into the game this week, which will see the launch of the campaign network co-op preview. It's not certain yet exactly what day or time the beta begins, but anyone looking to team up with friends for the beta will need to have been part of the Halo Insider program for at least three months and have an Insider Xp level of 5 or higher. The preview will be available for both purchased copies of Halo Infinite and to players using Game Pass for PC. Steam players will be sent a unique key to access the relevant build through Halo Insider.
]]>Last month, 343 Industries announced that Halo Infinite's long-awaited co-op campaign would begin its public testing phase in July. Now, we finally have a date. The Campaign Network Co-op test for Halo Infinite is due to start on the week of July 11th, 343 Industries announced last night, and will support up to four players with any combination of PCs, Xboxes and Xbox Cloud Gaming players. Thanks, crossplay.
]]>The Flight Simulator series turns 40 this year, which is somehow a distressing thought making me realise how fast time is passing, so Microsoft are preparing to celebrate. Come the 40th anniversary in November, they plan to release a big Microsoft Flight Simulator update with helicopters, gliders, iconic historical aircraft including the Wright Flyer, and more. But that's the future. Right now, the game has received a taste of far future with the release of Halo Infinite's Pelican aircraft as a real plane you can really fly in Flight Sim.
]]>Owning Halo Infinite is like having a subscription to a magazine where each issue has part of a model stuck to the front. The first issue brought the game's multiplayer modes, the second issue brought its singleplayer campaign, the third issue finally fixed its Big Team Battle mode, and the fourth issue - by which time you've possibly lost interest - will bring online co-op for its campaign.
If you're one of those still reading this metaphorical magazine, you can get beta access to the co-op mode this July if you sign up to Halo Insider.
]]>This year’s Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase will take place online on June 12th, Microsoft have announced today via Xbox Wire. The announcement is light on details right now, as you might expect, but there’s the promise of a “diverse line-up of games coming soon to the Xbox ecosystem, including upcoming releases to Game Pass on Xbox and PC”. Personally, I'm hoping we'll see our first proper gameplay footage of Starfield, given it launches almost five months to the day from that date. There could also finally be some movement on in-development projects like the next Fable from Playground Games and Undead Labs’ State of Decay 3 too. Here's hoping!
]]>343 Industries have finally detailed the long-promised roadmap for Halo Infinite ahead of the arrival of Season 2 in May, and it’s not great reading. The roadmap sets out new maps, modes and two batches of story events for Season 2. So far, so good. Yet it also hints vaguely at what’s coming in Season 3 – now starting all the way off on November 8th, with the open beta for Forge from September. 343 cite “quality of life” lessons from Season 1, along with the sensible goal of maintaining team health, for the extension.
]]>Halo Infinite officially launched last December, receiving rave reviews from critics and fans - including Brendan’s review here at RPS. It peaked with over 200k viewers on Twitch. And for many content creators like Kevin Lynch, aka KevinKoolx, December marked their best month ever in terms of engagement on YouTube and Twitch. Halo, after a decade of somewhat divisive releases, was back. It’s hard to overstate how impressive a feat this was, since the Halo fanbase is almost as divided as the Star Wars one - a seemingly trivial topic like the inclusion of sprint is just one of many decade-long points of contention. But somehow with Halo Infinite 343 Industries created an experience that almost every type of Halo fan could rally behind. But now, just four months after launch, Infinite is struggling to retain its playerbase.
Now the Twitch peaks are below 10k and dropping, with the averages even lower. Lynch says February was his worst month views-wise in over a year. You'd expect some tail off after launch for any game, but every content creator I’ve spoken to echoes this sentiment: engagement for Infinite is abnormally low for a live service-game at the beginning of its multi-year journey, especially for a franchise as big as this. The game plays great, so what’s the problem? I spoke to a number of different streamers and content creators to get their point of view.
]]>This weekend brought the second annual Video Game Accessibility Awards, a celebration of games which make an effort to welcome a wider range of players. Prizes came in ten categories covering everything from control and text options to friendly training spaces. It was a fun awards show too, with good hosts, chat from devs, and even a special appearance from Van Wilder star Ryan Reynolds.
]]>Halo Infinite has been having trouble with its Big Team Battle mode since launch. Attempts to fix it before Christmas and earlier in January largely failed, with the mode available but matchmaking issues making it near-impossible to play for some.
Now 343 Industries think they've fixed the issue, with a patch due to be deployed sometime after February 3rd.
]]>Halo Infinite's Big Team Battle mode has been unplayable for many almost since the shooter's release. 343 Industries tried to address the issue last month without success, and then holidays hit and delayed things further. In an update posted yesterday, 343 say they now have a fix in testing and hope to release it as soon as they can.
]]>Finally, catboys and catgirls have invaded Halo Infinite. Yes, you can now outfit your Spartan with cat ears in multiplayer and transform your serious Spartan into a feisty kitty. Move over John Halo, we now have Felix, who is much cuter and loves scritches. Hello mister! Pspspspspsps.
]]>It struck me recently that I’ve not played as much of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer as I thought I would. I envisaged myself wiling away most evenings with my mates, playing Oddball and Slayer and laughing like someone from those video game adverts, swaying violently with a controller in hand.
I now know the reason why and I hate to admit it. Infinite doesn’t have a battle royale mode, which I've come to realise is the perfect FPS template for gaming with my mates. Something about it just works, you know? Listen, let me explain.
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is both festive, but tinged with sadness. It's Imogen's final run of the pod and I'm very sad about it. But we (I) gather ourselves and chat FPS news, like how PUBG is going free to play, Overwatch actually has something new, and lots of Halo Infinite stuff. We also get one final update on Imogen's Apex Legends rank. I'd love to say it's positive, but it's actually quite crushing. Merry Christmas.
]]>Let me slap you with the caveat up front. Halo Infinite's best place is its open world, through which you can swing like a honking metal Tarzan and do sweet Warthog jumps from cliffs. But its best level, the most satisfying A-to-B gun boulevard, comes late in the campaign (spoilers ahead). The House Of Reckoning is a series of rooms where contrived artificial battlefields have been constructed inside an alien fortress. They are abstractly human structures surrounded by sand, as if your extraterrestrial enemies have been playing house but believe a homo sapiens' house looked exactly like a chunk of Normandy beach circa 1944. The narrative reasoning behind this level is absurd. But the fights that occur within are excellent.
]]>Halo Infinite is now out and playable in its entirety, following a weirdly chopped-up release process that culminated in me having to run three different downloads just to play the campaign. But anyway! Now seems like a good time to take a closer look at Infinite’s PC system requirements, and which graphics settings you should tweak to get the best performance.
]]>Games are increasingly expensive, but there are still plenty of great experiences to be had without paying a single penny for them, just like the ones you'll find below in our list of the best free PC games you can play right now. From newer releases to old-timey classics, our unordered list is packed with the best free PC games available.
]]>Watch out if you're looking forward to playing Halo Infinite's campaign tonight - you'll need to install the game after it goes live. Unlike most other big games this year, Infinite has no preload option, so you won't be able to have it downloaded and ready to go by the time it launches. Though, developers 343 Industries say you can make the download a little smaller by having the FPS's multiplayer beta installed.
]]>Halo Infinite comes out today! That's fun. What's slightly less fun, however, is that you won't be able to replay story missions. Microsoft have said that, while you can keep exploring the game's open world after you finish it, main campaign missions won't be available to repeat. Fortunately, this shouldn't be the case forever, because 343 Industries say that replayability is "being worked on", though they don't have a date for it just yet. (Mild spoilers for Infinite's campaign below).
]]>If you're bored of Halo Infinite's usual multiplayer modes playlist, there's a sneaky way you might be able to gain access to more on PC. A player has discovered that if you boot the game offline you can look through and save 14 hidden modes that aren't yet available in the online game, including a new mode named Attrition, as well as a bunch of Fiesta and Tactical variants.
]]>Driving around with three snipers in the back of your jeep is overkill. But the shiny soldier boy of the Halo games has never cared less. This is the prime indulgence of Halo Infinite, the latest of the venerable sci-fi shootybangs. Sweet moments where it's just you, an open country of undulating hillsides, and a truck full of trigger-happy marines. The developers have taken the eponymous second level of the first Halo, in which the big tin fella had to drive about helping his marooned space crew, and they've used it as a mood board for an entire game. Aside from a few gripes, it has worked splendidly.
]]>Hey you, do you want a crystal replica of John Master Chief's helmet and energy sword? No, me neither, but it's something you can get now for some reason. To celebrate Halo Infinite's release, as well as Halo's 20th anniversary, Xbox have collaborated with Swarovski to make the Halo-themed crystals that fans can win via a sweepstakes or charity campaign. You can't buy them. I don't know if you'd want to? They look very expensive.
]]>Halo Infinite surprise-launched its multiplayer a couple of weeks ago. People seem to like it a lot, grindy and unrewarding battle pass aside. If you, like me, are more interested in the game for its singleplayer, then have a gander below for the launch trailer put together ahead of the campaign's December 8th release.
]]>In the last few weeks I’ve spent a lot of time looking through scopes. Red dots and ACOGs and telescopic ones. From one FPS to the other, I put my eye up to a lens and I press triggers. Sometimes I’m a sniper dropping Nazis to protect my father, sometimes I’m a soldier surrounded by 127 other players. Lately, I’m a chunky spartan with crunchy crayon armour.
All this time with the three big FPSes of the year, each packaged in their own ways, has left me wondering what’s important nowadays. Do they need campaigns, or is multiplayer-only the way to go? How about introducing one a bit later than the other?
]]>Though Halo Infinite launched in decent shape (our Ed called it "the most stable FPS I've played all year"), one bone of contention has been the slow pace to unlocking things on the battle pass. The developers, 343 Industries already boosted progression pace, but evidently that wasn't enough, and now they're coming round for another pass at the pass. From today, they're planning to offer bonus XP for the first six matches you play every day.
]]>Halo Infinite's multiplayer beta has only been out for a couple of weeks, but the free-to-play FPS doesn't have effective anti-cheat, and it's really beginning to show. Players have been posting clips on social media of supposed cheaters using wallhacks, aimbots and more. Now Xbox Halo players are asking developers 343 Industries for an option to turn crossplay off, so they don't have to deal with pesky PC hackers.
]]>What armor pieces are available in Halo Infinite? Armor in Halo Infinite is purely cosmetic, but there are plenty of good reasons to want to collect all the different pieces out there. Customising your Spartan with armor you've earned from the Battle Pass or bought from the store is a way to show solidarity with your team, showcase your achievements from current or previous seasons, or just make yourself stand out in a multiplayer match.
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is, once again, all about the big releases. Battlefield 2042's in a bit of state, so we talk about the many patches scheduled to fix it up. We've also heard that those banned in Call Of Duty: Vanguard will be banned across the entire series, which is nice. Halo Infinite's multiplayer surprise launched and Outriders DLC appears out of nowhere too. Imogen rounds off the news with her Apex Legends ranked update. Has she reached the platinum dream?
]]>What are the best guns in Halo Infinite? Halo Infinite multiplayer enjoyed a surprise early launch last week, bringing with it 22 different guns for you to experiment with as you get to grips with this latest iteration of the venerable sci-fi FPS series. Not all weaponry was created equal in the world of Halo, and if you're wondering which armaments you should be aiming to get your hands on, we've compiled a full list below, along with our recommendations for the best choices.
]]>Both of this year’s blockbuster FPSes, Call Of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042, launched with something up their sleeves: bugs. Even after some patches, these darn creepy crawlies aren’t shaken off so easily. These games are plagued by crashes, glitches, and general instability, to the point where playing them can be as fun as wading through a swarm of locusts.
Halo Infinite, though? The multiplayer component that had a bunch of flight tests? Pretty solid. Sure, a few bugs and matchmaking issues, but for the most part, it’s the most stable multiplayer FPS I’ve played this year. What was 343’s magic pesticide? Time. Simple as. Something Vanguard and Battlefield 2042 are only just catching up on.
]]>How can you take part in Halo Infinite's Fracture: Tenrai event and claim the Yoroi Armor? Fracture: Tenrai is the first of a planned rolling calendar of time-limited special events in Halo Infinite. It will initially be available from November 23rd to November 30th, though 343 Industries have indicated that they plan to re-run the event for around one week per month during the game's first season, which runs up until May 2022.
On this page, we'll give you everything you need to know to take part in the Fracture: Tenrai event and claim its grand prize: the Yoroi Armor.
]]>What are the best controller settings to use in Halo Infinite on PC? When playing fast-paced PvP battles like those found in Halo Infinite multiplayer, optimising your controller settings can give you the edge you need to outperform the competition. At the very least, you don’t want to be hindered by settings that don’t suit your needs.
]]>Within 60 seconds I was dead and laughing. Halo Infinite's multiplayer is a finely tuned mechanism for delivering explosions and dopamine. Developers 343 Industries did whatever the opposite of a jumpscare is this week, delighting deathmatch dilly-dalliers with a surprise release of their classical arena shooter. It's a beta, they insist. But we all know it's the proper game because they've had their betas already (excuse me, "flights").
Also, look, this thing is impeccable. Clean, powerful shots trace across immaculate skyboxes, straight into the shining dome of your armoured clunkperson, with a frightening thud that is satisfying even in death. There are problems, of course, but most reside outside the actual shootouts, which are frenetic, zappy confrontations longtime Halo players will savour.
]]>How do Ranks work in Halo Infinite's Ranked Arena? Ranked Arena is the most intense of Halo Infinite's four playlists, recommended for experienced players who enjoy highly competitive PvP action. If that sounds like something you can't wait to jump into, read on for everything you need to know about how Ranks work in Halo Infinite.
]]>Yesterday, I reported that 343 Industries were looking into Halo Infinite's battle pass progression, which players have found overwhelmingly slow so far. Our very own Ed Thorn played for four hours, only to reach battle pass level 3 the other night. Thankfully, the developers have already detailed a handful of changes coming this week that should improve things - from adding new, easier challenges, to removing some of the rubbish weeklies players don't like.
]]>Developers 343 Industries surprise-launched Halo Infinite's multiplayer this week on Xbox's 20th birthday, and so far it seems that folks are finding it fairly fun to play. But a lot of players have one major grievance: the battle pass is a massive grind. Complaints about challenges that award very little XP are all over the game's subreddit. Fortunately, the devs have seen this feedback, and are already looking into the slow progression.
]]>Though Halo started out on Macs then joined Microsoft, historically the series hasn't had much of a presence on personal computers. At first we got ports years after their Xbox debut, then Microsoft just stopped releasing Windows versions for their flagship first-person shooter series. Well, that's changing with Halo Infinite, which is coming to PC at the same time as Xbox—including the Halo Infinite multiplayer beta launched last night. So I ask you, an audience with less exposure to the sci-fi shooter: how are you liking it, PC gamers?
]]>How does Halo Infinite's progression system work? Halo Infinite's multiplayer has a lot going for it, but an easy-to-understand progression system isn't one of its strengths. Fortunately, help is at hand, as in this guide we've untangled the intricacies of Halo Infinite's progression system and explained it all in detail. Read on for all the information you need.
]]>While Halo Infinite doesn't officially launch until December, surprise! The FPS's full multiplayer launched today into open beta, though it has all the maps and modes, it is the official start of the first season, and all progress will carry over, so basically it's out now, just might be a bit wonky. Hinfinite's multiplayer side is free-to-play so all are invited.
]]>I arrive at this episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang thoroughly shootered. Both big FPS releases of the month, Call Of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042, have been at my fingertips this week and I've got some thoughts. Of course, Imogen hits us with news too. Valorant has another new character coming out, Fortnite pulls Travis Scott, and Imogen gives us the lowdown on just how much she's enjoying Apex Legends' latest season.
]]>We already knew that Halo Infinite's battle passes won't expire, but now 343 Industries have revealed more about its first season to IGN.
]]>This time, I've returned from a trip to Devon having spent too much time ignoring my friends and playing Hollow Knight instead. But what about FPSes? Well, I didn't play any of those. Thankfully Imogen has all of us covered on this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang, with a news segment rammed with lots of exciting announcements. Namely, Apex Legends gets a new Legend and map, Halo Infinite sees a new trailer, and Call Of Duty's new anti-cheat Ricochet leaks early.
]]>After focusing a lot of attention on Halo Infinite's multiplayer, Microsoft have turned back to showing off the story campaign. Today's new campaign trailer, sadly, did not give us another hot WWE promo from a space-ape but it did kinda have Far Cry-ish vibes. Watch on for Master Chef zooming around big levels in vehicles, causing big explosions, upgrading his abilities, and bantering with his new Tamagotchi girlfriend.
]]>After decades of Halo being primarily an Xbox series [settle down, disgruntled elderly Mac fanatics -ed.], Halo Infinite will buck that with a simultaneous launch on PC too. With that December launch drawing near, a new trailer focuses on the PC edition, detailing various graphics settings and multiplayer options and noting the interesting detail that you'll be able to use a PC to host a dedicated server for a cross-platform LAN party. Watch on for lots of shots of scrolling through options menus.
]]>I've returned from my trip to the Lake District, with aching calves and a desire to talk about online shooters with Imogen. On this week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang, we don't chat sore muscles, instead, we focus on various Halloween events in games like Apex Legends and Rainbow Six: Siege, our thoughts on the Battlefield 2042 beta, Destiny 2 vaulting yet more stuff, and Call Of Duty: Vanguard finally introducing anti-cheat.
]]>Loads of us were called up by Master Chief to test out Halo Infinite and its Big Team Battle mode last weekend. Going in, I thought there would be no competition between its smaller 4 vs 4 Arena modes and this bombastic 12 vs 12 playground. Surely I'd prefer the latter. In my mind, this would be Halo at its messy best.
But no, I have proven myself wrong. In a strange turn of events, I've decided I actually much prefer Halo Infinite's smaller modes. And I think this comes down to laziness.
]]>This week's episode of the Ultimate Audio Bang is marked by competition. Imogen and I quiz each other on all things shooter trivia, and someone knows more than the other. Anyway, before that, there's plenty of news to catch up on. Call Of Duty: Vanguard has fixed a weird dognado glitch, time-loopy shooter Lemnis Gate is out, Halo: Infinite tech preview number two arrives very soon, and Overwatch 2 announces some reworks. Spoiler alert: Bastion now has a hat.
]]>This weekend's Halo Infinite beta is bigger than before, both in player invites going out and in the matches you'll tackle. Registered Halo Insiders have been getting their hands on with Halo Infinite's multiplayer in 343's recent beta tests and now this weekend you can too. Well, maybe, provided you can pester a friend invite code out of a pal of yours who's already an Insider. If you find yourself queued up to play, you'll be participating in those chaotic 12v12 spartan matches Friday through Sunday.
]]>The multiplayer maps of Halos past had a devotion to footstep fairness, the principle that every step I take toward the giant laser cannon should equal one step you take toward the same brutal death-tube. Halo Infinite abides by that time-honored rule, at least judging by the recent public test.
These maps are classic Master Chief party houses, loyal to the supremacy of abstract shapes, with clarity to every corner and a pared-back art style that makes a brief glance of an enemy in a doorway pop out. Pick-ups lounge on exposed podiums like glimmering sirens. Isolated platforms furnish gravity hammers, surrounded by a grinning void. They are arenas that somehow feel both dangerous and fair. But they are something else too. They're playful.
]]>I adored Halo 3 and Halo Reach's multiplayer. So much so, I never want to play them again. In my mind, I view them through a next-gen lens, coloured by nostalgia and post-homework energy. I know that if I jump into the Halo: The Master Chief Collection, I simply won't be able to recapture those heady times. I'm genuinely afraid of tarnishing those memories.
Halo 4 didn't do it for me, and I skipped Halo 5 altogether. They just felt off, you know? But having spent some time with Halo Infinite's tech preview this weekend, though, I'm hopeful that this is the Halo that recaptures those former glory days. It's a step backwards in the best possible way.
]]>Breaking news: everything is normal and fine. Yesterday Halo Infinite developers 343 Industries mentioned during a livestream that they might need to delay this weekend's beta. Today they confirmed that's not the case, and posted an overview of what to expect.
]]>If you're not too busy Deathlooping, Kena: Bridge Of Spiriting, or Diablo 2: Resurrecting this weekend, perhaps you'll have a spare moment to drop into Halo Infinite's next technical preview. Between Thursday and Sunday, players registered as a Halo Insider will have a chance to try out the sci-fi FPS's 4v4 Arena mode. But that's not all! 343 have announced that the following weekend, Insiders can jump into another tech test, and have a crack at the game's 12v12 Big Team Battle mode too.
]]>Predictably, Imogen and I begin this week's episode of Ultimate Audio Bang by getting excited about Deathloop before realising that there's plenty of other newsy bits to cover. Listen to get our hot thoughts on the Call Of Duty: Vanguard reveal, Battlefield 2042's delay, the Overwatch League using an early build of Overwatch 2 in 2022, and plenty more shootery things.
]]>Developer 343 have announced that Halo Infinite’s next multiplayer technical preview is “targeted” to arrive on September 24th.
]]>In a lengthy blog post, Halo Infinite's developers have summarised and responded to the feedback gathered during last month's multiplayer technical preview. There are a lot of changes incoming in time for the next test, including a return to the old style of radar.
]]>The next big trailer bonanza hosted by everyone's pal Geoff Keighley has just come and gone. You can watch all of Gamescom Opening Night Live if you don't want to miss out on all the bants. If you just want to know who showed up with what, well we've got that list here for you.
]]>During Gamescom Opening Night live, we saw the cinematic intro for season one of Halo Infinite multiplayer. It introduces commander Agryna, who tells us all what it really means to be a Spartan - which is apparently not just about running around shooting your mates with a needler. 343 Industries have also confirmed that the game is coming out on December 8th, fresh after today's cheeky little Microsoft Store leak.
]]>Although we've known about the next Halo game for years now, its development won't actually be infinite. Nope, Halo Infinite is in fact launching this year, 343 Industries recently reassured everyone by saying they're "100% committed to releasing this holiday". The official date for your FPSing adventures and Halo deathmatching is going to be December 8th, according to a sneaky leak ahead of a proper announcement. Mark your calendars, Spartans.
]]>343 Industries have often stressed that launch day for Halo Infinite is just the beginning of the journey for the next Halo. That's only getting more true as they announce two big features that aren't making it in for launch. 343 got together for a development update video since the first big technical test to talk results and plans for the future. Campaign co-op and the Forge level editor are both getting kicked down the road into next year.
]]>With all the Halo Infinite information now flying about, 343 is not so stealthily approaching that late 2021 launch window. Your Spartan sneaking capabilities will be similarly out the window at Infinite's initial launch, it turns out. 343 Industries have said that you won't be bopping your opponents in the back of the head for those extra special kills during multiplayer. Assassinations are good fun and all, but 343 have found that they often get turned off due to the disadvantage they create. Bringing assassinations back is already on their radar, but they really want them to "feel meaningful" when they return.
]]>I sure didn't think years ago that the upstart "battle royale" shooter format would be survive long enough to hassle a major series like Halo and yet here we are. 343 Industries have said they aren't doing a Halo Infinite battle royale mode, and yet the rumors and speculation persist. Now, an allegedly datamined audio file from the weekend's first Halo Infinite technical preview loudly proclaims "battle royale!" in no uncertain terms. Naturally everyone is back to wondering whether or not a massive last-Spartan-standing mode is really in Halo's future.
]]>Halo Infinite's technical preview is running this weekend, letting some players get their hands on with the game's multiplayer for the first time. It turns out, however, that 343 "unintentionally" left a few campaign files in the preview, and data miners have already spat details of Infinite's story on to the internet.
There are no spoilers in this story, however.
]]>On this week's episode of Ultimate Audio Bang, Imogen shares some juicy news nuggets with us. Splitgate – a Halo meets Portal FPS – seems to have garnered some serious interest. Naturally, both of us haven't played it. Sounds cool, though. Elsewhere Halo Infinite's doing a thing this weekend, which we also aren't playing. To be fair, we're waiting for John Masterchief's invite. And just to round things off, Apex Legends has a new character, while PUBG might be going free-to-play. It's a stacked one, folks.
]]>Halo Infinite’s upcoming technical preview got its own preview last night. Developers 343 Industries hosted a stream to show off what this weekend’s test will let people see and do, capping it off with the very first look at a full Halo Infinite multiplayer match. That’s probably what you want to see, yeah? Here’s a peek.
]]>With its launch planned for the end of this year, Halo Infinite is now just about to put some Spartan boots on the ground. As we found out last weekend, 343 Industries are planning a technical test for parts of Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer. They'd initially said it could kick off as early as this weekend. Look at that, your weekend of Halo-ing begins tomorrow, in fact. The first technical preview for Halo Infinite begins this Thursday, July 29th.
]]>The Halo Infinite technical preview promises to let real-live players go toe-to-toe with the series' first bots, in a time-limited glimpse at the game's post-alpha build.
Here at RPS we're pretty excited for Halo Infinite — it was one of our favourite things at this year's E3 — so if you're as keen as we are to get involved, read on for details on when it's happening and how to take part.
]]>Halo Infinite's multiplayer will be free, support crossplay, and its battle passes will be permanent. That's quite a lot of ticks in the "yes please" column.
Here's another: it'll also have bots, a first for the series, and next week could see the release of a "technical preview" designed to let players test them.
]]>With Halo Infinite's still non-specific "holiday 2021" release window creeping closer, 343 Industries are continuing to put out their big chat blogs on what to expect from the newest Halo adventure. This time they sat down to talk about their planned seasonal model and battle passes that so many online games come equipped with now. The big difference is that 343 say their battle pass reward tracks won't actually be limited time. You'll be able to play them forever, which sounds pretty stellar to me.
]]>On this episode of Ultimate Audio Bang, Imogen and I comb through the shrapnel left by the E3 explosion. There is lots! A charred Randy Pitchford, lots of games like Left 4 Dead, and shooters like Stalker 2, which we have no history with, but it sure look nice.
]]>E3 is finally over for another year, and golly there were a lot of new games announced, weren't there? Having waded deep through the flood of streams from practically every publisher under the sun, we've emerged with our filleted highlights of the best games of E3 2021. With this year's show taking place soley online, we haven't played as many of these as we'd normally do during E3, but these are the games that excited us the most and whose trailers we've had on repeat ever since we clapped eyes on them.
]]>Microsoft had said Halo Infinite would finally launch this year, and they're cutting it close. They announced today that Hinfinite will arrive this holiday season (November, that usually means) with the first season of its free-to-play multiplayer and its not-free story campaign. The campaign continues the adventures of Torode-117, the Master Chef, with the fight against a spacegorilla who cuts a mean WWE promo. Oh, and he has a new tamagotchi.
]]>I don't need to remind you how good Outer Wilds was. Two years ago, everyone was raving about the 22-minute time loop. The most incredible video games website in the world even declared it the bestest best game of the year.
]]>Microsoft today announced that you'll be able to Master Chief it up with your consolepals in Halo Infinite, thanks to cross-platform multiplayer and progression. Details on how it will actually work are thin for now, but in theory that sounds neat. Nice to play with your pals. Though less fun to face mousefolk if you're playing on controller. Ah, we'll see in due time.
]]>We now know that there's quite a wait yet for Halo Infinite to arrive this autumn, but 343 Industries have committed to filling that time with regular blog post chats from developers. This month they've rounded up a crew to talk about what makes Infinite a "spiritual reboot" of earlier Halo games. They've also snuck in a cheeky defense of the grappleshot.
]]>After announcing in August that they were delaying Halo Infinite's launch from November into next year, developers 343 Industries have now revealed quite how long we're talking: autumn 2021. That's a big'un - it could potentially be a delay of over a year. For such a long delay to happen at such short notice, something seems wrong. The devs don't explain the full scope of what's up, but they do talk a lot about improvements to its looks over what we saw in July.
]]>Ah yes, "Will they or won't they?", the now to be expected affair between ongoing FPS series and the popular battle royale format. Halo Infinite's developers previously expressed disinterest in plopping a hundred Master Chiefs into a last Chief standing mode but a new rumor has cropped up saying they will—and that it's coming in 2021.
]]>Earlier this year, 343 Industries announced that they were delaying Halo Infinite, originally planned as an Xbox Series X launch game, to 2021. They've been pretty quiet on Infinite since then, presumably adjusting to what the delay means for the game and the team. Now they say they're planning an end of year update and hope to be more communicative in upcoming months.
]]>Halo 4 has just been released on the PC. After an eight-year-long beta test on the Xboxes, they’ve decided that it’s finally in a good enough state for us exacting PC nerds. With this deployment, the Master Chief Collection is considered complete for the PC. No Halo 5 for us.
]]>Hold your warthogs folks, 343 Industries are setting a few things straight about Halo Infinite delays. It is true that 343 announced earlier this month that they would delay Halo Infinite from late 2020 to sometime in 2021. That bit was officially announced. What aren't real, they say, are the subsequent rumors that Infinite could be delayed even further into the following year. We should still be expecting it in 2021, all clear?
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