Updated at: 20-04-2023 - By: Leo Hall

If you missed your chance to participate in the beta for 343 Industries’ upcoming entry in the long-running first-person shooter franchise Halo, don’t worry; the game’s release date is drawing nearer by the day.

Microsoft first announced Halo Infinite in 2018, continuing directly from Halo 5: Guardians. A brief cinematic trailer hinted at a new engine and a new direction for Chief and the rest of the UNSC, but that was all we had to go on at the time. The game was delayed multiple times due to the chaotic development that saw many employees leave and many project heads hired to replace them. However, if we are to believe Microsoft this time, the next generation of Halo games will debut in time for the 2021 holiday season.

The next chapter in the legendary Master Chief’s saga has been revealed to the studio after months—if not years—of work. The first Halo game in more than five years, and it’s shaping up to be a big deal. Here, then, is a complete guide to Halo Infinite.

The developer claims that Halo: Infinite will mark “the start of the next 10 years of Halo.” 343 Industries wants Halo 5 to be a meeting place for both Halo veterans and newcomers. In a multiplayer setting, please be patient with newcomers.

There has been much speculation about the game’s content since the first, scene-setting trailer was released in 2018. The single-player campaign, dedicated PvP multiplayer, and other features of Halo: Infinite were recently confirmed. It is unknown if Halo: Infinite will include series staples like Forge or Firefight.

The initial beta was created with the express purpose of “gathering feedback on Bot behavior and online performance,” as stated by the creator. The Bots aren’t pushovers, and that’s why we’re flight testing them; they still have their quirks. Get ready. I trust you Spartans are ready for a test!

Snipers, pistols, the Needler, and the MA40 AR can be expected to be common Halo PvP weapons in the upcoming beta for Halo Infinite. The likes of Grav Hammers, Elite Swords, and others will most likely follow.

343 Industries has stated that the technical preview will only include a subset of the full Battle Pass and a small number of the Customization options that will be available at launch. As a result, Halo Infinite will also serve as a preview of the games-as-a-service model.

Halo Infinite release date, platforms and price

The release date for Halo Infinite is set for December 8, 2021. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the company was “waiting on other games” and taking the release schedules of other titles into account before settling on what will hopefully be the final release date.

On the first day of release, you can get it for PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and Xbox Game Pass. The minimum and recommended specifications for playing Halo Infinite on a personal computer are listed below.

Halo Infinite: Available now with Game Pass | Xbox

Halo Infinite minimum system requirements

Processor and operating system must support 64 bits.
Windows 10 Redstone 3 x64
AMD FX-8370 or Intel i5-4440 processor
RAM Size: 8 GB
RX 570/GTX 1050 Ti from AMD/NVIDIA for the graphics.
Update to DirectX 12
Space for storage: 50 gigabytes

Must be used with a 64-bit OS and CPU.
Platform: Windows 10 19H2 x64
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel Core i9-9700K
RAM of 16 GB
RX 5700 XT or RTX 2070 for graphics.
Update to DirectX 12
50 GB of storage space is free.

Halo Infinite reveal trailer

The new planetary setting for Infinite’s campaign was shown off in the E3 2018 announcement trailer, along with other mysteries and Master Chief’s ship. The trailer climaxed on a shot of the Halo ring and a squad looking out over a vast landscape.

Halo Infinite story

Set at least three years after Halo 5, Halo Infinite is a “spiritual reboot” of the Halo series. 343 promises that the new story will “respect and continue threads that led to this point,” so longtime players need not worry.

Associate director Paul Crocker said in a press Q&A that “nothing’s retconned” in the Halo canon. We’re the next chapter in the Halo series, but you needn’t have played the previous entries to appreciate this one. We intend to use this as a springboard to greater things. We are laying the groundwork for the future while also providing answers to pressing questions from the past.

Discover Master Chief’s background and the origins of the Halo PC games.

We wanted the player and Chief and all of our characters to start out in the same place, so we made that decision to have Chief float around in space. They are clueless as to what has occurred. That’s the sort of thing we hope players will discover as they explore this world.

Campaign-wise, Halo 5 is “bigger than our previous two games combined,” says Halo 5 producer Stephen Crocker. We didn’t set out to create games like those you’ve played before; rather, we wanted to deliver the definitive Halo adventure by bringing everything fans love about the series to the fore. Not only that, but there are hints that Halo Infinite campaign DLC will be coming, which will deepen the story even further.

Halo Infinite Weapons

The latest gameplay trailer showed off some of the new and returning weapons and armor that players can expect to use in their fight against the Banished, the game’s new alien enemies. New options for combat and movement around the ring have been confirmed with the arrival of the grappling hook Grappleshot and the portable shield Drop Wall. It appears that we will be able to use not only traditional Halo weapons like the Plasma Pistol, but also Banished weapons like the Mangler and Ravager.

You won’t be able to use two weapons at once or take on the role of a Covenant Elite in Halo: Infinite. This is a Master Chief and Spartan story, as stated in the most recent Ask 343 video, which also explained why the Elites aren’t involved. However, “never say never” was included, so there is still hope. The ability to use two weapons at once has been in the Halo series since Halo 2, but it isn’t always the best tactic to use.

Halo Infinite cross-play

There will be cross-play and cross-progression in Halo Infinite. “Halo Infinite supports cross-play and cross-progression between PC and Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S,” said World’s Edge studio head Shannon Loftis. Your profile settings and multiplayer achievements will be synced across all of your devices.

Halo Infinite campaign and gameplay premiere trailer

When the fate of humanity is on the line in Halo Infinite’s story, the Master Chief will return to face his most ruthless enemy yet: the Banished, a returning enemy from Halo Wars 2.

The video begins with the Chief crashing on a mysterious planet, which turns out to be open-world, a first for the series, complete with a map and the ability to keep track of your progress and objectives as you go.

You’ll have access to a grappling hook in Halo Infinite, just one of the many new tools, weapons, and abilities at your disposal.

Microsoft claims that the captured gameplay footage is of a true to life experience and runs at 60 frames per second and up to 4K resolution on Xbox Series X.

Halo Infinite' release darte, campaign, PC specs and everything else we know

Halo Infinite game modes and multiplayer preview

The Halo Infinite multiplayer mode will run at a smooth 120 frames per second on Xbox One Series X and is available for no additional cost.

Multiplayer in Halo Infinite will feature two modes: Arena, a four-player co-op arena shooter experience, and Big Team Battle, a sandbox mode with a virtually infinite variety of possible fights.

In multiplayer, you’ll be able to design your own Spartan using a robust set of customization options.

Further investigation into the gameplay revealed that the mechanics of equipment and larger weapons have also been altered, and a new vehicle called the Razorback has been added to facilitate the transportation of larger pieces of equipment like turrets and mode objectives.

A non-time-limited multiplayer battle pass and an equipment inventory for storing power-ups and usable items are also included.

We also know that the multiplayer “assassination” feature will be absent from Halo Infinite’s initial release later this year. Both 343 Industries’ community director Brian “ske7ch” Jarrard and the game’s associate creative director for multiplayer, Tom French, have stated that this defining aspect of the Halo series will be absent from the initial release.

French stated, “They are not in for launch, and I think we are going to be straight about that.” “There’s a gameplay drawback to having them on, so a lot of people just disable them altogether at those levels. Taking a step back and asking ourselves “how do we think about how do these fit into Infinite’s gameplay loops?” was something we were eager to do.

But they won’t be permanently lost. In his talk, French said, “When we bring them back, we want them to be back and fit right into our sandbox and the loops of the game, and bring them back in a way that really just feels meaningful, so they’re always an accessible tool, but also kind of a flourish moment that people have.”

The addition of aim-down-sights (ADS), crouch-sliding, and more made Halo Infinite feel less traditional and more like Apex Legends or Call of Duty, as described by our own Jordan Oloman in his hands-on preview of Halo Infinite.

Veterans of the series may find it difficult to adjust at first, but if you’re open to it, I think 343 Industries has something special here, and I can’t wait to dive into the next technical previews, especially the vehicles and large-scale battles they may bring.

Halo Infinite cross-play and cross-progression

When Halo Infinite launches later this year, Microsoft has confirmed that players from different platforms can join in on the multiplayer action and make progress together.

Players with a copy of Halo Infinite on PC will have access to multiplayer on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Players’ alterations and advancements in multiplayer games will be saved and accessible across all platforms.

Halo Infinite seasons and battle pass

With Halo Infinite’s Battle Pass system, 343 Industries has detailed what players can expect.

After it was announced that a Battle Pass and seasonal content structure would be present at launch, additional details about the system were released.

Players will be able to purchase any previously released Battle Pass at any time thanks to the Battle Pass system’s permanent purchases. These passes will “provide unambiguous value” by including free rewards.

Themed rewards connected to events in the multiplayer season will be available as part of the battle pass. As seen at the end of the first multiplayer reveal for Halo Infinite, this includes the Yoroi armor.

To “wrestle with the perils and mysteries of a galaxy that has fundamentally changed after the events of Halo 5,” the first season of Halo Infinite will focus on the newest Spartans.

How to download and install the Halo Infinite campaign

NEWS FLASH (7:30 PM, December 8): The Halo Infinite advertisement has begun! Make sure you have the free multi-player client installed before beginning the download. If it wasn’t already, install it now; otherwise, go to the ‘campaign’ tab in the main menu and download the latest update (which was about 4GB for us). (If it doesn’t load, you might need to restart your computer.)

To access the “manage game” menu, click here. The campaign is available for download here. Make your choice and then click “Apply.”

Now, while the campaign downloads, keep the client open.

Boost your download rate here! If you’re experiencing slow download speeds, 343 recommends pausing the game and powering down the console.

Last but not least – remember to pick up skull locations along the way!

Halo Infinite pre-load and download size explained

Halo Infinite’s pre-loading process is complicated, and you still have to wait until the European evening to begin playing.

The main one is that, even if you buy the game in physical form, you still have to download the full campaign before you can play it.

While the Xbox app for PC and the Xbox Game Pass app for mobile devices both list updates for the multiplayer client, neither will actually complete the update.

To participate in the campaign, you will need to download it at the specified times above. 343 Industries suggests getting a head start by downloading the current Halo Infinite multiplayer client.

This will reduce the amount of data you need to download before the campaign begins from 48.42 GB to 25.86 GB.

Download sizes for Halo Infinite are roughly as follows:

Unfortunately, the campaign cannot be pre-loaded, but you can save some time by downloading the multiplayer mode in the hours prior to the start of the game.

Halo Infinite on Steam

Halo Infinite anti-cheat DRM

No restrictive DRM is planned, as confirmed. “Things like making sure our game plays nice with specific families of hardware or fighting hard to ensure we don’t add intrusive DRM to the game,” says producer Jeff Guy.

Michael VanKuipers, a security engineer, elaborated on this topic by mentioning anti-cheat features, saying, “to make cheating more difficult in ways that don’t involve kernel drivers or background services.” We put in a lot of time and effort to protect the Slipspace engine and the game in novel ways in order to slow down the development of cheats. When people do cheat, we look for telltale signs in their actions rather than data mined from their devices.

That wraps up everything we know about Microsoft’s Halo Infinite marketing push; for more on the forthcoming Halo television series, check out our sister site, The Digital Fix.

Story expansion for Halo: Infinite

  • The CEO of 343 Industries has issued an apology for the “offensive” Halo: Juneteenth color scheme.
  • Season 2 of Halo Infinite has begun, and a new Battle Pass is available.
  • The Justice League, directed by Zack Snyder, may have included a Halo reference inadvertently due to fan fiction.
  • Many Redditors are leaving high-traffic areas for safer “low-sodium” subreddits.
  • Developers of Halo Infinite tease future content additions
  • It’s possible that “Seasonal story content” will be added to the Halo Infinite multiplayer.