Halo Infinite – 9 August 2022 Patch Notes | Revamped Campaign Experience!

WINTER UPDATE OVERVIEW AND NEW FEATURES

This update brings new content, numerous bug fixes, and several new features to Halo Infinite. For a full list of this update’s bug fixes, see the Resolved Issues section below. New features and content included in this update are:

NETWORK CO-OP CAMPAIGN

Network Co-Op allows up to four players to play through the entire Halo Infinite Campaign together. To start a Network Co-Op Campaign session, follow the steps below:

1. Launch Halo Infinite.
2. Select the "+" symbol underneath your Nameplate to add players to your Fireteam.
3. From the Social menu, select the Friends tab.
4. From here you can join a friend's Fireteam or invite them to join yours by selecting their Gamertag and choosing from the options on their Profile menu.
5. Once the Fireteam has been formed, the Fireteam Leader (FTL) should navigate to the Campaign menu in the Play tab. The FTL is identified by a crown icon in the Fireteam widget located in the bottom left of the screen and in the Social
6. In the Campaign menu, the FTL can select to Continue their latest save file, start a new save file, or load a specific save file.
7. Once the FTL selects their save file, they will enter the Campaign Co-Op menu where they can select the preferred Difficulty level and which Skulls to enable.
8. After pressing the Start Co-Op button, the rest of the Fireteam will be prompted to select their save file.
9. The FTL can select Start Game to initiate the session once all players select their save file.

Using the selected save files, the Fireteam’s campaign progress is aggregated so that the session’s progress reflects content that all members have completed. This allows all progress made in co-op sessions to be applied to each player’s individual save file. Collectibles, such as Data Pads and Skulls, will appear in co-op sessions if any Fireteam members have not collected them in their individual save. Collecting these items in co-op will unlock them for all Fireteam members who had not already collected them. If all players in the session have collected these items, they will not appear or be interactive. Unlocked equipment, equipment upgrades, and High Value Target (HVT) weapon variants will remain unlocked for individual players in co-op sessions even if all Fireteam members have not yet unlocked them.

Up to four players can fight the Banished in Campaign Network Co-Op.

CAMPAIGN MISSION REPLAY

Main story missions and all side objectives like Outposts, Targets, and Marine Events can now be replayed. To replay a mission or event that has already been completed, follow the steps below:

1. Launch Halo Infinite.
2. In the Play tab of the main menu, select Campaign.
3. Select Continue to use your latest save file or select Load Game to use a different save file.
4. Once in gameplay, open the TacMap With the default control bindings, this menu can be opened using the View button on a controller or the Tab key on a keyboard.
5. Navigate around the TacMap and locate a mission or event you would like to replay, then place the TacMap cursor on that objective's icon.
6. Use the shortcut listed on the bottom of the menu to open the icon's Mission Options menu.
7. In the Mission Options menu, select Replay Mission.
8. Select the preferred Difficulty and Skulls then press the Play button to initiate the Mission Replay.

When replaying missions, the weapon loadout you currently have equipped will be used in the selected mission. You can use this to play earlier missions with weapon variants unlocked from late game Targets or with newly unlocked Skulls. Unlocked equipment and upgrades will also carry over to earlier missions, even if the selected mission takes place before that equipment is unlocked.

After completing a Mission Replay or when leaving a replayed mission early, the save file's current mission will resume at the latest checkpoint available and all content unlocked in the Mission Replay (such as Skulls and audio logs) will carry over to the current save permanently. Completing mission on higher difficulties will count toward Achievements as well.

NEW CAMPAIGN ACHIEVEMENTS

As mentioned in an earlier blog post on Halo Waypoint, this update brings 24 new Achievements to Halo Infinite for an additional 420 Gamerscore. While some of these new Achievements can only be earned in Campaign Co-Op, many can also be earned while playing solo.

Artwork for the new Cow Catcher Achievement.

FORGE MODE (BETA)

This update brings Forge mode to Halo Infinite. Forge lets players create new multiplayer maps and game modes that can be shared with other players via the Community tab in the main menu. Within Forge, players can place and modify in-game objects, effects, and scripts to create a custom map. To learn more about Forge in Halo Infinite, visit our Forge Overview article and the “Halo Infinite | Forge Beta FAQ” blog on Halo Waypoint. Note: Halo Infinite Forge mode is currently in a beta state, meaning that additional improvements are planned. The Forge Beta will support canvas maps and not developer-made maps (such as Live Fire, Recharge, Fragmentation, etc.). Support for developer-made maps will be implemented in a future update.

In Forge, players in Edit Mode will appear as Forerunner monitors.

PROGRESSION IMPROVEMENTS

The Winter Update introduces two major changes to Halo Infinite progression systems: the Match XP beta and improvements to Weekly Challenges. With these changes, players can expect Match XP to be the main driver in their Battle Pass progression. Weekly Challenges, while still granting XP alongside the Match XP beta, will be a path to unlock additional customization items. For a full breakdown of these systems, visit the “Match XP Beta & Progression | Winter Update” blog.

Match XP (Beta)

In addition to the existing Challenge system, the new Match XP system rewards players for their performance in every matchmade multiplayer game. XP is awarded for accomplishments like:

• Arena Match Complete: 150 XP
• Big Team Battle (BTB) Match Complete: 250 XP
• Featured Match Complete: 200 XP
• Winning Team: 50 XP
• Match MVP: 50 XP
• Top 50% of Team: 50 XP
• Free-For-All placement
  • 1st: 150 XP
  • 2nd: 100 XP
  • 3rd: 50 XP
  • 4th: 50 XP
  • 5th: 50 XP

The Winning Team, Match MVP, and Top 50% of Team awards will stack for a total of 200 XP. Note: Match XP is launching in a beta state. The development team is monitoring telemetry, player feedback, and Halo Support bug reports to verify that the system is working as intended. Additional improvements and changes to XP rewards may be implemented in the future.

When a match ends, players will now see the Match XP they were awarded, which Challenges they completed, and their progress in the Battle Pass tiers.

Weekly Challenges

Starting alongside the launch of the Winter Update, the following changes have been made to the Weekly Challenge deck:

• Challenges are more “general” overall.
• The number of Challenges required to unlock the Ultimate Challenge has been reduced from 20 to 10.
• All Weekly Challenges can now be completed in any multiplayer playlist.

WINTER UPDATE BATTLE PASS

The Winter Update introduces a brand new 30-tier Battle Pass that will be available to all players for free. This Battle Pass contains a wide selection of Halo: Reach-themed customization items which players can earn via Match XP and completing Challenges. To change which Battle Pass is equipped, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the Battle Pass menu. This can be done from the main menu by selecting or using the shortcut listed within the Battle Pass tile in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Select the Switch Battle Pass button below the Battle Pass tile on the left side of the menu.
3. On the Battle Pass Switcher menu, use the checkbox below the Battle Pass tiles to equip the preferred Battle Pass.

Visit the Battle Pass and Free-to-Play FAQ article for more information on how Halo Infinite's Battle Pass works.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Event dates listed here are subject to change. Please stay tuned to the News section of Halo Waypoint for the latest updates on in-game events.

Winter Contingency II Event

Later this year, the Winter Contingency event returns to Halo Infinite! The Winter Contingency II event features a 10-tier Event Pass with new holiday-themed Customization items for players to unlock. Like previous in-game events, players can unlock this Event Pass's rewards by completing Event Challenges. Event Challenges are only available when an event is ongoing and can be identified by the orange banner icon near the Challenge's name. These challenges will often require players to complete matches or perform certain actions in a specific matchmaking playlist. Event Challenges cannot be completed in Custom Games.

Joint Fire Event

Early next year, the Joint Fire event will introduce a new 10-tier Event Pass and feature an asymmetrical Capture the Flag (CTF) variant: Covert One-Flag. More details on the Covert One-Flag mode can be found below or in the "Winter Update Maps & Modes Preview" blog.

Like the Winter Contingency II event above, this event's rewards can only be earned by completing Event Challenges while the event is active.

NEW MULTIPLAYER MODE: COVERT ONE-FLAG

In Covert One Flag, two teams will swap between attacking and defending a single flag with each side having unique loadouts. The attacking team will attempt to sneak towards the enemy flag while equipped with Pulse Carbines, Sidekicks, and unlimited Active Camo. The defending team will hunt the invisible attackers and defend their flag with Commando Rifles, Energy Swords, and unlimited Threat Sensors.

Covert One Flag will rotate into matchmaking with the launch of the Winter Update and may rotate out in the future. During the Joint Fire Event, it will be available as a featured matchmaking playlist. Covert One Flag is available in Custom Games now, alongside the launch of the Winter Update.

NEW MULTIPLAYER MAPS

Both new maps included in the Winter Update were created in Forge. To see a flythrough of these maps, visit the “Winter Update Maps & Mode Preview” blog or watch the embedded video below.

Argyle

Set on a UNSC ship deep in space, Argyle's large courtyards are surrounded by a web of staircases and ramps. Avoid enemy control of the map's long sightlines by flanking through unguarded hallways. Alternatively, use one of the two sniper spawns to take down enemies from a distance. Argyle is available in multiple Arena and Ranked matchmaking playlists. It is also available in Custom Games.

Argyle was created in Forge and uses the Void canvas.

Detachment

Inspired by Capture the Flag modes, Detachment features two bases connected by several unique routes. An island, reachable by multiple Man Cannons and the first teleporter in Halo Infinite Multiplayer, sits on the opposite end of a chasm from both bases. This island hosts a power weapon and great views of enemy positions. Detachment is available in multiple Arena matchmaking playlists and Custom Games.

Detachment was created in Forge and uses the Institute canvas.

MATCHMAKING IMPROVEMENTS

For more information on these changes and other upcoming matchmaking improvements, visit the “Matchmaking & Ranked Improvements | Winter Update” blog.

Search Region Option

Players now have the option to limit their matchmaking searches to their current region. By default, matchmaking searches will be set to find matches in any region. Limiting searches to the local region may improve latency to the dedicated server, however, search times may increase and the fairness of matches may reduce. To change the Search Region option, follow the steps below:

1. View the Control Panel or Pause Menu:
   1. Press ESC or F1 on a keyboard or
   2. Press Menu on an Xbox controller or
   3. On the Main menu select the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
2. Select Settings.
3. Navigate to the Gameplay tab.
4. Under the Matchmaking header, select the Search Region option and use the dropdown to set the preferred limit.

The Search Region option is located in the Gameplay tab of the Settings menu.

Competitive Skill Rank (CSR) Algorithm Update

The Competitive Skill Rank (CSR) algorithm has been improved. In response to feedback that the CSR gains or losses were tied too closely to players' individual performance rather than the team's performance, the algorithm has been reconfigured so that team victories and defeats play a greater role than personal performance. The development team is closely monitoring how this change affects CSR progression metrics and player feedback. Let us know what you think of this change by sharing feedback in the Halo Waypoint forums.

Reduced penalties for leaving uneven Ranked matches

Previously, the first player who left a Ranked multiplayer match lost 15 CSR points and players on the losing team lost up to 15 points, according to the normal CSR rules. With the latest backend service update, this rule has been adjusted so that the first player to quit always loses 15 CSR points, but if that first player quit early in the game (or is a no-show), the CSR losses and gains for other players are capped at +/- 5 CSR points. That means any player who leaves the match after an "early quitter" will only lose a maximum of 5 CSR points. Update: this backend update went live on November 10th, 2022 and was announced via @HaloSupport on Twitter. No download is required for these changes to take effect on any platfor

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS UPDATE

As mentioned in the “Matchmaking & Ranked Improvements | Winter Update” blog, player ranks in Halo Infinite have been reset alongside the Winter Update. Some of the improvements in this update required us to invalidate past Theater films created during Season 2. If you have moments you would like to save, please record them using a digital recording tool. Many platforms automatically update games. To manually update or verify your game is up to date, follow the steps included in our How to Update Halo Infinite article. To learn more about Halo Infinite, check out the following resources on Halo Support or Halo Waypoint:

• Playlist Schedule | Winter Update
• @HaloSupport on Twitter
• Halo Infinite Player Guide
• Halo Infinite Support Glossary
• Frequently Asked Questions for Halo Infinite
• PC hardware specs and drivers for Halo Infinite
• Halo Spartan Code

Join the Halo Insider program for the chance to see new features before they’re released publicly and, if you’ve encountered a bug in-game, submit a Halo Support ticket so that the development team can investigate the issue. Thank you to all Halo Insiders and ticket submitters for their bug reports and feedback!

BALANCE CHANGES

As mentioned in on Halo Waypoint last week, several weapons are being adjusted in the Winter Update. To learn more about these changes and other sandbox changes planned for future updates, visit the “Sandbox Balance Updates | Winter Update” blog.

BR75 BATTLE RIFLE

The base damage and aim assist for the Battle Rifle have both been reduced.

VK78 COMMANDO RIFLE

The VK78 Commando Rifle's aim assist has been increased, making it more effective at shorter distances.

DISRUPTOR

The Disruptor’s magazine now holds 12 rounds rather than 10.

PLASMA PISTOL

Charged shots from the Plasma Pistol will now more effectively track enemies in both close and mid-range combat. Uncharged shots now deal more damage as well.

PULSE CARBINE

The Pulse Carbine's plasma bursts will now better track enemies in short to mid-range combat, however, their tracking at longer ranges has been reduced.

FRAG GRENADE

The detonation timer for the Frag Grenade has been slightly increased to reward better placed grenades and to give players on the receiving end more time to react.

Two Spartans running on the multiplayer map Fragmentation.

RESOLVED ISSUES AND BUG FIXES

Many improvements, especially those related to Campaign Network Co-Op, come from Halo Insider and Halo Support tickets submitted by our community. Thank you for participating and please keep submitting tickets! Halo Support tickets help the team here at 343 Industries understand what issues you would like to see addressed in future Halo Infinite updates. The development team is actively working on a variety of game updates and improvements based on both player feedback and bug report tickets. The first of these updates is expected to be released before the end of 2022. For more information on upcoming updates and studio priorities, see the "Halo Infinite Update – September 2022" blog or the "Halo Infinite | Update – September 2022" video on YouTube. Note: an earlier version of this article listed new 100% completion unlocks for Halo Infinite Campaign as being implemented in the Winter Update. These unlocks will be included in an upcoming release for Halo Infinite. Stay tuned to @HaloSupport on Twitter for the latest news.

GLOBAL

• Text on loading screens will no longer change size when the UNSC emblem appears in the bottom left corner of the screen.
• The Mouse 4 and Mouse 5 icons in the Keyboard/Mouse tab of the Settings menu are no longer reversed. Binding an action to Mouse 4 will now show the upper side button of a mouse and binding an action to Mouse 5 will show the lower side button.
• Various instances of overlapping text in menus have been improved.

MULTIPLAYER

Sandbox

• Fusion Coils attached to the back of a Razorback will now consistently detonate when the Razorback is destroyed.
• Firing the Disruptor will now correctly uncloak players using Active Camo.
• Rockets reflected by the Repulsor equipment no longer appear invisible to some players.
• Collision fixes have been implemented on the multiplayer map Catalyst so that players cannot take objective items out of the playable area.
• Spawn points on the multiplayer map Catalyst have been adjusted to reduce instances of players respawning in an enemy player's line of sight.
• The Dynamo Grenade's "ticking" sound effect will no longer play when dealing damage to an enemy in a Ranked multiplayer match.
• The Volatile Skewer's projectile will now be launched in Man Cannons like the base Skewer's projectiles.

Visual

• Equipped armor customizations will now consistently appear on the player's Spartan when rewatching the Season 2 Introduction Cinematic.
• During multiplayer matches, emblems and nameplates will now appear consistently on the Scoreboard and the "Killed By" Heads-Up Display (HUD) element.
• The third-person animation for reloading the Bulldog shotgun has been improved.
• The third-person animation for Spartans clambering up a ledge no longer has a chance to appear temporarily frozen.
• The Repulsor equipment is now visible in first-person.
• The windshield tint of the Spacestation Gaming Warthog coating has been adjusted so that players in the driver and passenger seats are more visible to other players.
• Multiple overlapping Spartans will no longer appear on the Multiplayer menu.
• The Kythera Battlepad wrist armor will no longer appear to float above transradial or transhumeral prostheses on the Eaglestrike armor core.
• A missing UNSC decal has been restored to the Liteknuckle gloves for the Mark VII armor core.

Audio

• Multiple Iratus AI voice lines have been added for kills with kinetic, plasma, hardlight, and shock weapons.

Menus

• Challenges listed on the pause menu during multiplayer matches will now show their correct XP values.
• Reintroduced the "Congratulations" message for players who have completed all available Battle Passes. This message was previously removed due to a bug which has since been fixed.
• Using the Save a Copy shortcut in the Custom Games Mode Editor menu will now save all currently applied but unsaved changes to the new copy.
• To reduce instances of players unintentionally leaving a multiplayer match early, the Leave Fireteam shortcut in the in-game Pause menu's Social menu now has a confirmation dialog.

Challenges and Medals

• Grappling to and hijacking a Brute Chopper now correctly progresses the Grapple-Jack Challenge.
• Kills will now more consistently track for weapon-specific Challenges.

Theater

• Players can now consistently bookmark Theater films.
  • When viewing bookmarked films in the Content Browser menus, their tiles will show "New Film" as the film's name. Selecting the film will show the correct map and mode names.
• Theater Films in the My Bookmarks menu now have a Watch Film option.

CAMPAIGN

Menus

• Previously enabled Skulls no longer have a chance to become disabled after resuming a save file with the Continue button in the Campaign menu.
• Gameplay Time will no longer carry over between new save files using the same save slot in the Campaign menus.
• The Bandana Skull will now be marked as collected on the Tac-Map as soon as players pick it up.
• All Weapon Variants are now correctly labeled in the FOB tab of the TacMap.
• Completing missions will now consistently show the correct difficulty levels in the TacMap and, if applicable, unlock the correct full Campaign completion achievements.
• Access to the Screen Calibration menu during Campaign gameplay has been restored.
  • This menu can be accessed by navigating to the Video tab of the Settings menu and using the shortcut listed on the bottom of the screen.
• Closing Halo Infinite via outside methods (such as Task Manager on PC or powering off the PC/console) then loading or starting a different save file will no longer overwrite or corrupt save files.

Gameplay

• Simultaneously reloading a weapon and refilling ammo at an ammo crate will now correctly refill both the weapon's magazine and the reserve ammo.
• An erroneous kill volume near the eastern anti-air Gun Battery has been removed.
• Kill volumes have been adjusted so that enemies launched off the surface of Zeta Halo due to the Boom and Cowbell Skulls' increased explosion velocity will no longer block objectives from being completed.

Visual

• Character facial animations now appear smoother at all framerates.
• The Grunt Birthday Party Skull will now only trigger confetti effects when a headshot kills a Grunt.
• Skipping cutscenes no longer has a chance to disable first-person animations and make weapon models invisible.

Network Co-Op

The following improvements are based on feedback and Halo Support tickets from a Halo Insider flight in July 2022.

• Players will no longer teleport to the wrong position after having their vehicle hijacked.
• Improved loading after Fast Traveling and initiating Mission Replays to resolve instances of players entering extended loading screens or being booted to the main menu.
• Improved the Threat Sensor's unlock sequence so that it can now be equipped consistently and no longer has a chance to halt player progression.
• Skipping cutscenes will no longer result in Fireteam members seeing black screens with music or sound effects continuing to play.
• New save files will no longer be named "Finish the Fight" in the Load Game menu and the Co-Op Save Slot Summary menu.

Achievements & Unlocks

• The Headmaster Achievement will now unlock consistently.
  • If the conditions for unlocking this Achievement were completed and it did not unlock in a previous version of Halo Infinite, the conditions will need to be completed again after installing the Winter Update.
• The "It Really Does Beat Everything" Achievement will now consistently unlock when the requirements are met.

KNOWN ISSUES

With this update, the team has added multiple new issues to our Known Issues lists:

PC

• Prior to the Winter Update's release, a recent NVIDIA graphics driver (version 526.47) resulted in players experiencing more crashes while playing Halo Infinite. If you've installed this driver version and are experiencing crashes, install the new hotfix driver update to improve stability.
  • To view the recommended drivers and hardware specifications for Halo Infinite, visit the PC hardware specs and drivers article.

XBOX

• If you're experiencing game crashes on Xbox that require a console reboot to recover from, check whether you're enrolled in the Xbox Update Preview and, if so, unenroll from the program with the steps included in the "All About Xbox Update Preview Rings" article on Xbox.com.
  • Preview Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omega rings are scheduled to get a new build on November 9, 2022 that should address the issue. The Preview Alpha Skip Ahead Ring may receive a fix by Friday this week. View build plans here: Insider Home - Xbox Wire.

MULTIPLAYER

Gameplay

• Rarely, players may become stuck in place and unable to fire their weapons when joining a multiplayer session.
• Weapon racks may remain half-closed after spawning a new weapon. Players can still pick up the weapon while the rack is not fully open.
• In King of the Hill multiplayer matches, the third Hill location is skipped on all maps.
  • Due to this issue, King of the Hill has been temporarily removed from the Ranked Arena playlist. King of the Hill will return to the Ranked Arena playlist once this issue is resolved. Stay tuned to @HaloSupport on Twitter for the latest news on game updates.
  • This issue also occurs in Custom Games. While King of the Hill is being temporarily removed from the Ranked Arena matchmaking playlist, players can continue to play this mode via Custom Games.
• Sliding into Kinetic Launchers may result in players not launching the intended distance and, on some maps, falling out of the map's boundaries.
  • Due to this issue, the map Detachment will not be included in Ranked matchmaking playlists.

Menus

• After unlocking the the Mark V [B] armor core via the Winter Update Battle Pass, the armor core may remain locked in the Customization tab's Armor Hall menu.
  • Workaround: close then relaunch Halo Infinite to equip the Mark V [B] armor core.
• The input-restricted Solo/Duo Ranked Arena playlists have been temporarily removed from matchmaking. The Crossplay playlist is still available.
  • These playlists will return alongside a future game update, so stay tuned to @HaloSupport on Twitter for the latest news.
• When playing a Custom Game using the Local Area Network (LAN) server option, all players and observers will be removed from the lobby when attempting to load into either the Argyle or Detachment multiplayer maps.

Academy

• Detachment or Argyle are listed in the Map menu for Training Mode.
  • These maps are not supported in Training Mode. Attempting to load these maps will result in an error.

CAMPAIGN

• After completing the boss fight and activating the terminal at the end of the mission Spire, players in a Network Co-Op session may become stuck on a loading screen or stuck in place if they skip the cutscene. This issue only occurs when playing the mission Spire via Mission Replay.

FORGE CREATION TOOLS

• The Forge Beta will support canvas maps and not developer-made maps (such as Live Fire, Recharge, Fragmentation, etc.). Support for developer-made maps will be implemented in a future update.
• At launch, uploading screenshots for a published Forge file is only available on Xbox consoles. To upload images for Forge files created on a PC, an owner or co-owner can upload screenshots on an Xbox console.
• After publishing a Forge file, the file's Details menu may not immediately reflect that it is published and instead show it as a Private file.
  • Workaround: return to the My Files menu then re-enter the affected file's Detail menu. The file should now show that it is published.
• When viewing a published Forge file on Xbox, the file owner's Gamertag is not visible in the Overview or Credits tab of the Details menu. Selecting the Owner's Profile button will correctly some of the owner's information, but their Gamertag and customized Spartan are not visible.
• Exiting a Forge session without saving the map may result in a new map version being listed in the file's Version History menu. This version of the file does not contain the unsaved changes made prior to exiting the previous session.
• Once a player has placed the maximum amount of objects on a map, the Simulation Memory Budget meter and the Dynamic Object Limit meter show percentages less than 100%.
• When viewing files in the My Bookmarks menu, they may have missing or incorrect information such as their version number, creator/owner name, or publish state.
  • Workaround: viewing the files in another menu (for example, the My Files menu or by searching for them in the Community tab) may result in the file details populating in the My Bookmarks menu.
• Unexpectedly ending a Forge session will not trigger an autosave and all unsaved progress will be lost. Examples of unexpected conditions include game crashes, server crashes, losing connection to Halo services or the Xbox network, or the loss of power to the PC/console.