343 Industries sat down with Xbox Games Showcase Extended on Thursday to discuss the free-to-play multiplayer part of Halo Infinite’s revamped Big Team Battle mode, as well as the new cosmetics coming to the game.
Since the original revelation of armor coatings, Halo Infinite’s comprehensive Spartan customization has been a talking topic. At the same time, Big Team Battle is a classic Halo multiplayer mode that was controversially absent from Halo 5: Guardians at launch and had to be reintroduced later.
The new insights delve into the Halo Infinite gameplay overview clip, which debuted during Xbox’s jam-packed E3 2021 presentation. Because there were so many announcements and previews in one event, including Starfield, Forza Horizon 5, and The Outer Worlds 2, Xbox decided to screen a more intimate, development-focused program after the dust had cleared. Of course, the multiplayer trailer for Halo Infinite is the show’s buzz once again, but this time with more information.
Several 343 Industries developers were questioned about Halo Infinite’s impending free-to-play multiplayer at the aforementioned Xbox Games Showcase Extended. The new features to Big Squad Battle, such as expanded team sizes, were the focus of debate around the hour-and-a-half mark.
Instead of the conventional 8v8, Halo Infinite’s Big Team Battle will feature 12-player support teams. Another update is that Pelicans will now drop both ordinances and vehicles, rather than spawning them all over the map. “You’ve got your commander on the comms, and then you’ve got the Pelicans dropping cars and stuff off, you’ve got drop pods, and everything,” says Lead Sandbox Director Quinn Delhoyo.
The stunning Spartan samurai-themed armor was touched up later in the multiplayer trailer breakdown, which brought up the issue of Halo Infinite’s cosmetics and battle pass. Indeed, during the first season of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer, a samurai skin for Spartans will be offered for free.
“Players will be able to equip it [and] earn more armor pieces and customization choices throughout the season,” says Associate Creative Director Tom French, adding that “there will be a lot of other fantastic armors.”
It was revealed at E3 2021 that Halo Infinite’s battle passes are permanent and would not include loot boxes, which might indicate that the armor modifications seen in the teaser are unlocked by reaching specific milestones, like as a particular number of kills or a certain score (or just buying them outright).
In the past, the Halo franchise has experimented with armor (see the blazing skull from Halo: Reach), but this is a first. It will be fascinating to see what type of modifications are available as Halo Infinite progresses.
