Picture it… The year is 2004, Mountain Dew and Doritos are the snacks de rigueur, and the sequel to 2001’s hit game Halo: Combat Evolved is in your Xbox, ready to go.
Twenty years ago, the gaming world was introduced to Halo 2, and things were never the same. The multiplayer experience forged friendships, propelled online gaming to the mainstream, elevated MLG to another level, and was truly a catalyst of the early gaming and online eras.
With Operation: Great Journey coming on November 5, we wanted to celebrate this iconic milestone by bringing the Halo 2 festivities to Halo Infinite. Here are the playlists that will be available next week…
Delta Arena
Delta Arena is a playlist intended to embody the spirit of the gameplay you experienced in 2004. Think of it as a modern take on the legacy settings you remember from days of yore.
The Delta Arena modes will feature:
No sprint
No clamber
Increased jump height
Friendly player collision
You’ll be playing a mix of Slayer, Oddball, Capture the Flag, and King of the Hill on some maps that will look very familiar:
Halo has been a first-person shooter since its release in 2001 (except of course for some gameplay elements such as driving, operating turrets, etc), but it previously explored third-person action during the MacWorld days. As a result, players have often dreamed what Halo would look like from a different vantage point. At long last, that dream is a reality with the introduction of Third-Person Firefight!
You will soon be able to see the Halo Infinite Firefight experience you know through a whole new lens. Battle for the hill on your favorite Firefight: King of the Hill map and mode combo while being able to admire how enemies look from afar (or around corners), while also allowing you to appreciate how stylish you are. It’ll be the first in Halo matchmaking history.
At launch, you’ll be playing Firefight: King of the Hill on Normal difficulty with Heroic and Legendary following later. Here’s what is coming at launch:
Fiestafight: King of the Hill
Firefight: King of the Hill
Gruntpocalypse: King of the Hill
Gruntpocalypse Fiesta: King of the Hill
And the maps you'll be playing on:
Ardent Prayer
Behemoth
Breaker
Cliffhanger
Courtyard
Deadlock
Exiled
Fragmentation
Gyrefight
Highpower
House of Reckoning
Kusini Bay
Launch Site
Lone Wolf
Oasis
Powerhouse
Refuge
Rendezvous
Scarr
Vallaheim
You’ll also be able to explore and play with the third-Person camera in custom games and we can’t wait to see what you create with these options!
Ranked Update
There’s also some updates coming to the Ranked experience with Operation: Great Journey in the form of two new map additions.
Fortress is a brand-new symmetrical map design that plays CTF and all variants of Slayer (Tactical and Snipers included). Players can expect fast-paced action with exciting moments provided by dual sniper battles, Overshield, and more. It’s a beautiful map with a unique aesthetic that will have players taking a moment to enjoy the view.
Inquisitor is a remake of one of Halo’s most iconic maps—Halo 2's Midship. You’ll be transported back in time once you load into what is an amazing recreation. This map is tried and true. Inquisitor also plays at a fast pace in CTF and Slayer (Tactical and Snipers included). Be ready as soon as you spawn—the action is coming in hot!
Don't forget, items will not be “going away” when the Exchange refreshes. They will still be available to purchase with Spartan Points through the customization menus (much like bundles once they have rotated out of the Shop).
Fly high, live fast, keep your trigger on the weapon release switch and you'll be ready for the pilot's capsule of any Created fightercraft.
The Molten Chrome bundle contains:
Deltajock helmet
Redline Adaptation helmet attachment
Pinion Augmentor shoulder pads
Maverick Protocol chest attachment
Linerunner Utility hip attachment
Relayframe Plugin wrist attachment
Xeric Waves armor coating
Photon Exciter weapon model for Mk50 Sidekick
Darkness Falls weapon coating
Go forth, shiny and chrome!
Infection: Alpha Zombies & Refresh
It’s October so you know what that means… That’s right, it’s the start of PSL (pumpkin spice latte) season! For those of us who may not indulge, it’s also the start of what is affectionately known as “spooky season” so what better time to roll out an update to the beloved Infection playlist?
Alongside some new maps, we’re also excited for you all to play some Alpha Zombies. Yes, the classic mode returns. No tricks, all treats – let’s take a closer look!
Alpha Zombies
The fan-favorite Infection mode, Alpha Zombies, has returned!
This mode is all about survival instincts. Featuring simplified loadouts, such as Spartans with Pistols & Shotguns, Infected with swords, and no weapons on map – it should feel more reminiscent of legacy Infection experiences.
Spartans
Weapons: MK50 Sidekick & CQS48 Bulldog
Equipment: Thruster (3 uses)
Infected
Weapon: Infected Energy Sword
Movement Speed: 110%
Sprint Speed Scalar: 110%
Jump Height: 110%
Gravity Scalar: 80%
Camo Intensity: Fully visible, no camo
Last Spartan Standing
Weapons: MK50 & CQS48 Bulldog
Equipment: Thruster (3 charges added)
Unlimited Ammo
Shield Multiplier: 300%
Movement Speed: 110%
Sprint Speed Scalar: 110%
Reload Speed: 110%
Melee Recover Speed: 110%
Much liked Alpha Zombies in Halo 5 and Halo: Reach, it’s a bit more straight-forward but survival is not guaranteed. With only Pistols and Shotguns in play, Spartans will be able to pick up ammo from fallen teammates or ammo crates to keep themselves armed – all while fighting off the growing number of Infected enemies.
We’ve been enjoying playing Alpha Zombies internally, and we were proud to have iterated on it with the incredible InfectionHub community, Dreamz, and DarkMaiming during its development.
Infection Intro
The base Infection mode is also getting an update to help improve the experience based on data and player feedback. These changes are meant to balance the mode a bit more between Spartans and Infected, as the Infected had a bit too much power.
As a result, the updated settings for base Infection are now:
The update from 100% to 80% camo intensity was made to address feedback around being infected by an Alpha – without ever being able to see it.
Providing an opportunity for counter-play went a long way to improving this experience. Now, the 80% intensity will appear to players in a fun way that is similar to Halo 5’s Infection. If the Alpha Infected walks at base speed, Spartans will only see the glow of their Iratus VFX but will not get red reticle or see them on radar. If the Alpha Infected sprints at top speed, they will be fully visible to their Spartan counterparts.
Beta Infected
Weapon: Infected Energy Sword
Equipment: Quantum Translocator (1 use)
Movement Speed: 110%
Sprint Speed Scalar: 110%
Jump Height: 110%
Gravity Scalar: 80%
Camo Intensity: Fully visible, no camo
Last Spartan Standing
Weapons: Any
Equipment: LSS keeps their existing equipment
Unlimited Ammo: Yes
Shield Multiplier: 300%
Movement Speed: 110%
Sprint Speed Scalar: 110%
Reload Speed: 110%
Melee Recover Speed: 110%
Global updates
We’ve also updated a few settings across both Infection modes to help balance the experience.
Infected Movement Speed
You may have noticed this in each of the sections above, but the movement speeds of Infected has been reduced in both base Infection and Alpha Zombies. Previously, the movement speed was set to 125% and sprint speed scalar was set to 150%, which was proving to be far too fast and effective. It was less fun to battle as a Spartan and was tipping the scales too far in favor of the Infected.
Now, at 110% speeds, Spartans should be able to find more success while still keeping the modes balanced for both sides.
Weapon Damage
Spartans have also received a slight increase in weapon damage, from 100% to 110%. This change is meant to help the CQS48 Bulldog feel more consistent against Infected players while still keeping the MK50 Sidekick at a 4 shot kill.
Starting Infected
In base Infection, only two Alpha Infected would spawn at the start of each round. This made it extremely difficult to get those crucial initial Infections that can start to turn the tide of a match.
With this update, both modes will start with three Alpha Infected players in each round. This will help prevent slow starts and encourage both Infected players and Survivors to work together early on in the round.
Last Spartan Standing Timer
Previously, when a round reached its Last Spartan Standing, it would start a 30 second timer. That timer was meant to help the sole survivor by ensuring they wouldn’t need to endure for extended periods of time if all their teammates fell early. However, it also had a side-effect of limiting the impressive final stands that Last Spartan Standing players could go on.
Given how important those Last Spartan Standing sprees are to the Infection experience, we’ve decided to remove the timer and base it entirely off the round’s remaining time. Now, it’s entirely up to each Spartan to outlast the horde until the final buzzer.
Scoring Updates
Last, but certainly not least, we wanted to make adjustments to scoring in these modes. Most of the community feedback revolved around two common themes:
The point disparity when playing a round as an Infected vs playing as a Spartan, especially when starting as an Alpha Infected The balance between getting kills as a Spartan vs playing back to get survival points To help address this, we’ve updated the scoring to be a little more closely aligned with Halo 5’s Infection. The point breakdown of both modes will now look like this:
Points per Kill (Survivor): 5
Points per Kill (LSS): 5
Points per Kill (Infected): 15
Last Spartan Standing Bounty: 25
Survivor Betrayal Penalty: -10
Survivor Bonus: 25
Infected Bonus: 10
Last Spartan Standing Score Bonus: 15
Survival Score Interval Seconds: 30s
Score per Survival Interval: 10
With these changes, we’ve seen matches typically have more balanced in-game scores. Usually, this means a fairly close score match-up of heavy slayers, longer survival times, and solid rounds as an Infected.
Thank you for continuing to provide feedback on all aspects of the Infection experience. We’ll continue to monitor match data and player feedback around these new additions and updates.
We hope you all enjoy, survive, and thrive.
Zombie Wonderland
Alongside the updated Infection modes comes new maps! Here’s the new haunted infected playgrounds you’ll be exploring for each mode.
By now, we all know what Infection is. You vs the horde that’s trying to infect you so you become one of them. Usually round based, the game ends once all Spartans are infected or until there’s a lone survivor able to fend off the constant attacks.
Survive the Undead puts a slight twist on the typical Infection and makes it a more linear experience. And, as the name implies, the idea is to beat the waves of infected and simply survive as long as you can. The rounds start off simple and get progressively more difficult, with points awarded for each round cleared and each kill. Spend your earned points wisely…or go ham on the mystery box (my personal favorite – who doesn’t love surprises?) and then regroup and get ready for the next round!
Survival Handbook
Looking for some pointers? Straight from the Forge Falcons comes this guide to ensure you have the best chance possible to survive the undead.
Perks
The three perks are Health, Damage, and Speed. There are 4 tiers per perk and each tier costs 600 points. All perks reset upon death and must be repurchased.
Health Perk
Tier 1: 25% Health Increase
Tier 2: 10% Health Increase
Tier 3: 5% Health Increase
Tier 4: Vampirism
Speed Perk
Tier 1: 100% Reload Speed Increase + 10% Movement Speed
Tier 2: 50% Melee Recovery + 10% Movement Speed
Tier 3: 10% Movement Speed + 10% Slide Speed
Tier 4: 10% Movement Speed + 10% Sprint Speed
Damage Perk
Tier 1: 100% Damage Increase
Tier 2: 100% Damage Increase
Tier 3: 100% Damage Increase + 100% Melee Impulse
Tier 4: 100% Damage Increase + 50% Melee Damage
Bonus Drops
There are four bonus drops that have a chance to appear when killing enemies: Boom, Spray & Pray, Mounted & Loaded, and Score Attack. These drops are announced by voice lines matching their names.
Boom
Effect: Instantly kills all AI, granting each player 400 points. Benefits from Score Attack.
Strategy: Use when in dire need.
Spray & Pray
Effect: Removes shields from all enemies, making them one-shot kills for 30 seconds.
Strategy: Ideal against bosses.
Mounted & Loaded
Effect: Refills ammo for all players.
Strategy: Use when team ammo is critically low.
[Score Attack[/h3]
Effect: Doubles points from kills for 30 seconds; effects stack. Also, keep in mind that this drop affects the points granted from the Boom drop.
Strategy: Collect immediately for maximum benefit.
Player Buy Back
The Player Buy Back (650 points) is located in the spawn room and revives fallen allies, granting the activating player an overshield. It only works if allies are down.
Ammunition Wall Buy
The Ammunition Wall Buy (350 points) is in the spawn room on all maps, it has the ‘ammunition’ nav marker and refills the activator’s ammo. It can be used even with full ammo, so check before buying.
Point Sharing Wall Buy
The Point Sharing Wall Buy is located in the 2nd territory on all maps, it has the ‘points’ nav marker and allows players to share points. It costs 2,000 points to use and it will split the 2,000 points between all players in the game. For example: A team of 2 players receives 1,000 points each. A team of4 players receive 500 each.
Random Weapon Box
The Random Weapon Box is located in either the 2nd territory or 3rd territory depending on the map, it is the red banished looking box. It costs 300 points and will grant players a random weapon.
Weapon Upgrade Machine
The Weapon Upgrade Machine has received an overhaul since the combat workshop, it will now take the weapon you have and upgrade that weapon with other combinations. It costs 1,000 points and can be found in the spawn room on all maps. It will also have the ‘Upgrade’ nav marker.
Weapon & Equipment Wall Buys
Wall buys offer weapons or equipment at displayed prices. Ammo can be refilled via the ammunition wall buy, the Mounted & Loaded drop, or by rebuying the weapon.
In the Combat Workshop, there was only one map available to you. Now that the playlist has hit the big time, there are multiple options in the playlist:
Installation of the Dead
Night of the Undead
Countdown of the Dead
Squad up, watch each other’s backs, and maybe you’ll survive the undead.
Operation: Haloween
Descend into the darkest hours of the night playing Survive the Undead and progress your Operation Pass to unlock the Spartanstein armor so you can dress yourself for the occasion.
Operation Haloween runs from October 8-November 5!
One Shot Slayer
You have one shot. One opportunity. Will you seize it or let victory slip away?
Introducing One Shot Slayer. And yes, as the name implies, this new mode is going to be especially relevant to the interests of the Tactical Slayer fans.
Tactical Refresh
If you haven’t checked it out yet, Halo Infinite’s Tactical Slayer operates on the same rules and basis as past game installments. While previously known as SWAT, the mode remains the same. No one in the lobby has shields and everyone has a precision weapon of sorts capable of killing in a single headshot. Whether you’re wielding a BR, a DMR, a pistol, or the Mangler, aim for the head and keep moving!
One Shot Slayer
It’s (tactical) combat: evolved. When the match starts, you’ll have your trusty Mangler equipped, but there’s only one round in the chamber. If you make it count, anywhere from head to toe, you’ll be refunded your bullet and live to have another fight. If you miss, you’ll find yourself scrambling to evade the shootout and hoping you can get a melee on a player to steal their round. If that fails, you simply have to stay under the radar and play your life for 5 seconds to regain your ability to return fire.
Lay of the Land
Here's the maps you’ll be playing for keeps on:
Bazaar
Curfew
Illusion
Live Fire
Kiken'na
Solution
Streets
Wipe off those sweaty palms, this is no time to have weak knees or heavy arms. Look sharp and stay alive – your teammates are counting on you.
Halo: Venezian Sonata
September 2559. Captain Veronica Dare is deployed to Venezia on a reconnaissance mission to investigate the emergence of a potential new threat.
>> I have a lead you may be interested in pursuing.
<< I’m listening.
>> You have been curious about the emergence of certain rogue elements on Sqala.
<< Location?
>> A tower. New. Owned by a power broker in New Tyne. It is still under construction, but operational—you will not miss it.
<< Noted.
>> It would be wise to impress upon your Captain Lasky that time is limited to seize this opportunity, and that your singular absence will not imperil the upcoming operation on Sovolanu.
<< Zef, someday we’re going to have a friendly conversation about how you seem to know so much that you shouldn’t.
>> Until that day, let us continue to enjoy this mutually beneficial partnership. I am sure that you will find this to be a most productive excursion. My contact will get you to the tower’s visitor area, the rest will be up to you.
~ COMMUNICATION ENDS \>
UNSC INFINITY, RECORD MATRIX LOGGED BY RLD 0205-4 CONVERSATION BETWEEN [92458-37017-EB] AND [73998-38490-VD] September 22, 2559 / 1300 Hours
VD: “There’s a mission…”
EB: “Say no more, I’ll round up the rest of the squad.”
VD: “A solo mission, Buck. I’m going in alone.”
EB: “You’re gonna need back-up. You’re going to Venezia, Veronica. You do not go to a place like that without back-up—place has got a very unlovely rep!”
VD: “It’s recon only. I’ll be gone for the day at most.”
EB: “Yeah, unless you get captured ‘cos you didn’t bring any backup. C’mon Veronica, lemme tag along just in case.”
VD: “Sorry Buck, you know how it is.”
EB: “‘Orders are orders.’”
VD: “Exactly. And I know you’re one to… misbehave, so I’m giving you an order. You are not to deploy to Venezia and interfere with this operation.”
EB: “You… Alright.”
VD: “Thank you.”
[[i]RLD NOTE: 87% probability that EB’s sudden compliance with VD’s order is not entirely honest.]
VD: “I’ll be back before you know it.”
[[i]RLD NOTE: VD kisses EB and departs, preparing to deploy.]
EB: “Every problem is an opportunity in disguise…”
VERONICA DARE New Tyne, Venezia September 22, 2559 / 2100 Hours
Veronica Dare hated heights.
It was perhaps an ironic phobia for her to possess as an Office of Naval Intelligence agent who spent most of her time deploying alongside Orbital Drop Shock Troopers and Spartans in coffin-like pods, but shimmying across a narrow ledge on a skyscraper over two-thousand feet high had a way of provoking such primal fears.
All the same, she couldn’t deny the view—even through the torrential rain. New Tyne was a bustling metropolis not entirely dissimilar to the mainland region of New Mombasa back on Earth, or Noctus on Andesia. It was effectively the “capital city” of Venezia, an independent colony that was populated not only by humans, but Sangheili, Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar, and other former client species of the Covenant that could be found in office buildings, transportation networks, entertainment districts, factories, and spaceports.
By some miracle, the city wasn’t a constant war zone. Veronica supposed that they all largely had one thing in common: they hated the UNSC.
The humans who had originally settled Venezia cut themselves off from the Unified Earth Government many years ago, and now the colonial militia that kept order had pledged themselves to the Keepers of the One Freedom—a Covenant remnant group. Every group here had a lot of fingers in a lot of pies, as the Keepers had recently pledged their allegiance to the Banished, so the trickle-down nature of relationships between species and factions meant that the line of “friend” and “foe” in this place was more of a complex web that nobody wanted to get tangled within. And so, life simply carried on.
It came as another slice of irony that, of all the places in the galaxy, Cortana’s presence was minimal here. The strange “peace” on Venezia had preceded her Created regime by years, so she had devoted her resources elsewhere. But that meant the Venezian power brokers now felt emboldened to start pushing their luck, dialing up their criminal operations in increasingly brazen ways—and while Cortana might not be stepping in, their actions had drawn the attention of ONI’s ever-watchful eye.
Dare had met with Zef ‘Trahl’s contact with little issue, a rather eccentric and aged Kig-Yar named Ke’jah. His colony-wide transport business had been the perfect cover for the set-up.
While travelling aboard a Ren shuttlecraft that once ferried Covenant ministers around their holy city, Dare had picked out the tower immediately from the vehicle’s viewport. The appearance of the tower itself looked analogous to a Halberd-class destroyer rotated vertically. This kind of shared architectural design between buildings and starships was not uncommon, as it had phased in and out of style many times since humanity’s early interstellar colonial era in the twenty-fourth century.
For his part, Ke’jah had taken the place of a vehicle bound to pick up a group of the tower’s construction workers at the end of their shift and made a scene at the entrance desk to get paid extra for the mix-up. The commotion had allowed Dare to slip out from the vehicle and utilize a wrist-mounted grappleshot to reach the building’s upper levels.
Dare made her way up to a level where construction was still ongoing. The tower split off into two sections and the building’s bare structural skeleton continued up into the dark grey clouds and disappeared from view. The rain was coming down hard and thunder was rolling through the sky, sounding more like it was coming from around rather than above her. Dare was grateful for her helmet’s VISR system which outlined the structures within a radius of several dozen meters, enough to make her feel a little safer on the more immediate terrain of scaffolding and haphazardly placed boards connecting across super rungs.
Air traffic appeared to be minimal, but Dare spotted a Phantom dropship circling around the local cluster of skyscrapers. She had no idea whether it was a security vessel or just a passing transport, but she felt fairly certain she hadn’t been spotted—though the telltale whine of its engine was a little too close for comfort.
Descending a few levels of scaffolding, Dare tracked a series of cylindrical shafts until she found a small opening, then settled into a position that she determined would conceal her. She tapped a few commands on her wrist-mounted AN/PED-560 Vedette drone controller, and the device detached to hover slightly above her head. This model had originally entered service as an enhanced rangefinder and target designator, but its small profile made it a perfect candidate for modification into a surveillance drone for use in hostile territory.
The name was a bit of a mouthful though, so Dare had simply named the device “Eddie.”
She ran a few quick movement checks to ensure there was minimal input-response delay, then sent Eddie into the shaft opening.
Callie Calder was just fifteen years old.
Her family lived on the rural plains at the farthest outskirts of New Tyne, which meant that she had a long commute to the education center every day—a half-hour trek to the maglev train station followed by another half-hour to get to the city. She had just spent the summer helping with grueling manual chores on the family farm before getting ready for a new school year, as her father had been unexplainably absent in recent months, while her mother seemed increasingly solemn and withdrawn. She could tell, in the way children can always tell with their parents, that something was wrong.
But things had taken a rather sharp turn just two days ago.
While on her way to the city, the maglev train had just… stopped.
“This is the driver speaking,” the voice came over the intercom. “We’re being held at a stop light for now, but expect we should be underway again soon. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Her first day back to school and she was going to be late.
Staring absently outside, Errant Vee’s Amorphous blasting in her ears, Callie was only vaguely aware of the group of Venezian militia who boarded the train and started checking the IDs of the younger passengers.
It wasn’t until she handed over her identification that she had any notion something was wrong. She was certain she had misheard when the guardsman said, “We need you to come with us.”
Confused, angry, and subject to many uncomfortable sidewards glances from other passengers, Callie followed along in a daze—she hadn’t even noticed that her old-fashioned headphones had fallen off at some point. It wasn’t long after she and half a dozen others had been removed from the train that a black bag was put over her head, and the world fell instantly, awfully, silent.
She’d grown up in the latter years of the Covenant War, told about all the awful things the alien alliance had done, but it was what humans were capable of doing to each other that made her skin crawl more than anything else.
Callie awakened in a cell some time later.
It was a meager space with only a bed, toilet, and sink to speak of, though she had determined from the lack of muck and grime that it was built relatively recently. She had received no visitors, had been given no opportunity to call anyone. There was only a tray of food and a glass of water at one point when she had awakened.
Staring at the steel cup, she felt herself drowning in an ocean of dire considerations.
Her family had no idea what had happened to her—she’d left and simply not come back. Surely there must’ve been surveillance footage aboard the maglev, as well as numerous witnesses…
Callie’s thoughts were interrupted as the lock on her cell door clicked and swung open. She had expected to see a militia guardsman, but the figure she was met with was covered in armor from head to toe. Their face was hidden behind a thick, curved helmet.
“Move along, recruit,” a deep voice barked. “Fall in line!”
Tentatively, Callie walked out of her cell and saw that dozens of others—some older, some younger—were being directed down a corridor. She followed suit.
To her surprise, as they reached a set of double doors at the end of the corridor, they were led into what looked like a corporate amphitheater. Rows of semi-circular seats of polished wood surrounded a round dais where an alien figure Callie didn’t recognize stood. At first glance she might have mistaken it for a human being, clad as it was in the uniform of a courier with a mustard-colored tunic, until she saw its face bore two pairs of slit-like nostrils and what appeared to be gill-like organs underneath its jaw.
Callie swept her gaze across the room. The windows were tinted, covering the view outside, and armed guards were stationed around the perimeter.
Whatever was about to happen, there was no way out.
“You are here,” the alien spoke and its rasping, cold voice echoed through the amphitheater, “because your families owe debts that they cannot pay. You are their insurance policy.”
Everybody in the room was silent and sat perfectly still.
“You will be trained, and you will be forged into weapons to be wielded by many masters. You will serve until your family’s debt is repaid. Each job you take, each contract you sign, will stipulate a percentage of your profits that will go towards repayment, and what that percentage is will depend upon your conduct within these halls. Successes is expected; transgressions and failures will accrue interest.”
Callie could barely process the information she was receiving. Her family had been in some kind of debt—and it was up to her to be taken away from her life to pay it off? What had her father been up to over the last few months that he had been absent?
Worse still, if this strange speaker was to be believed, she hadn’t been kidnapped and taken from her family. She had been given away…
“You will be given a tour of the facilities here, then escorted to the barracks to begin training with your taskmasters.” The alien gestured towards several of the armored guards who looked just like the one that had opened Callie’s cell. “From this day forth, the lives you knew are over. Until your contracts are complete and your debts are repaid in full, or you fall in battle, you belong to us.”
It felt as though she was lucid during some terrible nightmare, but she was distracted for a moment as her eye caught something at the far end of the amphitheater. A large pipe that ran along the ceiling had a small grate covering, and Callie could have sworn she had spotted something move within it. Light catching on a lens, perhaps, and she was certain she had heard a slight metallic rattle from within. Judging by the reaction of two of the guards who she saw speaking into their comm units to her left, they had caught it as well.
Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t of any help to her. The alien speaker had departed and murmurs were breaking out among the rest of the audience. Some sat in nervous silence, rocking back and forth in their seats, but others had the steely look of resolve in their eyes.
Sink or swim, Callie…
Veronica Dare wasn’t sure if she’d been made, and she wanted desperately to continue observing, but her gut was telling her that now was the time to bug out. A momentary glitch in Eddie’s response time had caused the drone to drift and bump into the pipe wall. She began to climb back up the scaffolding to the unfinished roof.
There would be time to process this information, file an official threat assessment, and hopefully muster the resources to do something about this…
In the back of her mind, she knew that these kids would be left to fend for themselves for a long time. The UNSC’s current operational priority was stopping Cortana. To that end, Infinity was just weeks away from enacting Operation: WOLFE—and that wasn’t even taking into account what kind of response would even be possible for a situation like this. Showing up in force would ignite a full-scale war with Venezia, which was something threat analysts would not deem to be a worthwhile allocation of resources to save a few dozen kids.
Dare hated the ruthless calculus that determined what they could and couldn’t do, and in the years to come they would undoubtedly have to deal with the consequences of their inaction.
But in the meantime, Dare had to prioritize exfiltration.
Running over to the edge of the building, she ignored the lurch in her stomach as she looked down. A series of landing platforms had been extended on multiple levels below, she could use her grappleshot to lower herself down until she found one with a vehicle—not one of her best plans, but it was all she–
“So good of you to join us, Captain Dare.”
Dare spun, withdrawing her Mk50 in a single seamless motion, aiming her weapon at the newcomer. A hood covered his head, and his rasping voice sounded much like the one who had spoken in the amphitheater, but due to Eddie’s position she had been unable to identify him.
“You speak with M’raad.” He lowered his hood to reveal a bald humanoid head, with sunken eyes, skin as pale as milk, and reddened layers of flesh running under his jaw up to his chin.
“So, the Yonhet are creeping out of the shadows.” Dare mused, her tone smooth and collected, knowing. She had been an ONI agent long enough to maintain her composure even under such taut conditions.
The Yonhet smiled, showing a row of sharp teeth. “The fracturing of the Covenant has provided opportunity for all, none moreso than for M’raad’s people. War between empires is vast and bloody, but war between numerous disparate factions all seeking to gain an edge over each other? That, Captain, is good business. What do you make of the merchandise?”
Dare’s VISR picked up movement, red outlines appeared around half-a-dozen guards moving into position with weapons ready. She was surrounded.
“You mean the children you’ve taken?”
“Come now, Captain. M’raad is certain that ONI knows better than to take issue with such a thing.”
It came as no surprise that the ugly rumors of the SPARTAN-II program had reached Venezia. Now it looked like something similar was playing out here—the youth of this world being forcibly conscripted into becoming mercenaries to pay off family debts.
But surely they didn’t have the means to augment these kids, did they? The broader proliferation of the Spartan program with its latest incarnation had demystified some elements of how these super-soldiers were made, but no simple mercenary outfit could realistically recreate it.
“I’d be more concerned about what’s going to happen when word of this little business venture of yours gets back to the UNSC.”
The Yonhet laughed. “What is the UNSC today? You seem rather like the Covenant to me. Your resources have been carved up, your colonial pipelines decimated, your mighty flagship on the run across the stars. It is no wonder many of your military partners have been looking to expand their enterprise into private sectors, as you can no longer protect them. You must understand, Captain: Your masters are far more likely to financially invest in this project than expend resources attempting to shut it down.”
At that moment, Dare heard the telltale whine of a Phantom’s engine and turned to see the dropship rising up behind her, its searchlight illuminating the area.
“Welcome to the new galaxy, Captain.” M’raad said, raising his arms. “We would be glad to have you as a customer. But if you’re not interested in buying, perhaps an ONI agent will make for a rather profitable guest.”
The Phantom turned to its side and its troop bay doors lowered. In moments, she expected to be hauled inside as reinforcements arrived.
“That’s quite a sales pitch,” a familiar gruff voice sounded over the comm. Dare’s VISR picked up the unmistakably titanic figure of Dutch wielding a tri-barreled yeller. “Whatd’ya think, honey?”
“Y’know Dutch,” Gretchen disembarked from the Phantom with a VK78 in each hand and came to Dare’s side, “I don’t much like the look of this neighborhood. Or the local color for that matter.”
“Copy that.”
M’raad let out a low hiss at the sudden change in circumstances—he had numbers on his side, but going up against two heavily armed Spartans on an unfinished skyscraper’s rooftop had tipped the odds ever so slightly.
“Shiny ride, you two.” Dare began to slowly back up towards the Phantom while Gretchen kept her covered.
“Damn right she’s shiny!” Dutch kept his heavy machine gun aimed at M’raad. “You ready to leave these mike-foxtrots behind?”
They made it into the Phantom’s troop bay and Gretchen immediately marched to the cockpit. Dare couldn’t help but be surprised at the disciplined restraint of the Yonhet’s mercenaries, as she had expected that one of them would have opened fire.
“Another time,” M’raad called out. “We look forward to our next opportunity for a mutually beneficial transaction. Farewell, Captain.”
The Phantom’s troop bay doors closed and the dropship departed, darting away from the tower into thick layers of storm clouds to avoid detection or any gunships M’raad might send. Dare doubted that he would, however—perhaps the strangest thing about him was the apparent earnest confidence and certainty that the UNSC or ONI would look to make a deal with him somewhere down the line.
In the meantime, Dare had a small matter to attend to.
“What are you two doing here? I told– no, ordered Buck, that he was not to involve himself in this operation.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dutch said flatly. “He said that you did that.”
“So where is he?”
“He’s back home on Infinity, just as you ordered.”
“Thing is,” Gretchen entered the troop bay and pulled off her helmet, revealing a smirk, “and he was very keen to stress this part: ‘She didn’t say anything about anybody else on the squad gettin’ involved.’”
Dare closed her eyes for a second and sighed. “Of course.”
“And it looks like a good thing that we did,” Dutch attached his heavy machine gun to a rack on the rear wall of the dropship’s interior. “Or Captain Lasky might not have been too pleased about needing to launch a rescue op. Ma’am.”
It was a point she had to willingly concede. If they hadn’t shown up—if Buck hadn’t found some operational ambiguity in her orders—then things would have undoubtedly turned out very differently today.
“So, learn anything good at this little shindig?” Gretchen asked.
“Need-to-know, I’m afraid.”
“And will we?”
Dare remained silent for a moment.
Though she hated to admit it, M’raad had a point. What exactly was the UNSC right now—and ONI for that matter? Like the Covenant, their resources had been scattered across space, their seemingly glorious resurgence diminished from a triumphant roar to a strangled whisper.
“Mind taking the cockpit, you two?” Dare answered. “I need this report ready by the time we get back to Infinity.”
“Be my guest.” Gretchen made a slightly exaggerated show of waving Dutch through before following and sealing the door behind her, leaving Dare alone in the darkened troop bay.
“This is Captain Veronica Dare reporting on Operation: SONATA. Zef ‘Trahl’s intel was good, something big is going down here on Venezia. Preliminary observations showed several dozen children who have been given by their families to a Yonhet power broker where they will be trained to become mercenaries contracted to multiple unidentified groups. Surveillance footage and additional intel is attached to begin Section One review. File under code word ‘janissary.’”
Section One had run countless ever-expanding threat analysis models. Even in the event of actually managing to pull off stopping Cortana, the galaxy they would face afterwards would fill that vacuum with countless other problems. What Dare had discovered here today would be one of many, and she couldn’t begin to imagine how it would grow over the months and years to come.
Janissary[TAG-110].
The name had come from a group that had emerged from the latter years of humanity’s Middle Ages. The Ottoman Empire was known to have abducted children and—through years of intensive training—forged those slave-soldiers and mercenaries into a powerful military force.
ONI had once done the same and the results had ultimately helped them win the war against the Covenant. “Janissary” seemed an appropriate reminder that history had a habit of repeating itself, and this time it would be ONI on the receiving end.
OPTICAN, HEALTHCARE ON DEMAND! PRIVATE LOG // ADAM ANDREWS SEPTEMBER 29, 2559
Where to even begin…
Actually, first of all, a reminder: Dan is cooking tonight, his own family Bolognese recipe. Make sure to pick up some parmesan on the way home.
Anyway, to business. Contact has been made with several parties on Venezia, one of whom seems particularly promising. Nor Fel assures me that her clearing house crew can get what I need, but warned that it will take some time. Until I hear back from her, we will continue attempting to stabilize the existing Waverly compounds. Supplies are running short, but we are so close to a breakthrough. I can feel it.
Received word that New Colonial Alliance raids have been stepping up throughout Outer Colony regions in recent months, they hit Cygnus just a few weeks ago, and apparently they’re flying Banished colors now. All the more reason to do what we’re doing. To keep traveling down this road.
The UNSC can’t protect these people and Created intervention seems more akin to blindly tossing a grenade into a crowded room.
Super-soldiers can no longer remain the dominion of Spartans—of the UNSC. Our industries span numerous colonies, whole sectors of space, and they must be able to level the playing field on their own terms.
Where there is need, Optican will provide.
Forge Features
Fall is (almost) here and so is another installment of Forge Features! This is where we look at all the incredible works that players across the Halo community are creating in Halo Infinite’s Forge tool.
And yes. I’m blinded by the majesty each and every time. Let’s check out some new stuff together!
“Stunning” is the only word that comes to mind checking out this asymmetrical map. Everything about this map is pleasing to the eye and serves as a brilliant reminder of how powerful Forge is.
Wizard…Warlock…Warlord…This map has known many iterations. But this might be the most beautiful one yet. Looks like it was conjured straight out of a fantasy novel!
Mashing up the unlikely pairing of Halo 4 and the battle of Hacksaw Ridge, this map works great for 8v8 squad battles as well as Firefight: King of the Hill, and a bunch of other modes.
Credits: Nilphz, AxiosVH, Starkey213036, ArturBloodshot and RedDeath3401 Map | Mode
The quintessential Master Chief experience—storming the beach of the Silent Cartographer. Now playable in Halo Infinite, courtesy of Forge.
We’re always on the lookout for your creations, whether we’re surfing the in-game Customs Game Browser, browsing Twitter X, or by checking out the Forge show and tell area on the Halo Discord.
Keep sharing your work and we’ll see you next time!
Halo World Championship 2024
The 2024 Halo World Championship event is almost here!
From October 4-6 in Seattle, WA, the capstone event of the year will bring Year 3 of the Halo Championship Series to a climactic conclusion with a $1,000,000 prize pool. To learn more about the competitors, format, and any other tournament specifics check out this blog by HCS!
Of course, that’s just one part of the event. The Halo World Championship is an event for all kinds of fans to enjoy. As such, this event will once again see the return of the Community Stage, cosplay contest, partnered team booths, and more.
Save the date, secure your tickets, and read on for more details about the event (to be updated over the coming weeks). We’re just getting started...
What is HaloWC?
The Halo World Championship event is a celebration of the Halo community, an event that has something for every kind of fan which provides epic entertainment against the backdrop of thrilling competition.
The Seattle Convention Center will be transformed for a weekend of non-stop Halo action. Meet Halo developers, witness incredible cosplays, get hands-on with the game yourself, and join us at the Community Stage for a series of panels celebrating the long history of this storied franchise.
And at the center of it all, you will see the culmination of this year’s great journey for HCS as the best professional competitive Halo teams battle to be crowned this year’s winners and claim the mantle of victory.
But the competition doesn’t end there, as we’ve got some additional prize-winning opportunities at the event.
Secure your 3-day General Admission ticket ($75) to make sure you don’t miss any of the biggest Halo event of the year!
GA tickets ensure you...
get entry to the venue all weekend
are eligible to compete in the $25K FFA tournament
acquire your HaloWC Poster and Event In-Game Rewards Card to unlock all Drops offered.
Full details on tickets can be found in the link above
A very limited number of single-day tickets will be sold at the door to make sure you can join in the fun as well, but to lock in your weekend be sure to secure a 3-day GA ticket.
NOTE: The VIP package has officially SOLD OUT.
HaloWC Event Pass
While you’re at the event, you will have an Event Pass that you can complete which will reward you with an awesome cinematic HaloWC poster—a small slice of which you can see above.
Complete the Event Pass and then head to the info booth to get your Halo World Championship cinematic poster.
Partnered Team Discount Codes
Support your favorite teams and use any of the codes below at checkout to receive a 10% discount on your tickets—you save 10%, the teams receive 10%.
CLOUD9
COMPLEXITY
FAZE
OPTIC
SENTINELS
SPACESTATION
QUADRANT
Additional discount codes at checkout include:
MILITARY DISCOUNT: MLT for 10% off
SENIOR DISCOUNT: SNR for 10% off
Community Stage
The Community Stage is where we’ll be hosting a variety of panels on October 4-5 about everything Halo—from community discussions to developer talks, deep dives into Halo’s lore, playdates, and activities you can get involved in.
The Community Stage will kick off at noon on Friday and Saturday and the fun will continue all the way until approximately 8PM each day with a new panel or activity starting on the hour, every hour. Here’s a glimpse at some of the notable confirmed Community Stage experiences lined up for this year’s event.
“Canon Fodder Live” (Friday) - Dive into Halo’s lore and storytelling at HaloWC with a new edition of Canon Fodder LIVE, featuring fun fiction discussion and a preview of the next novel, Halo: Empty Throne.
“Combat Workshop – 1v1 Showdown” (Friday & Saturday) - Go head-to-head in a pre-release Halo Infinite 1v1 experience live on the Community Stage for prizes and of course, bragging rights.
“Community Playdate Live” (Friday & Saturday) - We’ll kick off each day with some high-octane Halo Infinite gameplay where members of the audience will square off for glory, prizes, and the exclusive Ice Unicorn reward.
“Cosplay Contest” (Friday & Saturday) - Scroll down to learn more about this year’s Cosplay Contest! You’ll be able to catch the first qualifying heat on Friday and the second on Saturday. Sign up now!
“Digsite Deep-Dive: Halo 2” (Saturday) - Join special guests Kenneth Peters and Sean Cooper as we explore restored surprises and more from the cutting room floor of Halo 2 in celebration of its upcoming 20th anniversary.
“Feet First Into Halo” (Saturday) - Join members of the Halo Cosplay Community to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about getting started as a cosplayer with insightful tips, advice, amazing builds, and helpful resources.
“Girly Spark” (Saturday) - Join Halo community special guests LaSinity, Sarvanah, and Domino, with host snickerdoodle, to celebrate women in Halo! Chat with them to learn more about the scene, their respective roles and programs, opportunities to get involved, and chances to win some special prizes.
“Halo Infinite Development Deep Dives” (Friday) - Join members of the team to learn more about the development process behind recent updates to Forge and get a preview of some exciting things on the horizon! On Saturday, the team will take a closer look at what goes into a Halo Infinite Sandbox overhaul.
“Halo Trivia” (Friday) - How much do you know about Halo? Put your knowledge to the test for the chance to win some sweet prizes!
“The Art of Halo” (Friday) - Join special guests Isaac Hannaford, Glenn Israel, William “Pixelflare” Cameron, and Ben Frazier for a discussion about the iconic art of Halo.
“The Forge Falcons – Forging the Future” (Saturday) - Take a deep dive with members of the Forge Falcons to learn how some of your favorite Halo experiences come to life along with some big announcements and special reveals.
Please stay tuned for the final schedule, streaming details, and keep in mind that some of this programming is subject to change as we get everything finalized before the big event.
Cosplay Contest
The Cosplay Contest returns to the Halo World Championship with $5,000 up for grabs!
Every year, we are blown away by the passion, talent, and dedication of Halo’s cosplay community, and we can’t wait to see how you show up to this year’s event which is being run in partnership with the amazing folks of the 405th.
Signing up to the Cosplay Contest is free and conducted on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure to complete your objective of filling out the form ASAP.
The Cosplay Contest will take the following format (note that these times may be subject to change):
Qualifier 1: (FRIDAY - 3:00PM PT): All those in costume will be invited on stage in groups to show off costume to the audience and judges. The judges will score all participants based on execution, creativity, complexity and accuracy.
Qualifiers 2 (SATURDAY - 3:00PM PT): All those in costume will be invited on stage in groups to show off costume to the audience and judges. The judges will score all participants based on execution, creativity, complexity and accuracy. Judges will then invite the top 3 entrants with the highest scores from Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 to the Finals.
Finals: (SATURDAY - 6:00PM PT): Invited contestants will be invited to Finals and judged based on execution, creativity, complexity and accuracy to determine the order of the top 3 winners.
Partner Booths
As you explore the venue, you’ll find various partner booths where you can acquire official merch for Halo and competing teams, take photos to keep as a memento to an unforgettable weekend, and more.
Stay tuned for further information!
Onsite Experiences & Extras
Combat Workshop Live
For those that enjoy going hands-on at the free-play stations, we have a few fun surprises planned.
First and foremost, fresh from the Salt Lake City event, we’ll be showing off our new 1v1 Showdown mode.
Face off against another Spartan in this head-to-head, round based experience. Get more kills than your opponent to win the round BUT the highest score wins the match. Score points based on how you kill your enemy – style counts! Each round players move to a different combat arena with different loadouts and pickups.
Jump in and see if you have the steady hands (and nerves) to come out on top.
And because this is Combat Workshop Live, we want to hear from you! Come try out this experience and then let us know what you think. There will be QR codes with feedback forms around the venue.
What other goodies might be playable on site? Well maybe it’s time to get your tickets…
Where To Watch & Twitch Drops
For those of you watching the action at home, or if you’re looking to tune into the Community Stage panels live, here are all the links you’ll need. Broadcasts typically begin from 12PM PST.
Tournament Broadcast
Follow all the competitive action at the following links:
Don't forget, items will not be “going away” when the Exchange refreshes. They will still be available to purchase with Spartan Points through the customization menus (much like bundles once they have rotated out of the Shop).
Straight from the river Styx.
Grab armor worthy of the fabled hero himself with the Achilles Ascendant bundle:
Achilles helmet
Victors’ Crest helmet attachment
Achilles Pauldron shoulder pads
Achilles Breastplate chest attachment
Achilles Plate hip attachment
Achilles Protection wrist attachment
Burn Scar armor coating
Arm yourself fully and ensure there's no sign of weakness...is that your heel I see?
Enter Sovereign, the vanguard of your victory.
Celebrate the Halo World Championship by picking up the HaloWC 2024 Championship Bundle containing:
Sovereign Spear helmet
Sovereign Crest helmet attachment
Sovereign Host shoulder pads
Sovereign Badge chest attachment
Sovereign Petal hip attachment
Sovereign Guard kneepads
War Ravaged armor coating
Solar Bandit weapon model for M392 Bandit and Bandit Evo
Solar Winds weapon coating
Revenue from each bundle sold directly supports your favorite HCS teams, including FaZe, OpTic, Quadrant, Cloud9, Spacestation, Complexity, and Sentinels. \n\nMay the best team win!
