‘Halo: Infinite’s Patch Notes Are Long Enough to Need a Table of Contents
Halo Infinite‘s patch has tons of new content and updates, making this one of the most robust patches we’ve seen for any game in a long time.
Halo: Infinite has been notable lackluster for a lot of fans, but it’s certainly not a bad game by any means. But fan’s claims of lack of content and needed quality of life changes are getting the attention they deserve. So much so, that the Season 2 patch notes have their own table of contents.
Battle Pass
The Season 2 patch notes includes a new 100-tier battle pass with 180 rewards. If players weren’t able to complete the Season 1 pass, they’ll have the option to switch to the Season 1 pass in order to complete it.
Also included are some new events, and a new cinematic, which will be unlocked when opening the Season 2 menu.
Additionally, the Halo: Infinite patch features 2 separate Lone Wolves events, each lasting two weeks. Both events will feature Event Passes with 10 separate items available. These Event Passes require players to complete Event Challenges, usually requiring players to complete matches or perform certain actions in the event playlist
- Interference will be active May 3-15, 2022.
- Alpha Pack will be active July 19 – August 1, 2022.
New Game Modes
This patch includes several new game modes.
Last Spartan Standing is a free-for-all mode which pits 12 players against each other with a 5 respawns. Each player can gain Personal Score by killing enemies, earning assists, and collecting eliminated players’ AI. Personal Score increases a player’s level, which grants them improved weapons to choose from. The winner is the last player standing after all others have been eliminated.
King of the Hill is a multiplayer staple and this Halo: Infinite patch adds this staple of the genre. Here, two teams of four players battle over a central control point. While one team controls the point, their score meter increases. The winning team is the first to fill their score bar.
Land Grab is similar to King of the Hill, but instead there are 3 neutral control points. However, once a point is captured, the team scores a point and that control point is no longer available for capture. Once all 3 points are captured, three new points appear somewhere on the map. Once either team is one point away from victory, the number of active zones is reduced, ensuring an epic final battle.
New Maps
Two new maps have been added in this patch, Catalyst and Breaker.
Gameplay Changes
The Halo: Infinite patch adds some new features and changes to the game as well. New motion tracking will now give a slight indication to any players at the edge of the tracker. Rather than a specific blip, players on the edge will only be indicated in a more general direction.
Endless weapon drills allow players to test their skills without the limit of a timer or scoreboard. The patch notes specifically mention this was an additional thanks to player feedback on the official forums.
Bot AI has been improved as well, which is always welcome.
- Bots will now jump into allies’ vehicles as either passengers or gunners.
- Bots are now more capable of completing objectives in game modes such as Capture the Flag (CTF) and Strongholds.
- In Academy’s Training Mode, multiple new toggles and options have been added to finetune bot behavior on a per-skill basis. Adjustable skills include movement, aiming, equipment usage, grenade usage, and more.
Finally, some UI changes allowing customized player outlines and improved frame rates.
Balance Changes
You can read the details yourself, but here’s a quick summary.
- Melee Attacks –Nerfed
- Manger – Nerfed
- Ravager – Buffed
- Drop Wall – Buffed
- Overshield – Buffed
- Warthog – Buffed
- Chopper – Buffed
- Banchee – Buffed
- Slide – Tweaked
- Jumps – Tweaked
Overall, the Halo: Infinite patch is a beefy and adds a good amount of new content. New game modes are always a welcome addition, especially classics like KOTH. Overall, this is a great direction for the game and I hope we see similar patches in the future.
