author: Michael Zegar
Halo Infinite Saved? First Details About Season 2
We learned the first details about season 2 of Halo Infinite. New maps and modes will be added to the game soon. It is possible that in the future we will see a server browser and changes in the interface.
Free multiplayer mode of Halo Infinite debuted in November 2021, and the title itself recorded the best debut in the history of the series.. During last year's The Game Awards the title even won the "Gamers' Choice" category.
However, due to the modest content of the online mode at launch and the lack of further updates expanding it, a large number of players have abandoned the title over the past few months.
The situation may be saved by the game's Season 2, which is set to debut on May 3. Along with it, the title will receive an injection of modes, maps, as well as elements to customize weapons and armor.
Lessons learned from Heroes of Reach
On the official website dedicated to Halo the developers have posted a long report - it consists of more than 7 thousand words - in which they describe what they learned after the release of Season 1 (titled Heroes of Reach). In it, they also give a glimpse of the content that may be coming to the game with the launch of the next one, called "Lone Wolves".
"(...) please keep in mind that this is not meant to cover all the upcoming work we have planned for Halo Infinite – nor does it have specific timelines for every item. It will, however, cover many of the common feedback areas that you’ve seen raised and discussed online with a focus on what’s landing in Season 2."
What's new in Season 2
You can read the whole thing here. Below are some of the most interesting paragraphs, which describe the novelties that will hit the game with the start of season 2:
- Catalyst is a new small Arena-type map
- The volume of shield regeneration will be reduced to avoid giving the enemy too much information about the player's position.
- Attrition and King of the Hill modes will be reintroduced to the game
In Attrition each team has a certain amount of lives. Once this amount is used up, the team is no longer able to respawn. Once this happens, however, each participant will start leaving a special trail after death. When an ally interacts with it, the knocked out companion will return to the game. The side with not a single living player loses.
Other changes for the upcoming season
The content of the next combat pass will be revealed soon, as well as new cosmetic items that will appear in the in-game store. These will most likely focus on Spartans playing the role of trappers.
Forge mode in Halo Infinite is to be a "generation leap" in comparison to its previous versions. It should be made available to players enrolled in the Halo Insiders anytime now.
- Breaker is a new large map for battles with large teams (there is a huge moving laser on it).
- A time-limited Elimination mode will be added to the game, in which the last surviving player wins.
- Collisions during melee combat will be improved.
- Radar will get special a ring will be added to display certain enemy actions such as shooting and sprinting.
- Every effort has been made to increase the game's stability on PC. and eliminate many situations in which the game can unexpectedly crash.
- Academy will see the addition of weapon drills with no time limit.
- Ravager's area of attack has been increased.
- Melee damage is to be decreased by 10% for each weapon.
Because of this The Mangler will need two shots and one melee attack to take down an opponent. Previously a single bullet from this weapon and a fist strike were enough to kill.
Transparency and size of the border around allies and enemies will become configurable. The Banshee will get improved controls and damage output..
Warthdog and Razorback will receive improved suspension. Jeff Steitzer's voice will return in multiplayer to announce medals earned by players.
What's in store for the future?
The report also includes what changes are coming to Halo Infinite in unspecified future. As in the paragraph above, we've picked out some of the most interesting items:
- Increased stability on PC specs aimed at running the game at more than 120 frames per second.
- Server browser and region selection.
- An auto-sprint option and more color blindness settings.
- The implementation of audio visualization to help hearing impaired players has not been ruled out either.
- Improvements in the anti-cheat system (poetically called the Arbiter).
- Quick alternative attack of Gravity Hammer that doesn't consume ammo.
- Improved usability of the Pulse Carbine, Plasma Pistol, and VK78 Commando.
- Improved visualization of the opponent's energy shield.
- Improved weapon switching using the mouse wheel.
- All grenades held at a given time to be visible on the HUD at the same time.
- Alternative interface reminiscent of Halo: Reach or Halo 4.
The option to disable Crossplay is not currently planned. The red crosshair will not return on PC due to the desire to reduce the amount of available cheats on this platform.
Elements from the TV series
Studio 343 Industries (developer of the game) has confirmed that in the future we will get content inspired by the Halo series from Paramount.
Retro targeting sensitivity
As an interesting fact we should mention controller sensitivity levels when firing a weapon, which are supposed to correspond to those of previous Halo games. In Infinite these have been nullified by default to increase control during shootouts.
- Sensitivity at 1.4x zoom: 1.3
- Sensitivity at 2.5x zoom: 1.3
- Sensitivity at 3x zoom: 1.3
- Sensitivity at 5x zoom: 1.2
- Sensitivity at 6x zoom: 1.2
- Sensitivity at 10x zoom: 1.2
