Halo Infinite multiplayer is here. The rumours were true, and the multiplayer component did indeed drop at the end of the Xbox 20th Anniversary Briefing.
We’ve put together a short guide for those jumping into Halo multiplayer for the first time. Hopefully, any old hands that need a quick refresher course will find it useful, too.
How To Battle Pass
Like many other online shooters, Halo Infinite multiplayer comes with a standard Battle Pass. The standard Battle Pass is completely free. The more you play, the more XP you accrue, which unlocks cosmetics and loot as you level up. There’s also a premium version of the Battle Pass available, which will cost you real money. The Premium Battle Pass contains extra loot and store credits throughout its multi-level ladder. It’ll set you back 1000 credits, or AU$14.95.
The Premium Pass Bundle contains everything in the Premium Battle Pass but also gives you 100 XP Grants, enough to take you straight to Level 25. This is the one to go for if you’re looking for a head start on the seasonal content. The Premium Pass Bundle is 2800 credits. You can either buy 5000 credits for AU$69.95 or 3000 credits across two individual purchases (2000 and 1000 credits respectively).
Acquiring XP to level up your Battle Pass is about completing challenges. Fortnite players will already be used to this kind of system, where larger blocks of XP are given as rewards for completing specific feats or tasks. Halo Infinite employs a similar strategy. Pay attention to your challenges, hit those milestones as best you can and level up.
Customise your Spartan
Your Spartan soldier is your very own hulking, genetically modified, interplanetary Barbie doll. Dressing them up a bit lets you display a bit of personality on the battlefield. Strike fear into the hearts of your foes with high-level cosmetics mined from the upper echelons of the Battle Pass, or tell them you’re happy to splash cash with something from the shop. You’ll find all of this in the Armour Hall, under the Customise tab.
Unlike previous instalments, Halo Infinite‘s Customise tab is broken into quite a few different submenus. There is a surprising number of things you can customise about your Spartan.
The Weapons Bench will allow you to apply weapon skins, mods, charms and emblems to your weapons for further character. In Vehicle Bay, you’ll find much the same around the game’s heavier mobile artillery. Body and AI will let you change your Spartan’s body type and add prosthetic limbs (a cool inclusive touch we saw Forza Horizon 5 implement only a few weeks ago). You can also customise the voice and colour of your AI buddy, who will provide battlefield data as matches progress.
Finally, there’s your Spartan ID, which will allow you to give yourself a four-digit designation (perfect for clan tags) and other small changes. You can choose your Spartan’s voice, the number on their nameplate and their victory screen stance.
Start with Bot Bootcamp if you’re new
Cannot stress this enough: if you’re new to Halo multiplayer, start with a few rounds against the bots. This will allow you to do two critical things:
- Get a sense of the controls, abilities and how different guns work before encountering real players
- Get a lay of the land across a few of the game’s levels. Knowing your way around grants a significant tactical advantage, both for routing other players and team, and getting out of harm’s way quickly when you need to.
The bots are also reasonably easy to deal with. They’ll let you practise headshots, grenade lobs and other combat fundamentals in a more controlled environment.
You should also be careful not to stray into Ranked right away unless you’re an old Halo diehard. For newer players, Ranked is where the devil lives. These lobbies are where the game is taken quite a bit more seriously. Only the truly competitive play Ranked matches, and underperformance in this mode usually results in angry Xbox Live messages after the game.
Extra modes are coming
Right now, Halo Infinite multiplayer doesn’t have a ton of modes to offer, but that doesn’t mean they’re not good ones. In fact, the game seems to be launching with nothing but tried-and-true favourites. This is because it’s only just launched and the priority is ensuring a stable foundation before adding more content. Quick Play is a rotation of Slayer (Deathmatch) and Objective game modes like Capture the Flag or King of the Hill played in teams of 4 v 4.
Big Team Battle moves to much larger maps for 12 v 12 games and throws a lot of vehicles into the mix. It’s the Whose Line Is It Anyway of game modes, where the rules are made up and the kills don’t matter.
Finally, there’s Ranked Arena, which as discussed earlier is where you should head if you want serious, no-nonsense, competitive Halo Infinite multiplayer.
343 Industries has stated that other modes and game types will come to Halo Infinite multiplayer in due course. If you’re hungry for more than is already here, it’s just a waiting game for now.
Text chat exists in the console version
You can hold your Menu button (aka the Start button, the one on your controller with the three-line pancake on it) while in the multiplayer lobby to open the text chat on your Xbox. Here, those without mics can chatter away with friends or squadmates while you wait for the game to find you a match.
It’s one of the game’s most novel touches, one that isn’t exactly prevalent in shooters on console. For many, the expectation is that you’ll either use messaging built into the console platform or join voice comms as a default. Its addition in Halo Infinite multiplayer ensures that everyone can communicate, though that obviously comes with a caveat — always use comms channels for good, people. Play nice, play fair.
Experiment with different button configs
Something many long-time Halo multiplayer fans will tell you is that you should pick a control layout that feels right to you. There are six preset controller layouts in the Settings menu under the Controller subheading that might fit the bill. Alternatively, you can create your own fully-remapped layout if you prefer something more bespoke.
The more comfortable you are with the controls, the more effective you’ll be in multiplayer. Your relationship to the controls should be reflexive, natural. That’s always been a huge part of what gives Halo its incredible game-feel. Take the time to get yourself set up properly, it’ll be worth it.
After that, it’s over to you! Use these tips to set yourself up for success and build a playstyle that works for you. Fight for the wins and don’t sweat the losses. Work with your team, play the objective. Most importantly, GLHF.
Halo Multiplayer is out now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows PC. It’s available via Xbox Game Pass with an active subscription.
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