A massive Halo Infinite update has been scheduled for March, overhauling networking, adding anti-cheat and introducing a heap of new content to the long-troubled free-to-play multiplayer game.
While Halo Infinite finally became the game it should’ve been with Season 5, the Xbox game has suffered from some core issues since launch. Thankfully, some of the game’s biggest issues are finally being fixed.
In a blog post from 343 Industries, it’s confirmed that a huge networking change is coming to Halo Infinite in the next few days. This overhaul will finally fix, or at least address, the game’s long-hated desync issue, an issue that causes you to get killed from around corners.
“After launch, we heard the feedback around the game’s online experience loud and clear: desync, being shot around corners, etc. And while we did release numerous updates to the previous model, they were not having the impact that players expected and deserved,” the developer said.
“Now that we’ve given it that extra time, we are confident that this updated model will result in a better and more consistent multiplayer experience.”
On top of the arrival of a completely reworked networking structure, Halo Infinite will introduce easy anti-cheat into the game to stop the rising wave of cheaters.
As for gameplay additions, 343 has added a plethora of new features to the game. Firstly, Firefight will no longer be tied to King of the Hill, allowing players and Forgers to create classic Firefight horde battles and other custom games.
Squad Battle has also been overhauled with a selection of new maps. These maps include a return to Halo: Combat Evolved’s Timberland with Timberland Evolved and a remake of Halo 4’s Perdition. Below is the full list of new maps:
- Perdition
- Refuge
- Timberland Evolved
- Rendezvous
- Gyre
- Harvest
- Behemoth
Finally, 343 has introduced some much needed weapon tweaks to the game alongside some huge bug fixes. While we won't go through everything, a more consistent gravity hammer with increased knockback, a faster bandit reload and a more useful commando are among the highlights. You can find the full patch notes here.
This latest Halo Infinite update is part of an overall trend of fixing the Halo franchise. For example, Halo Season 2 is a massively improved entry to the TV show, and even the series’ latest book - Halo: Epitaph - has fixed the biggest issue with Halo 5: Guardians. Hey, fans are even bringing back Halo 2 multiplayer on the original Xbox for the first time in 14 years.
Halo Infinite is currently free to play on Xbox Series and PC. The game’s campaign can be purchased separately or played via Xbox Game Pass.