Highlights

  • Halo Infinite introduces the Match Composer, allowing players to select specific game modes in multiplayer playlists for a more personalized experience.
  • Players can now avoid being randomly dropped into different game modes, ensuring they can focus on playing the modes they enjoy the most.
  • While the Match Composer enhances player choice and experience, some game modes may be harder to find due to player population, especially in less popular playlists.

Halo Infinite launched the fourth fracture Tenrai operation this month. Spartans will get to play in a Tenrai-themed Free-for-All Ninja Slayer, Ninja King of the Hill, Juggernaut, Ninja Ball, and Ninjanaut game modes on a variety of maps, including the new, community-made map Hanami. While players work towards unlocking new Tenrai armor and other cosmetics, this new operation brought with it a major change to Halo Infinite’s multiplayer: a Match Composer.

halo infinite multiplayer
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Halo Infinite’s Match Composer Compared to Old Multiplayer System

For most of Halo Infinite’s near three-year lifespan, players have been able to get into various Slayer matches by selecting a game mode, searching for players, and being randomly put onto a map. However, in certain matches such as Quick Play or Big Team Battle, players would have no choice over what map they spawn on or what game mode they’ll play. For instance, players may load into a Big Team Battle Capture the Flag match in one game, but then enter a Big Team Battle Stockpile match the next time they search for a game.

Players still have no choice over what map they spawn on, but with the Match Composer, players can select what specific game mode they want to play. When players load into Halo Infinite’s multiplayer, they can choose from 10 multiplayer playlists to compose their ideal game match. Once selected, players can select or deselect any game modes they desire. For example, players could select the Squad Battle playlist and select only the Land Grab game mode. This will cause the player to only search for Squad Battle Land Grab matches instead of being randomly dropped into any of the five remaining Squad Battle game modes. Through the Match Composer, players can join the specific game modes they want to play and not worry about the rest.

The 10 playlists Spartans can compose matches for include:

  • Big Team Battle
  • Firefight Normal
  • Firefight Heroic
  • Firefight Legendary
  • Infection
  • Quick Play
  • Rumble
  • Squad Battle
  • Team Doubles
  • Tenrai 4

Match Composer Exceptions and Setbacks

The only game modes players can’t compose themselves are the ranked playlists. In a Halo Waypoint news post, Halo Community Director Brian “ske7ch” Jarrard explained that they restricted ranked playlists from the Match Composer in order, “To ensure Halo Infinite’s Ranked experience maintains the highest level of competitive integrity…” Despite this exception, a Ranked Tactical playlist was made available with this update.

One setback from Halo Infinite’s Match Composer is that some game modes may be naturally harder to find if not many players are searching for them. For example, if someone is looking to play a Quick Play Elimination match to get the MEDIC! achievement and only a few players have that gametype in their composed playlist, it may take a while for a match to be made, if at all. This could cause some of the less popular or unique game modes to have little to no player populations.

While the Infection playlist is included among the composable matches, players can currently only select one game mode in the Infection playlist.

Halo’s History and Future with Match Composers

Halo Infinite isn’t the first Halo title to introduce a multiplayer Match Composer. In November 2018, Halo: The Master Chief Collection first introduced the Match Composer to Halo players. This allowed players to compose a custom match playlist from multiplayer modes in Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4. Similar to Halo Infinite’s Match Composer, players could select or deselect certain games and game modes. The more options that were selected, the more likely people were able to get into games. However, players could select just one game and game mode if they desired, such as searching for just Capture the Flag matches in Halo 2: Anniversary.

Two Halo games have now had Match Composers added later on in their lifespan. With this trend, 343 Industries could launch Halo 7 with a Match Composer instead of just the traditional Halo multiplayer system. This could prevent matchmaking issues early on in Halo 7’s lifespan and potentially increase player retainability. Halo Infinite’s Match Composer may set the multiplayer precedent for future Halo games.