Halo Infinite has had its ups and downs, with a rocky first multiplayer season and a frustrating progression system. However, now that the newest entry in the Halo franchise has entered its second season, it seems to be on-track to become another hit multiplayer game. The latest update for HaloInfinite released some much-needed additional features such as maps and game modes, but many fans are holding out for the release of some other classic modes.
There are now a variety of different game types that players can choose in Halo Infinite, some like Last Spartan Standing being unique to the latest entry in the series. HaloInfinite could appease its fanbase by introducing some of the most popular game modes from past iterations.
Warzone
Halo 5: Guardians may not have been the most well-received title, but it did introduce a unique and beloved game mode: Warzone. Not to be confused with Call of Duty’s battle royale, Halo’s Warzone pit two teams of 12 Spartans against each other in a battle to capture bases and destroy the enemy team’s base core. Matches were played on the larger, Big Team Battle maps and added a twist by including AI-controlled Covenant and Promethean enemies.
This game mode is different from any other Halo multiplayer mode because it acts as more of a versus campaign that included both PvP and PvE elements. It came as a nice change of pace from the usual multiplayer and remains popular to this day. Fans have been demanding the mode return in Halo Infinite, as it would fit well with the added equipment mobility and could better utilize Big Team Battle maps.
Firefight
Firefight was first introduced in Halo 3: ODST, the only multiplayer mode specifically for the title. It is a fully cooperative game mode that has a team of up to four players fighting hordes of increasingly difficult and abundant enemies. Firefight made a return in Halo Reach, but has since been notably missing.
The appeal behind Firefight is its focus on co-op, arcade-style scoring system, and respawn limit. The Master Chief Collection did recently have an update that included a well-received Flood Firefight Mode, so 343 has not entirely forgotten about the horde mode, but adding it to the modern Halo Infinite would appease a lot of fans.
Invasion
Halo Reach introduced the Invasion game mode, an objective-based, large-scale battle that unlocked more of the map as the game progressed. Two teams were pitted against each other, with one attacking and attempting to capture objectives while the other team’s goal is to fend them off.
Invasion’s main draw was the scale of the matches. At the start, there would be a small map with few vehicles or power weapons, but as the match progressed more items and vehicles would spawn to give teams more mobility and firepower. Halo Reach is the only game to have featured this mode, but its unique playstyle is worth revisiting in the future.
Infection
Infection began as an unofficial “zombie” mode in Halo 2’s custom games. The game put a team of humans against a single zombie player, who was armed with an energy sword and had increased agility but low health. The human team's goal is to survive while the Infected must eliminate all the human players. As the Infected eliminated more human players, they would also become infected and start to hunt down their former teammates.
This game mode has been wildly popular, becoming a regular game mode in almost every game since Halo 2. With that said, it has yet to appear in Halo Infinite, likely due to the game lacking the Forge mode that was used to create the original custom ruleset and maps. Once Forge is officially released for Halo Infinite, fans are hopeful that Infection will follow.
Team Doubles
Team Doubles is a bit of an oddball in Halo multiplayer, as it breaks away from the traditional two-team system. Originally introduced in Halo 3, Team Doubles pit four teams of two against each other in a chaotic mix of classic multiplayer modes.
The appeal of Team Doubles revolved around the reliance of a duo working together against the constant threat of three enemy teams. Communication and coordination were key to a team’s success, which is why Team Doubles was considered one of Halo’s most competitive and engaging multiplayer modes.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.