Debuting at Microsoft's recent Xbox showcase, fans have finally had their first full look at Halo Infinite, with Master Chief's newest adventure seeing him take on a dangerous enemy in Halo Wars 2's The Banished. The game is running on a brand new engine, features a dynamic grapple hook mechanic, and has a semi-open-world structure for the first time in the series' history.
It also will see the Chief return to a setting much more reminiscent of his early days on the original Xbox, with Infinite taking the fight once again to a ring of Halo. However, 343 Industries' Chris Lee has revealed that the classic setting isn't as unknown as some might think, telling Games Radar in an interview that the game actually takes place on Zeta Halo.
"Halo Infinite will be set on Zeta Halo," Lee casually reveals, continuing to tell the publication that Infinite's new technology means that team are "letting players experience the size and scope of a Halo ring for the first time." Halo Zeta is one of the biggest Halo rings in the series' universe, so naturally, it definitely feels like a solid fit to achieve that goal. As for why a ring as big as Zeta was the choice, Lee states: "We want to create something that's familiar, but different... the TACMAP gives you an idea of the size and scale, and some of the objectives that you will find in Halo Infinite."
For those not caught up on Halo's deeper lore, Zeta Halo (or Halo Installation 07) is by far one of the series' more mysterious locations, with a deep and storied history full of cryptic secrets. It housed some of the earliest humans in the Halo universe, which will no doubt lead to some interesting lore reveals for veteran fans, while it also saw experiments conducted on and around the Flood, which could tease a potential return of the iconic foe. Not only that, but it's actually the only remaining Halo ring of the original 12, meaning it likely offers a lot of power to any who try to wield it.
The confirmation that Zeta will be the central location of Infinite will likely make a lot of fans happy, many of which were speculating that the Chief's next adventure would take place there following several hints from 343. Overall, the final Halo ring feels like a fitting setting for what will reportedly be the last entry in the Halo series for a long time.
Halo Infinite will launch later this year for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: GamesRadar