The second season of the epic hit series Halo will premiere February 8, with two all-new episodes, on Paramount+. Starting today, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members, who are new to Paramount+, can experience all of the action with a 30-day trial to Paramount+ via Perks.* In addition to Halo, viewers can stream A Mountain of Entertainment on the service, including exclusive originals, big movies and more.
In season two, Master Chief John-117 (Pablo Schreiber) leads his team of elite Spartans against the alien threat known as the Covenant. In the wake of a shocking event on a desolate planet, John cannot shake the feeling that his war is about to change and risks everything to prove what no one else will believe – that the Covenant is preparing to attack humanity’s greatest stronghold. With the galaxy on the brink, John embarks on a journey to find the key to humankind’s salvation, or its extinction, the Halo.
Eligible Ultimate members may claim the 30-day subscription trial through the Perks gallery on their Xbox console, on the Xbox app on Windows PCs or through the Xbox Game Pass mobile app on iOS and Android. Once the Perk is claimed, members will be directed to the Paramount+ site to activate their trial. The Paramount+ app is also available to download and use on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles and Windows PCs in select regions.
*For Game Pass Ultimate members in the U.S.
Valid for new Paramount+ subscribers only. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers get a 30-day free trial when you subscribe to a Paramount+ monthly Essential or Paramount+ with Showtime plan. Claim by 4/7/24. Redeem by 5/10/24 (U.S. only). After trial, your subscription auto-renewsand your payment method is charged based on selected plan’s regular price (+tax), as applicable unless canceled. Cancel any time on your account page, effective at the end of bill cycle. No refunds. 18+ T&Cs apply, see pplus.legal/subscription. Only 1 offer per account. Other restrictions may apply.
For Game Pass Ultimate members in other eligible countries
Valid for new Paramount+ subscribers only. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers get a 30-day free trial when you subscribe to a Paramount+ monthly Standard plan (available in AR, AU, AT, BR, CA, CL, CO, FR, DE, IE, IT, MX, CH, and GB only). Claim by 4/7/24. Redeem by 5/10/24. After trial, your subscription auto-renews and your payment method is charged based on selected plan’s regular price (+tax as applicable), unless canceled. Cancel any time on your account page, effective at end of bill cycle. No refunds. 18+ T&Cs apply, see pplus.legal/subscription. Only 1 offer per account. Other restrictions may apply.
Halo Infinite’s latest update, Content Update 29 (“CU29”), has arrived alongside the launch of the newest Operation: Spirit of Fire!
The latest free update for Halo Infinite brings the legendary Mjolnir Mark IV armor core, multi-core shoulder customization alongside a slew of HCS and Silver Team-themed goodness for your Spartan, a new map, three new Operations, and much more—let’s dive into to check it all out…
CONTENTS
OVERVIEW
UPDATE OVERVIEW – Catch up on our January 19 Community Livestream which outlines the content in this update and our approach to Halo Infinite going forwards this year.
MAP OVERVIEW – Take a guided tour of Illusion, the new Arena map.
FORGE OVERVIEW – Learn more about the new features and improvements coming to Forge, including the Covenant palette, Mode Creator, and more.
CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW – Get a closer look at the Mark IV Armor Core, customization improvements, and upcoming Operations.
OPERATION: SPIRIT OF FIRE
As part of today’s update, all players will receive the classic Mark IV Armor Core for free. Simply jump into the game and you’ll find it waiting for you in the Armor Hall.
This fan-favorite armor has appeared in the likes of Halo Wars and Halo Wars 2, Halo Legends, Halo 5: Guardians, and now this legendary iteration of Mjolnir has come to Halo Infinite.
And what better way to kick off the update than with the opportunity to further outfit the Mark IV Armor Core?
Enter Operation: Spirit of Fire, which runs from January 30 to March 5 and features 20 tiers of free customization rewards, including new armor attachments, coatings, weapon charms, emblems, and more.
You know the drill with Operations now: in addition to the free pass, there are two additional premium options you can purchase.
500 credits will make the Operation Pass durable (it will not expire), offers bonus XP during the Operation’s live window, an extra Challenge slot while your pass is equipped, and comes with an exclusive customization item.
2,000 credits instantly unlocks all 20 tiers of the Operation Pass at purchase and includes the exclusive bonus customization item.
The bonus customization item for this Operation is the Evolved MA5—a weapon model for your Assault Rifle that will transform the sleek and modern MA40 into the classically chunky design reminiscent of the MA5B seen in Halo: CE and Halo Wars.
When the Spirit of Fire Operation concludes on March 5, there are still two more free Operations that will take us through April 30!
CYBER SHOWDOWN III MARCH 5-APRIL 2
Themed around the concept of a “viral machine,” the latest exploration of these Created champions veers more into the realm of cybernetic horror that reflects the twisted nature of their creation. Jump into Halo Infinite on March 5 to unlock 20 tiers of new customization rewards for your CHIMERA Armor Core.
THE YAPPENING II APRIL 2-APRIL 30
The Yappening II arrives in April to help you celebrate the season of fools with 20 tiers of Grunty goodness.
ILLUSION
Today’s update also brings a brand-new map to Halo Infinite, titled Illusion.
Illusion takes place within an abandoned ONI black site where old experiments with recovered (and familiar) Covenant technology remain.
Described as a love letter to the map design of Halo: Combat Evolved, Illusion features a unique mid-section where a corridor possesses the traits of active camouflage—so players who go into the center will turn invisible.
MULTI-USE SHOULDER CUSTOMIZATION
Our multi-use journey for Halo Infinite’s customization continues with the addition of shoulder pads that can be equipped across any Armor Core.
Like before, this multi-use expansion of armor works retroactively, so all of your current shoulder pads are multi-core enabled and all shoulders going forward will be multi-core as well.
Following on from work that has been accomplished over previous updates to make helmets, visors, and many coatings multi-core, there are now billions of possible combinations available in Halo Infinite. We can’t wait to see the latest and greatest Spartan drip out on the battlefield!
FORGE UPDATES
Forge continues to evolve as we target highly requested additions, enhancements, and quality-of-life improvements. Here are some of the highlights of the new toys you’re able to play with in Halo Infinite’s Forge:
COVENANT OBJECT PALETTE
Need more purple? Over 70 new Covenant-themed structure pieces, primitives, accents, and decals are now available for Forgers to create exciting experiences that harken back to Halo’s roots.
FORGE MODE CREATOR
This new functionality allows players to script modes in the Node Graph like a prefab, then save, share, and play those experiences—just like you would share a mode created in the Custom Game menu.
The Forge Mode Creator will make it easier for modes to be shared and played, hooked up to community maps, and free up map budget (as mode logic will no longer come with a map budget cost).
To learn more about the ins and outs of the Forge Mode Creator (along with a more thorough breakdown of other additions and improvements), check out our Forge Overview blog!
MATERIAL SWAP
Players can now adjust up to three colors on select foliage objects and add further set dressing and detail to their maps with decals that mimic stains, foliage overgrowth, and more.
FORGE AI TOOLKIT IMPROVEMENTS
New behaviors and traits have been added to the Forge AI Toolkit, including:
New Squad Behavior – Wander When Idle
Available on the AI Spawner object. When set to ON, AI units in this spawned squad will wander around their assigned AI Move Zone when idle.
New AI Trait Nodes
New AI Traits include:
Bonus Health
Bottomless Clip
Damage Resistance
Health Recharge
Movement Speed
Movement Speed With Turret
Prevent Weapon Firing
Vampirism
Weapon Damage
More is on the way to Halo Infinite’s Forge this year, including Flood and alien-themed palettes.
SILVER TEAM, SILVER SCREEN
Season Two of the Halo television series debuts on Paramount+ with a two-episode premiere on February 8, and we’ve got some unmissable Ultimate Rewards for you to earn!
Complete all your challenges on these respective weeks to earn each of these Silver Team helmets, available across all your Armor Cores.
WEEK ONE: KAI-125 JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 6
WEEK TWO: RIZ-028 FEBRUARY 6-13
WEEK FOUR: VANNAK-134 FEBRUARY 20-27
Visors for each member of Silver Team will also be given as free rewards! Simply log into Halo Infinite on these corresponding weeks and they will be unlocked for you.
HCS
YEAR ONE LAUNCH BUNDLES RETURN
After much demand from the community, we are bringing back the first bundles for each HCS team that Halo Infinite launched with back in 2021—with some major improvements!
The armor and weapon kits have been unlocked, which means you can now customize with these coatings for the first time ever. Additionally, they are all now multi-use which means you can wear the armor, visors, or weapon coatings on any armor, helmet, or UNSC weapon.
If you already purchased these launch bundles when Halo Infinite released, the content will be applied retroactively. If you missed these bundles the first time around, they’re now available again for teams that are still in the Halo Championship Series: FaZe Clan, OpTic Gaming, Sentinels, Spacestation Gaming, and Cloud9.
YEAR THREE LAUNCH BUNDLES
Year 3 HCS bundles have also arrived with all-new designs, featuring new multi-use armor coatings as well as visors. These have been created by the teams themselves, featuring their unique branding.
Additionally, acquire the Dracon Bandit weapon model for the M392 Bandit and Bandit EVO by grabbing the bundle that supports your favorite HCS team—the majority of the profits go to the partnered teams to maintain their involvement in the Halo ecosystem.
SHOP
Head to the Shop and you will find some exciting new Halo Wars-inspired bundles, featuring the likes of Omega Team to further outfit your free Mark IV armor…
…and the Stanchion weapon model for your S7 Sniper.
SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
You can submit tickets on a wide range of topics that include reports of Audio Issues, Crashes, Game Save Corruption, Report a Player, General Bug Reports, and more.
Operation: Spirit of Fire is live and Content Update 29 is officially ready for download!
Explore Illusion and see what fun Easter eggs you can find, outfit your new Mark IV Armor Core and start working your way through that free 20-tier Operation Pass, take a look at what new shoulder pad combinations can perfect the look of your Spartan, check out the latest additions and improvements to Forge, and chip away at those weekly challenges to unlock the helmets of Silver Team over the next few weeks.
The year is 2007. You’ve made it through another long day, you get home, throw your bag on the floor, and push the big circular ‘on’ button on your Xbox 360. It’s finally time. As this iconic year commanded, you’re ready to kick it with the crew, play some Halo, and enjoy an ice-cold Mtn Dew Game Fuel.
This team-up is regarded as one of the most legendary campaigns of all time. And just over 15 years later, Game Fuel is making the ultimate comeback. First introduced with Halo 3, the iconic beverage is back, in collaboration with Halo Infinite. We’ve got the lowdown on what to expect, from collectable merchandise, exclusive Halo Infinite in-game rewards, to new and nostalgic ways to play in-game, all to celebrate the relaunch of the original Halo 3 Game Fuel flavor, Citrus Cherry.
We’re also bringing you an inside look at Critical Dewpoint, a brand-new Mtn Dew-themed multiplayer map coming to Halo Infinite as part of the Halo 3 Refueled playlist, where fans will also be able to relive seven classic Halo 3 maps recreated in Forge mode. It’s the ultimate nostalgia trip for Halo players old and new, so let’s find out more.
The Critical Dewpoint map is designed and built by ArturBloodshot, a skilled Forger and Community Ambassador for Halo. He’s also part of the Forge Council, a group of specialist map creators tasked with bringing exciting new content to Halo Infinite. Artur has been forging maps for 16 years since the launch of Halo 3, knows exactly what it takes to craft a great multiplayer level, and fortunately for us, he’s come to tell us all about it.
Critical Dewpoint in all its Mtn Dew colored glory
Critical Dewpoint is being brought to Halo Infinite as part of the Halo 3 Refueled Playlist, which offers reimaginations of popular classic Halo 3 multiplayer maps the community adores. As a long-standing member of the Halo community, working with both 343 Industries and Mountain Dew to bring something to the wider community was a dream come true for Artur.
“When [Mtn Dew] shared their vision and what they’re planning to do, I couldn’t say no,” Artur says. And it’s not just the maps that have Artur excited, the more he learned about the plans both teams had to celebrate the re-release of Mt Dew game Fuel, the more excited he got.
Talking to us about the upcoming Halo x Mtn Dew merch collection, he adds: “The moment I saw that Halo 3 logo on the hoodie, I said I have to get it. The whole collaboration really hits a sweet spot for nostalgia as a celebration for that era.”
Building Critical Dewpoint
Critical Dewpoint is a throwback to the classic multiplayer maps of Halo 3; it combines those gritty industrial visuals we know and love with creative nods to Mtn Dew and Game Fuel. This includes nods to Game Fuel flavors at the team bases and a vending machine that dishes out various power-ups to players.
Critical Dewpoint features vending machines where players can grab buffs
Artur tells us that Halo Infinite’s Forge mode means that Forgers have more choice than ever before, and that the foundation those tools provide can lead to any environment you can imagine.
“From classic multiplayer modes to new experiences, to the upcoming release of Firefight, or even horror mini-games, there’s so much you can do,” he says. “You can also customize your own sandbox or write a script, the freedom you have with this tool is amazing.”
When it comes to designing a multiplayer map, Artur explains that there are several key components to consider. One of these is movement, and giving players the space to get around without restriction, and of course, take advantage of skill jumps. For the uninitiated, skill jumps are an advanced traversal technique that lets players move around the map faster, using precise movements.
“Good players might not miss any of their shots, but they also need to know how they’re using their feet on the maps,” Artur says. His keen eye for movement is extremely visible in Critical Dewpoint; the map is full of ledges and levels to hop around on.
Artur’s favourite Forge canvas is Foundry, which was introduced with Halo 3. It’s a small workhouse filled with containers, not too dissimilar from Critical Dewpoint. While the maps offered in the Refueled Playlist offer much more visual fidelity than their vintage counterparts, it’s not the modern graphics that make them impressive.
The original Foundry map canvas from Halo 3, which Critical Dewpoint is built in
“In all modern video games, you can see a lot of the details on every environment, which really helps with immersion, and I enjoy that,” Artur says. “But the beauty of Halo maps is how the environment itself is designed so players can understand their position and path options.
“This is something I implemented with Critical Dewpoint – the environment has enough information for the player so that they can navigate the map easily while keeping the crosshairs in action.”
Critical Dewpoint promises lots of fun for new Halo veterans and Mtn Dew superfans, but there are also plenty of easter eggs dotted around the map for all those Halo veterans to find. Above all, Artur wanted the map to celebrate Halo’s journey, the unforgettable games that brought us countless hours of multiplayer fun, and what comes next for the iconic series.
“Everyone associates Halo 3 with Mtn Dew, right?” Artur says. “That nostalgia is really important to the community because it allows you to reflect on how you started, and how the game has evolved to bring you new experiences while keeping the essence of the thing you love.”
The Halo Infinite Mtn Dew Citrus Cherry Game Fuel limited edition flavor is out now in the US, so make sure to get your exclusive Halo Infinite in-game rewards and grab the limited-edition Halo x Mtn Dew merch in the Halo Gear shop before it’s all gone.
The Halo 3 Refueled Playlist launches November 14, and runs for two weeks until November 28, so be sure to get the old Halo band back together and give them a spin. After November 28, the maps will enter general rotation.
To grab some of the lovely Halo x Dew merch, head to the Halo Gear shop.
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