Games


<p>Y’know, we have often asked ourselves how we can make Spartans even cooler than they already are. We’ve come up with a few different answers to that over the years, one of our most recent being “What if they were samurai from an alternate, non-canonical universe?” Our next Event in <em>Halo Infinite</em>’s free to play multiplayer considers what if Spartans had some kind of holographic neon mohawk? What if a digital visor could burst out from your helmet to visually accent your tactical (and stylish) acuity?</p>



<p>Get ready for a synthwave showdown, Spartans. Go forth into matchmaking in all your heliotrope luminance. The Cyber Showdown Event is live!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo Infinite | Cyber Showdown Launch Trailer" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qXifTPUqjJM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>Running across two weeks from January 18 to February 1, the Cyber Showdown Event invites you to jump into the new Attrition mode to earn free, limited-time customization rewards.</p>



<p>Attrition is a frantic new Slayer mode where lives are shared across your team. Each team has a limited number of lives—revive your teammates when they fall and work together to deplete the enemy’s lifepool to finish them off. Last team standing wins! It’s classic, competitive 4v4 action with a unique spin on how you operate as a team.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/Cyber-Showdown-1024x576.jpg" alt="Cyber Showdown image of two Spartans and the personal AI Fret between them." class="wp-image-25586" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/Cyber-Showdown-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/Cyber-Showdown-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/Cyber-Showdown-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/Cyber-Showdown-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/Cyber-Showdown-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/Cyber-Showdown-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Cyber Showdown also features a unique reward track with themed items, similar to what you’ve come to expect from Fracture: Tenrai.</p>



<p>There are 10 Event Challenges overall, spread evenly through your pool of Weekly Challenges, while the Event is live. For each Event Challenge completed, you will earn the next reward from your Event Reward track and unlock more cyber-themed goodness.</p>



<p>Check out some of the rewards you’ll be getting below!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/HIS1MP_Event_Cyber_Showdown_VisID_Rewards_3840x2160-1024x576.jpg" alt="Event Rewards for Cyber Showdown." class="wp-image-25572" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/HIS1MP_Event_Cyber_Showdown_VisID_Rewards_3840x2160-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/HIS1MP_Event_Cyber_Showdown_VisID_Rewards_3840x2160-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/HIS1MP_Event_Cyber_Showdown_VisID_Rewards_3840x2160-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/HIS1MP_Event_Cyber_Showdown_VisID_Rewards_3840x2160-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/HIS1MP_Event_Cyber_Showdown_VisID_Rewards_3840x2160-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/HIS1MP_Event_Cyber_Showdown_VisID_Rewards_3840x2160-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption><a href="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/HIS1MP_Event_Cyber_Showdown_VisID_Rewards_3840x2160-scaled.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Click here for high-res image. (opens in a new tab)">Click here for high-res image.</a></figcaption></figure>



<p>Those who jump in during the event will also receive the New Heights backdrop for your Spartan ID, and be sure to keep an eye out for other effulgently extravagant Event items in the Store as well.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/CyberShowdown_Emblem_Gift_1920x1080-1024x576.png" alt="A preview of the New Heights backdrop. " class="wp-image-25600" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/CyberShowdown_Emblem_Gift_1920x1080-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/CyberShowdown_Emblem_Gift_1920x1080-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/CyberShowdown_Emblem_Gift_1920x1080-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/CyberShowdown_Emblem_Gift_1920x1080-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/CyberShowdown_Emblem_Gift_1920x1080-1568x882.png 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/01/CyberShowdown_Emblem_Gift_1920x1080.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Well, we’d better not keep you any longer. Jump into <em>Halo Infinite</em>’s free to play multiplayer and start searching Cyber Showdown – Attrition.</p>



<p>See you on the battlefield!</p>




Alex Wakeford

Cyber Showdown Event Launch

Canon Fodder

Community

Issue 123

Canon Fodder: Foundations


<p><em>“WINTER CONTINGENCY has been declared. All units are mobilized and merry!”</em></p>



<p>Multiple slipspace ruptures have been detected as Spartans across the galaxy are coming together to celebrate the Holidays! If you listen closely, you can hear them singing…</p>



<p><em>“Dashing through Bazaar, dodging the grenades. To the flag we go, grappling all the way. One-shot Spartan ping, keep that teamwork tight! Oh, what fun it is to fight and sing a slaying song tonight!”</em></p>



<p>The Winter Contingency celebrations begin December 21 and offer ten unique Holiday-themed rewards that will roll out one-per-day until December 30. All you have to do is jump into <em>Halo Infinite</em>’s free to play multiplayer and complete a match of Arena or Big Team Battle.</p>



<p>Let’s take a closer look at the action…</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo Infinite | Winter Contingency Trailer - Now Live" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uvWOF0PDVTQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<p>Rewards will be unlocked over time, meaning they will not all be available to grab on day one. Think of Winter Contingency like your in-game <em>Halo</em> advent calendar: you’ll unlock one reward each day, with the event running through the morning of January 4, 2022.</p>



<p>To be clear: While the daily rewards conclude on December 30, what this means is you’ll have several extra days to catch up on any items that you may have missed!</p>



<p>These rewards include the festive ‘Peppermint Laughter’ coatings for your armor and weapons (depicted in our festive key art), along with new shoulder pieces, emblems, and more!</p>



<p>Here’s a look at the rewards you’ll be getting.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Winter-Contingency-Rewards-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-25275" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Winter-Contingency-Rewards-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Winter-Contingency-Rewards-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Winter-Contingency-Rewards-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Winter-Contingency-Rewards-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Winter-Contingency-Rewards-1-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Winter-Contingency-Rewards-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p> See you on the battlefield and happy Holidays!</p>




Winter Contingency Event Launch


<p>Modding tools for Halo: CE, Halo 2, and Halo 3 can be downloaded via Steam. When the tools are updated, be sure to re-extract the latest tags.zip file. When the tools are updated, mods should remain  compatible though any tags modified in a previous version of the tools will require merging.  </p>



<p>These tools are being provided <strong>as-is. </strong></p>



<p>Licensing for the Halo: CE mod tools remains open to anyone who is interested in creating content for Halo: CE. For Halo 2 and Halo 3, you will need to own a license to the base game in Steam to gain access  to the tools. The Halo: CE mod tools are available to anyone, regardless of which titles they own in Halo: MCC. To acquire the current mod tools, you can click the following links to install them if you own the  DLC that matches the Toolset (ex. Halo 3 DLC for MCC would be entitled to Halo 3 Mod Tools): </p>



<ul><li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1532190">Halo: Combat Evolved</a></li><li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1613450">Halo 2</a></li><li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1695791">Halo 3</a></li></ul>



<p>Or, alternatively, within the Steam app,  in your Library, you can locate “Halo: CE Mod Tools – MCC” “Halo 2 Mod Tools – MCC” or “Halo 3 Mod Tools – MCC” and select to install with your Library filter set to  include “Tools” as shown below. </p>



<p>With this download, there are several programs that everyone will have access to. If you’ve modded in the Halo community before, some may be easily recognized. We also created an entirely new one to  make modding Halo even easier. The screenshots below are specific to Halo: CE modding tools, though these tools function similarly in Halo 2 and Halo 3 as well.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Guerilla</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="826" height="1229" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2.png" alt=""Guerilla" - viewing the scenario tag for "The Silent Cartographer"" class="wp-image-25170" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2.png 826w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2-202x300.png 202w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2-688x1024.png 688w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2-768x1143.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 826px) 100vw, 826px" /></figure>



<p>“Guerilla” – Viewing the scenario tag for “The Silent Cartographer” This program is used to edit the values of game content, which are files collectively called “tags.” There are tags for AI, bipeds, textures (aka, bitmaps), etc. You can use this program to update and alter these. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sapien</h2>



<p>“Sapien” – Viewing the level for “The Silent Cartographer” This one is the world or level editor for the game. Internally, levels are referred to as “scenarios.” This program allows you to populate data related to the level itself including things such as weapon placement,  AI squads, and more.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tool</h2>



<p>Though basic in its name, this one is a command-line-only Swiss Army knife for very specific changes. This is used to perform all the tasks related to importing source content into tag files or even to building  map files. These map files are internally referred to as ‘cache files.’ But this tool will help perform all these adjustments. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Standalone</h2>



<p>This entirely new program is basically a development build of the game itself. It runs directly off tag files instead of cache files. This is largely meant to help improve iteration times for people who are building  and modding content. This program is meant for advanced modification only. It is also targeted for non-multiplayer development only. You can’t use it to test multiplayer levels with others and it won’t even load  multiplayer levels at this moment. You could load multiplayer levels as campaign levels, but it may or may not help you in your endeavors for it.  For this tool, do not expect all the bells and whistles. This is very much a what you see is what you get sort of tool. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Additional Tools</h2>



<p>In addition to these programs, we are also including zip files of level scripts and all the tag files which go into building the campaign and multiplayer levels. To access these, you will need to extract these files to  begin editing these files or building existing levels. Part of the reason for using zips is so the final tools package is smaller to download, but also so tool updates don’t inadvertently replace files you edit. These tools are being provided <strong>as-is. </strong>While we plan to make updates over time to address issues we see the community talking about, the level of support these tools get should not be expected to match MCC  itself. These are the tools which developers used or are using. They were originally developed with the expectation that a programmer was never too far away to fix or help someone work around an issue. They  can be used in many ways, but not all workflows may work as expected on your machine. Future updates made to MCC may require you to rebuild your maps to play properly. However, we do not intend to  break compatibility of tag files with tool updates, at least not without fair warning where possible. Halo: Combat Evolved, specifically, does not have a flexible tag system that can handle format changes  gracefully. Later games improved this aspect. So, if such times come, all you should need to do is have the latest tools and rebuild your map. In order to take advantage of changes we make to the games; you  may also need to update tags you use. Especially if you are using stock tag files (ones which are used to make the stock campaign and multiplayer levels), as these may have been changed to address bugs or  other support items. We hope you enjoy these new ways to interact with Halo and we look forward to hearing from the community on your modding endeavors. Happy Modding all!</p>


343 INDUSTRIES

Halo: MCC Creator Hub


<p>Lock and load, Spartans – Several new updates have been deployed for <em>Halo Infinite’s</em> multiplayer today including community requested playlist additions and challenge adjustments. We’re humbled and grateful at the showing of support since launch – thank you to everyone who has provided constructive feedback and reported issues at the <a href="https://support.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us">Halo Support site</a>. Today marks another step forward as we partner with you to improve and evolve <em>Halo Infinite</em>. We look forward to resuming work addressing player feedback after the team recharges over the holidays.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Matchmaking Playlist Updates</h2>



<p>At launch, we took a measured approach to include a baseline set of playlists in a simple and straightforward way. Thankfully, our beta period went very well, and we heard your feedback around wanting more variety and more control over the modes you play. And, following Halo Infinite’s first official event, Fracture: Tenrai, we heard your feedback around wanting Fiesta to persist as a regular offering rather than be limited to just the active event period.  </p>



<p>We also heard a lot of feedback around a desire for a pure Slayer playlist – something that was always coming but was originally a bit further out as more time was needed to test and finalize new game mode variants. Slayer fans should expect this playlist to expand with new experiences in the months to come.</p>



<p>As a result of this feedback, we’re excited to bring four new social matchmaking playlists to <em>Halo Infinite</em> today:</p>



<ul><li>Team Slayer</li><li>Free-for-All</li><li>Tactical Slayer (“SWAT”)</li><li>Fiesta </li></ul>



<p>Today’s playlist update is just a first step – we know players want even more agency and more variety  – and the team continues to work on longer term plans for rotational and core playlists, game modes, and improved matchmaking experiences.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg" alt="Spartan flanked by various Halo Infinite weaponry for the MP Fiesta mode" class="wp-image-24820" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ranked & BTB Matchmaking Updates</h2>



<p>Since the beta launch, the team has been monitoring matchmaking data and keeping a close eye on the overall system to ensure it’s working as expected. Additionally, we’ve heard feedback from players who are concerned with how the rankings are working and/or express frustration with their ranked experience. Work will continue in this space but we’re making some targeted changes in the short term:</p>



<ul><li>We adjusted the ranked matchmaking rules to increase the priority of close individual skill matches, particularly for players at the higher skill levels. We’re taking this in stages – the first priority increase took place on Dec 11th, and the second took place today.</li><li>  We adjusted the BTB matchmaking rules to prioritize making matches with lower latency. This will mainly help players in lower population regions avoid high latency matches.</li><li> We’re doubling the overall matchmaking timeout from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, to better accommodate very high skilled players finding suitable matches, particularly when in full fire teams or searching from low population regions.     </li></ul>



<p>We will continue to monitor ranked and overall matchmaking closely and will share more details on the system and future plans as we can. </p>



<p>As of this news post, the team is aware of and actively working to address <strong>Big Team Battle intermittent matchmaking issues</strong> that have been reported over the past few days. We appreciate your patience and support as we continue investigating and working on solutions. Please be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/halosupport">@HaloSupport on Twitter</a> for the latest updates.</p>



<p>Lastly, we understand some players are also eager for more Ranked Playlists beyond the game’s current offering. Please be note that we have more technical complexities to navigate with Ranked Playlists than Social, so any future ranked updates are going to take more time.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Rank Distribution</h3>



<p>We received a ton of feedback, especially early in the beta, about CSR progression. We’re planning a separate post that will dig deeper into some of the issues people are seeing, but wanted to briefly address two areas of feedback here: rank inflation and overall rank distribution. The distributions that we see for each of the 3 ranked playlists over the past week are illustrated below.</p>



<p><strong>Ranked Open Queue </strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14-1024x432.png" alt="" class="wp-image-24877" width="910" height="383" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14-1024x432.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14-300x126.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14-768x324.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14.png 1419w" sizes="(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px" /></figure>



<p><strong>Ranked Solo/Duo Controller</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="464" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14-1024x464.png" alt="" class="wp-image-24891" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14-1024x464.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14-300x136.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14-768x348.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14.png 1444w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p><strong>Ranked Solo/Duo Mouse+Keyboard</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="460" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14-1024x460.png" alt="" class="wp-image-24905" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14-1024x460.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14-300x135.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14-768x345.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14.png 1438w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>One of our goals in the design of the CSR system is that the
median CSR should be around Platinum 1. You may notice that the Open Queue
playlist is quite close to our goal, but the Solo/Duo playlists are skewed
towards Diamond/Onyx. You may also notice two other things that are present in
all three playlists:</p>



<ul><li>A decent sized “spike” at Diamond 1. This exists because Diamond 1 is the highest rank we’ll grant to a player immediately after completing their 10 qualifying matches. So the “extra” players in Diamond 1 are players who would add to the high Diamond and Onyx columns if they continued to play more ranked and work their way up through the higher levels of the CSR system. (But for now they have taken a break to do more social matchmaking, or campaign.)</li><li> A smaller spike at Onyx 1500. This is a result of aspects of the CSR algorithm that make CSR progression slightly harder once a player reaches Onyx. </li></ul>



<p>We are working on adjustments to the CSR algorithm to shift the distribution to be more in line with our goals and your expectations, especially for the Solo/Duo playlists. However, as we do that, we have to be careful not to make changes that will have a negative effect on players who have already achieved these higher-than-expected CSRs, so it may take some time.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg" alt="Spartans ready for action in the new Tactical Slayer playlist" class="wp-image-24862" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Challenge Updates</h2>



<p>Today marks the third overall update to Challenges and Progression since <em>Halo Infinite’s</em> beta launch on November 15. In each case, Challenges have been iterated and tuned, removing outliers and adjusting troublesome entries, while also helping to speed up overall Battle Pass progression. So far, we’re happy with the results of these changes, but we know there are plenty of opportunities to continue evolving and improving. </p>



<p>There’s a lot of work to do here to truly address player
feedback around these systems – and broader changes are going to take time
(i.e. performance based XP, per-match XP, additional progression vectors,
etc..)– but in the interim, the team will continue targeting meaningful
services-side updates to hone and improve the overall experience.</p>



<p>Today’s update aims to further alleviate frustrating challenges, adds brand new challenges to take advantage of the new playlists, and reduces the requirements for the weekly Ultimate Challenge. And, while it won’t come into play quite yet, changes have also been made for Event Challenges to help address some initial player feedback.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Challenge Pruning</h3>



<p>Overall, a number of mode and activity-specific challenges
have been removed entirely, had their requirements lowered, and/or had their
weight reduced across the challenge pool. Additionally, the overall weighting
of ‘General’ challenges has been increased. </p>



<p>We understand the inability to pick a specific mode to coincide with a specific challenge can be frustrating and today’s changes should help reduce some of that friction in the near term as longer-term work continues.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">New Challenges</h3>



<p>Today’s playlist additions will also usher in new playlist-specific challenges. You can expect to find specific playlist versions of each of the following new challenge types:</p>



<ul><li>Personal Score – Accumulate personal score in the specified playlist to complete</li><li>Kills – Earn the required # of kills in a specific playlist</li><li> Double Kills – Earn double kills in a specific playlist</li><li> Complete Games – Play and complete games in a specific playlist</li><li> Win – Win games in a specific playlist     </li></ul>



<p>The specific requirements and corresponding XP will vary
depending on the rarity type of the challenge (i.e. “Normal”, “Heroic”,
“Legendary”).</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Event Challenges</h3>



<p>Player’s gave feedback that it was difficult to progress Event Challenges due to them getting ‘stuck’ behind Weekly Challenges and/or not having enough to tackle during the event week. Going forward, and when <em>Fracture: Tenrai</em> returns, Event Challenges will come in more frequently, removing gaps where a player would previously be stuck waiting.  And, while Events will often still have a finite limit to the number of challenges available in a given week – meaning it will take playing across a few weeks to fully complete – the maximum will increase to provide more buffer and let highly engaged players progress a bit faster. </p>



<p>We’ll have more details about these changes, and a few other ways in which Event feedback was addressed, when <em>Fracture: Tenrai</em> returns on January 4.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HCS Spotlight</h2>



<p>To commemorate and celebrate the first <em>Halo Infinite</em> major esports event – <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/hcs-raleigh-2021">HCS Raleigh</a> – players will be able to earn double XP for a new set of ranked-focused challenges for one week (Dec. 14 – Dec. 20). Please note: Given new prioritization being added to active event challenges, and this ‘HCS Showdown’ event being live in game this week, you will have ranked-challenges present in your active challenge lineup. Using a swap on this challenge will continue to return a ranked-playlist focused challenge as part of the week long event. </p>



<p>Channel your inner HCS Pro and jump into ranked matchmaking to speed up your Battle Pass progression and be sure to watch the amateur and pro teams battle it out when HCS Raleigh kicks off on Dec.17. Support your favorite HCS players with official in-game skins and a portion of each sale goes directly to the org. Viewers of this weekend’s event will also have a chance to score exclusive Halo Infinite Twitch Drop cosmetics so be sure to stay tuned to <a href="https://twitter.com/hcs">@HCS on Twitter</a> for the latest info! </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg" alt="Official HCS team skins in Halo Infinite as part of the "HCS Showcase" bonus XP event." class="wp-image-24919" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">We’re Just Getting Started</h2>



<p>We’re excited to get these updates into the game today and hope to see you online in matchmaking over the holidays! Once the team has had a chance to recharge over the holiday break, we’ll be back at it and looking at more opportunities to continue evolving your Halo Infinite experience. Please keep the constructive feedback coming, be sure to <a href="https://support.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036218972-How-to-Submit-a-Halo-Support-Ticket">file a support ticket</a>  if you run into any issues, and have fun out there!</p>


Multiplayer

Playlists

Halo Infinite Playlist & Challenge Update

GrimBrother One

Issue 122

Canon Fodder: Legendary Endings

Welcome to Halo Infinite

Esports

Official HCS

HCS 2021-2022 Season Reveal

Unyshek

Tech Preview 2 Outcomes


<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/Esports_2021_HCS_542.305-1024x576.png" alt="Banner graphic for the Halo Championship Series and Halo Infinite"/></figure>



<p>Hey everyone! I want to start by saying THANK YOU to everyone who grabbed their tickets for the now sold out HCS Kickoff Major Raleigh 2021. Wow. We knew that the community was going to be excited to be under one roof again and especially this time with a new Halo game, but we were all blown away by the response. I want you to know that record-breaking support like that from our community has an even longer term impact on the scene overall and at a high level that’s actually the topic of today’s blog. Before that though, some housekeeping.</p>



<p>Welcome back to another installment in our blog series, <em>Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem</em>. The goal of this blog series is to detail how we are working to develop a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for Halo esports. If you’re interested in our philosophical approach to esports as a fan, player, team, tournament organizer, or sponsor, then this blog series is for you! If you’re hoping to learn specifics about format and roadmap, stay tuned, more info will be released as we get closer to the launch of Halo Infinite. We know there are lots of questions right now for Raleigh including PC and monitor specs, and much more. Those will all be answered in the coming weeks as we march on towards launch and the big event. </p>



<p>If you’re new to the series, thanks for joining us! You can catch up with the first seven installments here:</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-january">January Installment – Overarching goals and approach</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-february">February Installment – Tournament Operators</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-march">March Installment – Viewership</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-april">April Installment – Sponsors</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-june">June Installment – Teams</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-july">July Installment – Competition Platforms and Input</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-august">August Installment – Team Partnership Program</a></li></ul>



<p><em>Alright Tashi, what are we talking about today? </em></p>



<p>As alluded to above, today my friends we are talking about the role that players and fans have in the ecosystem and what you can do to help grow the scene. </p>



<p>Let’s dig in!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> THE POWER IS YOURS </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/image-6185bce7caea0-1024x477.png" alt="Epic black and white photo of a fan standing up and cheering at the Halo World Championship"/></figure>



<p>For this entire series we’ve talked about how the Halo esports ecosystem is comprised of so many different groups and how they all fit together. Fans and Players are the most critical part of this ecosystem. Here’s what we said way back in January when we kicked off this series: </p>



<ul><li><em>Players (Pro, Amateur, and general competitive players): This one is obvious. The players are central to the entire ecosystem and without a healthy player base for the entire game, the ecosystem is not sustainable. This is mission critical.</em></li><li><em>Fans (Viewers, Event Spectators, fans who engage in-game): Fans and viewers are also critical – we want as many people watching Halo Infinite tournaments and content as possible, and it’s important for us to take strides to increase viewership.</em></li></ul>



<p><strong>The first and main message we want to get across is that each and every one of you can make a difference and have an impact. </strong>No, seriously. Every show that you decide to watch on Twitch, every tournament you decide to compete in, every retweet on Twitter and like on YouTube – they all matter. If every individual feels empowered to make a difference, then collectively as a community we will make a huge impact. </p>



<p>I sometimes get asked, “Tashi, I love Halo esports and want to help it grow. What can I do?” Today we’re going to list out exactly what you can do!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> PLAYER AND PRO PLAYER CHECKLIST </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/image-6185ba8046bca-1024x439.png" alt="Photo of Pro Player Lucid at DreamHack Anaheim 2020"/></figure>



<p>Let’s start with the Pro Players – folks like Frosty, Tripppey, Respectful, Tapping Buttons, BZllRK, and of course so many more across the world. Outside of grinding to win every tournament you enter, here are the ways we think you can be contributing to the health of the ecosystem and thus the health of your careers. (Please bear with me, this might get preachy)</p>



<ul><li><strong>Stream when you play:</strong> For those that already stream all the time, kudos to you and we’re excited to see you grow when Halo Infinite releases! For those that don’t stream, we know it’s been hard while waiting for a new game but it’s go-time when Infinite drops. Streaming is one of the most powerful and impactful things you could be doing as a professional Halo player<a>. </a>Here’s why:<ul><li>You get to have a community of your own that supports you, <strong>including financially through subscriptions and donations.</strong> </li><li>You have a wealth of VOD content that lets you spread your reach and grow your community even more when you get to post awesome stream clips on social media. </li><li>You are far more attractive to teams and sponsors, which again means more financial support for you. Even if you have a small audience, if you’re putting in the work then that makes a big difference.</li><li>Fans have a place to watch you before and after a tournament. If you pop off on the mainstage, people are going to want to watch you the next time you turn on your stream. If you don’t stream, they’re either not going to watch anyone or they’re just going to watch someone else. </li><li>You can help bring in more viewers into the stream and as noted above and in prior blogs – viewers are critical. You don’t get to compete and be a pro player without viewers.</li><li>There are going to be many online tournaments and also opportunities to stream your scrims – this is really great content that will attract even more viewers than your normal streams in the ranked p<a>laylist.</a> Progress might be slow, but if you focus on consistency as the goal then you will be rewarded in the long run. </li></ul></li><li><strong>Be a positive influence: </strong><a>Not every pro player is going to be a role model that everyone looks up to – and that’s ok. However, using your social media platforms or streams as places to dump toxic waste about the game, the ecosystem or really anything for that matter into the community is a bad idea.</a> Players who are positive and professional will have more opportunities, will be more attractive to fans and sponsors, and will have a bigger influence on the future of the game, community, and ecosystem. Anger, toxicity, and sarcasm work against you. We all love Halo and want it to have a positive and thriving scene. Be wise in how you use your influence as a pro. Additionally, players will be held to the official code of conduct which details behavior that is not acceptable in our scene, and we as a community need to hold each other to high standards on top of that.</li><li><strong>Be active on social media: </strong>The conversation for Halo esports is on social media, and it’s mostly on Twitter. Between events, it’s a great way to not only connect with fans, but also connect and chat with other pro players. There lots of great conversations that many fans would be interested in seeing, and overall it helps drive interest into you and your brand as professional Halo player. </li><li><strong>Promote your Team’s cosmetics: </strong>If you’re on a partnered Team, you should be wearing your Team’s cosmetic items as much as you can on stream and even off stream as well. The Team’s will be earning revenue from each of the sales and their success in Halo means they can continue to invest in the scene to pay player salaries, managers, team houses, and much more. A little goes a long way here. You can add a command to your Twitch channel, pin a tweet on Twitter, and post links in your YouTube videos. Speaking of YouTube…</li><li><strong>EXTRA CREDIT – Start a YouTube channel and upload regularly: </strong>YouTube is a great way to bring fans closer to you and provide them entertainment. Not everyone is going to be the next Nadeshot, and that’s ok. You don’t need 100,000 subscribers for the channel to be worthwhile investing some time into, and these days it’s easier than ever to upload gameplays from your Twitch streams directly to your YouTube. There are more Halo fans on YouTube than ever and that will continue to grow.</li></ul>



<p>As a pro player, you can have a tremendous impact on the scene overall which ultimately helps you out directly. <strong>Don’t take this opportunity for granted.</strong> </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> FAN CHECKLIST </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/image-6185bbdc0aac7-1024x389.png" alt="Photo of fan at an HCS event holding a blue cosplay flag from CTF in Halo 5."/></figure>



<p>For the fans out there who love playing and watching Halo – we appreciate you. We know many of you want to see Halo grow because it’s the game and community that you love, and that resonates deeply with us. We want to provide some insights that enable you to have the biggest impact if you’re not sure how you can help. </p>



<ul><li><strong>Watch events and content: </strong>Viewership is critical for the Halo esports scene, and when you watch tournament streams, pro player streams, and even content on YouTube or Twitter – that has a really big impact. Obviously, we need to do our part to entertain you and we take our responsibility there seriously.</li><li><strong>Purchasing in-game content: </strong>We are sharing revenue for ALL of the items in the Esports Store within Halo Infinite when the game launches on Day 1. Whether it’s a partnered Team’s bundle or a bundle that represents each of the four major regions and the tournament operators investing there, this is the best way to support these partners directly. The more that the ecosystem can support these partners, the more that they will be able to support the players and fans as time goes on. This is an absolutely critical component of this entire ecosystem. </li><li><strong>Be active on social media: </strong>As mentioned earlier, having conversations online about the league, the Teams, the players, and everything going on is a great way to generate more and more excitement for the events and ultimately draw more fans to this awesome community of ours. If your favorite Team is tweeting about Halo, give it a Like/RT and even a reply. Let’s make Halo fans the most active and talkative game in esports!</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> CONCLUSION </h2>



<p>For players and fans alike, there are lots of really critical ways that you can support the community and scene that you love. We all want Halo esports to grow, and if we work together and push in the same direction, we can really have a huge impact and bring on more Spartans to our cause. We have to act as a unified community. </p>



<p>I’d love to hear what other ideas and suggestions you might have! <a href="https://twitter.com/tashi343i">Start a conversation with me on Twitter</a> and let’s keep the ideas flowing!</p>



<p>Until next time,</p>



<p>Tashi</p>


Tashi

Designing The Halo Esports Ecosystem – November