Forge Features: October 1, 2025
Welcome to another edition of Forge Features! This series highlights notable maps, modes, and other creations from our talented Forge community. Bookmark your favorites using the links below for your next custom match.
The ghastly delights of Operation: Haloween II will emerge from their cryptums next week. To help set the mood, we’ve collected a mix of frightening Forge modes, hair-raising maps, and a few Halo: Reach throwbacks that capture the cozy feeling of autumnal nostalgia.
MORTIFYING MODES
Do you like scary movies? Check out this grindhouse double-feature of terrifying, community-made Infection variants for your next spooktacular custom match.
RA KUE’E STATION
Forged by: Starkey213036, DanZama22, CardEwe1801
Invisible shades come for the living in this Infection variant inspired by Mixtec legend.
Those who would thwart Death must follow a guardian spirit through a series of nail-biter obstacles, wound the pursuing wraiths with sainted light, and reach the helipad to extract. There are better weapons along the path to salvation, but you’ll have to survive Death’s Infected emissaries long enough to obtain them. You might consider a brisk pace.
THE ABYSS
Forged by: ArturBloodshot
This is one murderous maze! Survivors must scrounge through a dark labyrinth to find data cores and use them to activate generators hidden throughout its corridors. With ravenous Infected on your tail and a dwindling supply of oxygen, your team must work quickly to power all five generators and summon the freight elevator to escape.
If you’re looking for a solo scare, ArturBloodshot has deviously engineered the mode to automatically conjure a ferocious pack of AI Bots in a single-player lobby.
Pro tip: It may be tempting to scrounge weapons from the fallen Spartans in the halls, but they can make useful landmarks when you lose your way. There’s also no shame in hiding when monsters come prowling, so take note of good spots while searching.
SUPERB SLAYERS
Exciting arenas for free-for-all and Team Slayer matches. Use the links to add them to your Halo Infinite bookmarks. This month’s selections feature two throwbacks to Halo: Reach in honor of its fifteenth anniversary.
SWORD BASE
Forged by: UneeQ TV, FOTUS, CHEF BLAMSEY, Mr Greencastle, Helioshasta, InfinityShot219, FOTUS SHADOW212
The Sword Base multiplayer map from Halo: Reach returns, rescaled to suit Halo Infinite’s fast-paced combat. Despite the knockdown renovation, old hands will feel right at home with this map’s flowy exchanges, delighting in sliding across bridges, taking potshots through the atrium, or reigning over the proceedings with rockets from on high.
REFLECTION
Forged by: ZZENOMORE
A remake of Reflection from Halo: Reach that restores all the grandeur of the original in a larger, somehow more opulent setting. Marvel at the cushiony, paper-lined interiors, the impressive wood paneling, cathedral ceilings, roomy corridors—and the troupe of Spartans carelessly desecrating the water feature with spent bullet casings.
CAPTURE THE FUN
Capture the Flag maps for diehard risk-takers. Getting to the flag is half the fun, and these maps make the long road home just as consequential.
HIGH CASTLE
Forged by: dumpstairs, JuggleUnicycle, CHL 007, ExOxD, BA55IME
A “vertical-meets-linear” map for multi-flag CTF. One team lords over the high castle, an industrial palace bored into a rocky summit, as their opponents storm out of a bunker at the other end of a deadly stretch of highway between them.
Whether you’re retrieving the castle’s flag or trying to hustle back there and score, your best bet is to grab a vehicle for a sidewinding ascent through the heart of the tower. While the bunker offers plenty of dangers for would-be thieves, the castle is the map’s crown jewel, offering opportunistic flanking, narrow passages, and unforeseen vehicle jumps.
Check out the video showcase by dumpstairs to see High Castle in all its glory.
CASTLE WARS 3: FANGS AND BANES
Forged by: RoadKingBiker, TheGameS10
Fear the fangs! In this symmetrical map, two castles glower across an impassable promenade crowned with a split-level roost. Built for the seriously sweaty play of the “Fangs and Banes” CTF mode, this map’s exposed bridges and Spartan-sized bunkers offer plenty of sniper-friendly action, and just enough bottlenecks for swordplay.
In the Castle Wars-style “Fangs and Banes” mode, Bulldogs do quadruple damage, S7 Sniper Rifles do double damage, equipment is random, ammo is infinite, and Gravity Hammers, Energy Swords, and Bulldogs all grant Active Camo while equipped. Jockey between your S7 and your Energy Sword to enjoy a few seconds of holdover invisibility while picking your targets.
Play the map-and-mode combo for a nice, 8v8 engagement filled with sneaky surprises.
MIGHTY MISSIONS
Banished showdowns, campaign-style missions, and other narrative game modes. Jump into any of these Forge creations for a tough co-op battle beside your Fireteam!
SPACE ASSAULT CAMPAIGN
Forged by: Purplekelix, TempestRage3340, Bearshark1226, MATOSO MARIO, Kingfrizy5668, Ninja Kitty 174, Danny Marek X88, ESHAM da UNH0LY, Vadmin adal, TsT Vandal, dapawpaw, Braydan5, NeedaNeedler, K417SDA, CliffyMan117, INQ Jawfish, Swagonflyy, AbeStrange, mrod282, AltPlains640, Cpt Liamat, HILDY894705, GENERALBRUISER, eliteboss216042, TCT3332, Sparten0228, BAS4LIFE605, Delta Dragon55
Your ship is in peril. Get to your fighters and board those Banished warships!
After repelling Banished raiders, your team must pile into a Falcon or commandeer Hornets and join an aerial dogfight to return the favor. As you assault the enemy ships, you’ll need to take out roving Phantoms and defend yourself against squadrons of inbound Banshees while you complete your objectives.
Once you’ve breached the Banished support ship, hacked into its engine room, and taken it offline, you’ll fly out once more to assault the flagship and topple its captain. If you’re stuck, get hints from AhsokaPolo’s walkthrough.
OPERATION: HYDRA NEST
Bookmark map. | Modes: Easy, Normal, Heroic, Legendary
Forged by: DaKiowa
It’s a simple mission, on paper: fight through the jungle, neutralize the Banished below the lake, and confront the chieftains at the Forerunner temple. Getting there is another story.
Operation: Hydra Nest serves up a multi-phase strategic assault with a distinct flair for nostalgia. Your team will start in a cozy, forested base, scout the area, and soon find yourselves embroiled in battle against a whole platoon of Banished forces. Along the way, you’ll recruit captured marines, teleport through mysterious Forerunner temples, and raid control rooms before beheading the Banished battalion in a final epic showdown.
FIERCE FIREFIGHTS
Looking for a new Firefight map? Check out these picks from popular PvE experiences, starting with two familiar battlefields from Halo: Reach. Special thanks to The Spartan Phazed for sharing both creations in his weekly Halo Infinite showcase on YouTube!
BEACHHEAD
Forged by: Unusual Hiccup, Curtdean20, SilvervioletX98, Gamertag1236547, noble200155
First seen in Halo: Reach, Beachhead is a Firefight map set in a public park in New Alexandria. (Its waterfront scenery should also look familiar from the final moments of the “Exodus” campaign mission.) This detailed remake brings back all the dread of a losing battle with the Covenant, in the guise of a more sanguine encounter with the Banished.
VISEGRÁD RELAY
Forged by: HELLBRINGRER
Dead zone confirmed. You’re looking at a downed relay outpost fifty klicks from Visegrad. Introduce yourselves to whoever took it out in any Firefight mode for a truly noble outing.
HELLBRINGRER’s Visegrád Relay Firefight map is a loving homage to the introductory mission of Halo: Reach, particularly the sequence where Noble Team defends the relay outpost from invading Covenant before broaching the facility. You’ve got some pretty big boots to fill, but we’re just glad to have our Firefight Fireteam up to full strength again.
THE BASTION OF RETRIBUTION
Bookmark maps: Firefight KOTH | Firefight Classic
Forged by: NavelJeans2
You’ve breached a Banished base, and they’re after retribution. Defend yourself against waves of inbound foes in a plein-air romp through a Banished facility. With limited cover and wide sightlines, this Firefight arena is perfect for Spartans who know when to move, when to duck, and when to spray-and-pray.
MADCAP MINIGAMES
All war and no play makes dull Spartans. Bookmark these minigames for a few laughs!
TFF | ICE BREAKERS
Forged by: Mr Multibit, | EliteFalcon |, Prim 27, MaxBloodBath (The Forge Falcons)
When it comes to making cool modes, the Forge Falcons are ice cold! In the hilarious “Ice Breakers” free-for-all minigame, players must shoot floating ice blocks with Skewers to melt them from under their foes’ feet. You can use your Repulsor to leap over newly opened chasms, but you never know when someone else might disintegrate your landing pad.
Destroyed blocks may re-freeze as time goes on, but the whole arena gradually diminishes until players are forced to vie for position on a tiny, glacial island. Stay frosty!
The mode linked above also works with all four maps in TFF’s community-made “Action Sack” playlist. Bookmark them here: Hot Hoppers | Dodge’m | Laser Mania | Space Ninjas
KING PING: HEX KEY RAID
Bookmark map. | Modes: Hex Key Raid, Super Hex Key Raid, Hex-A-Throne
Forged by: Roughsta
At first blush, King Ping is a hexy haven for no-nonsense CTF—but the illusion is short-lived.
Though the map begins as a simple grid of hexagonal platforms, players can mark to raise and lower any platform in their sights, or use Thrusters to raise all platforms in their wake. Where there was once flat ground could soon be ridges, staircases, or even pitfalls! As the terrain gets reshuffled, Flags can and do end up blockaded by new formations.
Of course, getting around the map is only half the battle. You’ll also have to wrap your head around the equipment metas and kill-based upgrade system of the “Hex Key Raid” mode. Keep these simple rules in mind as you approach its relatively steep learning curve:
- Upon spawning, you’ll drop into the map with an Overshield. Use the button displayed in the on-screen prompt to accelerate your entry.
- Once you’ve landed, you’ll need to break your Overshield by shooting, which then permits you to open the Radial Menu and select your equipment loadout. Equipment can be changed at any time.
- Every kill earns you grenades that can either be used the old-fashioned way or hoarded to unlock more powerful equipment upgrades in the Radial Menu.
- Once you’ve collected enough grenades, you can crouch and reload to roll for new weapons at any time. Collect more grenades to keep rolling!
Whether you’re playing a “Hex Key Raid” (CTF) or “Hex-a-Throne” (KOTH) mode, the fully configurable King Ping map makes for a different experience every time you play.
ICE ROAD TRUCKERS
Forged by: Boosted340, iMightBeWright, Okom1, Drx00x, jcsm mssm mm pp, MikeAlright7445, TheBackrooms274, BrianUA94, JaydenG9905, Headhunter34383, JediWaffle5, Teufel7156
Hop in your truck and hit the skids before those abominable Infected get you!
In the “Ice Road Truckers” minigame mode, Survivors must slalom down an alpine racetrack through 12 checkpoints before flying Infected Spartans can cut them down. Meanwhile, the invisible Infected can teleport to the nearest Survivor vehicle and spam crouch to soar toward (and likely overshoot) their targets for a killing blow.
If shooting down pursuers wasn’t hard enough, Survivors have to do it while dodging colossal boulders, leaping chasms, skirting cliffs, hitching a ride on the ski lift, and darting through tunnels. The more truckers you lose, the more monsters you’ll have to shoot—so be sure to watch for extra life one-ups hidden on the slopes.
CAZALY
Forged by: DocArtyFart, Deathcrawller
Fall is a lovely time for footy! Get your Grif on with a full-contact mode and a bespoke oval pitch inspired by the Cazalys Stadium in Queensland, Australia.
Created in partnership with the AGLA Grifball league and self-styled as “Aussie Rules” Grifball, this inspired take on the quintessential Halo sport is a game of hand-offs, passing, ordnance drops, and hammerless smackdowns. Get to the opponents’ goal and hurl the ball through the posts to score!
When carrying the ball, swing it to hand off to nearby players (a short-range throw), or use your Thruster to hurl the ball in whatever direction you’re looking. Carriers receive a modest Overshield boost to tank heavy blows, but they cannot sprint, and sustaining damage results in a three-second stun. Pass or hand off to retain control.
Defenders can tackle the carrier using their Thrusters, or make use of the equipment strewn about the field to really “show ‘em your might.” Check out DocArtyFart’s overview trailer for a closer look.
SILLY SCENERY
Here’s a selection of funny bookmarks for the next after-hours customs sesh.
SEVERNAYA 64
Forged by: RockyRambos
For Earth, John? A gilded-age classic returns, courtesy of RockyRambos’s eye for detail. In this pristine bunker in a remote corner of Siberia, you’ll need to be at your most debonair to foil your latest enemy’s plan for global domination.
Shaken, not stirred, with an ammo-scrounging, “slappers only” mode, this retro remake offers nostalgic environs and detuned movement for the spycraft aficionado. Just don’t get too excited when you’re “Onatopp” of the scoreboard.
EVIL MOON ESCAPE
Forged by: TeamShowStoppa, PlumberPatt, DiIIoOn, HYDRAC5
Larp wars! Certain death awaits a crew of rebellious heroes in this one-sided Infection variant. At the start of each round, blast doors open to reveal a cumbrous foe with a real dark side and one awful Energy Sword. It’s up to you to overwhelm the slow-moving “emissary of evil” with your Disruptor and send him back to the start.
If the Infected captain cuts down your allies, they’ll join the imperial ranks as foot soldiers at the vanguard of his mighty approach. Watch each other’s backs, or else your foes shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Survive until the round ends, and you just might make it past the opening crawl—though we’d never tell you the odds.
PLUMBER’S PALACE
Forged by: Happy Majora
Mah-mah-mah-mah-Master Chief? In this painstaking homage to one unlucky plumber’s haunted estate, a team of ghost-busting Spartans must use their trusty Sentinel Beams to blast a coterie of spirits rotating throughout the many rooms of a dilapidated manor.
Seek the specters, collect power weapons, and be prepared to cleanse this house of evil in a final, lights-out showdown with a gang of boss boos—if you’re not too chicken, that is.
SUPERLATIVE SCRIPTING
Since introducing a massive batch of new Forge features in the Fall Update, we’ve seen Forgers scripting everything from flyable Phantoms to complex in-game interaction menus. In the video above, Okom demonstrates a custom Radial Menu Prefab especially designed for machinima creators.
Found your work featured here? Fill out this form to claim your exclusive Fire Unicorn emblem and nameplate for Halo Infinite.
Stay tuned for another Forge Feature coming soon! To share your creations with the Halo Infinite community team, be sure to drop a link in the #forge-show-and-tell channel of our official Discord or post to r/Halo using the Forge tag.