Canon Fodder

Community

Games

Alex Wakeford

Issue 125

Canon Fodder: Of Protocols and Prisons

Esports

Today we have some exciting news to share about the expansion of the HCS – particularly with the Team Partnership Program.



Before getting into that however, we know right now the competitive community has a growing list of feedback ranging from weapon balance, more maps/modes, continued updates to ranked and anti-cheat, and more. This blog is not the place to get into those details, but we felt it was still important to acknowledge this feedback and say the various teams at 343 are working diligently on everything listed above and more.



To hear more about what the studio is working on and what to expect in Season 2, head on over to the blog Joseph Staten released earlier today which can be found <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/halo-infinite-update-march-2022">HERE</a>. Thank you for your continued support and patience!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team Partnership Program</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29392" width="906" height="604" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-1568x1046.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 906px) 100vw, 906px" /></figure>



On the HCS league side, we’ve seen record viewership,
participation, and attendance since launch. Halo esports has never seen this
level of support and we can’t help but feel grateful to everyone in the
ecosystem from fans to players to partners who are all working together to make
Halo esports the success it’s been so far. This community has grown immensely. 



Another area that’s been a breakout success has been the Team Partnership Program and today we’re excited to announce that the program is officially expanding. In Year 2 of HCS we’re going to be adding 1-3 more partnered Teams into the program and the application window for aspiring Teams is open starting TODAY.



There are many Teams looking to get into the partnership program and while we wish we could bring them all in right away, we are committed to a slow and steady approach with a long-term vision. It’s critical that we don’t expand too quickly, and we are methodically expanding based on the metrics and success that we are seeing and proving out as we go. 



To learn more about what the application process entails, the deadlines, and how to submit, please see the form <a href="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HCS-Year-2-Partnership-Application-Form.pdf">HERE</a>. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">UPCOMING EVENTS</h2>



As a reminder, this weekend we are hosting the HCS Supers for ANZ and MX, including an English stream for MX. All new Twitch Drops will be available all weekend long so make sure your accounts are linked and keep an eye on <a href="https://twitter.com/HCS">@HCS on Twitter</a> for more details. Later this month we’ll also be hosting the EU Super which will be the last regional final event that leads into the next live event, the Kansas City Major.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29378" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The Kansas City Major will take place on April 29 – May 1 and will be an open event just like the Raleigh Major. We will have more details to share next week including information on when VIP, Spectator tickets, as well as Team Passes go on sale. As always, we will continue to monitor and adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines as we get closer to the event but based on current information we are planning to move forward with hosting the event. 



Once again, thank you to everyone in the Halo community and
ecosystem for supporting Halo esports. Growing this community and providing
amazing entertainment to watch is why we do this. 



Thanks,



Tashi



<hr class="wp-block-separator" />

Tashi

HCS Team Partnership Expansion

Hey Everyone,



I’m here to answer two questions that we know are top of mind for the Halo community: “What is the Halo Infinite team working on right now?” and “When can we expect new content and features?” I’ll start with brief answers, and then get into more detail, including sharing some new info on what’s coming with Season 2.



This is the focus of the Halo Infinite team, in priority order:



1 – Addressing issues negatively impacting the player experience. 2 – Completing Season 2 and delivering it as promised on May 3rd. 3 – Continuing work on Campaign Co-Op, Forge, and Season 3.



We also have a “Priority Zero,” that undergirds everything we do, namely: team health, with an emphasis on getting ourselves into a sustainable development rhythm so that we can deliver great experiences to all of you while keeping a healthy work/life balance.



Priority Zero means that we sometimes need to move slower so that we can move faster later. Frankly, these last few months have been slower than we expected, and we sincerely thank you for your patience as we stay true to the priorities, above.



Now, let’s dive into specifics.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Priority #1: Addressing Critical Issues</h2>



Since the launch of Halo Infinite, we have been carefully tracking and analyzing all critical issues negatively impacting players’ experience with the game and supporting services. The internal name we have for this process is the “Hotlist.” Every week, we refresh the Hotlist with new insights and review issue prioritization and progress toward fixes. The Hotlist serves as a vital internal planning tool for our monthly development sprints as well as the Hotfixes, Content Updates, and Seasons we deliver to you.



Some of the issues on the Hotlist are gaps in the Halo Infinite experience that we only fully understood close to launch and were unable to address at an acceptable quality bar before ship. An example of this kind of “known” Hotlist issue is “Spartan Career” aka score-based player progression. Examples of “unknown” issues at launch were vulnerabilities in our anti-cheat system and problems with BTB matchmaking that we didn’t realize existed until we launched the game at scale.



Thus far, we have prioritized acute, unknown-before-ship issues that have a widespread negative impact on the shipped experience. Some items have been addressed and cleared from the Hotlist (e.g., BTB matchmaking), some have had partial improvements but need more work (e.g., anti-cheat), and others are in active development but not-yet-released (e.g., Spartan Career, Campaign Co-Op, and Forge). We are working on a public facing version of the Hotlist, similar to what the studio did during the Master Chief Collection updates, so that all of you will have a clear and constant window into the status of Hotlist issues as we work to address them. 



In the meantime, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://support.halowaypoint.com/" target="_blank">the Halo Support website</a> remains your best place for information and help, if you’re experiencing any issues with the game.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Priority #2: Shipping Season 2</h2>



If you check your Season 1 Battle Pass, you will see that that Season 1 ends on May 2nd, and that’s because Season 2 will launch May 3rd. I’m very excited to announce the official name and theme for Season 2, which is… “Lone Wolves.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="3786" height="1726" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/Halo-Infinite-Lone-Wolves.png" alt="Halo Infinite: Lone Wolves - Season 2 title card" class="wp-image-29303" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/Halo-Infinite-Lone-Wolves.png 3786w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/Halo-Infinite-Lone-Wolves-300x137.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/Halo-Infinite-Lone-Wolves-1024x467.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/Halo-Infinite-Lone-Wolves-768x350.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/Halo-Infinite-Lone-Wolves-1536x700.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/Halo-Infinite-Lone-Wolves-2048x934.png 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/Halo-Infinite-Lone-Wolves-1568x715.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 3786px) 100vw, 3786px" /></figure>



 By “theme” we mean a core idea that guides the creation of much, but not all, of a Season’s content. Lone Wolf Spartans are hunters. Trackers. They’re resourceful improvisers, operating deep in enemy territory without resupply or support. They’re fierce, rugged, and prefer to work alone—but they’re still loyal to the Spartan pack. Here’s an early peek at two of these Lone Wolves:



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_Characters_1920x1080.jpg" alt="Concept image of Lone Wolf Spartans: Sigrid Eklund and Hieu Dinh." class="wp-image-29275" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_Characters_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_Characters_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_Characters_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_Characters_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_Characters_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_Characters_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption>Concept for two of Halo Infinite‘s “Lone Wolves”, coming in Season 2.</figcaption></figure>



That’s Spartan Sigrid Eklund on the left, and Spartan Hieu Dinh on the right. You’ll learn more about them (and spend more time with <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.halopedia.org/Laurette_Agryna" target="_blank">Spartan Commander Laurette Agryna</a>) as you dive into Season 2’s story—a mix of cinematics, story-themed Events, Battle Pass items and more that embody the Lone Wolves theme.



But like I said, not all Season content is directly linked to the theme, and a prime example of this is our free Fracture armor core for Season 2. Here’s a concept of that core, and we can’t wait to show you all the customization options for it—and for the free Lone Wolves armor core.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_FractureCore_Concept_1920x1080.jpg" alt="Concept Image of Season 2 Fracture armor core." class="wp-image-29289" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_FractureCore_Concept_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_FractureCore_Concept_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_FractureCore_Concept_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_FractureCore_Concept_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_FractureCore_Concept_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_FractureCore_Concept_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption>Concept painting of the new free Fracture armor coming in Season 2.</figcaption></figure>



 During Season 2, we will also be shipping playlist updates, balance changes, new modes, and maps, specifically, one Arena map named “Catalyst” and one BTB map named “Breaker.” The new modes include “Last Spartan Standing”, a free-for-all elimination mode, as well as another new mode named “Land Grab,” plus the return of an updated, all-time favorite mode, “King of the Hill.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_BTBMap_Concept_1920x1080.jpg" alt="Concept painting of new BTB map "Breaker", coming in Season 2." class="wp-image-29247" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_BTBMap_Concept_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_BTBMap_Concept_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_BTBMap_Concept_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_BTBMap_Concept_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_BTBMap_Concept_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_BTBMap_Concept_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption>Concept painting for “Breaker,” a new Big Team Battle map coming to Halo Infinite in Season 2.</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_ArenaMap_Concept_1920x1080.jpg" alt="Concept paint-over of new Arena map "Catalyst", coming in Season 2." class="wp-image-29261" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_ArenaMap_Concept_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_ArenaMap_Concept_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_ArenaMap_Concept_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_ArenaMap_Concept_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_ArenaMap_Concept_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S2_ArenaMap_Concept_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption>A concept “paint over” of “Catalyst,” a new Arena map coming to Halo Infinite in Season 2.</figcaption></figure>



We will have a lot more to share about the Season 2 maps, modes, customization options, and narrative content in April, as our marketing and promotional campaign kicks into high gear.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Priority #3: Work on Campaign co-op, Forge, and Season 3</h2>



We’re making great progress on Campaign network co-op. And to be clear, this work has been occurring in parallel to Season 2 work, as has our work on Forge.



But the reality is that it’s going to take more time to land a high-quality, full-featured 4-player network co-op experience in the massive, wide-open world of Halo Infinite. We’re also committed to a great 2-player split-screen co-op experience on all Xbox consoles, from the original Xbox One through Xbox Series X—and the non-linear, wide-open sections of the Campaign present some big challenges for split-screen that have taken us more time to solve.



All this means that we will not be able to ship Campaign network co-op on May 3rd, at the start of Season 2. But we are still aiming to deliver Campaign network co-op later in Season 2, and we will share a release date for that and for split-screen co-op as soon as we can.



We are also making great progress on Forge. Indeed, we are already flighting Forge to a small group of community creators and working closely with them to ensure that all of you have a terrific experience creating, sharing, browsing, and playing Forge content. In the near term, we will continue to privately flight Forge as we develop it while also planning for public flight(s) later this year. We still have the goal of shipping Forge with Season 3.



Speaking of Season 3, while the majority of the team is tackling Hotlist items, shipping Season 2, and working on Campaign co-op and Forge, there are also many folks already hard at work on Season 3. We’ll be sharing additional details and specifics on all of these development efforts at a later date.



Importantly, we’re not just planning to address Hotlist items at the start of Seasons. Similar to Update 1.1.1 that launched a little more than a week ago, we intend to ship fixes, features, and content in more agile ways, during our Seasons.



And speaking of great Seasonal content, our next Season 1 event, “Tactical Ops,” starts next week, so get set for variants on the Tactical Slayer mode along with new, Mark VII core-focused rewards to earn!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1440" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S1_TacticalOps-scaled.jpg" alt="Key image for Tactical Ops event." class="wp-image-29233" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S1_TacticalOps-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S1_TacticalOps-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S1_TacticalOps-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S1_TacticalOps-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S1_TacticalOps-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S1_TacticalOps-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HaloInfinite_S1_TacticalOps-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



On behalf of the entire team, thank you again for your patience and your passion. Please keep the feedback coming, know that we are listening and learning, and that we are working hard to deliver more Halo Infinite content that we hope you love to play.



Joseph Staten



Head of Creative, Halo Infinite

343 INDUSTRIES

Halo Infinite Update – March 2022

Debrief 002

Silver Debrief: Unmasked

Community Spotlight

Spotlight: February 17, 2022

We’ve been studying player ranks and ranked matchmaking all-up extremely closely since launch and we are excited to be rolling out updates next week. These updates should help address common issues in ranked such as rank inflation, inaccurate skill assessment, uneven player skills, and more.



First and foremost, our skill rating system has been analyzing real matches since launch and we’re ready to deploy some of the learnings from this live data. These learnings will help the system become even better at assessing a player’s skill and should place them more accurately in our skill distributions.



This will be the first backend skill update like this since launch, and we plan to do them continuously throughout the life of the game. Just like we’ve been doing, we will keep monitoring matches and rolling out updates frequently to make sure the system can stay up to date with the latest player behaviors – thus continuing to accurately assess player skill.  



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">CSR Updates & Rank Reset</h3>



In combination with this skill rating improvement, we will be resetting Competitive Skill Ranking (CSR) ranks so that everyone can get an updated CSR that is more indicative of their skill.



Since we saw that the CSR system was being overly generous since launch, these changes are being rolled out to help bring things closer in line to where they should be. This period led to a full tier inflation of ranks and, as a result, most players should expect to be placed a full tier lower (Diamond players will find themselves in Platinum, Platinum players will find themselves in Gold, etc.) after this rank reset.



When we perform this rank reset, we will also be changing a few aspects of the CSR system: 



<ul><li>As mentioned above, since the system was placing players too high, every player will likely find themselves one tier lower after this update. Please keep in mind that this is not due to an error in the new system, but an error in the old one. </li><li>Typically, after you complete your placement matches, your CSR is a little lower than where the system thinks you’ll end up after playing for a while. This happened in Halo 5 as well because it helps start each rank reset (typically during a Season rollover) off fresh and provides players room to progress their CSR rank. Since ranks are being reset in the middle of the season, this will be reduced to help make sure you have a shorter climb after your placement matches.</li><li>At launch, Diamond 1 was the highest CSR players could land at after completing their 10 placement matches. Much like above, since we’re resetting ranks in the middle of the season, we want to reduce the disruption it may cause by raising this to Diamond 5. This will not affect most players, but it will mean Onyx players will spend less time in Diamond since the system already knows that they are likely an Onyx player.</li></ul>



We are aiming to have all the updates and rank reset happen on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 22.



We believe that these targeted changes will help improve the ranked experience for players of all skills by providing more accurate, balanced, and fair matches. That said, this isn’t the end of our updates to ranked, it’s only the beginning. There is still more to go after, and we’ll continue to make updates based on your feedback and live game data. If you encounter anything out of the norm in your ranked experience after this update, please let us know by continuing to provide feedback here on Waypoint, Twitter, reddit, etc.



And, in case you missed it, CTF on Behemoth was recently removed from the Ranked playlists. You can read up on the decision <a href="https://forums.halowaypoint.com/t/jan-26-ranked-playlist-update/496232">here on Waypoint.</a>



We hope you get to jump in and enjoy these updates to Ranked when it rolls out next week!

Unyshek

Halo Infinite – Ranked Matchmaking Updates

In advance of the debut of the Halo television series on March 24, Paramount+ has confirmed that the show has been renewed for a second season! We’re excited to say that Season 1 of the upcoming series featuring Pablo Schreiber as our hero the Master Chief Spartan-117, Natascha McElhone as Dr. Halsey, and Jen Taylor as Cortana is just the beginning. 



David Wiener will join Season 2 as showrunner and executive producer, known for his excellent work on “Brave New World”. Paramount+ has released a press release sharing the news, which you can find <a href="https://www.viacomcbspressexpress.com/paramount-plus/releases/view?id=59154">here</a>.



Halo will be available starting on March 24 in all markets with Paramount+ including the US, Latin America, Canada, the Nordics and Australia. Additionally, as part of a special partnership with Paramount+, Halo will debut on SKY in Italy and Germany and on Canal+ in France as a Paramount+ Original series ahead of the Paramount+ launch in these markets, which is slated for the second half of 2022. Halo will debut in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Caribbean when Paramount+ launches by this summer, and on Paramount+ in South Korea during that same time frame. The series will also be available on SkyShowtime in select European regions once that service launches.



We are beyond excited for Halo fans around the world to experience the incredible Master Chief story that Amblin, Showtime, Paramount+ and 343 Industries have brought to life, and look forward to sharing even more exciting news in the weeks to come!

Canon Fodder: Of Protocols and Prisons

HCS Team Partnership Expansion

Halo Infinite Update – March 2022

Silver Debrief: Unmasked

Spotlight: February 17, 2022

Halo Infinite – Ranked Matchmaking Updates

Halo Series Season 2 Confirmed

February Fix

Closer Look: Halo Infinite’s Online Experience

Canon Fodder: Shippin’ Out