Games

Halo Infinite

One skull Two skull Flame skull Score skull



Headhunter returns! Introduced in Halo: Reach, this frenetic FFA mode will put your multi-tasking ability to the test. You’ll have to juggle your hunter-gatherer skills with tracking and navigation as you earn kills, collect skulls, and head to the capture point to score them.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">A BRIEF HISTORY OF HEADHUNTING</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_01.jpg" alt="A Halo Infinite Spartan with the Haunted helmet standing, holding a skull, while flaming skulls rain down around him" class="wp-image-114751" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_01.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_01-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_01-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_01-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_01-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_01-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



Originally concepted as a mode for Halo 2, Headhunter would eventually find its way into Halo: Reach in 2010.



Many of you may find yourselves thinking back to May 3, 2010, when the multiplayer beta for Reach was active. It was here that the Headhunter mode made its formal debut on Powerhouse and Sword Base, where every kill saw a shower of skulls fly out from your opponents for you to collect.



Some of the old hands here know what they’re in for, but the rest of you are due an education…



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">HUNT THE <s>TRUTH</s> HEADS</h2>



It’s every Spartan for themselves in Headhunter. It’ll be you versus seven other Spartans in this free-for-all mode. Each time a Spartan gets killed, they will drop a skull on the ground. In order to score points, you’ll need to scoop up the skulls and deliver them to the capture point.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_03.jpg" alt="A Halo Infinite Spartan with the Haunted helmet running through a field of blazing skulls in a match of Headhunter." class="wp-image-114737" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_03.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_03-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_03-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_03-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_03-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/Headhunter_Waypoint_03-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



The capture zones (which resemble King of the Hill zones) will be scattered around the map and will change every 45 seconds. As kills happen, skulls will be scattered across the map. There are two ways to win a game of Headhunter:



<ul>
<li>Score 25 skulls cumulatively</li>



<li>Score 10 skulls at once</li>
</ul>



10 skulls are the maximum you can hold in your pockets, so if you’ve caught them all start heading towards a capture zone. It’s not as simple as meandering over to win, however. If you’re trying to score multiple skulls, you are a high value target and the rest of the lobby will be doing their best to stop you from ending the game immediately.



Here are the maps you’ll be hunting skulls on:



<ul>
<li>Aquarius</li>



<li>Behemoth</li>



<li>Catalyst</li>



<li>Chasm</li>



<li>Cliffhanger</li>



<li>Forbidden</li>



<li>Forest</li>



<li>Live Fire</li>



<li>Prism</li>



<li>Streets</li>
</ul>



High risk, high reward—try not to lose your head.



Welcome back to Headhunter.

snickerdoodle

Headhunter

Olympic Tower

Canon Fodder

Fiction

Alex Wakeford

Issue 156

Canon Fodder: Fleetcom Fiction

Community

Community Spotlight

Spotlight: August 12, 2024

Welcome back to the Community Corner!



Last month, <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/community-corner-skykillerr">we spoke with Skykillerr about his stunning Sangheili fan art</a>.



This month, we’re joined by Jenn (“ImJ3N3R1C”) to talk about her journey with the franchise, competitive Halo, the Women of Halo group and community, and more.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>



Welcome, Jenn! Thank you for joining us for this issue of the Community Corner. Introduce yourself—tell us a bit about who you are, what you do in the Halo community, and where we can find you online.



Hello! My name is Jennifer, but the Halo community knows me as J3N3R1C. Halo has been a big part of my life for about twenty years and I am currently VP of Operations and Creative Director for the Women of Halo fan group.



Prior to assisting with WoH, I would occasionally compete in online tournaments and various women’s tournaments. I spent many years as a casual Halo player enjoying social playlists with friends, but always watched MLG, AGL, HCS, etc. Outside of Halo, I work full time for the State of California and am looking forward to graduating with my Master’s degree in forensic psychology in the spring of ’25.



You can find me on Twitter as <a href="https://x.com/ImJ3N3R1C">ImJ3N3R1C</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://x.com/ImJ3N3R1C"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="500" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo8.jpg" alt="Jenn's personal Women of Halo banner" class="wp-image-114634" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo8.jpg 1500w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo8-300x100.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo8-1024x341.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo8-768x256.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></a></figure>



How did your great journey with Halo begin?



Gaming has always held a special place in my heart. I was raised by my dad who loved gaming. Our Friday night ritual would consist of a trip to Blockbuster to find a new N64 game to enjoy for the weekend—those weekends are still some of my favorite memories.



I started playing Halo when I was 12. My dad was dating my now-stepmom at the time and she had three children. Her oldest son would play Halo 2 custom games with his friends, and they would include me at times. I was essentially a body to fill the lobby and an easy target to practice on. I was determined to improve and not be used as target practice. I am still playing to this day.



What are some of the areas of Halo that you particularly enjoy and why? Campaign and story, multiplayer, Forge, etc.



The areas of Halo that I enjoy most are ranked arena and HCS events. I am a competitive person and need to continually improve and rank up. I struggle to play anything these days that does not offer an incentive like ranking up or placing well in a tournament, and I have found myself enjoying watching HCS above all.



Some people enjoy sports like football or baseball, I enjoy competitive Halo. Watching my favorite game played at an astonishingly high skill level and the energy from the competitors and fellow fans is an unmatched experience. I have yet to find another hobby that entertains and stimulates my brain as much as comp Halo does.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1366" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo1.jpg" alt="Women of Halo group picture at HCS Salt Lake City 2024" class="wp-image-114536" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo1.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo1-1568x1046.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></figure>



Who are some of your favorite Halo characters and why?



It is so hard to choose a single favorite Halo character. My top favorite characters include the Master Chief, Cortana, Johnson, and the Arbiter. If I had to only choose one, I would choose the Arbiter.



I tend to align with rebel forces in sci-fi sagas and root for the underdogs. When the Arbiter rebelled against the Prophets and the Elites left the Covenant, I knew he would be my favorite. Also, he is voiced by Keith David who is one of my favorite voice actors—so bonus points to the Arbiter.



Do you have a favorite piece of Halo merch on your shelf?



My favorite Halo merch item is actually one that I made myself. It is the Women of Halo mosaic. I gathered over 200 photos of ladies in the community and composed a Lady Spartan Mosaic.



I plan on making it an annual event so I will continue to gather photos of more ladies as they join our community. It was the first piece of Women of Halo merch I created, and it has significant meaning to me. It highlights the incredible community that we have cultivated.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="2048" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo4.jpg" alt="Women of Halo mosaic made up of many profile pictures of women in the Halo community" class="wp-image-114578" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo4.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo4-300x300.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo4-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo4-150x150.jpg 150w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo4-768x768.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo4-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo4-1568x1568.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></figure>



Let’s talk about <a href="https://x.com/WomenofHalo">Women of Halo</a>—tell us about this awesome group and how it began.



The Women of Halo group was started at the release of Halo Infinite by Hayley (<a href="https://x.com/Veronickuh_">@Veronickuh_</a>) and Jenn (<a href="https://x.com/Lady_Echidna">@Lady_Echidna</a>), where they created a Discord server for ladies in the Halo community. The main purpose of the Discord was to build a space where ladies could meet friends, find groups to play with, advertise women’s tournaments, and grow the community. Hayley spent many years working on women’s tournaments, hosting women’s 8s, and building our community—so the Discord was vital in facilitating that growth. It was where I was able to meet many friends and find my place in contributing to our community.



Not long after Infinite’s release, I reached out to Hayley and Jenn to reinvigorate the group and was welcomed with open arms. We saw that there was an opportunity to build the community more and turn the Women of Halo name into something bigger than we originally anticipated. The three of us knew we needed additional woman power to meet our ambitious goals and knew Celeste (<a href="https://x.com/itsBiiTTERSWEET">@itsBiiTTERSWEET</a>) and Kristine/Domino (<a href="https://x.com/KrisEsfandiary">@KrisEsfandiary</a>) would be invaluable assets to the team. The five of us are actively working behind the scenes to provide opportunities to the Women of Halo community.



Did you have any specific goals in mind with the creation of this group?



The Women of Halo does have specific goals in mind. We want to continue to provide a welcoming, fruitful environment for women to meet friends and play their favorite game, Halo. Being a woman in male-dominated spaces can be challenging at times so constructing a space where we can feel safe and accepted with no judgement is liberating.



We plan on hosting frequent community game nights, pop up tournaments, and 8s lobbies. Currently, we are building the brand and networking. We have hosted multiple tournaments to date and want to continue to host more in the future. The women’s tournaments are an excellent avenue for ladies to improve competitively and make a name for themselves if they intend on competing in HCS events. For those that do not want to compete in HCS, the tournaments are a fun way to get games in with friends.



Future forward, we would like to inaugurate a women’s Halo league with large prize pools and participation.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2048" height="1536" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo2.jpg" alt="Women of Halo group picture at HCS London 2024" class="wp-image-114550" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo2.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo2-768x576.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo2-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo2-1568x1176.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" /></figure>



What does it mean to you personally to be a voice for women in the Halo community?



I am honored to be considered a voice for women in the Halo community. I have always been a quiet, introverted person, so I never expected to be in a position where I represented an entire community. I feel it is a privilege and a considerable responsibility.



At the end of the day, I want the ladies in our community to get the recognition they deserve and normalize the existence of women within gaming spaces. If I can have a lasting impact and use my voice to uplift all women, I will consider myself successful.



I am confident that we, as a community, will exert a positive influence on gaming spaces. The future is bright, and I am excited to experience it with everyone.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1536" height="2048" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo6.jpg" alt="Photo of Jenn with @K1DDQ, @MonieIRL, and @SavageGiggles" class="wp-image-114606" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo6.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo6-225x300.jpg 225w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo6-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo6-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" /></figure>



What are some of the things you love most about the Women of Halo community?



The Women of Halo are incredibly special to me and there are innumerable things I love about our community. I have had the honor of meeting and befriending some of the most wonderful ladies imaginable.



Our community comes from a wide range of backgrounds, regions, personalities, ambitions, and perspectives. There is something to learn from every person. We’ve become a close-knit group who are all willing to reach out and offer support wherever needed. I feel like it is rare to find such an expansive group that is as close and caring for one another as we are. I’m grateful for each and every lady.



What’s coming up for the Women of Halo community? Any events, streams (etc.) we should keep an eye out for?



We have big plans on the horizon! To give a small sneak peek, we are in talks with a few organizations for upcoming tournaments. We have officially set up a Twitch channel (<a href="https://www.twitch.tv/womenofhalo">twitch.tv/womenofhalo</a>) and plan on streaming community nights.



Keep an eye out for community game nights, lady 8s, pop up tournaments, larger scale tournaments, and more <a href="https://x.com/nYDaYQuiL">@nYDaYQuiL</a> Mini 8s tournaments.



Some of our executive team also plan on attending events and will have stickers to pass out. We post event information on our Twitter and in our Discord, so be sure to follow us for updates!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://x.com/WomenofHalo"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1500" height="500" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo9.jpg" alt="Women of Halo social banner" class="wp-image-114648" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo9.jpg 1500w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo9-300x100.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo9-1024x341.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo9-768x256.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></a></figure>



What are some of your biggest inspirations in life?



One of my biggest inspirations in life is knowing that one small gesture of kindness can affect those around us for the better.



Like many people, I have had my share of traumas and difficult years. I struggled with depression and had moments where the world felt like it was closing in on me. Fortunately, I was able to find healing and coping mechanisms that worked for me, and I am in a much better place mentally than I was previously. I do not want anyone else to experience those lows, so I try to approach my days and situations from a place of empathy and understanding.



I think the world would benefit from more compassion and knowing every small act of humanity can have a lasting positive impact is inspirational to me.



Do you have any folks out there who inspire you that you’d like to give a shoutout to?



The folks that inspire me are my family—specifically, my dad and sister. I would not be the person I am today if it were not for them and the influence they continually have on my life. My dad did his best to raise two girls on his own and I am proud of him for all he has accomplished and the support he gives. My sister is my best friend and I would be lost without her.



I am also inspired by the phenomenal ladies that work on the Women of Halo with me. Hayley, Jenn, Celeste, and Kristine/Domino are remarkable and I am fortunate to call them my friends. I would also like to shout out the entire Women of Halo community. There are too many ladies to list, but I cannot reiterate enough the love I have for all of them.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1920" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo5-scaled.jpg" alt="Photo of Jenn with @K1DDQ and @MonieIRL" class="wp-image-114592" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo5-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo5-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo5-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo5-768x576.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo5-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo5-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/08/WomenOfHalo5-1568x1176.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></figure>



Tell us an interesting fact about yourself!



An interesting fact about myself? I am a decent artist. I created the Women of Halo logo and our merchandise designs. I won multiple art shows competitions while in high school and continue to draw for fun in my free time.



Thank you again for joining us in this issue, Jenn! Do you have any parting words to share?



Thank you for having me! I want to say thank you to all the people who support the Women of Halo group and our initiatives. The greater Halo community, 343, HCS, and various organizations have all shown fervent support and I cannot thank everyone enough. I appreciate the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Women of Halo and look forward to our future!



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>



Be sure to <a href="https://x.com/ImJ3N3R1C">follow Jenn on Twitter</a>, keep up with all the awesome community work and events that the <a href="https://x.com/Womenofhalo">Women of Halo</a> group are up to, and <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/womenofhalo">head over to their Twitch channel</a> to check out their streams!

Issue 019

Community Corner: ImJ3N3R1C (Women of Halo)

Click here to view the Open Bracket results from the HCS Atlanta Major 2024.

Esports

Official HCS

Spacestation are your HCS Atlanta Major Champions!

Community Update

Fleetcom Fete

Fleetcom Operation Launch

Issue 155

Canon Fodder: All About Anvil

On July 30 the next Ranked Season begins and with it comes some updates to the sandbox, ranking system, and Ranked Slayer. Additionally, our backend matchmaking experiments have concluded and as promised we’ve got more detailed information on what we’ve been doing.



Let’s get right into it!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BALANCE UPDATES</h2>



There are quite a few changes coming to the balance of the Sandbox and you can read about all of them <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/sandbox-update-halo-infinite">HERE</a>. For this blog, we’ve pulled out the ones that directly impact Ranked.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">Bandit EVO</h3>



After observing how the Bandit Evo has been performing since the start of the HCS season and listening to the community’s conversation around the weapon and how its fast time-to-kill was impacting the game, we have slowed the rate of fire slightly. We didn’t want to make drastic changes in the middle of the HCS season but rather nudging it in the right direction.



Changes:



<ul>
<li>Slower rate of fire to address community feedback around time-to-kill | Rounds per second (low & high) 2.9 >> 2.715</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Improvement to red reticle headshot accuracy.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">Disruptor</h3>



The Disruptor was having a hard time finding its place on maps as an effective pick up like the other weapons on the map, so some changes have been made to beef it up while also removing elements that players found frustrating.



<ul>
<li>Damage over time (DOT) returns | 8 shots to kill (2 supercombines)</li>



<li>Removed particle effect from (Event) 1p_loop | Adjusted particle screen effect to be less intrusive</li>



<li>Damage upper bound (high) decreased 70 >> 35</li>



<li>DOT damage will not continuously cause descope</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">MA40 AR</h3>



The “bloom” of the reticle on the Assault Rifle was causing instances where players were missing shots but seemed like they seemed like they were not registering and overall the weapon at the max bloom felt inconsistent. This has been tightened a bit to give the weapon a more consistent feel.



<ul>
<li>Minimum error angle (high) 0 >> 0.25</li>



<li>Maximum error angle (low) 0 >> 0.25</li>



<li>Maximum error angle (high) 2.1 >> 1.3</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">M41 SPNKr</h3>



The SPNKr in some instances was feeling inconsistent with regards to damage and kills. The goal here wasn’t to functionally change the way the SPNKr behaved but more so fine tune some cases to be more consistent and reliable for players.



<ul>
<li>Damage fall-off feels more consistent | Adjusted fall off function so players are not left with a sliver of health</li>



<li>Outer damage radius adjusted | Lowered radius high 3 >> 2.5</li>



<li>Increased max reserve ammo | Rounds total maximum 6 >> 8</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Grenades</h3>



Grenade impulse tuned to allow grenade jumping in line with previous Halo titles.



<ul>
<li>Frag Grenades: Added impulse to frag grenade damage effect | Instantaneous acceleration increased 1.75 >> 3.5 | Grounded player acceleration scalar decreased 1 >> 0.1</li>



<li>Plasma Grenades: Added impulse to plasma grenade damage effect | Instantaneous acceleration 2.15 >> 3.75 | Grounded player acceleration scalar 1 >> 0.1</li>



<li>Spike Grenades: Added impulse to spike grenade aoe damage effect. | Instantaneous acceleration 1.25 >> 3.25 | Alt instantaneous acceleration 2.75 >> 3.75 | Grounded player acceleration scalar 1 >> 0.1</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SPAWN UPDATES</h2>



There have been changes to spawn points on the majority of the Ranked Arena map suite including Aquarius, Recharge, Solitude, Live Fire, Forbidden, Argyle, Empyrean, and Streets. The goals of these changes are to make the spawn system more readable and consistent, along with reducing instances where players are spawning in overly advantageous positions.



<ul>
<li>Certain spawn points located in the middle of maps that have been identified as problematic have been removed.</li>



<li>Additional spawn points have been added to already existing spawning areas to account for the removed spawns and improve consistency.</li>



<li>We will continue to monitor feedback on the spawning system as the season progresses.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> AQUARIUS LAYOUT</h2>



In response to feedback on the location of the Overshield on Aquarius, the Overshield and Thruster have swapped locations. Overshield will now spawn top middle, Thruster will now spawn ‘P1’. With the Overshield being a highly impactful item on the map, the intention is that this central location will be more fair for both teams to contest at all points in a match and not just the beginning.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RULESET UPDATES</h2>



Last year we added a requirement for players in Ranked Arena to search solo / duo after 1600 CSR. This was done in response to feedback that we’d been receiving around players not wanting to match against Parties of 3 or 4. While we have seen an overall improvement to match balance and quality, players at 1600 have been also feeling too restricted and want to play more matches with their friends. In the data, we see that the vast majority of players in Ranked Arena search solo / duo (upwards of 95%) so while we still want to make sure those players are enjoying their matches, we’re going to increase the solo / duo restriction to 1700 CSR.



And earlier this year we began experimenting with another change with deterministic CSR. Today, players above 1800 CSR go up +7 when they win, and down -7 when they lose. This has been met with positive feedback and our data shows players above that level are playing even more now! Starting on July 30, this feature will start at 1700 CSR. As usual, we’re going to be monitoring the impact based on what players are telling us and what we are observing in the data to continue to make informed decisions.



In summary, once players hit 1700 CSR they will begin searching solo/duo, and each match will reward or takeaway 7 CSR.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BACKEND EXPERIMENT OUTCOMES</h2>



At a very high level, we matchmake based on Skill and Latency and you can think of Time to Match as the currency we spend to find a match. If you prioritize finding better matches in terms of skill and latency, it means you could be spending more time finding a match. The reason I say, “could” is because there are obviously lots of other factors like time of day, region, local vs expanded options, party size, etc.



What we observed before the experiment in the matchmaking data for ranked and what we were hearing from players was that there was room to make more closely skilled matches. Additionally, find matches with more players in my region or part of my region so that I can I have a higher quality experience. And, we also noticed that there were many times where a lower quality match was being made when the matchmaker only took a few seconds to make the match. Based on this, we decided to experiment and push the match quality to be as good as it can be, without making it so that people could not find matches.



The first experiment was to increase the weighting of the Pairwise Predictability value. Pairwise Predictability will look at how each player stacks up against every other player in the lobby individually. This not only makes it so that the teams would be better balanced against one another, but we’re prioritizing every single person in the lobby being closely matched in skill, which we believe is more important for making a quality match. After observing the impact of this change, we did see an improvement in this area, particularly around the edges of the skill band so Bronze/Silver, and Diamond/Onyx.



Chart Guide:



<ul>
<li>Quits: Quit the match before it ended.</li>



<li>TTM: Time to Match</li>



<li>Latency: A player’s ping to the server and back.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="695" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-1024x695.png" alt="" class="wp-image-113644" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-1024x695.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-300x204.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-768x522.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image.png 1047w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Once we concluded that there was positive impact in terms of fair matches, we also looked at time to match and concluded that there was no widespread perceivable negative impact in terms of how long players were taking to find matches, as well as indicating data like how many players are canceling their searches.



After this, we decided to see if we could improve the latency, so we increased the weighting there a few weeks later after the first change had settled. Again, this means we’re telling the matchmaker that it should spend a little more time trying to find a match where players searching would have lower latency. We once again observed the results but there wasn’t conclusive data, which indicates that our change was too small or there were other factors that played into making this unclear like playlist changes across the game.



We once again increased Pairwise Predictability in hopes of further increasing the quality of matches. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1008" height="705" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a185da02f65.png" alt="" class="wp-image-113658" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a185da02f65.png 1008w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a185da02f65-300x210.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a185da02f65-768x537.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px" /></figure>



At this point, we had started to see more feedback from the community, particularly from players in regions with less population and at skill bands where there are fewer players. We also saw feedback from players who reported searching during what we would consider to be “off peak” times like super late at night or early in the mornings. Typically, in the afternoons/evenings after work and school is when most players tend to jump on and play. From a match quality standpoint, it also wasn’t clear that there was a meaningful positive impact which led us to conclude that we pushed this a bit too far.



Finally, with Match Composer releasing we also added two new Ranked playlists in Ranked Slayer and Ranked Doubles. I’m happy to report that we collectively saw an increase in players (44% increase in the first week) and play time across ranked on a weekly basis. At the same time, a few percentage points of the player population for these new playlists were taken from Ranked Arena, which we believe is making time to match take too long and we’ve certainly seen an uptick in anecdotal reports.



Because of this, we’ve found and deployed another weighting update to find a middle ground from where this experiment started and where it last was so that we can improve the experience overall but still ensure that time to match isn’t unbearably long.



This latest update has been live for the last few weeks, and it seems to be a good working middle ground where we have improved the match quality from where it began without harming time to match significantly . At this point, we’re calling our experiment a success and will not be making further adjustments unless there are other conditions that change and we see changes in the feedback and what we can observe in our data.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="987" height="672" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a18618b3bfe.png" alt="" class="wp-image-113672" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a18618b3bfe.png 987w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a18618b3bfe-300x204.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a18618b3bfe-768x523.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 987px) 100vw, 987px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RANKED SLAYER</h2>



We’ve been very pleased to see so many players jumping into Ranked Slayer and enjoying the game. We’re committed to making updates to the playlist and working to deliver updates we go!



We’ve made an update to the Ranked Slayer map pool along with a few Sandbox updates.



Map pool adjustment



<ul>
<li>Based on average quit rate and end by time rate data in comparison to the other Slayer maps, Forbidden has been removed from the playlist. The map will be reviewed for potential reimplementation in the future as we investigate ways to improve the experience for players.</li>
</ul>



Cliffside



<ul>
<li>Overshield has been added to top middle.</li>



<li>The Energy Sword has replaced the Stalker Rifle in the Cage.</li>



<li>A Threat Seeker has been added to the Cave</li>
</ul>



Illusion



<ul>
<li>A Heatwave has replaced the Repulsor in the Camo hallway.</li>



<li>Thrusters have been replaced with Repulsors in the Overshield Junction.</li>



<li>The S7 Snipers have moved down to the Overshield Deck locations.</li>



<li>Battle Rifles have replaced the Plasma Pistols on the Camo Platforms.</li>



<li>Plasma Pistols have replaced the Needlers in the Camo Pockets.</li>



<li>Sidekicks have replaced the Commando Rifles in the Camo Staging areas.</li>



<li>Commando Rifles have replaced the Battle Rifles on the Camo Deck.</li>
</ul>



Forest



<ul>
<li>Camo has been removed.</li>



<li>Overshield has been added to top middle.</li>



<li>A Thruster has been added to the Alter and Grotto locations.</li>
</ul>



Once again thank you to everyone playing ranked in Halo Infinite and for the feedback you’ve given and continue to give us. The Ranked Team is committed to working on this experience day in and day out to improve the experience as much as we can. Best of luck to all teams competing at the HCS Atlanta Major this weekend!



Thanks,



Tashi

Tashi

Ranked Update | Halo Infinite

Unyshek

Sandbox Update | Halo Infinite