The time has come. Season Two of the Halo television series is here with an explosive two-episode premiere, launching us straight into the action with new and familiar faces as the Covenant threat escalates for humanity.



That means it’s time to bring the Silver Debrief out of cryo. This blog series will release every week alongside new episodes, featuring episode summaries, links to all the amazing additional programming to do with the series (like Declassified), and more.



Be warned: here there will be spoilers for these episodes, and in Halo Infinite there will be spoils in the form of Silver Team’s helmets—but more on that later!



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">EPISODE SUMMARY: SANCTUARY</h2>



The episode begins with John-117, the Master Chief, on an operating table following the events of Season One’s finale. As he is tended to by medical personnel, he is saved by having the Cortana implant extracted from his head.



OPERATION: SHEPHERD



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver9.jpg" alt="Halo The Series image of the Master Chief carrying Corporal Perez over his shoulder and conversing with The Mother" class="wp-image-92841" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver9.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver9-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver9-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver9-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver9-1568x1045.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



On the planet Sanctuary, Silver Team assists the UNSC as they attempt to evacuate a settlement with Condor dropships due to an impending Covenant attack, but some of the civilian refugees refuse to leave—having been previously relocated from other Covenant invasions.



Keeping overwatch with Vannak-134, Kai-125 spots lights flickering in the fog on a clifftop and the Master Chief uses a grappleshot to investigate, discovering that communications in this area are suffering from significant interference. After encountering a group of Marines who were stationed at the communications outpost, they are snatched through the fog one by one by an invisible enemy until only the Master Chief and a young woman (Corporal Perez) are left.



A Sangheili lunges at the Chief with an energy sword and is quickly dispatched, but it is quickly followed by more. In the fighting that ensues, the Chief loses track of Perez—eventually finding her injured among the bodies of her fellow Marines. The Chief sees more Sangheili figures appear out of active camouflage, but they retreat and depart; through the fog, the Chief sees a familiar human figure among them.



The Covenant begin glassing Sanctuary, unleashing devastating lances of plasma upon the planet from orbit, wiping out many of the civilians and UNSC personnel. Kai and Vannak help the civilians aboard their Condors, some of which are shot down as they depart, and the Chief returns carrying Perez. The leader of the outpost—The Mother—and her entourage approach the Spartan, telling him to find his fate and that she has seen his death coming soon.



UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver4.jpg" alt="Danny Sapani as Captain Jacob Keyes in Halo episode 1, Season 2, Streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Adrienn Szabo/Paramount+" class="wp-image-92813" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver4.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver4-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver4-1568x1045.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



Back on Reach at the FLEETCOM headquarters, Silver Team debriefs with the recently promoted Admiral Jacob Keyes who informs the Spartans that Covenant attacks have been increasing across the Outer Colonies.



The Master Chief insists that this case was different because the Covenant were already present before they glassed the planet, asking why they would invade the planet if their intention was just to glass it anyway. Keyes says that the Office of Naval Intelligence will conduct an analysis, and as the Chief makes to argue his case further they are interrupted by the arrival of James Ackerson, who introduces himself as Dr. Catherine Halsey’s replacement as director of the Spartan program.



Later, as the Chief heads to Ackerson’s office, he spots Corporal Perez in a room nearby. Having researched the new Spartan program director, the Chief gives respect to Ackerson for having served in combat, then reiterates that he understands the Covenant as an enemy that acts with meaning and intention. He believes that the Sangheili there were training, but he doesn’t know for what.



Ackerson seeks to undermine the Chief by questioning his mental state following the events of Season One where Dr. Halsey was implicated in crimes concerning unauthorized procedures and projects, such as the creation of Cortana—an illegal artificial intelligence that was implanted into the head of the UNSC’s most important strategic asset, the Master Chief himself.



COBALT TEAM



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver5.jpg" alt="Joseph Morgan as James Ackerson in Halo episode 1, Season 2, Streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Adrienn Szabo/Paramount+" class="wp-image-92827" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver5.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver5-1568x1045.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



Silver Team banters with the Spartans of Cobalt Team, who have notably not removed their pellets, as they complain about Ackerson sending them on a babysitting mission to escort a tech team looking to repair a communications relay in a distant system. This gets the Chief’s attention, leading him to confront Ackerson once more for not briefing Cobalt Team on what happened on Sanctuary.



Ackerson then throws the Chief’s mission report into doubt, questioning how he could have prevailed against so many Sangheili warriors alone who then disappeared, portraying the Spartan as a victim of Halsey’s experiments that have compromised him, meaning that he cannot authorize them for combat missions. The Chief relents, but asks that Ackerson just tell Cobalt Team what they’re walking into.



Heading into the city, the Chief secretly meets with Margaret Parangosky, who is no longer serving as an admiral following the events of Season One. She tells the Chief that he will find Ackerson unresponsive to his theories and that nobody wants to believe that the nature of the Covenant War is changing. Parangosky tells the Chief to pursue evidence of the Covenant’s activities and bring it to her, providing him with a tracking device so she can find him when he activates it, and when the Chief asks what she’ll do for him she says that she will believe him.



A PIRATE’S LIFE



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver3.jpg" alt="Bokeem Woodbine as Soren in Halo episode 1, Season 2, Streaming on Paramount+. Photo Credit: Adrienn Szabo/Paramount+" class="wp-image-92799" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver3.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver3-1568x1045.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



On the Rubble, a network of habitable hollowed-out asteroids where piracy thrives, the former Spartan known as Soren and his wife Laera observe the selection process for refugees seeking asylum through indentured servitude based on the skills they can contribute. One refugee from Harvest captures Soren’s attention when he claims to know the location of Catherine Halsey, which Soren publicly dismisses but directs one of his men to go after him.



Upon returning home, they find their son Kessler playing with a toy of the Master Chief. Laera criticizes Soren for playing the role of pirate king dreaming of bringing Dr. Halsey to justice while the galaxy burns around them. Laera says that the other syndicate families don’t fear Soren the way they used to and suggests that the three of them should go away, but Soren insists that they don’t run.



Soren meets with Felix and departs with his crew, the Harvest refugee relates a story about a salvage job where he saw a cryo tube containing Dr. Halsey when a side panel fell off a crate before the ship went missing, with Felix being the only one who knows the course it plotted. An alarm interrupts them as they find the wrecked remains of the ship, and Soren orders Felix to accompany him alone to investigate.



As Felix recounts his knowledge of Halsey’s actions and questions Soren’s past as a Spartan, he surmises that the pirate leader’s investment in capturing her isn’t about the money but what she did to him. Upon finding the crate that Felix claimed held Halsey’s cryo tube, Soren begins questioning Felix’s story, only to see his crew steal his ship and jump out of the system, stranding him. Finding the crate empty, Soren is the surrounded by troops that were hidden in the room and Felix states that he is under arrest for the crimes of piracy, kidnapping, extortion, and treason.



THE MONSTER



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1280" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver7.jpg" alt="Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief in Halo episode 1, Season 2, Streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Adrienn Szabo/Paramount+" class="wp-image-92869" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver7.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver7-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver7-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver7-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/Silver7-1568x1045.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



After conversing with an AI that takes on the form of Cortana and Dr. Halsey, the Chief fears that a piece of him is missing now and recalls seeing the figure of Makee on Sanctuary, saying to him “You should have stayed with me.”



As Soren’s crew returns to the Rubble, Laera sees that Soren is not among them and fears that her husband is either lost or dead.



A Sangheili observes a vast fleet of Covenant ships rising through the clouds, prepared to embark on their next conquest.



Kessler enters an asteroid cavern where he is greeted by Kwan Ha, who tells him about an ancient monster that is coming—markings on the cavern wall showing a circular maw…



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CORE CONNECTIONS</h2>



“Core connections” is a section that explores some of the cool details and connections the Silver Timeline draws with Halo’s core canon.



At the FLEETCOM headquarters when Silver Team debriefs with Admiral Keyes, they learn that several planets have been lost: Madrigal, Estuary, and FLEETCOM believes that Fumirole is next.



We of course spent a lot of time on Madrigal in Season One, but Estuary and Fumirole are names that might sound familiar to lore fans out there.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/H2A_Terminal_Estuary.jpg" alt="Halo 2: Anniversary Terminal screenshot of the colony world Estuary" class="wp-image-92883" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/H2A_Terminal_Estuary.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/H2A_Terminal_Estuary-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/H2A_Terminal_Estuary-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/H2A_Terminal_Estuary-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/H2A_Terminal_Estuary-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/H2A_Terminal_Estuary-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



Estuary made an appearance in Halo 2: Anniversary’s Terminals (Terminal 3 – ‘ONI File: Particular Justice’) as one of the seven planets that was glassed by Thel ‘Vadamee during his campaign against humanity as Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo Reach Deliver Hope (Extended Cut)" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MxnL7PIxW14?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Fumirole will no doubt be more familiar, as it was the setting for the (still jaw-dropping) Halo: Reach live action trailer ‘Deliver Hope.’



Noble Team fought here in April 2552 with the objective of destroying a Covenant battlecruiser, Sanctity of Purification, by detonating a Fury tactical nuclear weapon from inside the ship. When Kat-B320 is critically injured by a Banshee, Thom-A293—the original Noble Six on the team—takes the bomb and uses his jetpack to get it to the finish line, sacrificing himself in the process.



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



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://youtu.be/2j_szqdJGz8?si=imMnXmpSJQPiXCUm"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/S2_Declassified.jpg" alt="Title card for Season Two of Halo The Series Declassified" class="wp-image-92897" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/S2_Declassified.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/S2_Declassified-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/S2_Declassified-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/S2_Declassified-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/S2_Declassified-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/S2_Declassified-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a></figure>



Halo The Series: Declassified returns with host Sydnee Goodman to give a behind the scenes look at the Season Two premiere.



Exclusive sneak-peeks, interviews with the cast and crew about the making of the show, a recap of Season One, and a discussion with Kiki Wolfkill (Executive Producer) and Pablo Schreiber (Master Chief John-117) await in Season Two’s debut episode of Declassified.



(NOTE: Some regions may not be able to view this episode.)



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo The Series: Declassified (S2, E1) | Pablo Schreiber On Returning To Halo | Paramount+" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2j_szqdJGz8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SILVER TEAM HELMETS</h2>



Silver Team has been deployed into Halo Infinite! With the arrival of the latest content update, players can acquire the helmets of Kai-125, Riz-028, and Vannak-134.



Simply complete all of your weekly challenges on the following dates and secure your ultimate reward!



(NOTE: Kai-125’s helmet was the ultimate reward from January 30-February 6.)



WEEK TWO: RIZ-028 FEBRUARY 6-13



WEEK FOUR: VANNAK-134 FEBRUARY 20-27



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/ULT_Riz028.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite image of Riz-028's helmet" class="wp-image-92721" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/ULT_Riz028.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/ULT_Riz028-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/ULT_Riz028-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/ULT_Riz028-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/ULT_Riz028-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/02/ULT_Riz028-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



Visors for each member of Silver Team will also be given as free rewards simply for logging in on these weeks. All of these items are multi-use, meaning that they can be used across all your Armor Cores.



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That wraps up our first issue in the blast radius of Season Two’s premiere!



Come back later today and we’ll have the Episode Two summary up for you to check out. Until then, secure those Silver Team helmets and be sure to check out the latest Declassified episode for some great behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of Season Two.

Alex Wakeford

Debrief 015

Silver Debrief: Sanctuary

Community

Community Update

Fireteam February

Fiction

Waypoint Chronicles

343 INDUSTRIES

Halo: Hippocratica

Fireteam Jorogumo

Canon Fodder

Issue 149

Canon Fodder: Covering Fire

Games

Halo Infinite

Spirit of Fire Launch | Halo Infinite CU29

Mjolnir Mark IV Through The Years

Multi-Use Shoulders

Customization Overview | Halo Infinite CU29

Halo Infinite Covenant Palette

Mode Brain

Halo Infinite Material Swaps

Forge continues to evolve in Content Update 29 (“CU29”), which arrives on January 30.



Ever since Halo Infinite’s Forge arrived, we have been continually blown away by the creativity of the community-made maps, modes, and experiences that have been crafted. Our goal is to continue supporting Halo’s community cartographers as much as possible, and CU29 aims to deliver some of the most highly requested features—new toys and enhanced tools that will help to further unlock and unleash Forgers’ creative potential.



CU29 brings with it the addition of the Covenant object palette, the new Mode Creator feature, AI Toolkit enhancements, along with additional quality of life updates, and more!



Read on below to learn more about the latest update to Forge, and check out some of it in action from our stream last week.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="January Update & HCS 2024 Roadmap | Halo Infinite" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9aV4pIIz2p8?start=1163&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">COVENANT DANCE</h2>



“When we joined the Covenant, we took an oath…”



Since Forge’s arrival in Halo Infinite, we’ve continued to build on making the object palettes and aesthetics of the Halo universe available to the player—from the UNSC, to the Forerunners, to the Banished… and now, CU29 will update that list once more with some fashionable purple pieces.



The Covenant palette is coming to Halo Infinite!



Over 70 new structures pieces, primitives, accents, and decals will be available for Forgers to create exciting experiences that harken back to Halo’s roots. Let’s take a look at some pretty pictures of those objects…





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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FORGE MODE CREATOR</h2>



The Forge Mode Creator is a new functionality that lets players script modes in the Node Graph, then save, share, and play those experiences—just like you’d share a mode created in the Custom Game menu.



Our goal with the Forge Mode Creator was threefold:



<ul>
<li>Make it easier for modes to be shared and played.</li>



<li>Make it easier for modes to hook up to community maps (and vice-versa).</li>



<li>Free up map budget, as mode logic will no longer come with a map budget cost.</li>
</ul>



We have created new assets in Forge to enable this: the Mode Brain and Mode Prefab.



MODE BRAIN: Similar to a Script Brain, but this is specifically used for Forge Modes. This can be accessed in the Scripting section of the Object Browser.



MODE PREFAB: A Prefab dedicated to holding Mode Brains.





Here’s how the Forge Mode Creator works:



CREATE A MODE PREFAB OUT OF MODE BRAINS



To create a Forge Mode, the first thing players should do is place two or more Mode Brains and then create their mode in Node Graph with them—players will need to create a Mode Prefab out of the Mode Brains that contain the scripting for your mode. With multiple Mode Brains selected, bring up the Action Menu and select “CREATE MODE PREFAB.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1339" height="1495" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Create-Mode-Prefab-Action-Menu.png" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the Action Menu showing the option to Create Mode Prefab" class="wp-image-91240" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Create-Mode-Prefab-Action-Menu.png 1339w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Create-Mode-Prefab-Action-Menu-269x300.png 269w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Create-Mode-Prefab-Action-Menu-917x1024.png 917w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Create-Mode-Prefab-Action-Menu-768x857.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1339px) 100vw, 1339px" /></figure>



Mode Prefabs function similarly to object prefabs, but these can only consist of Mode Brains. Conversely, regular object prefabs cannot use Mode Brains.



MODE PREFAB SETTINGS



You can cycle the parent Mode Brain in the Object Properties menu after selecting a Mode Prefab. Since the Node Graph loads the parent Mode Brain when going into it with a Mode Prefab selected, this will allow you to control which Mode Brain scripts you want to edit after you have created a Mode Prefab.



The Mode Variant value is important as it tells the game if you want to create a mode based on existing official mode logic or want to build all the logic from scratch by selecting Minigame.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="835" height="588" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Mode-Prefab-Settings-Mode-Variant.png" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the Mode Variant option in the Mode Prefab settings" class="wp-image-91338" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Mode-Prefab-Settings-Mode-Variant.png 835w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Mode-Prefab-Settings-Mode-Variant-300x211.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Mode-Prefab-Settings-Mode-Variant-768x541.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 835px) 100vw, 835px" /></figure>



HOW TO SAVE MODE PREFAB TO MY FILES



After creating a Mode Prefab, there is one more step to actually create the Forge Mode. With the Mode Prefab selected, open the Action Menu and select “SAVE MODE PREFAB.”



Saving a Mode Prefab does two things:



<ul>
<li>Saves the Mode Prefab (the Mode Brains)</li>
</ul>



Saved Mode Prefabs can be found in the Object Browser – Modes category, where you can place them in a map and then edit in the Node Graph.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2592" height="1506" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Save-Mode-Variant-Action-Menu.png" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of saving a Mode Prefab in the Action Menu" class="wp-image-91366" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Save-Mode-Variant-Action-Menu.png 2592w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Save-Mode-Variant-Action-Menu-300x174.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Save-Mode-Variant-Action-Menu-1024x595.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Save-Mode-Variant-Action-Menu-768x446.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Save-Mode-Variant-Action-Menu-1536x892.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Save-Mode-Variant-Action-Menu-2048x1190.png 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Save-Mode-Variant-Action-Menu-1568x911.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2592px) 100vw, 2592px" /></figure>



<ul>
<li>Saves a Forge Mode based on the logic in the Mode Prefab’s Mode Brains.</li>
</ul>



Saved Forge Modes can be found in My Files and the Custom Game Editor Mode List. After saving a Forge Mode, you can then publish and/or play your Forge Mode.



NOTE: If you want to create a NEW Mode Prefab from an existing Mode Prefab, break apart the Mode Prefab FIRST and then create a new Mode Prefab from the ungrouped Mode Prefab. Ungrouping a Mode Prefab breaks its connection to the saved Forge Mode and Mode Prefab.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2601" height="930" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Forge-Mode-Versioning.png" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of Version History for a Mode" class="wp-image-91296" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Forge-Mode-Versioning.png 2601w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Forge-Mode-Versioning-300x107.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Forge-Mode-Versioning-1024x366.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Forge-Mode-Versioning-768x275.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Forge-Mode-Versioning-1536x549.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Forge-Mode-Versioning-2048x732.png 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Forge-Mode-Versioning-1568x561.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 2601px) 100vw, 2601px" /></figure>



With this approach to mode creation, we can’t wait to see what the community is going to create with this new addition to Forge!



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MATERIAL SWAP</h2>



Another highly requested feature from the community is material swapping for foliage and decals, which is another improvement added to Forge in CU29.



FOLIAGE Players will be able to adjust up to three colors on select foliage objects to add a greater variety of visual flair for their creative vision.



DECALS Players will be able to mimic stains, foliage overgrowth, and other forms of discoloration to add more set dressing to their creations.





This opens up even more artistic options for Forgers when adding layers of detail to a map.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FORGE AI TOOLKIT</h2>



The Forge AI Toolkit made its debut with Season 5, and in CU29 we are continuing to update and enhance this feature to help build the best experiences possible with Halo Infinite’s AI units.



NEW SQUAD BEHAVIOR – WANDER WHEN IDLE



Wander When Idle is a new squad behavior available on the AI Spawner object. When set to ON, AI units in this spawned squad will wander around their assigned AI Move Zone when idle, which will make them seem a bit livelier.



I don’t know about you, but I could spend hours watching Grunts waddle around!



NEW AI TRAIT NODES



Players will have the ability to give AI units certain traits which can help to spice up those campaign-style and PvE experiences you have been building.



AI Traits include:



<ul>
<li>Bonus Health</li>



<li>Bottomless Clip</li>



<li>Damage Resistance</li>



<li>Health Recharge</li>



<li>Movement Speed</li>



<li>Movement Speed With Turret</li>



<li>Prevent Weapon Firing</li>



<li>Vampirism</li>



<li>Weapon Damage</li>
</ul>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVEMENTS</h2>



Improvements to single axis selection on both the scale and transform widgets. It’s now easier to grab a selection axis of the movement and scaling widgets when using a mouse.



Added “On Player Infected” node to Node Graph. This event node fires when a player is infected and returns both who got infected and who did the infecting.



Added “On Repair Field Heal” node to Node Graph. This event node fires when a player or object is repaired. Returns the Repair Field Object, Healed Object, Healed Amount, and Full Regen Completed.



Added Infected Energy Sword and Mythic Sandwich as weapons. Some weapons are just too powerful, too terrible, and indeed too delicious to even contemplate letting folks use them. The Mythic Sandwich in the wrong hands could spell doom for the entire galaxy, a weapon more devastating than the Halo Array itself… but do you know what these are? The wrong hands!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1003" height="1204" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/SandwichSword.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the Infected Energy Sword and Mythic Sandwich" class="wp-image-91394" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/SandwichSword.jpg 1003w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/SandwichSword-250x300.jpg 250w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/SandwichSword-853x1024.jpg 853w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/SandwichSword-768x922.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1003px) 100vw, 1003px" /></figure>



The Infected Energy Sword and Mythic Sandwich will be available in the power spawner, weapon pads, weapon trunks, and as individually placed weapon objects.



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



As we have said, we are committed to the continued improvement of Forge and we’ve got more to come on that front this year. Of course, we can’t just tease you like that and stay quiet—how uncivilized that would be!



Coming in future Halo Infinite updates will be a Flood-themed palette and an alien-themed palette for you to play around with. Let’s take a look!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Flood_1920x1080_Watermarked.png" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the Flood palette coming in a future update" class="wp-image-91465" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Flood_1920x1080_Watermarked.png 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Flood_1920x1080_Watermarked-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Flood_1920x1080_Watermarked-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Flood_1920x1080_Watermarked-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Flood_1920x1080_Watermarked-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Flood_1920x1080_Watermarked-1568x882.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Alien_1920x1080_Watermarked.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the alien-themed palette coming in a future update" class="wp-image-91451" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Alien_1920x1080_Watermarked.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Alien_1920x1080_Watermarked-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Alien_1920x1080_Watermarked-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Alien_1920x1080_Watermarked-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Alien_1920x1080_Watermarked-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/CU29_ForgeBlog_FutureContent_Alien_1920x1080_Watermarked-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



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That brings us to the end of this Forge Overview for CU29, which is just days away from launch on January 30!



We can’t wait to see what you make this year. We’re coming up on almost thirty issues of Forge Features here on Halo Waypoint, which has showcased and spotlighted what is ultimately just a tiny fraction of what you’ve been building—so don’t forget to share your maps by tagging them with “343ask” in-game.



Happy Forging!



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For more on CU29 of Halo Infinite, check out our other blogs:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/community-livestream-cu29">UPDATE OVERVIEW</a> – Catch up on our livestream about all things Halo Infinite in 2024.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/map-overview-halo-infinite-cu29">MAP OVERVIEW</a> – Take a guided tour of Illusion, the new Arena map coming in CU29.</li>



<li>CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW – Get a closer look at the Mark IV Armor Core, customization improvements, and upcoming Operations.</li>
</ul>

Forge Overview | Halo Infinite CU29

Coming to Halo Infinite when Content Update 29 (“CU29”) lands on January 30 is a new map: Illusion.



Illusion takes place within an abandoned and forgotten ONI black site where old experiments with recovered (and familiar) Covenant technology still remain, evoking the feeling and design of maps from Halo: Combat Evolved. Let’s take a look…



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Illusion Map Preview | CU29 | Halo Infinite" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zzdacRmN6xc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



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We’re joined by multiplayer designer Cliff Schuldt to delve into the depths of this abandoned facility and explore how it came together.



Halo Infinite’s latest update brings an awesome new map to the game—Illusion. What can you tell us about it?



This map is really a love letter to the map design of Halo: Combat Evolved, where every map in that game has a kind of unique element to it—whether that’s in the layout, the location, and so on. Illusion is set at an ONI black site facility, and we really wanted to give it a unique hook to give it a strong sense of identity.



The main point of interest in this map is that its middle section has an active camouflage effect, so players who go into the center will turn invisible—we originally played around with having that area obscured by lots of smoke, but impacting the player’s vision in such a way just didn’t really translate to a fun time in gameplay.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_103_1920x1080_Watermark.jpg" alt="A screenshot of Illusion, the newest arena map coming to Halo Infinite." class="wp-image-91197" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_103_1920x1080_Watermark.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_103_1920x1080_Watermark-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_103_1920x1080_Watermark-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_103_1920x1080_Watermark-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_103_1920x1080_Watermark-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_103_1920x1080_Watermark-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



Once we transitioned to the active camo hallway, the lore of the map really grew out of that. On one side of the map, you’ll see an active camo pyramid from Halo: CE and Halo 2 which is hooked up to still-functioning machinery, a remnant of ONI’s attempts to reverse engineer its effects. On the other side of the map, there’s an overshield cube also hooked up to the ONI machines, but that side is damaged and inactive with error messages.



Just as the Season 5 map Prism tells a story about the crystals being mined on Suban for the Needler, Illusion really showcases the secret experiments ONI was conducting around these power-ups from Halo: CE and Halo 2. It shows how this Covenant technology transitioned to the form it takes as portable equipment, which we see in how the camo and overshield modules appear in Halo 5 and Halo Infinite.



What are some of the unique features and locations of this map?



The camo hallway is the central feature, which harkens back to some of that Halo: CE design philosophy. And the ONI aesthetic, too, is something that feels unique. We have felt the “UNSC fatigue” as well at times, but—like with Cliffhanger in Season 3—there are some really cool new visual and design elements that ONI has which breaks away a bit from the more straightforwardly industrial design of the UNSC. This looks and feels like an abandoned and forgotten black site, the past is buried here.



The way we think of this map is that it has “roles” you can take on to suit your kind of playstyle. Do you want to be the person who ventures into the camo hallway to try to take advantage of the center of the map, or are you somebody who prefers to hang back and be the spotter for the team if an enemy is encroaching on your base while you play defense with the sniper? Those long-range plays can really swing the direction of a match. And you can play offensively, going around the side areas of the map or using kinetic launchers to get the jump on the enemy team.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_005_1920x1080_Watermark.jpg" alt="A screenshot of Illusion, the newest arena map coming to Halo Infinite." class="wp-image-91226" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_005_1920x1080_Watermark.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_005_1920x1080_Watermark-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_005_1920x1080_Watermark-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_005_1920x1080_Watermark-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_005_1920x1080_Watermark-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_005_1920x1080_Watermark-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



What modes play well with this map?



This map was originally designed with CTF in mind. As a bit of a peek behind the curtain: maps are typically built with a particular mode in mind, and usually you can get a couple of modes that work well… but Illusion ended up surprising us because every mode we tested on it felt like it could have been the “origin mode” for the map.



Strongholds, King of the Hill, and Extraction were modes we particularly loved playing on this, zone control modes in general really brought out that depth in gameplay I mentioned earlier. But Oddball might have been one of my personal favorites—the camo hallway adds a whole new dynamic to how you play. If you take the Oddball into the camo hallway, you run a risky gambit of putting yourself in a vulnerable position but you’re also able to bait the enemy team if your own team is on top of their game.



And Infection… I think people are going to have a good time with that mode on Illusion. Lots of jumpscares!



I remember when you first showed me this map and I literally said “This feels like a map straight out of Halo: CE,” which you then said was very much the intent!



I’ve been a fan of the series since Halo: CE. We used to have LAN parties every weekend with over thirty people coming over, epic high school rivalries emerged from these experiences, and we really carried that feeling through to Illusion as a love letter to the game that started it all.



That’s in the design as well. Like I said about the difference between the “traditional” UNSC aesthetic and what ONI brings to the table, you have more of an eerie vibe to this abandoned space, brutalist designs with those unnaturally tall hallways, this pervading sense that your eyes might be playing tricks on you as you wonder what mysteries were buried here…



And then, in a gameplay sense, there’s a healthy verticality to it as well. Halo: CE had a lot of that when you look at maps like Prisoner, Hang ‘em High, Damnation, Chill Out, and so on. Those all had these strong characteristics, unique hooks in visuals and gameplay (especially when you think of mind-bending maps like Chiron TL-34!)



Do you think Illusion is a map geared towards a particular kind of Halo player?



During testing, one person actually said that they were having a good time on Illusion even though their team was losing! This is not a common response to that kind of situation, but hearing it was great because we want players to enjoy what they are experiencing. Winning is fun, but playing should feel fun.



Illusion is designed for both social and competitive play, we hope that every type of Halo player will find elements of this map that really grab them. It’s super rewarding when you find someone in the camo hallway and take them down with that feeling of “I got you!”, and on the other side of it you feel empowered as a player when you get to be invisible—there’s just something about being stealthy and sneaky which adds a lot of fun, but it’s in a controlled area so you have to think about your positioning.



We wanted players to think about this map differently when they’re in those heat of the moment situations and make interesting choices with plentiful opportunities for risky gambits and exciting counter-plays.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_008_1920x1080_Watermark.jpg" alt="A screenshot of Illusion, the newest arena map coming to Halo Infinite." class="wp-image-91211" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_008_1920x1080_Watermark.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_008_1920x1080_Watermark-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_008_1920x1080_Watermark-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_008_1920x1080_Watermark-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_008_1920x1080_Watermark-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/HI_Map_Illusion_008_1920x1080_Watermark-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



We’re quite accustomed to there being fun Easter eggs on new Halo Infinite maps at this point, are there any that players should look out for on Illusion?



Every time people started exploring, we would hear “Oh, cool!” There are lots of little things we put in there that really felt like we were celebrating Halo, remembering our time with the series.



There’s a break room with some fun memorabilia. Let’s say that there are also some more… colorful elements that may prove to be key to discovering something…



And the location of this map is a bit of an Easter egg in itself, as it’s actually underneath another map in the game.



Thank you for joining us again, Cliff—it’s always a joy to talk about map design and fun Halo memories with you! Do you have any parting words to share?



It’s been over twenty-two years since Halo: CE released and we are still so excited about leaning into the original DNA of that game’s design—strong identities, approachable depth, and great fun!



That’s really the heart and soul of the team’s love and passion for Halo. We’re all fans, we want to build maps which facilitate players getting to share their crazy moments at the water cooler, whether you’re just running around with your friends and punching each other or if you’re sweating with the team.



It’s been a huge honor to work on this game, but the blessing I didn’t expect was all about the people—from art, design, sandbox, community, and beyond. Getting to work with so many kind and passionate folks who deeply care about what they’re creating has been amazing, and it’s been such a privilege to share these things with the fans. We hope you enjoy the map, and (as always) can’t wait to see the gameplay clips you share online!



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For more on CU29, stay tuned for the following blogs to come:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/community-livestream-cu29">UPDATE OVERVIEW</a> – Catch up on our January 19 community livestream which outlines the content coming in CU29 and our approach to Halo Infinite going forwards this year.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/forge-overview-cu29">FORGE OVERVIEW</a> – Learn more about the new features and improvements coming to Forge, including the Covenant palette, Mode Creator, and more.</li>



<li>CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW – Get a closer look at the Mark IV Armor Core, customization improvements, and upcoming Operations.</li>
</ul>

Map Overview | Halo Infinite CU29

Today, during our first Community Livestream of the year, we pulled back the curtain on what’s next for Halo Infinite and shared details on what’s in store for year three of the Halo Championship Series (HCS).



If you missed the stream, we highly recommend giving it a watch to get up to speed on what you can expect with Infinite’s next update, how the studio is approaching the game going forward, a few longer lead features in active development, and what’s cooking for HCS.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
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</div></figure>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CONTENT UPDATE 29</h2>



Halo Infinite’s next free update, Content Update 29 (“CU29”) arrives on January 30, bringing a new Arena map, a Covenant object palette and new Forge features, a new armor core and customization rewards, and the first of three free Operations—starting with the Halo Wars-themed “Spirit of Fire.”



Stay tuned to Halo Waypoint in the coming days as we’ll take a closer look at some of the key components of this latest update:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/map-overview-halo-infinite-cu29">MAP OVERVIEW</a> – Take a guided tour of Illusion, the new Arena map coming in CU29.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/forge-overview-cu29">FORGE OVERVIEW</a> – Learn more about the new features and improvements coming to Forge, including the Covenant palette, Mode Creator, and more.</li>



<li>CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW – Get a closer look at the Mark IV Armor Core, customization improvements, and upcoming Operations.</li>
</ul>



Looking further ahead, we also confirmed several player-requested features in active development including “Match Composer” functionality for matchmaking, new ways to earn past customization content, updated networking model, and a new anti-cheat initiative.



We’ll have plenty more to share on these fronts as they get nearer to release but for now, we’re excited to let the team cook and look forward to these marquee updates landing later this year.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-90873" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-1568x882.png 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HCS 2024</h2>



Year three of HCS is upon us! New events, ranked updates, and new team cosmetics are on the horizon, <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/2024roadmap">and you can get the full scoop via the latest HCS blog</a>.



Stay tuned to <a href="http://halo.gg">Halo.gg</a> and be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/HCS">@HCS</a> for the latest competitive Halo news.



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That’s all for now, but we’re excited to have much more to share with you next week as we get closer to the release of CU29 on January 30!



Until then, may you have sweet dreams of Mjolnir Mark IV armor…

Community Livestream | Halo Infinite CU29

Click here to register for your region's HCS tournaments.

Esports

It’s 2024 and you know what that means – Year 3 of Halo Infinite HCS is right around the corner and if it’s anything like what the last two years have been like then we’re all in for a big treat. New events, new rosters, and new opportunities for the world’s greatest Halo players to etch their names into the competitive Halo history books.



Coming off a historic Year 2, we can’t help but feel immensely grateful for all of the players and fans of competitive Halo and HCS. To everyone who plays in the Ranked Playlists, those who watch every event, the pros that put on an amazing show, and all of our partners – thank you.



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



For Year 3 of HCS we’ve decided to stay close to the tried-and-true format that Halo’s always had with open events where teams earn points that ultimately help them qualify for the Halo World Championship. Last year you might remember that we hosted Global Invitationals where only 16 teams were able to compete. For Year 3, every event before the Halo World Championship is a Major. This means there will be an open bracket and any team can sign up and compete. Ultimately, we felt leaning into competitive Halo’s roots where the entire community was brought under one roof was best for the league.



Last year we also experimented with events hosted by teams with OpTic and Spacestation. Response from fans was amazing as these teams brought us into their home turf and put on great events. For Year 3, we’ve decided to double down on this – literally. Each event leading up to HaloWC 2024 will now be hosted by a partnered team – OpTic, Quadrant, FaZe, and Spacestation. We can’t wait to work with each of these teams to put on a spectacle for all fans to enjoy.



As with last year, tournament administration will be manage by HCS and Esports Engine and not the teams to avoid conflict of interest.



To see more details about the format and rules – see the HCS 2024 Handbook here: <a href="https://aka.ms/2024handbook">https://aka.ms/2024handbook</a>



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



Here’s a look at the events calendar for HCS Year 3.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-1024x576.png" alt="HCS 2024 Roadmap" class="wp-image-106533" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-2048x1152.png 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-1568x882.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



As you can see, we’re spreading the love further than Year 2 with the first Halo Infinite Major in Europe, hosted by Quadrant. We cannot wait to see you all there!



As always, there will be online events and qualifiers for each of the 4 regions – see full list of dates below.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Online Dates</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>NA <s>Feb 3-4: Open Feb 9-10: Open Feb 17-18: Open Feb 24-25: Major Qualifier</s> <s>Apr 21, Apr 25: Open Apr 27-28: Open May 5, May 9: Open May 11-12: Major Qualifier</s> <s>June 9, June 13: Open June 16, June 20: Open June 23, June 27: Open</s> <s>June 29-30: Major Qualifier</s> Aug 10-11: Open Aug 17-18: Open Aug 21-22: Open Aug 24-25: Major Qualifier</td><td>EU <s>Feb 4: Open Feb 10: Open Feb 18: Open Feb 25: Major Qualifier</s> <s>Apr 21: Open Apr 28: Open May 5: Open May 12: Major Qualifier</s> <s>June 9: Open June 16: Open June 23: Open</s> <s>June 30: Major Qualifier</s> Aug 11: Open Aug 18: Open Aug 22: Open Aug 25: Major Qualifier</td><td>MX <s>Feb 4: Open Feb 10: Open Feb 18: Open Feb 25: Open Championship</s> <s>Apr 21: Open Apr 28: Open May 5: Open May 12: Open Championship</s> <s>June 9: Open June 16: Open June 23: Open</s> <s>June 30: Open Championship</s> Aug 11: Open Aug 18: Open Aug 22: Open Aug 25: Major Qualifier</td><td>ANZ <s>Feb 4: Open Feb 10: Open Feb 18: Open Feb 25: Open Championship</s> <s>Apr 21: Open Apr 28: Open May 5: Open May 12: Open Championship</s> <s>June 9: Open June 16: Open June 23: Open</s> <s>June 30: Open Championship </s> Aug 11: Open Aug 18: Open Aug 22: Open Aug 25: Major Qualifier</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Register Now on FACEIT</h2>





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



Once again HCS will be delivering over $2,000,000 in prizing to players across all events and breaks down as follows:



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Majors: $250,000 HaloWC: $1,000,000 Online: $66,000</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



That’s not all of course as each Major will also feature a $5,000 FFA as well as $5,000 in side events. And as usual we will be hosting the HaloWC FFA Finals with a prize pool of $25,000 once again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHERE TO WATCH</h2>



In 2024, you’ll be able to watch all official HCS events live on Twitch and YouTube.



Primary streams:



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/halo">Twitch.tv/Halo</a> <a href="mailto:YouTube.com/@HaloEsportsHCS">YouTube.com/@HaloEsportsHCS</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



And for events with multiple streams, we’ll be using these channels:



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/hcs">Twitch.tv/HCS</a> <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/hcs_red">Twitch.tv/HCS_Red</a> <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/hcs_blue">Twitch.tv/HCS_Blue</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



(Note: These extra streams will be broadcasts within the main YouTube channel above as usual)



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Map and Mode Rotation</h2>



Here’s a look at the map and mode rotation for the start of Year 3 in HCS:



April 23rd Update: Solitude Strongholds has been replaced by Interference Strongholds. (<a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/interference-update">Read more about Interference</a>, a remake of The Rig from Halo 5.)



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>SLAYER Aquarius – Ranked Live Fire – Ranked Recharge – Ranked Solitude – Ranked Streets – Ranked </td><td>CTF Aquarius – Ranked Argyle – Ranked Empyrean – Ranked Forbidden – Ranked</td><td>KING OF THE HILL Live Fire – Ranked Recharge – Ranked Solitude – Ranked</td><td>ODDBALL Live Fire – Ranked Recharge – Ranked Streets – Ranked </td><td>STRONGHOLDS Live Fire – Ranked Recharge – Ranked Interference</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



Extraction: We were hopeful to have Extraction ready for Year 3 HCS in time for the start of the season, but it needs a bit more work first. We’re looking to make updates to the mode based on player feedback and aim to reintroduce into Ranked / HCS later this year. Be on the lookout for more information in the coming months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Year 1 Launch Unlocked Bundles</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="568" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/FEQhcxqXoAoPrO6-1024x568.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-90720" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/FEQhcxqXoAoPrO6-1024x568.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/FEQhcxqXoAoPrO6-300x166.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/FEQhcxqXoAoPrO6-768x426.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/FEQhcxqXoAoPrO6-1536x852.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/FEQhcxqXoAoPrO6-2048x1136.jpg 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/FEQhcxqXoAoPrO6-1568x870.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



When Halo Infinite launched we released all-new bundles for each team and then vaulted them just months later. Well, after much demand, they are back but with some huge improvements! The armor and weapon kits have been unlocked which means you can now customize with these coatings for the first time ever. Additionally, they are all now multi-use which means you can wear the amor, visors, or weapon coatings on any armor, helmet, or UNSC weapon. This bundle will be available in the HCS Shop starting on Jan 30. If you already purchased this bundle when Halo Infinite first released, the content will be applied retroactively, including those for teams no longer in the HCS.



These bundles have only be released for teams that are still in the HCS – FaZe Clan, OpTic Gaming, Sentinels, Spacestation Gaming, and Cloud9. We thank them for their ongoing support for Halo esports!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Year 3 Launch Bundles</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/image-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-90706" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/image-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/image-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/image-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/image-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/image-1568x882.png 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/image.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Just in time for Year 3 we’ve got a brand new bundle with all-new designs coming to you on Jan 30 as well. This bundle will feature new multi-use armor coatings as well as visor. These have been created by the teams themselves and features their unique branding. On top of this, we’re excited to introduce the first of three of a new collection of weapon models with the Dracon Bandit which will of course work with the original Bandit and Bandit EVO. The remaining Grim Reaper and Extermination weapon models will be available later in the HCS season.



The only way to get this Dracon Bandit is to support one of the teams and purchase their bundle. Keep in mind that the majority of the profits go to the partnered teams and this helps maintain their involvement in the Halo ecosystem. Thank you for your support!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thank you</h2>



Thank you once again for all of the support of Halo esports and the Halo Championship series. Be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/hcs">@HCS</a> on X and an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWRlMArGqt607LYdhlrrYVA" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWRlMArGqt607LYdhlrrYVA">@HaloEsportsHCS</a> on YouTube to ensure you’re not missing any of the action!



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