Firefight, Halo's beloved survival mode, returns to Halo Infinite in the latest December Update. The mode, which originated in Halo 3: ODST, quickly became a fan-favorite playlist to enjoy with friends or solo. However, Firefight in Infinite works a bit differently from its predecessors, including the Warzone Firefight mode from Halo 5. So, how will it work in Halo Infinite?

Everything You Need To Know About Halo Infinite Firefight: King of the Hill

Halo Infinite Firefight released with the December 5th update for the game. Additionally, the new update added a new equipment and massive updates to Forge. For now, we want to focus on everything new with Firefight.

Halo Infinite Firefight: King of the Hill works a bit differently than Firefight from previous Halo titles. For example, in ODST, Firefight was a simple wave-based survival mode that pinned you and your buddies against tougher opponents with each wave. Throughout the game, different modifiers come into play, like skulls, to increase the difficulty. Overall, the objective was to see how long you and your teammates could survive against the odds.

In Halo Infinite Firefight: King of the Hill, the mode has transformed from a survival mode to a full-fledged PvE mode. As the name suggests, this new mode blends the concepts of both Firefight and King of the Hill. While fighting waves of Banished soldiers, you and your friends need to capture hills from the enemy. Throughout the match, boss waves with high valued targets and more appear depending on how many hills you've captured. Overall, Firefight King of the Hill can currently be played on nine maps:

  • House of Reckoning
  • Behemoth
  • Deadlock
  • Launch Site
  • Live Fire
  • Oasis
  • Exiled
  • Kusini Bay
  • Vallaheim

For each hill you capture and boss wave you defeat, your team earns one point. Furthermore, as you move to the next hill, you receive a brief time to resupply and prep for the next challenge. To win a game of Firefight King of the Hill, you must capture at least three of five hills. However, players receive unlimited timers to complete their objectives. Nevertheless, 343i states a match typically takes between 15-20 minutes.

While it seems fairly easy, players receive bonus XP for trying to capture all hills and defeat all boss waves. Instead of a pool of lives that teammates share, players receive unlimited respawns in Firefight KOTH. However, the lengthy respawn time varies based on your difficulty. Additionally, the match still ends if all players die at once. So, stay close and revive your teammates to keep the game alive.

343i also added the mode into custom games, allowing you to edit various functions. Therefore, you can still create a life pool to try and replicate the original experience as much as possible. When asked why they implemented this new mode over the original version, 343i wrote a lengthy answer. In short, they said they “love the extra decision-making, the additional cooperative elements, and the tension that the hill brings to the classic Firefight formula.”\

Lastly, Firefight KOTH changed a few things regarding the Skull modifier from the original version:

  • If a team wins a point and nobody dies, one semi-random Skull gets enabled for the next hill.
  • Skulls stack over the course of a game. You can have multiple Skulls active if you keep winning points without any fireteam deaths. In matchmaking, the maximum is four active Skulls on the fifth hill.
  • Streaks can be dropped. Losing a hill to the Banished will disable your most recently enabled Skull.

The skulls of Halo Infinite Firefight King of the Hill include:

  • Fog – disables motion tracker.
  • Catch – AI enemies throw and drop more grenades.
  • Famine – weapons dropped by AI enemies have half the ammo they normally would.
  • Thunderstorm – upgrades the rank of most AI enemies.
  • Mythic – AI enemies have significantly increased health.
  • Black Eye – your shields only recharge when you melee enemies.
  • Boom – doubles explosion radius.
  • Cowbell – acceleration from explosions is increased.
  • Grunt Birthday Party – Grunt headshots lead to glorious celebrations.
  • Bandana – grants unlimited ammo and grenades, and removes equipment cooldown.
  • IWHBYD – rare combat dialogue becomes more common, and vice versa.

Overall, 343i made the skull selection semi-random. The first skull you unlock is an easy one, like Fog or Catch. However, subsequent unlocks become a bit more difficult to elevate the experience. However, these options may also be customized in the Custom Games Settings.

Earlier this year, Halo Infinite struggled as it lost roughly 98% of its Steam Playerbase. However, the game's recent updates seem to be drawing players back in. Despite no announcement of story content, it seems 343i is at least set on supporting its multiplayer component for the long run.

Overall, we look forward to Halo Infinite Firefight King of the Hill. While it feels different from the original, it seems to bring a nice, relaxing PvE experience for those who don't wan to sweat in PvP. Check out the full December Update notes from the developer to see everything else coming to Halo Infinite this month.

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