Halo Infinite's Season 4 is on the way and brings back the fan favorite game mode, infection with it. Also included in the update are:

  • Two new maps
    • BTB Map Scarr
    • Arena Map Forest
  • New equipment
    • Quantum Translocator
    • Threat Seeker
  • More Weapon Customization Options
  • A Forge Community Doubles Playlist with community created maps

Season 4 drops on June 20th, over 575 days since the game's multiplayer released back in November of 2021. Below is the trailer for Season 4:

Infection is a popular fan game mode that's been around since Halo 3 (though, unofficially it could also be played on Halo 2). There are two teams, the infected, and those trying to survive. Typically, infected players start with an energy sword, while survivors start with a shotgun or pistol.

The objective is simple, if you're a survivor you must make it to the end of the round. If you are the infected, you must kill all survivors, turning them into infected players.

The mode's popularity inspired waves of Forge-Community created maps, especially on maps like Foundry, Sandbox, and even Cold Storage. It's been in every Halo game since. Fans of the series need no further introduction.

Additionally, two new equipment items are coming to the game:

The Quantum Translocator lets the user place a portal, which they can teleport back to at any time upon activating it. The Threat Seeker emits a pulse that shows enemies' locations within the device's range.

And lastly, more Forge community-created maps are coming to the game in a Forge Community Doubles Playlist.

Tough Times For Halo Infinite & Halo Fans

It's been a rough decade for the Halo series. Halo 4 received a mixed reaction from fans. Halo 5 was developed by people who “hated” the series and barely included the series' icon, Master Chief. Then came along Halo Infinite, intended to be a re-birth for the franchise.

Halo Infinite got hit with a delay during the pandemic after an embarrassing gameplay reveal lead to criticism and memes. To help alleviate the issue, they brought back former Halo staff writer Joseph Staten, who had worked on the original trilogy. But all Staten could do was bring bad news to fans, over and over again.

He was brought in during a time when Halo Infinite was already supposed to release in 2020, so chances were the story and game were almost finished. An extra year of development helps, though we're not quite sure how much he alone could have changed since. He also left 343 industries, shortly after the game's launch.

Throughout the course of the game's development, fans were sad to hear that there would be no playable elites, no dual-wielding, and much more, including:

  • Forge Unavailable at launch (The Beta didn't release until November of 2022)
  • Co-Op Delayed (Split-Screen was cancelled, while online co-op didn't come until a year after launch)
    • Fans were able to find a way to play split-screen by utilizing a glitch
  • No More Primary and Secondary colors. Instead, fans have to make do with pre-made armor coatings that didn't always give fans the design they wanted.
  • No replayable missions on launch (You couldn't replay missions until almost a year later).

No new story content is coming to Infinite, either. However, multiplayer updates will still continue as planned.

343 Industries hasn't always had a great track record with community engagement either:

Will Infection Be Enough To Bring Fans Back? Or Is It Too Little, Too Late?

Obviously we don't want to see Microsoft's flagship franchise end on a sour note, but it's also important to discuss the elephant in the room as well (or in this case, Elephants).

It's certainly nice to have Infection come back to Halo, and it feels like a step in the right direction, but is it really enough? In a game mode that came out on-launch with the previous titles, you'd figure they'd make it a priority in Infinite.

Take the Madden NFL franchise, for example. In newer titles you'll notice that many of the games are missing features from older ones. One or two of those features may be brought back and called a “brand new feature”. Then you'll typically see people say, “It's a step in the right direction”. We can't help but feel something similar is happening with Halo Infinite.

At the end of the day, we'll let you decide on whether or not Infection is enough to keep you playing Halo Infinite. As the consumer, you hold more power and leverage than any game journalist or game developer because it's your money they need to maintain their business.

So if you like Halo Infinite, we hope you enjoy playing Infection with all the new maps and goodies Season 4 will bring. Our job is to just bring you the facts and help you make a more informed decision.

On the good news, we're really excited to see the fan creations in the Forge playlist, but it's sad to see that fan creations are the only thing keeping spirits up. 343 Industries has yet to earn the full trust of their fans since taking over the series in 2012.

Forge mode has been awesome in Infinite, giving players access to a whole suite of tools to create some of the coolest maps we've ever seen in a video game. The Halo Forge Community is arguably keeping the game alive with their awesome creations.

Halo Infinite is available for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One (Including Game Pass Members). The multiplayer released on November 15th, 2021, with the Campaign releasing on December 8th that same year. For more gaming news check out ClutchPoints Gaming.