Halo Infinite won’t have Forge or co-op campaign at launch

Despite multiple delays, Halo Infinite will lack two iconic game modes when it launches later this year.

In the most recent Halo Infinite developer update, 343 Industries laid out its plan to continue developing Halo Infinite post-launch. Part of that plan is adding in several iconic modes after Infinite’s release this holiday season. Halo Infinite will likely take a “battle pass-style” approach to monetization similar to other multiplayer shooters. 

Halo’s iconic Forge Mode will not be included with Halo Infinite upon release. The game mode allows users to create their own maps and rulesets for local and online play. Halo’s Forge Mode was first included with Halo 3 and has become a series mainstay since. 343 Industries currently projects the release of Forge Mode around season three, which places it near fall 2022.

The cooperative campaign mode has also been delayed and will arrive sometime after Halo Infinite’s release. Co-op campaign has been included in every previous Halo game.

Halo Infinite is breaking the live-service first-person shooter mold in multiple ways. The staggered release breaks the series’ tradition of launch completeness but will allow the developers to further polish and improve the modes. The ambitious open-world campaign of Halo Infinite may take major tweaking to accommodate multiple players. No planned date was given for the release of the co-op campaign.

Will Halo Infinite have a battle pass?

Unlike previous entries in the Halo series, Infinite’s multiplayer portion is entirely free-to-play. The Halo Infinite campaign mode is locked behind a one-time $60 purchase. 343 will use different monetization methods to profit off of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode. The studio has already confirmed that the game will be updated in seasons of approximately three months each. Every season could feature a new Halo Infinite battle pass. 

The first draft of a battle pass dubbed Halo Infinite Season Zero, was visible to players in the tech demo. The Infinite battle pass featured cosmetics for upgrading your Spartan avatar. Judging by the tech demo, Halo Infinite will have both a free and paid battle pass.

The system seems to operate very similarly to Master Chief Collection’s various battle passes, but with one major difference. Battle passes in Halo Infinite will not be time-locked and can be completed by players at any pace. This is a notable, but appreciated departure from industry-standard timelocks.