The following titles will be available at launch:

• Among Us
• Descenders
• Dishonored 2
• Doom Eternal
• Fable Anniversary
• Fallout 4
• Fallout 76
• Forza Horizon 4
• Gears 5
• Grounded
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• Human Fall Flat
• Inside
• Ori and The Will of the Wisps
• Psychonauts 2
• State of Decay 2
• The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited

Note that the game library may vary by country. More titles will be announced before the service’s launch in September. New games will be added two to three times yearly, though how many at any given time is unknown. Those currently subscribed to Xbox Live Gold will automatically switch to the new plan with no change in pricing.

Games with Gold officially ends on September 1st. Any Xbox One games redeemed through it are still accessible if you subscribe to Game Pass Core or Game Pass Ultimate. Xbox 360 titles obtained through the same will remain in your library, even without a subscription.  Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.

Don’t worry if you’ve forgotten about it. With a 24-hour concurrent player peak of 5,558 players on Steam and the 14th most played Xbox game as of August 29th, it’s not exactly the most happening game right now. Despite being a highly anticipated Xbox console exclusive, and garnering over 20 million players as of January 26th, becoming the biggest launch in Halo history, it’s also been strangely absent at Xbox’s last major showcase in June. It didn’t even get a passing mention at Gamescom.

Fortunately, 343 Industries has provided a much-needed roadmap update, detailing what to expect over the next few months. Unfortunately, it was almost nothing but bad news. Campaign network co-op and Mission Replay, both targeting a late August launch, have been delayed. The beta for Forge has also been delayed. The start of Season 3: Echoes Within – which was already delayed by three months – has been pushed from November 8th to March 7th, 2023. Keep in mind that Season 2: Lone Wolves went live a whopping five months after the full game launched.

Oh, and the split-screen campaign co-op, which 343 Industries confirmed back in 2019 but delayed past the game’s launch in December 2021, has been outright cancelled.

Campaign network co-op, Mission Replay, and the Forge beta are now all part of the “Winter Update.” However, as per the roadmap, the update isn’t something that just drops with all of the planned content on November 8th. No, almost like a mini-season, it runs from November 8th to March 7th, 2023.

Since none of the three features has any solid release date or window, they could theoretically drop at any time in these four months. Of course, everything on the current roadmap is subject to change, as if that hasn’t been a running theme with the game’s development since day one. Any of these features could be delayed again or just outright dropped.

To say that Halo fans are irate would be an understatement because this just adds to the number of complaints. Missing modes that have been a staple of Halo for years, like Firefight and Infection, a lack of map voting, network and desync issues, and much more continue to plague the game. But hey, at least Match XP is coming in beta form with the Winter Update, which finally allows players to gain XP from simply playing matches as opposed to completing Challenges. A feature which has been requested since before multiplayer even launched and a basic feature of almost every multiplayer FPS out there.

Not that there’s anything to unlock in-game after completing the Battle Pass since a good chunk of cosmetics are confined to the in-game store for real money. Live-service model, everybody!

What exactly is going on? It’s no secret that Halo Infinite’s development cycle has faced numerous issues over the years. As Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier and Dina Bass reported in December 2021, the first-person shooter was meant to have a much larger open world in its campaign with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild serving as its main inspiration.

That didn’t work out and by Summer 2019, two-thirds of the game had to be cut. Old code, 343’s reliance on contract workers – which reportedly made up almost half of the total staff – and several teams jockeying for resources – that’s what the creative direction of Halo Infinite had been by mid-2019.

Joseph Staten’s arrival as creative director in August 2020, one month after the disastrous campaign demo, was the start of things getting back on track. Staten reportedly pushed for more development time, improving the visuals, implementing features like roaming Marines in the campaign (which received significant praise), and providing some much-needed direction. However, the studio’s reliance on contractors has seemingly come back to bite it.

Microsoft only allows contractors to work for 18 months at a time, leading to a lot of attrition at 343. Not only does this make it harder to commit to longer-term goals, but it makes development even trickier since new contractors have to familiarize themselves with the development pipeline and their predecessors’ work.

While not outright confirming the same, community director Brian Jarrard did mention “production planning, costing, planning, hiring, etc.” as being one of the major hurdles when providing updates on Season 2. Keep in mind that this was one month before the season’s launch in response to the utter lack of details about the same. The more things change, the more they stay the same with regards to communication, but it seems the other issues continue to be a pain.

It’s hard not to point the finger at 343 Industries’ management for all of the missteps thus far. Major creative heads come and go, but leadership at the studio has remained mostly static throughout the years. Of course, one could also blame Microsoft for not stepping in to make sweeping changes, and simply standing by passively.

There’s a lot of blame to go around but it’s difficult to lay much of it on the development team. It’s likely because of leads like Staten that things are still being held together, especially when the number of available resources is so unreliable.

At the end of the day, while there is plenty of shock at split-screen co-op being cancelled and major updates being pushed back, this won’t outright kill Halo Infinite. The player base, such as it is, continues to mull about, angry but mostly disappointed. It’s not like the delayed updates are providing that much new content either – two maps are dropping in the Winter Update along with a “free” 30 Tier Battle Pass and two new events.

Season 3 adds some more new maps, the DMR – the first new weapon to be added since launch – and one new equipment along with revolutionary features like in-game reporting and a Custom Game Browser. At this point, players are hoping that Forge will inject some needed life into the game, such is the lack of faith in 343.

Microsoft has bigger fish to fry due to ongoing investigations into its Activision-Blizzard acquisition but still promised to bring other FPS franchises like Overwatch and Call of Duty to Game Pass. Both of those franchises have pretty bright futures ahead of themselves, which is good news for their fan bases.

But to see Halo treated this way, relegated to the side despite being an important part of Xbox as a whole, is sad. Halo 5: Guardians faced its fair share of backlash at launch but ended up as one of the more popular multiplayer titles on Xbox One thanks to constant updates. Halo: The Master Chief Collection was an utter disaster for more than a year, and only really started improving when it was released for PC in December 2019. In both cases, the franchise has bounced back, and yet, it continues to face crises to this very day.

It’s a shame because Halo Infinite, which offers some genuinely good gameplay, deserves better. Whether it will get that or not is becoming less and less likely as the years go by.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Recently, Halo 5 was one of many games mentioned in the partially speculative list of leaked games from the GeForce Now database, sparking speculation that a PC version is finally in the works. Well, those hopes have been dashed again. 343 Industries community manager Brian Jarrard recently took to Twitter saying that the GeForce Now listing was probably for Halo 5: Forge (which is available on the platform), before adding that though 343 is aware of the demand for a Halo 5 PC port, the studio is currently focused on Halo Infinite and The Master Chief Collection, and has nothing else in the works.

“Never say never, but nothing underway currently,” Jarrard concludes.

Halo 5 remains the only game in the series that is not available on PC, so it makes sense that there’s quite a few series fans who’re hoping that 343 Industries will plug that hole sooner rather than later, especially with the looming launch of Infinite and the launch of The Master Chief Collection having drummed up so much excitement for Halo in general. For now, it seems like Halo 5 will remain on Xbox exclusively, but here’s hoping that changes eventually.

Maybe this was for "H5:Forge" but I can confirm there are no plans to bring H5 to PC. We know there's some demand for it, but as we've stated before, not in the cards as the studio is fully focused on Infinite and MCC. Will never say never, but nothing underway currently

— Brian Jarrard (@ske7ch) September 13, 2021

In a blog from developer Ighor July, which you can read here, he talked about how he was able to access the database to Nvidia’s streaming service, GeForce Now, that allows you to stream games from your PC. Within it is a list of entries of various titles, compiled by SteamDB founder Pavel Djundik. While most are titles that are known and out, there’s a sizable amount of them are not. For instance, Resident Evil 4 Remake, a title that has been rumored via insider leaks, is here. As well as games we may know is coming even if there’s been no official announcement, such as Gears 6.

Maybe what is most interesting, however, is there’s lots of titles from Sony. God of War 2018 is here, alongside Gran Turismo 7, Horizon: Forbidden West, Returnal and Demon’s Souls, all Sony first party titles that do not have currently announced PC ports. We know the company has become more open to porting titles to the PC, though it has been on a very limited basis. You can see the full list through here.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind. While it is possible that this has potentially just outed a whole lot of titles coming to PC, it could also be that a lot of these are placeholders for projects that may not be active. It’s also been said that GeForce Now has been used extensively in game development recently due to pandemic remote work conditions, so it’s very possible some of this is left over from that. For instance, of all the PlayStation first party titles, only God of War has a direct reference to Steam as a platform, while the other titles have no platform tied to it.

So, with that in mind, it’s hard to tell what all this could or could not mean. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.

In 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved graced our Xboxs as what would quickly be known as one of the best launch titles of all time. Seeing that the Xbox’s chief competitor, the PlayStation 2, was somewhat underpowered compared to Microsoft’s behemoth console, Halo was the perfect excuse for Bungie and Microsoft to really show off the power and capability of the Xbox – and that they did. Not only was the first game in the series a more than competent shooter that featured vehicles, a wide array of fun weapons, and a compelling multiplayer mode, but it was also a graphical showcase for the Xbox. With the PS2 being somewhat underpowered and the GameCube not really utilizing its potential with most of its games, this game really made the Xbox ecosystem stand out with its highly detailed character models and environments. Real-time reflections and shadows were rudimentary, and often mixed with fake ones, but they were convincing for the time among the lush, expansive environments and compelling aesthetic created by Bungie’s lead artists. The different alien factions all differed greatly in their general look as well as the technology they used, so that was reflected in their visual presentation to a huge degree. The game ran well, played well, and looked great, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that it was remastered and re-released on the 360 and PC ten years later with some enhanced graphics and improved lighting and textures. This remastered “anniversary” version of Halo would allow players to switch back and forth between the old graphics and the new ones at any time, which was a nice touch, and also included support for the Kinect (remember that?). All in all, either version still looks good today by all reasonable standards, mostly thanks to the original artistic direction.

3 short years after the first game was released, we got Halo 2 on the same console. While the Xbox’s limits had been on full display for a while by this point, Bungie still had more than enough know-how and experience with the platform by then to really make a game that looked noticeably better than its predecessor. Halo 2 would serve as the pinnacle Halo experience up to that point, as it had basically everything that made the first game great but now with the extra 3 years, Bungie was able to iron out many of the original’s rough edges, as well as provide a robust multiplayer mode that looked indistinguishably as good as the campaign. Halo 2 would not merely be more of the same with some refinement though. The physics and graphics engine were both overhauled which allowed for several new techniques including “shadow volume” that would quickly become a mainstream way of casting real-time shadows from in-game environments. Doom 3 would also implement the same technique to an even greater effect, but that was after Halo 2 popularized it. Real-time reflections on armor and metal surfaces were also more pronounced as a result of the overhaul and it ultimately added up to one of the better looking games of its time as a result.

Halo 3 was sure to follow, and follow it did. This game would have the enormous benefit of being a game on new hardware, but also not quite needing to be a launch title, so Bungie had a bit more time to really crank out as much goodness as they could from the Xbox 360. Here we see yet again, a complete overhaul of the graphics engine. Bungie went with their own in-house development toolset and it really paid off with better lighting, depth of field effects, and a subtle motion blur that added a heightened sense of realism. While some of the techniques under the hood did require the game to render at an odd 1152×640 resolution, that was technically upscaled to a stable 1080pby the 360, making it a very sharp-looking game.

Halo ODST was an interesting game. It started out as a rather beefy expansion to Halo 3, but ultimately ended up being its own standalone release given the sheer amount of content that it contained. Given that this was only a couple years since Halo 3 launched, graphically it had more in common with it’d predecessor than not, making it the first game in the series that didn’t look like a massive improvement from the previous one. Which isn’t to say it was underwhelming in that department, just nothing to write home about in 2009. Outside of some interesting visual flair thrown in for flashback sequences, it was largely just a slightly more refined version of the look of 3.

The final Halo game to be developed by Bungie was Halo: Reach. The game had a lot of callback visual cues that more than successfully elicited plenty of nostalgia for long-time Halo fans despite Master Chief not even being the main character. The graphics were largely unchanged from 3. Much like ODST, Reach already had a solid foundation on which to build a great looking game, and it didn’t disappoint. The large battles, lush backdrops, and nice variety of locations does feel a bit limited by the 360 at times in Reach, but the occasional framerate stutter was not much more than a minor flaw in an otherwise gorgeous game.

Halo 4 was a landmark game in the series for myriad reasons, but most notably was the fact that Bungie would have basically nothing to do with it. By this time, the former Halo developer had split from Microsoft and gone multiplatform and were working on their upcoming original shooter Destiny. The Halo series would finally change hands with 343 Industries at the helm. While the game was primarily designed for the aging Xbox 360, it was also 2012, which means Microsoft’s next console was also kept in mind for a future enhanced release. While the slight tick up from Halo 3 was noticeable, the biggest changes seemed to come from a totally different artistic vision rather than technical improvements. Halo 4 was a game that still “felt” like Halo ultimately, but it also had a slightly darker tone to its visuals. Master Chief looks more weathered, his armor seems bulkier, and he’s just more imposing overall. Other characters’ facial expressions were brimming with subtle movements and emotive performances, which made them some of the best in the generation – across all platforms. 343 were handed such a finely-tuned playbook on how to make a Halo game, that they were able to really stretch beyond what most thought was doable on an Xbox 360 with global illumination, ambient occlusion, and image-based lighting that all basically added up to a very impressive illumination and shadow system that made some environments look positively next gen. As impressive as it was, it was really just a preamble to what the next game had in store. Halo 4 would also get that very logical Xbox One release a couple years later with some minor enhancements and a smoother frame-rate. This was in 2014, which was a perfect time to whet the appetites of Halo fans as they were eagerly awaiting the 5th mainline installment.

By this time Halo had done almost everything it could do. It had maxed out the capabilities of two console generations and seen enhanced PC and next gen versions get released. Even though many still considered the series the best its genre had to offer, it still had to share much more of the stage with Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Bungie’s new game Destiny. Among the things Halo 5 tried to stand out was its aiming to be the best looking first-person shooter to date, and while it didn’t slam dunk that goal as hard as it did with past entries, it certainly satisfied the eyeballs of those who played it. Gone were the vast majority of the baked in fake lighting effects of the past two generations, and gone were the majority of other tricks Bungie had to implement to make the previous games look better than they actually were. Halo 5 backed off a tad from the slightly drearier look of 4, and somewhat tiptoed back into the look of the older games with more green, lush, outdoor locations, and highly realistic water. Halo 5 did hang on to all the advancements in detail of character models that show wear and tear on various pieces of armor, though. 343 also wisely chose to continue valuing the frame-rate over resolution, and with the seamless dynamic resolution of Halo 5 in place, the game could go from 1080p while you’re walking around and taking in the atmosphere, to 720p during an intense firefight, and right back up without you ever even noticing a thing. The PC version would need to do this less of course, depending on the rig, but both the Xbox One and PC version of the game looked great.

Now, all of these games are playable on PC, Xbox One, and the Xbox Series X in their ultimate forms. The most drastic improvements can be found in the Halo: Master Chief Collection which contains all of the games we’ve mentioned here before Halo 5. Depending on the game and the hardware you’re using, the games vary in how much of an upgrade they are, but even the most conservative version of the Master Chief Collection on the Xbox One is a sight to behold with much higher resolutions and rock-solid frame rates. While the collection launched in a somewhat rocky state, and that rightly impacted its reputation for a while, playing it today with all of the current updates and patches is far and away the best way to experience these games.

With Halo Infinite on the way, and 343 surely understanding that we’ll be paying close attention to its graphics, we are likely in for yet another visual stunner from the flashy, science fiction franchise that reinvented its genre all those years ago.

#9. HALO WARS

Halo Wars definitely had some good ideas, and it was by no means a bad game. Its campaign was solid enough in its own right, online play was fun, and it was surprising how well developer Ensemble Studios managed to make a real time strategy game work on a console controller- but there just wasn’t enough here for anyone to really latch on to. For Halo fans, it was a nice distraction, but not exactly what you’d expect from a Halo game, while for RTS fans, it was far too simplified and shallow to be anything more than a decent yet largely forgettable game.

#8. HALO 5: GUARDIANS

The absolute lowest point of the Halo franchise’s numbered entries, Halo 5: Guardians represented a series that just didn’t know what to do with itself anymore. Ask any Halo fan what their least favourite campaign in the series is, and the overwhelming majority will name Halo 5, which for some reason decided to focus on Fireteam Osiris, and Master Chief receding into the background. That could have been forgiven if it at least told a good story- but of course, that was definitely not the case here. Thankfully, Halo 5: Guardians had a great multiplayer component, one that made some smart changes and improvements to the series’ formula. Aggressive monetization was a letdown here as well, but by and large, there was a lot to love in the game’s multiplayer offerings.

#7. HALO WARS 2

Much like its predecessor, Halo Wars 2 deserves credit for translating the real time strategy experience to a console gamepad with surprising ease- but again, much like its predecessor, that came with some sacrifices. As a strategy game, Halo Wars 2 was far too simplified and pared back for genre fans to really be able to get much out of it, and it didn’t help that on the multiplayer side of things, the game was largely a step back from its predecessor. That said, Halo Wars 2 had a solid campaign, with excellent production values, cinematic and flashy cutscenes, and a surprisingly compelling story that explored some interesting parts of the Halo universe. Is it a must-play for Halo fans?Maybe not. But it’s still a solid enough game in its own right.

#6. HALO 4

343 Industries and Microsoft had a lot to live up to with Halo 4. Bungie redefined the entire genre and took the industry by storm with a number of stellar games released over the course of a decade, so of course, Halo 4 had to live up to impossibly high expectations. And maybe it didn’t exactly do that- it was definitely not nearly as good as its predecessors, but it was still an excellent way to start off the series’ next era. In spite of a convoluted story that made the ill-advised decision to focus way too much on extended universe plot elements, Halo 4’s campaign was a blast to play through, with 343 Industries proving beyond a doubt that at least where the core shooting and mechanics of the series were concerned, they were more than up to the task of carrying Bungie’s legacy forward. Multiplayer, though not perfect, and though not on the same level as its recent predecessors, was still a heck of a lot of fun, and laid down solid foundations for its successors.

#5. HALO 3: ODST

A shorter expansion-style game that had relatively sparse multiplayer offerings and didn’t feature series protagonist Master Chief whatsoever? Halo 3: ODST should have been a recipe for disaster- and yet it was a masterstroke by Bungie. No, it never touched the heights of other Halo games that came around it, but as series fans will tell you every chance they get, it still deserved more of the spotlight. It had an excellent campaign that brought a very different tone and style to the series than what we had come to expect from it in previous years, while on the multiplayer front, Firefight was an addictive, tense experience that fans seemed to just never got bored of. The fact that it shipped with Halo 3’s excellent multiplayer made it that much more of a compelling experience.

#4. HALO 2

How do you follow up on one of the best, most influential games ever made? That was the question that Bungie was faced with while developing Halo 2, and in retrospect, it’s safe to say that the answers they came up with were the right ones. The sandbox shooting of Combat Evolved was taken to new heights in Halo 2, which, crucially, introduced dual wielding, while the multiplayer offerings were a huge improvement over the first game, and pretty much set the standards that Halo as a series is still following to this day. Sure, development constraints meant that Halo 2 was not without its issues – the campaign, in particular, is far from perfect, not least because of its infamously abrupt ending – but by and large, it was a worthy follow-up to its spectacular predecessor.

#3. HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED

The one that started it all, and the one that, frankly, is in so many ways what the series is still aspiring to even now. Halo: Combat Evolved was an absolute revelation, delivering a brand of sandbox shooting against vibrant and deviously intelligent enemies the likes of which were had rarely been seen in games before. Its campaign was packed full of incredible, memorable moments that captured audience’s attention and are fondly looked back on two decades from its launch, and the fact that the series still largely abides by the gameplay foundations laid down by Combat Evolved should tell you how timeless they were. Seriously, even today, going back and playing this game is an absolute joy- and that, after all, is the true mark of an unabashed masterpiece.

#2. HALO: REACH

Halo: Reach was the game that Bungie signed off with, the game that would bring about the end of an era for this massive franchise and usher in a new age at the same time- and boy did it live up to expectations. Sure, at the time it ruffled a few feathers with the introduction of abilities that many felt had no place in Halo. But once people calmed down and actually played the game, they realized that Bungie had managed to find the perfect way to implement them without compromising the series’ identity. A stellar multiplayer component was backed up by what is probably the best ever campaign in a Halo game here, all of it coming together in a game where Bungie were at their absolute best.

#1. HALO 3

Think back to the months leading up to Halo 3, and try and come up with a game that demanded as much hype, anticipation, and expectation as Halo 3 did. There aren’t many. The series was on top of the world back then, and millions upon millions were chomping at the bit to “finish the fight” with Halo 3. And without the shadow of a doubt, the game somehow managed to live up to those impossibly high expectations- it was just such a well-rounded experience. An excellent campaign that closed off the trilogy’s story in satisfactory fashion and was full of excellent levels and firefights, and a brilliant multiplayer component that commanded the attention of a deluge of players who logged in every day for a long, long time to come- to this day, in fact. Halo 3 was an absolutely incredible game that took the biggest strengths of all its predecessors and took them to their absolute zenith, to deliver the perfect refinement of Halo formula.

Looking at Halo 5: Guardians, its multiplayer also had its fair share of glaring problems. It lacked modes like Oddball, Big Team Battle, Firefight and Forge at launch. Warzone was a nice PvEvP mode in theory but its REQ Packs were blatantly pay-to-win loot boxes (which were waved aside as not affecting the core competitive modes). Despite all of this, the popularity of the game actually grew.

343 Industries released numerous free updates, bringing back core modes like Firefight (but still ensuring that REQ Pack weapons could be used in it), Grifball, Fiesta Slayer and more. Forge was also updated to be an incredibly robust kit that provided tons of free content for players to engage with. The esports scene, as seen with the Halo World Championship, is also doing pretty well though its popularity and hype isn’t quite at the level of today’s giants.

It’s hard to really gauge the popularity of Halo 5: Guardians’ multiplayer today, aside from anecdotal accounts about a healthy player base. The title also released in 2015 and the multiplayer scene has undergone significant changes since then. Compared to other titles like Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege and Fortnite Battle Royale, Halo 5 is fairly low on the list of must-play games. That it’s received such support for so long despite not dipping into yearly sequels deserves praise but it’s now on Halo Infinite to reignite interest.

Releasing in Fall 2021 (barring any major delays), Halo Infinite is already off to a decent start with its multiplayer being free to play, thus removing a major barrier of entry. But what does 343 Industries have to do to attract both new and old players to the fold? Some of the answers seem pretty obvious like including popular modes from launch itself. Forge Mode, with a proper server browser to locate games, is also a given. With free to play being the main appeal, robust anti-cheat and reliable reporting measures must also be in play. Some kind of map voting and vetoing option would also be nice, especially if you’ve encountered the same map multiple times in a row.

The formula really needs some fresh ideas though. A straight-up battle royale mode wouldn’t be terrible – in fact, it may be the quickest route to short-term success. But the battle royale shenanigans of its competitors have survived through more than just PvP. Fortnite implements PvE elements while mixing up its core modes with different modifiers, weapons, mechanics and ridiculous tasks (while adding new areas or just revamping the whole map every season).

Apex Legends has multiple maps and depending on the season, one is heavily modified to support new mechanics and areas along with “takeovers” which are themed locations that have unique challenges. In the middle of its seasons, it also has different limited-time events which introduce new rewards and challenges. It also doesn’t hurt that there’s an ongoing story with lore that’s actually interesting and plays a central role in each season.

Why not take advantage of Halo Infinite’s biggest asset – the Zeta Halo map itself – and turn it into one big PvEvP zone? Instead of two sides competing over objectives, how about multiple teams of players which could potentially team up to explore the world, garner resources and eliminate other players (along with betraying each other)? Why not remix the map to have all players battling against overwhelming hordes of foes and see how long they could survive? A Firefight mode that spans the entire world, if you will.

And while many would take umbrage to messing about with the established movement and gun play, why not introduce some truly wacky maps, perhaps set in space with zero-G movement and ship combat? Why not introduce a straight-up space combat mode like Star Wars Battlefront 2? Now, I’m not saying that 343 Industries has to roll out all of these modes at launch but the idea is to keep things fresh and interesting in the short and long-term.

The core multiplayer modes like Slayer, Big Team Battle and so on would still remain relevant for those seeking more competitive thrills. But there have to be other modes that will attract players while having a solid enough base for revamps and changes through the years.

In terms of rewards and seasons, Halo: The Master Chief Collection shows that the studio has a decent grasp on both elements. While Halo Infinite is confirmed to have premium cosmetics, it doesn’t have to be handled poorly. The developer could offer a free seasonal track for new coating and armor parts while the paid track provides more exotic-looking armor sets. Visors are also getting something interesting, which could point to different designs and aesthetics in one’s HUD, but more information has yet to be revealed.

The monetization could take a page out of the Sea of Thieves approach, which keeps its Plunder Pass cosmetics separate from the premium store skins. Some way for players to earn premium currency to spend in the store is also a given.

Of course, there are many more problems to solve when it comes to Halo Infinite’s esports approach. While esports may remain a controversial subject when talking about game balance or developer focus, it remains a vital part of a multiplayer game’s community. A robust esports scene with good exposure means more players will become interested in the game. Some may even be motivated to become pro players. The industry as a whole grows as a result and the cycle continues.

This is best explained by Halo esports boss Tashi who noted in a Halo Waypoint blog post, “If a game is entertaining to watch, has great esports content and streamers, and has strong viewership, the entire ecosystem will continue to grow organically over time. More viewership = more incentive to stream, more diverse content, more financial support for streamers (including competitive players), bigger and better tournaments, and more interest in the scene as a whole.”

The plans aren’t super concrete now but the developer is looking to tell more compelling stories, both season-long and within matches; not limiting the scene to a single platform; and hosting an in-person tournament later this year (barring any major concerns due to recent events). It’s also partnering with Esports Engine, which has former MLG employees, to collaborate on “ecosystem design, format and league operations, broadcasts, and more.”

There’s still a lot that needs to be done, from growing competitions at the grassroots level – something which 343 Industries has had issues with – to creating a proper league and attracting franchisees. Partnerships and sponsors are also key, especially when several other esports have had a head start in building their infrastructures. Tournaments have to be organized across different tiers with a proper way to funnel up and coming talents into its competitive ecosystem. 343 Industries and Microsoft need to define their audience and target it accordingly, which is easier said than done.

When it comes to several core gameplay aspects – from movement and weapon balance to map design and pick-ups – 343 Industries has much to discuss. Even with Halo Infinite releasing later this year, it hasn’t even showcased any multiplayer footage, much less announced a beta (and when it does, the beta needs to happen over months instead of a week or two). It’s not just that the title will be a major flagship exclusive for the console going forward, especially with rumors of titles like Perfect Dark, Fable and Everwild being a long ways off.

Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will also be a key ongoing service, one that will cater to a large subset of Xbox players, hardcore fans, genre fans and new players alike. Not everything will go according to plan but the key is to get the ball rolling and steadily build from there. Halo’s multiplayer could prove yet again that there’s nothing quite like it in the world but it has a long way to go before then.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Sunset Overdrive

Sunset Overdrive’s vivid art-style would look absolutely phenomenal in 4K and 60 FPS. Currently, the game runs at 900p and 30 FPS and while the Xbox Series X’s Auto HDR makes it pop, a proper optimization patch would go a long way. Given that Sony owns the rights to the IP, this may seem like a pipe-dream – at least on Xbox consoles – but we can still hope.

]]> https://gamingbolt.com/top-xbox-one-games-that-need-xbox-series-x-patches/feed 0 470052 https://gamingbolt.com/15-best-snipers-in-video-games https://gamingbolt.com/15-best-snipers-in-video-games#respond Wed, 16 Sep 2020 16:41:09 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=454465 Sniping isn’t just an art – it’s a way of life and some characters stand out for their sniping skills more than others. Whether they’ve benefited from enhanced abilities or get by on raw skills, let’s take a look at 15 of the deadliest snipers in video games.

Agent 47 – Hitman Series

Enhanced speed, reflexes, strength and even a slight healing factor – Agent 47 possesses all of this and more, further supplemented by training in all forms of assassination. That includes sniping, as he can take down targets and vanish with barely any trace. Such is his overall infamy that he’s considered a legend in the ICA and will go to any lengths to kill a target.

Whether you enjoyed the reveal of Halo Infinite’s campaign gameplay or not, one unifying thought seems to be: What is going on from a narrative perspective? After all, Halo 5: Guardians ended on a rather big cliffhanger. And now, suddenly, Master Chief is gallivanting about on a Halo ring. Though 343 Industries have stated that the sequel will conclude the Forerunner Saga, what exactly is the deal?

A recent roundtable Q&A with studio head Chris Lee, associate creative director Paul Crocker, and head of design Jerry Hook provided some clarity. WCCFTech asked about balancing between the spiritual homage to Halo: Combat Evolved and continuing Halo 5’s story, to which Crocker replied, “Well, the balance is we want all players regardless of whether they played a Halo game, played all the Halo games, are immersed in the lore or have no idea about the lore, to be able to come on this journey and come out of it knowing a lot about Halo. It absolutely continues the story of Halo 5.

“It does it in ways people are probably not expecting and that is one of our goals as we create Halo Infinite. It’s not the cookie-cutter approach to some of the stuff that people think we’re doing. There’s a lot of mystery and a lot of events that are happening around it that we want players to find, experience and learn about the Halo franchise through playing the game.”

Crocker also noted that the E3 2019 trailer, which saw the Pilot floating through space, takes place after Halo 5’s ending, though a lot has occurred between the two games. “There’s a lot of things that happened between Halo 5 and Halo Infinite that led to Chief being in that predicament and all of that stuff is revealed as you play the game. So as I said before, the simple fact is that this is a continuation of the Halo 5 story, but it is all being designed to surprise players and do things in a different way. It’s a stepping stone to us building more Halo more stories on the ring and elsewhere into the future.”

Halo Infinite is currently slated to release this Holiday season for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC. Slight multiplayer details were revealed recently, namely that the Grapple Shot and Drop Wall being pick-ups in maps instead of available in loadouts. More information will be coming “soon”, but it was also confirmed that split-screen co-op is limited to two players. Four players can still play co-op together, but only online.