After several rumors and leaks appeared online claiming that Halo Infinite's multiplayer would be free-to-play, developer 343 Industries came forward to set the record straight. Rather than let the rumors build and fans make assumptions, the devs said that yes, Halo Infinite will offer free multiplayer that can run at 120 FPS.
While that does answer one of the major lingering questions about Halo Infinite, it also invites some new ones as well. Specifically, now one has to wonder whether the game will offer a Battle Royale mode like many of the free-to-play first person shooters in the same space.
Battle Royale-Style Loadouts
At this point, 343 Industries isn't willing to talk about the multiplayer in Halo Infinite beyond confirming a few details. For example, the studio did say that the equipment in the game – like the grapple shot and the protective shield – will operate differently in multiplayer than in the single player game. The devs didn't reveal what those differences are, but in the singleplayer it seems that the grapple shot is on a cool down, so it's possible that the multiplayer version might have limited uses.
Limited use equipment is also common in a number of multiplayer games within the Battle Royale genre and could lend itself well to Halo Infinite's version, if there is one. Players could select which two pieces of equipment they want as part of their loadout and those can give distinct advantages without being too overpowered. Something like the portable shield, however, may be a little too strong for a Battle Royale setting, unless 343 tweaks it in some way.
Halo Weapon Selection
The classic Halo weapons also lend themselves well to a Battle Royale setup. There are obvious favorites and advantages to specific weapons, but basics like the battle rifle can get the job done in skilled hands. Players could potentially build out a loadout that includes any combination of two Halo weapons to meet their own needs. For example, a player could choose to go with an SMG for close range and then use the iconic Halo sniper to pick off enemies from afar.
While many Battle Royale games are sometimes criticized for including too much loot or for introducing inconsistency through loot rarity, Halo already has its weapon hierarchy down to a science. Players know which weapons they like and mesh well with their playstyle and there are not too many that it would be overwhelming. The only question would be how 343 might be able to balance more powerful weapons like the rocket launcher, if it is making a return in Halo Infinite.
Battle Royale Map Design
When it comes to designing the battle royale map in Halo Infinite, 343 already has a lot of the work done for it. Black Ops 4's Blackout mode showed that incorporating iconic locations from PvP multiplayer can help make a map that feels familiar but also has its own personality. Black Ops could also pull that off because there were a ton of maps to work with and many that Call of Duty fans know by heart.
The same could be said for Halo, which has included some of the most memorable maps in any FPS multiplayer game. Using Blood Gulch (or one of the evolutions of Blood Gulch) as a centerpiece for Halo Infinite's Battle Royale is a no-brainer, and there are plenty of maps whose design aesthetics could blend into each other. A massive map comprised of smaller Halo multiplayer maps would be a huge selling point for the game.
Halo Infinite releases this holiday 2020 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X.