One of the biggest complaints about Halo Infinite during its open beta and first few weeks of release was a lack of playlist variety in multiplayer. The basic "Quick Play" set cycled between different modes including Slayer, Oddball, Capture the Flag, and Strongholds, while "Big Team Battle" did the same. This disappointed fans looking to play one activity and made it difficult to complete weekly battle pass challenges, even when the Fracture: Tenrai event added some variety with a Fiesta Slayer playlist.
It wasn't until December 14 that 343 Industries released new game modes for fans who completed the story campaign or just wanted to take part in its free-to-play multiplayer. Halo Infinite's dedicated Slayer playlist was the headlining addition, but alongside it came permanent playlists for Fiesta, Free-for-All, and Tactical Slayer. Long-time Halo fans might recognize "Tactical Slayer" by its former title "SWAT," and 343 Industries should follow this with similar playlists using the Bulldog Shotgun.
How Halo Infinite's Tactical Slayer Works
The premise behind Tactical Slayer is simple. It's a four-versus-four mode in which the team that reaches 50 kills first wins. What differentiates it from the basic Slayer format is that players spawn with only the BR75 battle rifle, including infinite ammo, and there are no other weapons to collect around the map. Players also have no shield, which means every headshot is an immediate death, and the radar is disabled.
Because the radar would otherwise tell people when an opponent is nearby, Tactical Slayer fosters a tense atmosphere. Players' screens are a lot cleaner without that portion of the UI, and they're left to fend for themselves; checking around every wall to make sure another BR isn't scoped in from the other side of the battlefield. Melee punches are the only alternative to getting a clean kill with a headshot, which can also lead to compelling moments of close-quarters combat if opponents each turn the same corner. Stealthy map-wide sniping matches are fun in their own right, but these melee encounters are reminiscent of other SWAT modes from prior Halo games.
Bringing Back SWAT With Shotguns Could Open Up More
Precision-based SWAT gameplay was first introduced in Halo 2, but Halo 3 included a lot more variation on the concept. Bungie implemented playlists that utilized magnums instead of battle rifles, as well as playlists where the lack of shields and radars played into games of Capture the Flag and Oddball. Halo 3 also had a mode called Shwatguns, which leaned entirely into close-quarters combat by giving each player a shotgun.
Halo Infinite's Bulldog Shotgun replaces the classic M90, and stands out as an automatic shotgun rather than a single-shot. In one respect this could make a "Tactical Shotguns" playlist less tense, as when people can only get off one attack at a time it makes each encounter more dire. Rapidly firing off multiple buckshots to hit opponents jumping and sliding around is more reminiscent of the blocking in an action movie - but that has its own kind of appeal. Tactical Slayer games fill the air with sounds of triple-burst rifles, but using shotguns instead would create unique soundscapes.
Creating a Tactical Slayer playlist with shotguns would also stand apart from the battle rifle variant by dropping its over-reliance on headshots, making it easier to get a range of players involved without requiring the same level of precision. Developer 343 Industries can't stop its playlist additions at the few introduced on December 14, and pulling from the series' past with modes like Shwatguns would be a great way to reach more fans. From there, even more unique modes like Grifball could also come back to Halo Infinite.
Halo Infinite is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.