While the players had positive things to say gloriole infinityThe new maps (Catalyst and Breaker), silly new unlockable cosmetics, and new multiplayer modes King of the Hill and battle royale-esque Last Spartan Standing, buggy challenges spoil the start of Season 2. Fixes have also been made for exploits players really didn’t want to be fixed. In the game Guns also began to jamwhich you really don’t want in your multiplayer shooter.
Joseph Staten, head of creative for Halo infinityand John Junyszek, senior community manager at 343, both took to Twitter on Thursday to mollify fan anger and say they listen to criticism.
“Hey Spartans, this week has been bumpy” Said Staten. “That was definitely not our goal. We really appreciate your feedback, especially around map jumping and speedrunning. We are reviewing options and will have more news.”
With Tuesday’s update, 343 Industries fixed known glitches used by campaign speedrunners – including the confusing removal of the Abduct the Pelican ability – and certain multiplayer movement techniques and skill jumps used by high-level Halo players. While the latter was communicated ahead of Season 2, it wasn’t a welcome set of changes.
“Anything that was fun about the campaign that I’d like to try when Koop releases later this year? Gone,” said the longtime Halo player Mint Blitz in a YouTube video. You may remember the YouTuber’s video of him catapulting Master Chief over Halo infinity‘s Open World Map, breath of the wild-style, with early exploits. Mint Blitz also criticized the multiplayer movement changes, saying, “Nobody asked for it. For any changes.”
“We’ve seen feedback on changes that have impacted various multiplayer jumps and campaign speedrun strategies,” Junyszek said on Twitter. “We’re not at the point where we can promise anything yet, but want to be transparent and say we take the feedback seriously and are exploring options internally.”
Whether 343 will work to bring back these fun exploits remains to be seen. But in the meantime, the studio is at least trying to soften the blow of a bumpy launch week. Halo infinity Players will receive five XP boosters and five challenge swaps if they log in while the ongoing Interference event is live (which runs through May 16), and Junyszek says 343 will “reduce the difficulty of some event challenges and will make it so that they will be completed gets you 2 levels on the Event Pass.”
