Here's Our First Real Look At Halo Infinite's New Maps For Season 2
The sixth mainline "Halo" game, "Halo Infinite," made its multiplayer component widely available for free on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on November 15, 2021. However, in the five months encompassing its first multiplayer season since release, the sci-fi shooter has been received with mixed reactions across the gaming community, due in part to a relatively limited amount of content in addition to what some have called an unfairly steep Season 1 reward curve.
It sounds like the upcoming "Halo Infinite" Season 2, titled "Lone Wolves," will attempt to address a handful of these issues by introducing at least two new maps and three new modes when it releases on May 3. Initially teased on April 8 in a short 30-second trailer showing off some short gameplay blips, gamers could quickly get a feel for the visual style that developer 343 Industries is going for. On that note, it's looking like the new seasonal rewards will reflect the aesthetic evoked by the season's title, seeing as how some of the armor outfits are a bit scrappier in appearance than those featured in Season 1.
Today, 343 Industries released a new trailer showing off the two upcoming maps in Season 2, encompassing two and a half minutes of new footage. The two maps, Catalyst and Breaker, seem like they will be filling in specific niches of gameplay that were overlooked in "Halo Infinite's" existing 10 maps.
Halo Infinite Catalyst and Breaker maps broken down
Breaker and Catalyst are the names of the two new maps being added to "Halo Infinite" during the Season 2 update on May 3. Breaker is described as a large set of "Banished shipbreaking yards," and it's underpinned (literally) by a river of molten lava that connects the map down the center. For those who were disappointed by the lack of Big Team Battle-capable maps, it sounds like Breaker was designed to accommodate the 12v12 mode. It also looks like there will be quite a bit of platforming involved; since the map is littered with vertical structures bearing down on corridors and platforms several levels below, there could be plenty of wiggle room for King of the Hill-style shootouts. That's why it's unsurprising that a new King of the Hill mode has been announced for Season 2, since this map is likely designed around it.
The other new map is called Catalyst, and it seems like 343 is making a deliberate throwback to a few classic maps from "Halo 3." In fact, Catalyst almost looks like a cross between the Epitaph and Guardian maps from the aforementioned "Halo" game. The map's tighter scale seems like it's meant to support Slayer-style deathmatches and other game types that involve short skirmishes rather than large firefights. It could be the hub of one of Season 2's rumored modes, Last Spartan Standing, which was leaked earlier this month (via GameSpot).
Other events in the Halo universe
"Halo" has recently garnered a significant amount of hype. Not only does its fictional universe now support an official TV series, streaming now on Paramount+, but there's even an upcoming official "Halo" cookbook releasing on Amazon on August 16.
Previously, anyone could watch the first episode of "Halo: The Series" on the official Paramount+ YouTube channel, but it has since been taken down. The first season is still available on the streaming platform's app, which means you'll need to shell out $14.99 if you want to watch live-action series.
The upcoming Season 2 update could revitalize some of the lost excitement surrounding "Halo Infinite," specifically regarding its multiplayer component, which only launched with 10 maps and no Forge mode. For those unaware, Forge is an editor that allows players to create custom maps, and it's been most iterations of "Halo" since "Halo 3." But not only did Season 1 lack content; it was downright chaotic for some players who walked away disappointed instead of elated. Many players experienced issues with the built-in matchmaking system, especially when trying to access certain modes, such as Big Team Battle. Since then, 343 Industries has been doing its darndest to patch things up. It's unclear how soon a Forge mode will be added, but "Halo Infinite" Season 2 will be releasing with new content for all players on May 3, 2022.