The development team at 343 Industries is putting a lot of effort into fixing the progression difficulties that are currently afflicting “Halo Infinite’s” challenges and battle pass. Following continued discussion regarding the battle pass grind in “Halo Infinite”, the studio’s design lead stated as much, a grind that the vast majority of gamers think continues to be far too difficult.
The sudden introduction of the “Halo Infinite” online suite by Microsoft and 343 Industries drew a lot of praise a few weeks ago. The excitement culminated in the game-shattering Xbox Game Studios records on Steam, with 256,619 concurrent players on its second day of release. Users were quick to point out faults with the battle pass advancement mechanism, despite the excitement and generally positive early impressions. At the moment, battle pass material can only be unlocked by earning XP through daily and weekly challenges. To say the least, it’s a chore that necessitates an exorbitant amount of dedicated playtime, which most people simply don’t have. Fortunately, 343 developers have previously stated that the combat pass in Halo Infinite will be re-evaluated.
Jerry Hook, 343’s Head of Design, recently stated on Twitter that he, too, is “feeling everyone’s anguish on progression” while playing “Halo Infinite” multiplayer (via COGConnected). As a result, resolving the problem with the rest of the team is at the top of his priority list. This comment is similar to one made by Community Developer Brian Jarrard on November 16, when he said that data was being collected in order to examine the battle pass’ progression mechanism. Not long after, Community Manager John Junyszek expressed similar feelings in a tweet of his own. The following is an excerpt from Hook’s post:
During my vacations and shipping I tend to step back from my traditional FPS and dig into my strategy and management game love. Wanted to shout out @LensIsland for their title release. and if you love management or survival games this game is fantastic check it out. https://t.co/yWYICqb8ws
— jerry hook (@hookscourt) November 28, 2021
These pledges from developers could go a long way toward restoring community confidence that these and other issues will be addressed soon. However, there is presently no certainty that the game’s advancement issues will be resolved by the time “Halo Infinite” hits retail shelves.
On November 15, Microsoft and 343 Industries released the multiplayer suite to commemorate the franchise’s and Xbox’s 20th anniversary. Despite the issues mentioned above, Halo fans appear to enjoy what the game has to offer. For the time being, though, the much-anticipated story campaign is on hold.