The final release of online co-op is now coming in November too.
Halo Infinite is finally getting Forge Mode, launching on November 8, 2022, and the full release of online campaign co-op will now arrive on the same day. Sadly, though, split-screen co-op has been cancelled entirely.
In a new update, developer 343 announced details of its Winter Update, coming on November 8, which comes with some long-awaited modes.
Forge Mode will allow Halo Infinite fans to essentially create their own content – building new maps with a sophisticated editor and sharing them among the community. Arriving as a beta, we're still not totally sure on included features (although a leak has looked impressive).
343 Industries is also launching two new multiplayer maps on November 8 which will showcase exactly what Forge can do – as they were made entirely in Forge Mode.
The Winter Update also sees the full version of online Campaign co-op finally roll out to all players, allowing you to team up with your buddies and tackle Halo Infinite’s Campaign together. Expect to find new achievements, cross-platform support, mission replay, and shared progression. After several delays and a beta, it's been a long time coming.
However, there’s bad news for fans of couch co-op – the local split-screen co-op mode has now been canceled. It's a blow to those who have been waiting since launch for the old-school feature, but it's seemingly a matter of priorities.
“In order to improve and accelerate ongoing live service development, and to better address player feedback and quality of life updates, we have reallocated studio resources and are no longer working on local campaign split-screen co-op,” said 343 Industries.
Halo Infinite Campaign Launch Trailer Images
Alongside these new additions, the Winter Update will include the Match XP beta, allowing players to level up alongside the 30-level battle pass. There’s also a new game mode, Covert One Flag, which features asymmetrical loadouts and round-based gameplay, just to mix it up a bit.
There’s certainly a lot of new content on its way, and Forge could be the answer to Halo Infinite’s content drought. For now, we’ll have to wait and see, but let’s hope the community gets really creative with this.
Want to read more about Halo Infinite? Check out where it sits in our top 15 Xbox Series X|S games, as well as our first impressions of Halo Infinite’s co-op.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.