November 16, 2021 Halo Infinite’s devs have taken in criticism of the battle pass, and are “gathering data”.
Halo Infinite’s multiplayer offering got an early launch, hitting a high of 272,586 concurrent players on Steam – according to one analyst, that’s the biggest an Xbox Game Studios title has seen on Valve’s storefront yet. While everyone is having a dang good time – including this orange site’s esteemed deputy editor – Halo Infinite’s battle pass has come in for some criticism.
“Thank you to everyone who has jumped into the Halo Infinite beta so far,” community director Brian Jarrard says on Twitter. “FYI the team is looking at battle pass progression and gathering data from yesterday’s sessions and we’ll share updates as we have them. Please continue to share feedback and raise flags as you see them.”
Players are expressing concerns on Reddit and Twitter that the battle pass feels a bit too grindy and slow right now. “Three hours in, and I barely managed to level up once,” one fan says. “I know it’s a beta, and they’ve talked about improving this in the future. But it’s just really discouraging to go out of your way to use the less effective weapons/vehicles for XP that amounts to a single grain of sand. I’d rather get XP for medals earned in-game and maybe increase the amount you get from the challenges. Anyway, the game is absolutely stunning. Happy hunting, Spartans!”
One of the more popular player-suggested solutions is giving people experience points for playing matches, with more points coming from a win than a loss. “Challenges should be bonus XP, not the primary source,” another player suggests. “I want incentive to play the game – mandatory challenges that force playstyle detract from that.”
We’ve reached out to Microsoft and 343 Industries for comment, and will update this story if we hear back.
343 Industries is adding a new battle pass to Halo Infinite at the start of each season. While the current season ends in May 2022, the battle pass will stick around, with your chosen rewards track benefitting from seasonal experience.
Rewards-wise, you’re getting the usual cosmetic offerings. 343 Industries explains you’ll get some rewards for free, though you’ll have to pay for the premium version for more goodies. Halo Infinite’s battle passes comes with customisation options for Spartans, vehicles, weapons, and more. Don’t worry, though, you won’t see Master Chief flossing anytime soon.
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There are also paid options outside of your rewards track. Halo Infinite’s first Legendary skin is $20, in fact. You’ll have to wait until December 9 for the full Halo Infinite release date – you know, the one that has the campaign – but you’ve got plenty of time to sharpen your aim.