There are many different modes in Halo Infinite's Multiplayer. What are they, how do they work, and what should you expect?
Halo Infinite is one of those games which seems to have everything going for it, but manages to stumble at the last mile. There are a ton of fantastic modes in the game's Multiplayer – which is what we're here to talk about today – but nothing else has been added since launch, with everyone having to wait an entire six months for a second season of content.
After all, with only ten maps in the game, you need to be offering additional content if you want to retain players. This is not 2008, and people demand more from their games. Sure, the maps that were released at launch are for the most part amazing, but they just aren't enough to keep us invested. Sure, there are also tons of weapons, but the only customization available in the game is purely cosmetic.
It is thus great news that 343 Industries are introducing a whole lot in Halo Infinite Season 2, including three brand new game modes. Whether this will be too little, too late, is yet to be seen, but that's not what we're here to discuss. We're here to talk about the various Game Modes in Halo Infinite, define them, and give you an explanation of how they work and how to play them. Shall we dive in, or do you want me to keep waffling? I think the former...
All Modes in Halo Infinite
There are a ton of modes in Halo Infinite, each of which requiring the player to complete different tasks and objectives to garner points and achieve victory. Keep in mind that both Slayer and Capture the Flag are featured in both Arena Modes and Big Team Battle Modes.
What's the Difference Between Arena and Big Team Battle?
The different between Arena and Big Team Battle are both the size of the maps and the types of modes that you will play. Arena modes are generally focused on getting as many kills as possible, as well as very fast-paced battles that are good for modes like Fiesta and Oddball. Meanwhile, Big Team Battle is ideal for giant, grand-scale battles that are very vehicle heavy.
All Season 2 Modes in Halo Infinite
Season 2 is introducing three brand-new game modes into Halo Infinite. These three modes even include what seems to be a potential Battle Royale-style experience, called Last Spartan Standing. Honestly, let's just run through all three and give you a taste of what to expect when playing each game mode. Please keep in mind that all of the descriptions quoted here come from the Season 2 press release that details all of the new modes.
Last Spartan Standing
Last Spartan Standing is Halo Infinite's first sort-of attempt at a Battle Royale. Players get five respawns at the beginning of the match and once all five have been used up, they're out. Players continue to fight until the last man standing takes home the win. It's all 1v1, but there is a pretty sweet twist: every time you make a kill, your weapon gets upgraded. Here's the mode's official description:
In this free-for-all experience, 12 players spawn on Big Team Battle maps with a confined loadout and 5 respawns. Once a player runs out of respawns and can no longer participate, they can either spectate or leave the match without penalty.If a player gets a kill in the match, they can upgrade to a different weapon—something players of “Escalation Slayer” will no doubt be familiar with. The match ends when there is just one Spartan left standing.
King of the Hill
In King of the Hill, Spartans are tasked with capturing – you guessed it – a hill. Specifically, there will be an uncontested hill. Your team needs to get to the hill and hold it for long enough that your capture bar fills up. Once this has filled up, your team will get a point and the hill will spawn somewhere else on the map.
You know how the game is played, but there’s a little bit of a twist to this one. A neutral hill spawns on the map and two teams battle it out to control the hill and earn points. When a player enters the hill uncontested, it is captured and begins earning 1 point per second into a capture bar. When a team’s capture bar is full, they score 1 point and a new hill spawns somewhere else on the map.
Land Grab
There are three neutral zones in Land Grab, and Spartans need to capture them. The matches all start with three zones, each of which gets locked when a player captures them. Once all three zones have been captured by someone, points get assigned to those who made the captures and you repeat until a team has managed to secure themselves twelve points.
At the start of the match, there are 3 neutral zones around the map. When a player captures a zone, it is locked and gives their team 1 point. When all zones are captured, there is an intermission before 3 new neutral zones spawn. The first team to score 11 points wins.
All Arena Modes in Halo Infinite
There are five different Arena Modes in Halo Infinite (not including modes added in Seasonal Updates). They are focused on fast and small-scale skirmishes and resemble more of the style of gameplay you would expect from something like a Call of Duty game. Don't worry, though, some of the Arena maps still have vehicles and there is always a ton of verticality so you won't be stuck on the ground the whole time. Here are the modes...
Slayer
In Slayer, players are given twelve minutes to kill as many of the opposite team as possible. Teams win once they have defeated fifty enemies, or once the timer runs out. It is the classic Halo mode, and one that was obviously going to return in Halo Infinite. There isn't really much to say other than it is basically a slightly different version of your classic Team Deathmatch game mode.
Capture the Flag
Capture the Flag gives players twelve minutes to try and capture the opposite team's flag. You also need to protect your own, and transport the enemy flag back to your home base. This is another classic that really doesn't need that much explanation. It's the same as it always has been, and likely always will be, so what is there to say? It's fun, though!
Oddball
In Oddball, two teams of four must try to hold the Skull until they reach 100 points. For every second that a team holds the Skull they gain one point, and the match is played in rounds. Overall, once a team has won two out of the three rounds, they win the overall match. Honestly, this is probably my favorite Halo game mode and another classic making its return in Halo Infinite. It creates a lot of insanely fun teamwork, and is just a joy to play.
Strongholds
Strongholds tasks two teams to capture three zones around the map. As you capture and hold the three zones you gain points, and the first team to make it to 200 points wins the match. Again, it's not about kills, it's about holding zones, which is way more fun than what you would get from a round of Team Deathmatch or Slayer. Pretty great, but the new Season 2 mode Land Grab looks even better to be honest!
Fiesta
Fiesta is kind of like Slayer but gives you two random weapons and a selection of random equipment. This forces you to play creatively after each death, with pickups only coming from scavenging fallen players' weapons and equipment. There are a ton of different version and it is kind-of similar to Tactical Slayer, except for that in Fiesta the weapons are completely random and you have no control over what you get.
All Big Team Battle Modes in Halo Infinite
Modes in Big Team Battle are featured on much larger, big-scale maps like Fragmentation, and require a lot more time to complete. There are two modes that overlap, but have subtle differences so we will still explain them to you in this section. Big Team Battle has a much bigger focus on vehicular combat and strategy, with you needing to work much closer with your team to achieve the goals set by the modes. Let's get on with it, though...
BTB Slayer
Big Team Battle Slayer works exactly the same as Arena Slayer, except for that in this version there are twelve players on each team and you need to defeat 100 enemies in fifteen minutes. To summarize once again, you will have a fifteen minute timer and the first team to reach one hundred cumulative kills will win the match. If the fifteen minutes run out before you get to 100 kills, though, the team with the most kills will win the match.
Total Control
In Total Control, two teams of twelve have to control three different areas of the map. Once a single team has control of all three zones, they will score a point and the zones will respawn in different areas of the map. After a single team has scored three points, they win. This is a game mode that requires a whole lot of patience and a whole lot of team work. It can be a lot of fun, but only if you are in a good team with some buddies and enjoy vehicular combat, because it's going to be key!
BTB Capture the Flag
Capture the Flag works exactly the same in Big Team Battle as it does in Arena, just with more people over a bigger space. It can be extremely hard to get the Flag from one end of the map to the other easily. After all, in maps like Fragmentation you have a huge field in front of you with a lot of other players zeroing-in on your position, and there a ton of vehicles to content with as well. To be fair, though, this is a pretty darn intense game mode!
Stockpile
In Stockpile, two teams have fifteen minutes to collect and deposit twelve Power Seeds. These seeds need to be taken back to your teams "Home Base" and you will earn one point for every five Power Seeds that you deposit. Once a single team has made three points they win the game, and the only way to make an enemy drop their seed is to kill them so... well... you get the picture!
What Hidden Modes are there in Halo Infinite?
There are a bunch of hidden modes in Halo Infinite, each relating to specific Limited Time Events. We won't explain them here, but will add new ones and their explanations as they are added in future events instead. Here's the list so far (as of writing there are no active Hidden Modes):
- Arena: Attrition
- Arena: Attrition Dodgeball
- Arena: Elimination
- Fiesta: Attrition
- Fiesta: CTF
- Fiesta: One Flag CTF
- Fiesta: Strongholds
- Ranked: Elimination
- Ranked: One Flag
- Tactical: Slayer
- Tactical: Slayer Commandos
- Tactical: Slayer Manglers
- Tactical: Slayer Sidekicks
- Tactical: Slayer Stalker Rifles
How Many Modes are there in Halo Infinite?
Halo Infinite features seven base modes, with Slayer and Capture the Flag featuring in both Arena and Big Team Battle. Season 2 also introduces three new maps, taking the total number of game modes, if you discount the modes that double up, to ten. This will not be applicable, though, until Season 2 launches on May 3, 2022.
So there you have it: everything you could possibly want to know about Halo Infinite's different game modes. We have explained each game mode, answered your questions, and even spoken a little bit about Season 2. Look out for those new Game Modes, and drop back here relatively often as we will keep this article updated with any new modes that may be released in the Mid-Season, or in future seasons. In the meantime, though, get your ass into Halo Infinite and enjoy!