I was pretty convinced we’d never see much more from Halo Infinite. It had a stellar launch and a few weeks of hype, but people quickly realized it didn’t have much content. 343 Industries then spent two years quietly trying to patch it up behind the scenes.
Eventually, it announced major leadership changes, revealed plans to move the series to Unreal Engine, and even rebranded as Halo Studios while beginning work on the next Halo project. I assumed Infinite’s development was over.
To my surprise, and I’m sure many others feel the same, the game is now almost at feature parity with Halo: Reach. Halo also seems to be everywhere right now, with collaborations in Fortnite and Helldivers 2. It’s great to see the franchise getting more love than ever.
Invasion Mode Makes a Triumphant Return
In celebration of Halo: Reach turning 15, Halo Studios has worked with the community to bring Invasion back as a Forge-made mode with Forge-made maps into Halo Infinite. It’s a fitting tribute to Reach’s anniversary, reviving one of its most beloved experiences.
For those who never played it, Invasion was a staple mode in Reach. It pitted Spartans against Elites in large-scale battles. Infinite doesn’t have playable Elites, but that hasn’t stopped it from feeling great. The community has done a superb job recreating Reach’s Invasion maps.
The new version features six maps in total. Breakpoint and Recovery (formerly Boneyard) return from Reach, joined by four brand-new maps.
Invasion pits two teams against each other, with attackers trying to push through the map by capturing objectives while defenders work to stop them. A dedicated Invasion playlist will be available until October 7, 2025, before the mode moves into the Squad Battle playlist.
Ranked Legacy Playlist Revives Classic Halo Rules
In addition to Invasion, fans have also helped create a classic-style Legacy playlist that aims to recapture the feel of the original trilogy. It’s the one I’m most excited about, as I’ve always preferred that classic gameplay over what we saw in Halo: Reach, Halo 4, and Halo 5: Guardians.
That said, I think Halo Infinite has struck a nice middle ground, and I’d be happy to see it continue to evolve. The Legacy playlist includes maps from the original trilogy and brings back iconic modes like Slayer, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, and Oddball.
Sprint, clamber, and motion trackers are disabled, while player collision has been turned on (thank you!). Everyone spawns with a Battle Rifle, and the goal is to recreate that original magic that Bungie perfected.
Operation Pass Rewards and Limited-Time Collaborations
Along with Invasion and the Legacy playlist, there’s also a free 20-tier Operation Pass that includes a new armor set and coating. A premium version is available too, offering new weapon coatings and other cosmetic rewards.
This update also marks the final chance to earn the coveted Hayabusa helmet. The crossover helmet originally appeared in Halo 3 as part of a promotion with Ninja Gaiden. It’s available to earn through The Exchange until October 21, 2025, or it can be purchased with real world money.
The Operation Pass itself will only run until October 7, 2025. Halo Studios has moved away from permanent battle passes in favor of limited-time ones, likely to help drive more funding for the next game.
Celebrating Halo: Reach’s 15-Year Legacy at the Halo World Championship
September 14, 2025, marked 15 years since the release of Halo: Reach in 2010. It brings back vivid memories for me, as Halo has always been my favourite franchise.
When Reach launched, my parents had booked our first holiday abroad. Younger me was gutted — all my friends were levelling up while I was stuck using the hotel computers just to chat with them about the game.
Looking back, it was a silly thing to get upset about, and I’d definitely choose the holiday over playing Reach now. But at the time, Halo felt like the most important thing in the world to me.
That’s just one of my many memories with the franchise. The anniversary of Halo: Reach was celebrated online with a new art piece shared by Halo Studios on X, and Brian Jarrard (Ske7ch), the studio’s community director, will be hosting a Halo: Reach anniversary panel at the Halo World Championship 2025 on October 24–26.
It’s also where Halo Studios plans to share what’s next for Halo, so it’s well worth marking your calendars
