A new interview with developer 343 Industries has confirmed that players will be able to unlock flaming helmets and other cosmetic items in the Halo Infinite season 1 battle pass. The news comes after it emerged that some may get to play the game before its release day, with a Reddit user finding an Early Access Digital Bundle for Halo Infinite on the Microsoft Store.
Meanwhile, 343 Industries recently showed off more multiplayer action from the upcoming shooter, highlighting a new map and returning game mode. As part of an IGN First production, the developer unleashed Halo Infinite footage of the Streets multiplayer map along with the Oddball mode, giving fans plenty of time to take in the arena and how it will look when the game launches in December.
More information has been revealed about the Halo Infinite season 1 battle pass in an IGN interview with 343 Industries' Head of Design Jerry Hook and Lead Progression Designer Chris Blohm. According to the two developers, the first season of the battle pass will include a Halo Reach-style flaming helmet. The interview also revealed that only one battle pass can be active at once, although these can be switched at any time. What that means for players is that experience can only be gained for one pass while in multiplayer matches.
The pair later confirmed that the battle pass included in the recent Halo Infinite test flights is not representative of what will be included in the full launch and that every quarter of each battle pass will include a legendary cosmetic. These special items are related to specific canonical characters and can have special attributes or effects that can be seen in-game. Finally, the interview revealed that event rewards will be part of a separate system from the battle pass so that they can be earned at the same time.
In September, a series of leaks suggested that the game would feature several new cosmetic items that players can use to customize their appearance in-game. The interview has already confirmed some elements of the leak, such as the flaming helmets, so this could mean the more outlandish items could well be real. This includes a Halo Infinite emblem parodying Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson.
The fact that Halo Infinite will include cosmetic items such as the flaming helmet from Halo Reach is good news, as these types of special cosmetic items are a staple of the series and have been incredibly popular in past iterations. This suggests that 343 Industries is keeping track of which aspects of the game are most important to players. Time will tell how this will impact the game when it releases next month.
Halo Infinite releases on December 8, 2021, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Source: IGN