New Halo Infinite gameplay showcased a Big Team Battle match featuring so-called "loot caves," a term most Destiny 2 players will recognize instantly. The new mechanic was shown while developer 343 Industries discussed what will be in the next Halo Infinite multiplayer technical preview, which will allow a large group of players to try out the game's free-to-play multiplayer before its December release. The second technical preview includes new features and modes, including long-time fan favorite Big Team Battle.
Loot caves are a notable Destiny bug-turned-feature that allow players to farm legendary loot at will. The original Destiny game shipped with a glitched enemy spawn where players could camp and farm potentially infinite kills, theoretically yielding as much loot as players could handle. More loot caves were discovered in Destiny 2, and in some cases, former Halo developer Bungie was forced to patch them out. Now, 343 Industries is introducing loot caves of its own in a very different context.
During Halo Infinite's Big Team Battle gameplay reveal, 343 Industries showed off a Big Team Battle match and, in the process, introduced a new feature internally referred to as loot caves. These loot caves are an optional objective within Big Team Battle that players can fight over. In a gameplay loop reminiscent of Destiny mission objectives, loot cave entrances are slowly unlocked by player's personal AI, at which point the area has to be defended. If the player can keep other foes away long enough, they will be rewarded with powerful weapons and equipment. In the developer demonstration, the player got a gravity hammer for their trouble.
Destiny-like mechanics are an interesting addition to Halo Infinite’s multiplayer, but loot caves definitely function differently than they do in Bungie's PvE game. Halo Infinite's take on loot caves can perhaps more closely be compared to Apex Legends' loot vaults, which popularized the feature and inspired other battle royale games like Fortnite to lock loot away in similar areas. In Apex Legends, players have to shoot down cargo bots to obtain keys that unlock loot vaults. However, in Halo Infinite, the player is already equipped with the tools to unlock it (that is, their Destiny Ghost-esque AI companion).
"Loot" in Halo Infinite isn't permanent like it is in Destiny, but its loot cave mechanic seems appropriate for Big Team Battle, where obtaining power weapons is essential to victory. In past Halo games, weapons spawned in specific locations around the map, so loot caves could add an extra layer of challenge in a way which could prove more engaging.
Halo Infinite launches on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S on December 8, 2021.
Source: Halo/YouTube