It’s no surprise that Halo Infinite contains hints and references pertaining to Halo's lore, including clues relating to the Forerunners’ return. The Forerunners’ presence in the game is demonstrated early on in the first two missions. With the Halo Infinite campaign now live, players can learn more about Master Chief’s mission to save humanity and how the Forerunners may influence the story.
In Halo Infinite, Master Chief explores Halo Zeta on a mission to save humanity and defeat the Banished from bringing Zeta back into operation. Zeta contains many Forerunner installations throughout its open world setting, and some of the collectibles available for players to find include a number of Forerunner artifacts. Additionally, there are slabs, which The Weapon AI refers to as cylixes, that are confirmed to be “Forerunner storage vessels.”
The Forerunners are tremendously important to the overall storyline and lore in the Halo franchise, so the reference to the species in Halo Infinite is to be expected. However, 343 Industries is known for its use of flashbacks and foreshadowing both directly and indirectly to tease future plot developments. How Halo Infinite's early campaign missions present the Forerunners provides big clues as to what role they may have in the story, and possibly in future Halo titles.
Major Clues In Halo Infinite Reveal The Return Of The Forerunners
During a cutscene after Halo Infinite's first mission, Escharum, successor to Atriox as leader of the Banished, stands around a map table with Tremonius, who turns out to be the game’s first boss fight. Tremonius is lamenting the fact that Master Chief is alive and well, to which Escharum responds, “The Banished will never bow ... to anyone again. Not the Covenant. Not the Prophets. Not her.” As he says “not her”, the map reveals a cylix with a Forerunner outlined in its center. Given the context of this scene, it appears the Forerunners are enough of a threat that Escharum feels the need to acknowledge his unwillingness to be overshadowed by them.
Perhaps the most important clue to the Forerunners’ return early in the Halo Infinite campaign occurs between the second and third mission. Before leaving the installation in which Master Chief found the AI Weapon, the AI points out an open cylix revealing the outline of the Harbinger. This further hints at the Forerunners’ return in Halo Infinite, though the part they will have to play in the game and going forward in the Halo storyline remains to be seen.
Halo Infinite looks to present fans and players with a plethora of references to many aspects concerning Halo’s legend and lore. As its plot continues to develop as players progress through the campaign, they will likely encounter many twists and turns regarding its characters, ranging from Master Chief to the Banished themselves. How big a role the Forerunners will have remains to be seen, but their return in Halo Infinite would be significant.