Whenever a new Halo game like Halo Infinite is on the horizon, the fanbase braces for change. Each new game in the franchise has mixed things up in at least some small ways, with weapons and vehicles falling out of the roster in favor of new toys. Whether it's one-time wonders like Halo 2's Covenant Spectre or old stalwarts like the Plasma Rifle, it seems that nothing is off the table when it comes time to rebalance the sandbox. The handful of available trailers for Halo Infinite have already shown plenty of new weapons and old favorites, enough so that it's pretty easy to get a good grasp on what will be available in the arsenal on launch day.
Change is so frequent in Halo's weapon lineup that neither of the Chief's signature starting weapons from the original Combat Evolved have persisted all the way to the modern-day. The M6D Pistol is a legendary damage dealer that inspired the creation of the Battle Rifle and DMR, but it only showed up in Halo 5: Guardians as a legendary REQ option in certain modes. The Assault Rifle has been more reliable, but even it dropped out in Halo 2 in favor of the severely weakened SMG. It would return in the much-beloved Halo 3 and become the standard starting option alongside the Battle Rifle in future games.
It's also worth noting that weapons and vehicles go through variations as time goes on, leading to several different iterations on favorite guns that are technically different weapons. This is a lore-friendly way to explain why the Assault Rifle can hold more bullets than it used to or why the Sniper Rifle's scope suddenly has more functionality. For the sake of clarity, all of these variations will be considered one weapon for this listing, even if Gunnery Sergeant Stacker wouldn't approve.
Returning Weapons in Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite is once again changing up its arsenal, which means that weapons that haven't seen alterations since the days of the original Xbox are hitting the chopping block. There is also the emergence of the Banished in the campaign, which has replaced both the Covenant and Forerunner factions in Halo Infinite. If those AI enemies don't return, that could take away everything from the Incineration Cannon to the Sentinel Beam.
Thankfully, there are several old favorites that will keep things from feeling completely different. Here's every weapon with a confirmed return in Halo Infinite:
- Assault Rifle
- Battle Rifle
- Hydra
- SPNKR Rocket Launcher
- Frag Grenade
- Sniper Rifle
- Needler
- Plasma Pistol
- Energy Sword
- Gravity Hammer
- Plasma Grenade
- Spike Grenade
Of note on the list are the Needler, the most reliable weapon in all of Halo, and the SPNKR Rocket Launcher, which was unceremoniously dumped in Halo 5 for a less visually distinct variant at first. 343 eventually patched in the original Rocket Launcher, and it seems that it won over in the end. The Brute-approved Spike Grenade also debuts in the 343-era after making its only other appearance in Halo 3.
New Weapons in Halo Infinite
Additions to the arsenal this time around are mostly thanks to the Banished, an enemy faction of Brutes and their lackeys that take over for the disbanded Covenant and their remnants from the previous games. They have variations on the Covenant tech they didn't take as their own, but Atriox has also introduced plenty of new toys for his soldiers to utilize.
There are several new weapons on the human side of things as well, including a replacement for the traditional shotgun and yet another variation of Halo's pistol. It's likely that players haven't seen all that either arsenal has to offer, but here are the new weapons that 343 have revealed so far:
- Sidekick pistol
- Bulldog shotgun
- Commando tactical rifle
- Pulse Carbine
- Mangler
- Ravager
- Scrap Cannon
- Shock Rifle
- Skewer
- Stalker Rifle
- Scrap Cannon
The latest multiplayer trailer for Halo Infinite put a spotlight on the Skewer, showing a Spartan knocking over a Warthog with just a single projectile. The trailer also had a couple of unidentified weapons, including a plasma weapon that could bounce projectiles off walls similar to the Forerunner Scattershot. So, while it looks like a sizable arsenal already, it seems clear that there are more new weapons to come.
Returning Vehicles in Halo Infinite
Halo's vehicle lineup has been much more stable over the years than its weapons, with the Warthog, Ghost, Banshee, and Scorpion appearing in every mainline game so far. The return of the Brutes as main antagonists brings back Halo 3's Chopper, and some of the previously covenant vehicles have seen changes under the new Banished regime.
Still, most players will find plenty of vehicles they're already familiar with when looking at the land and air transports coming to Halo Infinite on day one:
- Warthog
- Troop Transport Hog
- Rocket Warthog
- Scorpion Tank
- Mongoose
- Wasp
- Chopper
- Ghost
- Wraith
- Banshee
Notable absences from this list include the armed Gungoose variant of Halo's signature ATV and the Mantis mech. The latter has been a mainstay of 343's games so far, so it's a safe bet that it will return to Halo Infinite in some form either at launch or somewhere down the road via DLC.
New Vehicles in Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite has one significant new vehicle to add to both the Human and Banished arsenals, and it's likely that several more are waiting in the wings. Evolving from the Troop Transport Warthog is the Razorback, an unarmed jeep that can carry a squad of Spartans as well as hold cargo like an enemy flag.
This ability to load up a car and drive towards the enemy base could be replicated on the Banished side by the as of yet unnamed Skiff, a transport vehicle that seems like an evolution of Halo 3's Prowler. In both cases, the ability to squad up in a single-vehicle and haul power weapons back to base adds a layer of strategy to Big Team Battle that could be one of the most significant changes to Halo multiplayer in a long while.
343 Industries is trying to strike a delicate balance with Halo Infinite's arsenal. The developer wants to stray away from the aspects of the last two Halo games that turned off longtime fans, but it's also important to offer new gameplay options for those who will be playing for the first time thanks to the multiplayer's free-to-play nature. Looking at the lineup of weapons and vehicles, there are still holes to fill, but most everyone will have something to latch onto at launch. Considering the developer's ambitious DLC plans and the number of weapons added to Halo 5 in years past, it's likely that these lists will grow significantly as Infinite continues life as a service game for years to come.