The "Summer 2025 Update" for Halo Infinite, which will run until June 10, is now live, bringing with it a host of new features. Players can dive into new playlists, wield the new Mutilator power weapon, and enjoy updates to the sandbox, new Forge tools, and an expanded Weapon Bench with additional weapons. For those opting for the Premium Operation Pass, there are 50 more tiers to conquer, four new armor sets, bonus XP, and an extra challenge slot.

While some may feel these updates are arriving too late, Halo Infinite has undergone significant transformations since its launch. The game's developer, 343 Industries, rebranded to Halo Studios amid declining player numbers, which dropped sharply due to criticisms over content scarcity, progression systems, monetization, and the cancellation of a much-anticipated battle royale mode. Yet, a segment of the community believes the game has never been better.

In a Reddit thread titled "Halo Infinite REALLY should do a 'relaunch' ad campaign. It's just not the same game as at launch. Not even close," one fan expressed their renewed enthusiasm: "I can't imagine anyone who likes Halo but hasn't given this game a chance, or haven't played since launch, would be disappointed coming back. And I can't imagine they or especially the general gaming public, realize how much has been added and changed.

"I didn't play for months. I came back to three new guns, a bazillion new maps, multiple new firefight modes, mountains and mountains of things to grind for and unlock. And that's just from my few-month break. I really think this game would get a huge boost from a good trailer showing off all the additions and changes since launch. It would do wonders for their reputation as well.

"I see so many people who attack this game, saying things about it that haven't been true in years," they continued. "Three new pieces of equipment, five new guns, like a hundred new maps or more, like 10 new game modes, hundreds of new armor pieces, a much much better free credit shop, quadruple the ranked playlist to grind for (finally, that's what I've been wanting), career rank to grind for. All the old battle passes resulting in what, a thousand tiers almost? One of them is even completely free with some great reach armor. An incredible, incredible Forge, awesome custom games, a custom games browser which only Halo 5 had before, firefight, enemy and friendly AI in Forge."

"I wholeheartedly agree, the game is easily the best game since [Halo 3] and the best 343 has produced. Just took a while to get here, but I never left, so it’s been fun to watch play out," agreed one user, while another added: "I share this feeling. I have a buddy who wrote it off pretty early and hasn’t come back. He’s already trashing the game, and I try telling him it’s solid now, but he doesn’t want to hear it."

"Multiplayer-wise, it's the best Halo ever made," added another fan.

Halo Games in Chronological Order

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In another Reddit thread featuring the iconic image of Master Chief from Halo Infinite's marketing, a user asked: "How does everyone feel about this picture since we've seen what Halo Infinite had become?"

"I really love Infinite. Been playing since about halfway through Season 1. Revitalized my love for a series I stopped playing during Halo 4’s lifespan. Has the best Spartan customization and I also really like that different modes are constantly in rotation, custom games is fun, campaign is fun; unique but fun; music is a banger," responded another.

"Approaching my first Onyx rank and am on track to be the first Halo game I hit max career rank. The gameplay is very fluid and feels super organic blending the feel of the classic games with some modern upgrades (and sprint feels so so good in this game). As much as I love the classic games and go back to them from time to time, Infinite has my favorite gameplay overall. The game has outgrown the shell of its release and has only gotten better with time. I’m optimistic about what’s on the way and I really think Infinite is one of my favorites in the series!"

"It's the best arena shooter on Xbox right now," replied another. "Halo Infinite scratches that itch that I wish COD did."

However, not all feedback is glowing. One less enthused fan said: "This image represents the last little bit of hope I had. I genuinely think Halo’s time is over, the people who understood how to make the magic happen are all scattered and gone."

Xbox Games Series Tier List

Xbox Games Series Tier List

Back in 2021, IGN awarded Halo Infinite's single-player campaign a 9/10, praising its ability to revitalize the series: "Halo Infinite's single-player campaign is exactly what this series needed. It brings out the best in Master Chief's unique and satisfying combat style while leveraging old ideas to create memorable new moments. Its story falls short for both new and veteran players, but it was worth the six-year wait."

With Microsoft’s multiplatform video game release strategy in full swing, some Xbox fans are wondering whether Halo will soon make the jump to PlayStation, following in the footsteps of the likes of Forza Horizon 5 and Gears of War. In November, Microsoft’s gaming chief, Phil Spencer, stated there are no “red lines” in its first-party lineup.