Halo Infinite didn’t reestablish the successful franchise as a heavyweight in the gaming space the way Microsoft might’ve hoped, but the game has maintained a loyal player base several years after its release. The recently rebranded Halo Studios continues to bring new content and features to these faithful gamers. The next featured drop, Operation: Blue Team, will bring back a game mode that should hit big with longtime Halo fans.
Firefight debuted as a playable mode back in 2009 with Halo 3: ODST, while seeing refinements in 2010 as part of Halo: Reach. This mode has shown up across other games in the series but was always a significantly different experience, far removed from the original ruleset and settings. Now, it’s making its glorious return in Halo Infinite.
It’s a mode where a team of up to four players work together to fend off waves of enemies, with five of these waves making up a round. Teams that manage to survive three rounds, alongside a bonus round, complete a set. What’s at the end of a set? Well, another set! It’s an endless mode that just keeps going so long as players want to continue.
However, the development team is bringing a bit of a twist to this classic mode. Players looking to end a session when they complete a set can do so with an evac option. Before a new set begins there will be an area on the map labeled “Complete the mission.” If at least two members of the squad step into this area the match will end with everyone getting extracted from the mode. It’s a nice addition as it gives players more control over when to end their Firefight session that isn’t just letting the enemies win or quitting from the game menu.
It’s great to see that Microsoft hasn’t abandoned Halo, which is a series filled with iconic characters and game worlds. Catering to fans like this upcoming update does goes a long way with keeping the community engaged, which could also be helpful if the company decides to bring Halo to PlayStation in the future.