343 Industries Responds To 'Halo Infinite' Battle Royale Mode Rumors

Yesterday, a report surfaced from Xbox insider Brad Sams that claimed Halo Infinite will have a battle royale mode at launch, despite claims from developer 343 Industries in the past that suggested otherwise. As you would expect, the report got the Halo community buzzing and quickly morphed into one of the bigger stories of the week, which has prompted 343 Industries to address it and its claims. Speaking on the behalf of the studio, Franchise Development Director, Frank O'Conor, has issued a response that denies the game will feature a battle royale mode when it launches, however, it could have something similar to it.

[SpaceRanger]

The “it’s a mode not a genre” sounds like they don’t want to be put up against other BR games...but it sounds like it will have BR.

Hopefully it’s not in the same way Blackout did it.

[UltraNova]

They should do their own thing. The right thing to do.

[UnholyLight]

That's what made Halo the best in the first place. They were an industry leader! They hopefully recognized this for Infinite. I really have faith they will bring those fun and obsessively playing days back again that Halo 3 nailed.

[DrumBeat]

They really always have done their own thing, but I've heard some devspeak lately that I wasn't too fond of. Still know nothing though.

Nobody has any idea what this game is going to be. Will it be next-gen traditional Halo? Will it be GaaSy setup? Will it be something entirely different; maybe heavily narrative-driven like what they did with God of War?

If they did a single player campaign in GoW style that could be incredible, plus they could do their famous multi-player which I think is just obligatory for a Halo game.

[rainslacker]

What if they want to do a BR mode?

[UltraNova]

Rain,

If they believe in their take on BR and know something we don't - on BR's future (its rapidly fading out) - then by all means, let them have a crack at it.

[CaptainCook]

The only BR Halo Infinity will have is the Battle Rifle.

[WOLFofWALLSTREET]

True

[Hungryalpaca]

Halo has always had br. Plasma pistol starts 1 life. Same shit just no circle.

[DiRtY]

Did you read the article?
If so, how do you come to this conclusion?

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

343i has denied Battle Royale for Halo Infinite multiple times. I don’t think 343i is interested in developing a Battle Royale, as they stated that fans can make the mode via forge multiple times. I think Battle Royale as mode will be on the decline soon. The most successful Battle Royale titles are free to play.

[Rude-ro]

I’m pretty sure this is going in the direction of destiny.
Which means there will be sandbox options since it will be a constant world game.
I could be wrong.. but even their reply on the topic leaves a door open and I feel that is because the game will be constant rather than a one off campaign and then a pvp/co-op arena

[BadElf]

Forgot about forge. Wonder how legendary that will be

[rainslacker]

Horray....fewer modes!!!

What's wrong with having it as a mode? There really is not rational reason for so much hate over the BR games. People didn't have a problem with Horde or Zombie modes in MP games, so what's wrong with a BR mode? Just because they're releasing them as stand alone games, doesn't mean that's what will always happen.

[DrumBeat]

I would have no problem with Halo having a battle royale mode; in fact I think it could be more interesting than any other type of battle royale out there, given the way Halo plays. I'm not a big Halo fan these days. I abandoned it after Halo 3. The Prometheans rubbed me the wrong way, and the campaigns got progressively worse, but I digress.

That said, there's a negative view surrounding the battle royale craze. Some see it as cheap; cheap in the sense that it's unoriginal or played out, and that we as consumers would be better served if developers allocated their resources to something else instead of following the 'craze' not out of passion, but strictly for monetary gain.

Some people see their beloved franchises as something inviolable; something pure, and battle royale would 'tarnish' or 'cheapen' the legendary status of that franchise.

Whatever the reason, I understand why people may not want it in their favorite games, and I can kinda understand why it's frowned upon by many. I, personally, think so many of these FPS devs could and should focus on something totally different, but again that's me.

[rainslacker]

Wasn't trying to single anyone out. I think my comment came across that way.

I just notice that people seem so hellbent on destroying battle royale because they have this silly irrational hate for the genre, that they don't even want more modes or features added to a game they're going to buy. There's nothing wrong with BR. Just people want to hate on what's popular right now.

I think it's "cheap", in the sense that a single mode is essentially releasing as a full game. It'd be like releasing Horde mode last gen as it's own thing, and expecting everyone to lap it up. PUBG, and even Fortnite, it made some sense. Fortnite was F2P, so no biggie, but man did people hate on the genre to the point that they said it was old and a fad before it had even taken off outside of PC early access.

I think if it was just another mode, and didn't become the main focus, then I doubt people would have a problem with it. But I do think there would be plenty of people on forums who would make a bigger deal about it than it really was. I think BR will become just another mode going forward.

[slate91]

By the time infinite drops, br will be on a bigger decline than it already is

[VerminSC]

How is on the decline? It’s still growing in popularity

[slate91]

I disagree. Fortnite is declining. Apex gave it a boost for a brief period of time and I feel like that is declining as well. Next BR won't make a splash like apex did because it wont be a surprise release (just my prediction), which is what made Apex such a crazy hit to begin with.

[Lennoxb63]

Halo been had Battle Royale. It's called free for all.

[Razzer]

That is not battle royale. Free for all has been around since the original Doom.

[GtPawnSacrifices]

Gotta agree. And while it’d be possible to put BR & Halo together.
I’d much prefer TDM or the aforementioned FFA modes.
Fluid, fast & a reliance on K/D rather last man standing.

[Lennoxb63]

Battle Royale is a mixture of scavenger hunt and free for all. It's the same thing in Halo except you just start with weapons.

[Razzer]

"Battle Royale is a mixture of scavenger hunt and free for all. It's the same thing in Halo except you just start with weapons."

Starting with weapons is not having to scavenge for weapons. Halo also doesn't have a mode where the map becomes increasingly smaller. These form the crux of battle royale. Halo doesn't have it. Period.

[spicelicka]

Most people who don't play Halo aren't aware but Halo has one of the most diverse MP modes. You can create maps and forge and customize gametypes how you like, including just about every Battle royale feature.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Halo 5 already has BR in custom games with random drop ins, scavenging for weapons, and moving kill zones. Custom games also have their own browser so anyone can host/join any time.

This was in fact the argument Halo devs added, that they don't need a dedicated BR mode when you can create it on your own. Of course it's not the same as a dedicated mode in matchmaking but it's very functional and arguably better because you can customize it how you like. All Halo Infinite would need are more features in forge that allow for better customization and it would be more efficient.

Halo is so far ahead in it's MP offerings you can replicate modes that other games have to cut down on their content for.

[Razzer]

@spicelicka

That's all and good, but I'm just responding to this notion that Free For All is actually BR.

[spicelicka]

@Razzer

Yea I don't think OP made that point very well.

[DrumBeat]

Rumble Pit is Battle Royale? Entirely different. One is a simple FFA concept - first to thirty in an enclosed area. The other is a giant swath of land where you look for weapons and health packs as the play area shrinks.

[Vasto]

I just want to see the game!

[YourSixStudios_YT]

I'm going to buy it on PC and Xbox. I can't wait either!

[Vasto]

Should be play anywhere so if you buy the Xbox version you will also get the PC version!

[YourSixStudios_YT]

I completely forgot about play anywhere! Imagine me trying to buy it twice... lol

[ziggurcat]

"Frank O'Conor, has issued a response that denies the game will feature a battle royale mode when it launches, however, it could have something similar to it."

so... it'll have a BR mode, then...

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

Free for all ?

[rainslacker]

Maybe they want to call it something else because people have an irrational hate for the genre/mode?

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Big Team Battle and some of the other modes is very similar to BR...more engagement and no circle. I think someone creative can come up with a unique spin on BR that isn't drop squad loot camp or engage enemies.

[shiva1]

King of the hill and FFA mixed is BR but with less people.

[rainslacker]

Would be nice to see some expansion and new ideas. As of now, they're really just applying individual games game play mechanics into the BR mode. Something unique so the genre can grow would be cool.

[IAreBeMrLee]

I like the idea of a BR mode in Halo but I cannot stand the BR genre anymore

[StarLink]

They have already said countless times that there wont be one at least at launch. Dont know if they may decide to add one down the road but if they expand the forge and give us huge maos wouldnt surprise me to see people make their own BR.

[EddieNX]

Because I love the lore and the Halo universe, it could potentially make things like battle royale and gaas interesting to me. Destiny and things like that don't do it for me.

[BadElf]

Atleast they said its a MODE!

[YourSixStudios_YT]

Big Team Battles have been limited to 8 v 8... Imagine playing 32 vs 32 in a halo style conquest mode. I'm excited to see what kind of "large map mode" they are working on.

[esherwood]

BR’s fun. Definitely shows that the loudest are the minority. going from the outrage around here whe someone says battle Royale you would think no one played them

[rainslacker]

People like to hate on what's popular. There is not real reason that people should think the mode, or genre, has to die. If they don't want stand alone games coming out with a single MP mode, that may make sense, but people that make a fuss, tend to act like BR is dying, and should have never had a place to begin with. If it was just another mode in any given MP game, I can't imagine people would make as much a fuss about it, but it seems people can't just not play the game if they aren't interested in it.

[ZwVw]

By the time Infinite comes around, the BR craze will have fizzled.

[HighPlayer28]

Can't wait to see what the slipspace engine is all about with this game.

[chiefJohn117]

I don't like that 1 life crap. Do something different like a Warzone free for all with a base capture spin on it. What was that game mode called in halo 4 where you could fortify a base and add auto turrets? Do something like that but free for all 24 players

[rainslacker]

What would be cool is if when you die, you can just be in your own instance where you're fighting a death match or something against the other players who die.

Or set it up so you can set up different traps as a ghost or something. Keep it interactive.

[FernDiggidy]

They already have warzone. Very fun mode. I expect them to expand on that.

[TheHan]

I hope theirs no battle royal mode