Halo Infinite’s free-to-play multiplayer has been heralded for its quality of gameplay, while its customization features have been critiqued. For example, it is admittedly difficult to progress through Halo Infinite’s Battle Pass as quickly as some may have hoped, and many Legendary pieces and sets are not available until far later in the Battle Pass, such as Emile-A239’s Armor Kit.
Still, it is important to remember that Season One is meant to last a number of months before a subsequent season with its own respective customization rewards will be unlocked, so this gulf with XP grinds is intended to be somewhat gradual to fully make use of that time. However, one creative fan has decided to edit Season One’s key art to make it more representative of Halo Infinite’s current state.
With Spartan character models framed through Theater Mode, Zhorin343 has produced a much more accurate depiction of queue lobbies that players might encounter in Halo Infinite’s multiplayer. Zhorin343’s edit pokes fun at the fact that not everyone has access to the Battle Pass and that a “more accurate” version of lobbies can be represented by showing more of the default Spartans that are devoid of any unlockable customizations.
Halo Infinite’s Heroes of Reach key art is meant to showcase the different customization equipment that players can eventually obtain through its paid Battle Pass accessories. Zhorin343 has framed these Spartans with different poses and firearms to emulate the official key art, though they are noticeably less colorful and fashionable than their Halo: Reach counterparts. Without the Battle Pass, players are remanded to a default Cadet Grey Spartan that can then be used as a blank canvas for future customization when enough XP is amassed from challenges.
Of course, other color coatings in Halo Infinite can be adorned from the customization selection even without the Battle Pass, and many helmet attachments, visors, chest pieces, and other items are still unlockable for free throughout Season One - though they are far and few between. Another infamous color palette that is seen ubiquitously is the red, white, and blue armor coating, HCS Winter, that fans have dubbed the “Pepsi Spartan.”
Only time spent playing and completing daily or weekly challenges will determine whether these pale gradients will become Halo: Reach protagonists at some point in Season One. Fortunately, Halo Infinite’s Fracture: Tenrai event allows for completely free and exclusive rewards unique to it that players may soon be collecting and wearing in future multiplayer matches.
Halo Infinite releases on December 8 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The multiplayer beta is available now.
