Halo Infinite still hasn’t locked down release dates for major new features like Campaign co-op or its next season of content, but players are getting a smaller “drop pod” update today. This update makes it so all visors will be compatible with each armor core (something that will hopefully be done with all cosmetics eventually) and makes a number of changes to Halo Infinite’s core gameplay. There are also some balance tweaks that may or may not be popular. You can get the full rundown of everything included in the August drop pod update, below.
New Features
Cross-Core Visors
All visors are now compatible with all Armor Cores. This change applies to all previously released visors and all visors that will be released moving forward.
Improved Mark VII Helmet Attachment Compatibility
Several Mark VII helmet attachments are now compatible with more Mark VII helmets. If you have already unlocked an updated helmet attachment, no action is needed for it to be available with additional helmets.
Challenges Are Now Visible on the Pause Menu
Active Challenges will now be listed on the Pause menu during multiplayer matches; however, Challenge progress is not visible during a match. Challenge progress will be added to this feature in a future update.
Balance Changes
- Grappleshot – Players will no longer be able to exit a vehicle to cancel an enemy’s Grapplejack.
- Light and Medium Vehicles – Non-tank vehicles, such as the Ghost or Warthog, are now more resistant to small arms fire. All of these changes apply to Multiplayer and a few apply to Campaign as well. See the Developer Notes for a full breakdown of the changes in each mode.
- Warthog – The Warthog can now be knocked around more easily by players using weapons such as the M41 SPNKR or the Repulsor Equipment.
Resolved Issues
Multiplayer
- The volume of a nearby player’s shield recharging has been lowered, especially when the recharging player is out of the line of sight.
- Choppers will no longer continue boosting after being disabled by a Dynamo Grenade’s EMP effect.
- The M41 SPNKR’s damage radius has been improved and now more consistently damages enemies.
- A fully charged shot from the Plasma Pistol will now deplete all Shields, including active Overshields.
- Mark Assists and medals related to the Mark system will now appear correctly when the Superintendent AI is equipped.
- Players can no longer mark enemies who are obscured behind waist high cover.
- Headshots more consistently register on enemies without shields when using precision weapons such as the Mk50 Sidekick or the Stalker Rifle.
- In Custom Games, King of the Hill now goes to Overtime when both teams have the same score as time runs out.
- In Free-For-All King of the Hill matches, the mini scoreboard near the bottom of the screen no longer shows unused meters and the full scoreboard shows the following stats: Points, Score, Kills, Deaths.
- In Custom Games, Attrition rounds now consistently end when a team is fully eliminated.
- While spectating a player in Observer Mode on PC, player weapons will no longer shake when the camera moves up or down.
- Resolved an issue where dropped Equipment could not be picked up near the lower light bridge on Catalyst.
- Observers will no longer be counted as a member of the enemy team in Attrition Custom Games.
- The outline of the Danger Zone’s final circle will no longer appear early in Last Spartan Standing Custom Games.
- Dropped weapons will no longer accumulate during Tactical Slayer matches.
Menus
- The fourth Challenge slot will now always be enabled when a Premium Battle Pass is equipped.
- Visor colors will now appear correctly when using the following helmet and attachment combinations: Cambion helmet with the UA/Februus attachment, AKIS II-GRD helmet with the TAS/Lantifrid attachment
- Land Grab and Last Spartan Standing now have unique Game Mode icons in various menus.
- In the Ranked Arena playlist menu, changing the Ranked Queue type now correctly updates the Estimated Wait tooltip.
- Error messages now consistently appear in matchmaking playlist menus.
In addition to the above, the latest Halo Infinite drop pod paves the way for a greater variety of Ranked playlists, which should launch within a couple weeks.
“On the multiplayer experience front, this update will make it easier for us to implement more Ranked playlists moving forward. Kicking things off will be Ranked Doubles, which is set to land two weeks after the Drop Pod’s release – along with a CSR reset. Additionally, a social Team Doubles playlist will be accompanying Ranked Doubles on its launch day, meaning Halo Infinite will be getting twice the 2v2 fun. We’ll monitor the health of Ranked Doubles and all our playlists after its addition to the matchmaking lineup. If all playlists continue to perform as expected, we’ll keep these additions and continue experimenting with adding more Ranked playlists in the future.”
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Campaign co-op is currently in beta testing and will likely launch in late summer. Halo Infinite Season 3 won’t arrive until November.
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