With regards to playlist variety, new options with Team Slayer, Free-for-All, Tactical Slayer, and Fiesta modes were introduced on December 14, giving fans an alternative to the grab bag Quick Play and Big Team Battle playlists available since its open multiplayer beta launched. Battle pass progression has been addressed via 343 Industries increasing how many points can be earned from a player’s first few battles every day. New challenge types were also added to Halo Infinite corresponding with its wider playlist selection. However, the allocation of challenges can leave users stuck if they face activities they don’t want.

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How Halo Infinite’s Challenges Work

As of this writing, people making use of Halo Infinite’s free-to-play multiplayer component have access to four challenges at a time. There’s a daily slot with diminishing returns, starting at 300 points for one match and ending with a succession of 50-point matches. Three weekly challenges are also available, covering all manner of gameplay from accruing kills using certain weapons to playing and/or winning matches in certain playlists. Players who purchase the Premium battle pass have an extra weekly challenge, and these reset every Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. EST.

If players don’t want to wait for the weekly reset, there’s only one option to get new challenges. Halo Infinite’s battle pass includes Challenge Swaps as rewards, each allowing the user to replace a single objective on their list. Challenge Swaps are the main item free-to-play users can unlock given most cosmetics are locked behind the Premium pass, but having this option to switch out challenges may not solve an underlying issue with weekly offerings repeating.

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Why 343 Industries Should Consider Limiting Challenge Types

Just because a player’s active weekly challenge list includes something relevant to a particular playlist or weapon doesn’t mean another variant is barred. In some respects this may be harmless, or even beneficial. For example, if a player is going after one challenge to get kills in Tactical Slayer, they might appreciate getting a second challenge asking for even more Tactical Slayer kills - or challenges for playing a set number of matches in that mode. Even if users don’t want to take on that task, a Challenge Swap can be used.

However, Challenge Swaps are a finite resource for players hoping to avoid microtransactions in the storefront (and even so they might prefer cosmetic purchases like Halo Infinite’s popular cat ears). Players could eventually be stuck with a wall of challenges in a game mode they don’t want. In some cases this may be due to unmanageable randomization, as certain modes like Oddball and Strongholds are locked to the rotating Quick Play or Big Team Battle playlists.

In other cases, one could argue there’s an accessibility concern with 343 Industries’ current approach. Ranked content is included in everyone’s weekly challenge rotation, which means casual players or those making use of Microsoft’s accessibility features could be forced into high-level play where they aren’t comfortable. With daily match points eventually offering just 50 points out of the 1,000 necessary to rank up, struggling through challenges may become the only way to conquer the 100 ranks in Halo Infinite’s battle pass.

One solution to this concern is 343 Industries implementing a system that prevents challenges from overlapping. Overarching categories like Tactical Slayer kills and defeating opponents with melee attacks could still appear in the limited space without players potentially being stuck with three matching challenges they don’t want. Otherwise, Halo Infinite may have to further adjust its battle pass progression, moving away from a reliance on challenges by offering points based on players’ performances rather than flat rates.

Halo Infinite is available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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