Originally released back on 2003, well before the days of YouTube and other video sharing platforms, Red vs. Blue quickly became synonomous with the Halo series as a whole. Considering that Rooster Teeth is still producing and distributing the series on various platforms to this day, it is clear just how integral Red vs. Blue is to the legacy of Halo. With the series having such a large fan base, and many gaining interest in the Halo franchise because of it, it makes sense that 343 Industries has actively inserted several references to the show within Halo Infinite.
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Halo Infinite’s Many Red vs. Blue References
Back in July, fans noticed an early Red vs. Blue reference in Halo Infinite, while going through the list of armor skins. One of the skin colors was named “Lightish Red”, in reference to a conversation between Donut and Grif where Donut describes his armor color as lightish red as opposed to the color pink. Though, now that the multiplayer is fully released, it has become clear that it is not the only homage to Red vs. Blue in-game.
Fans have also noticed during one of the loading screens, the head caption reads out “You Ever Wonder Why We’re Here”, which is in reference to the very first line that is said during the pilot episode of Red vs. Blue. In addition, there’s an achievement called “Bring Shiela Home Safely”, which refers to the autonomous Scorpion tank named Shiela that frequently appears throughout the series.
References like these do a lot more than just acknowledge a popular online parody. In many ways, they acknowledge the Halo community through very intimate means. Since the release of Halo: Combat Evolved, Red vs. Blue has shaped Halo’s community of fans in ways that have lasted for as long as the franchise itself has existed. The fact that these references exist within Halo Infinite goes to show how important Halo’s lore is to the development studio.
It will be interesting to see if there will be any more Red vs. Blue references once Halo Infinite is officially released. Back when Halo 3 made its debut, there were secret character interactions seen in-game that were voiced by cast members of Red vs. Blue. Whether or not something to that extent gets included in Halo Infinite remains to be seen, but it is neat to see the Red vs. Blue references continuing despite the franchise evolving so much over the years.
Halo Infinite is scheduled to release on December 8 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The multiplayer is available now.
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Sources: Tiktok and Reddit
