On Thursday, a rumor broke that developer and longtime Xbox partner Certain Affinity was working on an originalMonster Hunter-like game. The game is codenamedSuerte, it could be an Xbox-exclusive title, and it’s likely still a year or few away from completion. That doesn’t mean that Certain Affinity is done working onHalo, however. As part of the report onSuerte, another rumor cropped up hinting that Certain Affinity could be working on a major new game mode forHalo Infinite.The report, which comes from Windows Central, leaps to the same immediate conclusion that manyHalo Infinitefans would upon hearing of a new major game mode in development. Certain Affinity could be working on the long-rumored battle royale game mode forHalo Infinite. Though never officially confirmed, details surrounding a potential battle royale addition were persuasive. A leaked audio file even hadHaloannouncer voice actorJeff Steitzer saying “Battle Royale.“RELATED:Halo Infinite Was the Second-Best Selling Game Last Month Despite Being Available on Xbox Game PassHowever, it should be clear that this is a supposition on the report’s part. It also says thatCertain Affinity’s new game mode could be “something completely different entirely,” which makes clear that the report has no honest idea of what the game mode could be. It simply states that Certain Affinity is working on something forHalo Infiniteand has no further information on what it may be.
What can probably be assumed is that if Xbox has reached out to a partner to create a new game mode forHalo Infinite, it’s probably something of substance. That’s why a battle royale mode might make sense. Activision Blizzard had Raven Software work onCall of Duty: Warzonealongside Infinity Ward as it worked onCall of Duty: Modern Warfare, for example. With battle royales being an oversaturated market, however, other multiplayer options are possible. Modes likeBattlefield 2042’s Hazard Zoneor perhaps a smaller mode with a competitive focus and ranked matchmaking.
There’s also the possibility that Certain Affinity is working on a single-player or cooperative game mode forHalo Infinite, too. The report doesn’t explicitly state the new game mode is multiplayer or competitive. A story-focused game mode would help moveHalo Infiniteforward, like Rare’s Tall Tales forSea of ThievesorOverwatch 2’s co-op plans.
Regardless of what the newHalo Infinitegame mode could be, it would certainly prove a boon for a game many expected to be much more robustly supported post-launch. Issues and controversies surroundingHalo Infinite’s progression and monetization have waylaid343 Industries' original plans. Perhaps it will be Certain Affinity that saves the live service game’s future.
Halo Infiniteis available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
