The past week has been a roller coaster for Xbox and its flagship next-gen release, Halo Infinite. Not only was there some controversy over the game’s visuals, but it leaked early that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer would be free-to-play. Xbox has since confirmed that free-to-play news, leading to many Xbox fans wondering what other rumors might be true. The latest of which being that Halo Infinite will feature a battle pass, aptly named the Spartan Pass.

Obviously, the idea that a free-to-play online multiplayer game might feature a battle pass isn’t exactly groundbreaking. Nevertheless, the leak itself is rather interesting. It’s anonymously sourced, which makes it highly suspect, but is said to come from an independent contractor working on Halo Infinite’s user interface. Specifically, a freelancer that worked on Halo Infinite’s UI for its battle pass.

According to the leaker, the Spartan Pass is pretty much what online gamers expect from a normal battle pass anymore. It features 100 tiers for players to unlock, with rewards including player cards, weapon skins, outfits, credits, and experience. Nothing that’ll be surprising for those familiar with the battle pass system.

While the battle pass system sounds archetypal, Halo: The Master Chief Collection features a similar tiered reward structure, but not technically a battle pass. It’s difficult to say if the rumored battle pass would be a major departure from the MCC’s. or if  Halo Infinite could feature classic Halo-style cosmetics where players can mix and match pieces of armor. It could adapt and offer more Modern Warfare-style outfits to look like specific Halo characters. Of course, it could follow the Fortnite style and offer all of the above.

One other interesting detail that the leaker describes what they describe it as a Modern Warfare-style of “Operations.” In Modern Warfare, Operations are a unique co-op mode using matchmaking that continues the base game’s story while connecting into multiplayer in unique ways. In Operations, new locations, weapons, and more are first teased, while also telling important story beats.

It’s worth repeating that this source is unverified and unreliable, so this leak should be considered with heavy speculation, but it’s also very straightforward and makes sense. 343 has already talked about maintaining Halo Infinite for years going forward. A free-to-play multiplayer mode with seasonal battle passes and a Halo-style of Operations would accomplish that perfectly. Hopefully, 343  and Xbox don’t keep fans waiting for more information any longer than necessary.

Halo Infinite releases holiday 2020 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

Source: Reddit