Halo Infinite dev shares life-saving tip for Last Spartan Standing

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It turns out that spawning in the Danger Zone isn't as bad as it seems

Last Spartan Standing
(Image credit: 343 Industries)

343 Industries game designer has given fans a handy tip for staying alive in Halo Infinite's new Last Spartan Standing mode.

Halo Infinite season 2 launched last week, adding more story and fresh maps to the popular shooter. It also introduced a new mode - Last Spartan Standing. This free-for-all elimination mode pits 12 players against each other, and although it's not called battle royale by name, it leans heavily on mechanics found in the likes of Fortnite and Apex Legends.

Unlike Halo's traditional multiplayer fare, players start a match with only five lives, and the ante is upped even more with a constantly shrinking map. Find yourself in the Danger Zone, and you'll take damage. You can even respawn in this area, which might seem a tad unfair. However, one of Halo Infinite's creators recently shared a helpful tip that will improve your chances of being the one left standing when you happen to find yourself resurrected on the wrong side of the safe zone.

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In a Tweet, Zach Boyce, multiplayer game designer at 343 Industries, explained that if you spawn in the Danger Zone, the damage you take from the zone is reduced by 75% until you enter the safe area or deal damage to another player. 

In a follow-up tweet, Boyce provides the reason for the decision to spawn players in danger rather than restricting them to the map's safe area. "Naturally, I don't want to spawn you in danger, but forcing spawns to the shrinking playable space can give you a fish-in-barrel experience - especially late game when it matters most." Boyce also reveals that the studio tried this approach but said it resulted in "bigger frowns."

The road to release hasn't been the smoothest for the Halo series' newest entry, with Halo Infinite delayed by a year because 343 wasn't "proud" of it. And the game's PVP element could have been very different, as reports suggest that Halo Infinite's multiplayer started out as an Overwatch clone. 

Find out how Halo Infinite Last Spartan Standing is a solid stab at a battle royale-esque game mode in our feature. 

Anne-Marie Ostler
Anne-Marie Ostler
Freelance Writer

Originally from Ireland, I moved to the UK in 2014 to pursue a Games Journalism and PR degree at Staffordshire University. Following that, I've freelanced for GamesMaster, Games TM, Official PlayStation Magazine and, more recently, Play and GamesRadar+. My love of gaming sprang from successfully defeating that first Goomba in Super Mario Bros on the NES. These days, PlayStation is my jam. When not gaming or writing, I can usually be found scouring the internet for anything Tomb Raider related to add to my out of control memorabilia collection.