Halo Infinite won't have loot boxes, 343 confirms

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And seasonal battle passes will only come with cosmetics

Halo Infinite
(Image credit: Mixrosoft)

Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer mode won't have loot boxes of any kind, 343 Industries has confirmed. Instead, it'll be supported by a battle pass system for players to unlock cosmetic-only customization options.

As detailed in a new Halo Infinite multiplayer overview video, 343 Industries is aiming to avoid any sort of "pay-to-win" features with Halo Infinite. That's why the new battle pass system will only include cosmetic customization options, and why there won't be any loot boxes for purchase.

"We're coming at this from a player-first mentality," Halo Infinite live design director Ryan Paradis said. "So what that means is that there's no random loot in this. There's no loot boxes. It's very important to us that everyone understands exactly how they unlock customization content."

In the same video and accompanying writeup, 343 confirmed that Halo Infinite will have battle passes that never expire, meaning once you buy them, they're yours to keep. Better yet, battle passes won't leave the store even as future seasons launch, so you can buy ones you might've missed at any time and choose which one you want to apply your progression towards. That way, you can take your time working toward a reward without worrying about it being replaced by a newer battle pass at any point. 

The extensive list of customization options available in Halo Infinite's battle passes will include everything from armor coatings, emblems, and effects, to helmets, shoulders, gloves, kneepads, visors, and loads more. Paradis says the range of cosmetics will amount to "millions" of possible combinations to customize your spartan exactly the way you like.

343 also emphasizes that content acquired through Halo Infinite's battle passes will only be attainable through playing the game, so you can be sure you won't spend hours upon hours working toward some epic armor only to be downed by someone who bought it for five bucks.

Halo Infinite is currently scheduled for a Holiday 2021 release. It looked like the release date leaked yesterday, but we're pretty sure that was just an error.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.