Halo Infinite passes Destiny 2 on Xbox’s most played games list in the U.S.
Microsoft’s live service shooter seems to finally be on the up and up.
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What you need to know
At the time of writing, Halo Infinite has surpassed Bungie’s space fantasy looter shooter Destiny 2 on theofficial most played Xbox games listin the United States, with the former at #16 and the latter now at #17. This is the first time I’ve seen this happen since the launch period for Microsoft and 343 Industries' live service FPS in late 2021, and it’s indicative of the improved success that Halo Infinite is currently enjoying.
Theincrease in player interest is owed to Season 5: Reckoning, which kicked off last month on October 17. By far, its most exciting addition is the power to create custom PvE experiences by plonking down campaign AI in Forge. On top of that, though, there’s a pair of new Arena maps, fresh Forge canvases and items, the return of the fan-favorite Halo 4 mode Extraction (deploy and protect extraction sites to score points), and more, including Master Chief’s armor as a reward for reaching Hero rank and the ability to earn Battle Pass XP in Custom Games. Oh, and you can finallywear any helmet on any armor core. Let me do that withallmy armor, please.
It’s all great stuff, and there’s more coming, too — an official King of the Hill-based PvE Firefight mode is slated to come before the season ends on January 30, as is a shield and vehicle-regenerating equipment piece called the Repair Field. There’s also a pair of “Operation” events, one of which is active from now until December 19 and features 20 tiers of free rewards to earn, as well as a “Halo 3 Refueled” matchmaking playlist with community-made remakes of beloved Halo 3 maps.
It’s important to note thatDestiny 2is going through a rough patch right now, asits player count has fallen to an all-time lowdue to a myriad of issues with the game’s latest expansion and its core systems. It’s also the end of Season of the Witch, so some players are undoubtedly checking out other games until Season of the Wish starts on Tuesday. But even so, it’s impressive to seeHalo Infinitetop it on Xbox at all, even if that lead doesn’t last for more than a few days.
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Indeed, it’s a good sign that things are finally looking up for Halo, which has struggled to keep fans engaged throughout the two years since its release. For the first time in alongtime, I actually feel compelled to jump in and check out what’s new, and based on the game’s steadily rising player count on both Xbox and theSteam Charts, I’m not the only one.
To be clear, it’s still not all sunshine and rainbows for Halo Infinite — Custom Games bug out pretty often, armor customization still feels lacking due to the continued existence of the restrictive armor core system, and prices in the microtransaction shop are often a bit much. But it’s getting there. And hopefully things only continue to get better in 2024 and beyond.
Halo Infinite multiplayer is free-to-play, while its campaign is $60 (but often much cheaper) on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. Notably, you can also play it through any tier of Microsoft’sXbox Game Passservice.
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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
