Halo Infinite likely won't have map remakes according to 343 Industries

Halo Infinite Multiplayer
Halo Infinite Multiplayer (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

What you need to know

  • 343 Industries has announced that it's unlikely that map remakes will be in Halo Infinite.
  • The reason why is because the developers don't want to keep using the same layouts over and over again, and also don't feel that older maps play well with Halo Infinite's sandbox.
  • The developers do want some newer maps to feel like they're similar to classic maps in some ways, even if they're not direct one-to-one ports.

In a new interview with IGN, developers at 343 Industries have announced that Halo Infinite likely won't have any map remakes. This is a departure from Halo tradition, as previous Halo games have typically included remakes of maps that were in previous games (for example, Halo 4's "Ragnarok" was a remake of Halo 3's "Valhalla"). The reason why this is the case is because the developers want Halo Infinite's maps to feel fresh and don't want them to feature the exact same layout as previous maps, though the studio does want some maps to feel reminiscent of past maps.

"I think that what we've done with (the Big Team Battle map) Fragmentation is something we want," said Lead Multiplayer Designer Andrew Witts. "We want things to feel new, but we want things to be a bit reminiscent without giving you the exact same layout or the same layout with slight differences, because we're a different game with different needs."

"There are some maps that have been coming out in almost every single iteration of Halo," added Lead Multiplayer Level Designer Cayle George. "So I wouldn't say we would never do a remake, but again, we're doing a spiritual reboot, so we look at how we kind of put our own twist on it, but still make it feel like a little bit of a nostalgia trip when you kind of run through them. We've tried the one-to-one ports. They don't work well."

Overall, it sounds like there likely won't be any direct map remakes in Halo Infinite, but players can expect maps that resemble elements of previous maps, such as the Fragmentation map that's similar to Halo 3's Valhalla in some ways. One-to-one ports of older maps may come in the future, but since it seems like they played poorly during 343 Industries' testing, we're probably not going to see any of them in the list of Halo Infinite multiplayer maps for a long time (if ever).

Halo Infinite's full suite of multiplayer content is slated to launch on Dec. 8, 2021, alongside the full Halo Infinite campaign experience. The campaign costs $60, but the multiplayer will be free-to-play. The game will be available on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs.

Brendan Lowry

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. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.