Season 03: Echoes Within

Season 03: Echoes Within is the third season of Halo Infinite's multiplayer, and launched on March 7, 2023, after originally being set to be released on November 8, 2022.



Narrative
Please see the respective pages to view the cinematics and transcripts

Main narrative

 * 1) Season 03: Echoes Within Intro Cinematic
 * 2) Narrative Events
 * 3) Mindfall
 * 4) Site Unseen

Ancillary materials

 * Halo Waypoint Story & Intel: Story and Intel released on Halo Waypoint to expand upon the characters, events, and miscellaneous details of the season.

General overview

 * 100-tier battle pass
 * New Fracture event: Firewall
 * New armor cores
 * Canon armor core: Mirage IIC
 * Fracture armor core: Chimera
 * Four new multiplayer maps
 * Chasm
 * Cliffhanger
 * Oasis
 * A Forge remake of Halo 5: Guardians's Plaza
 * New multiplayer mode: Escalation
 * New sandbox items: M392 Bandit and Shroud Screen
 * New narrative events
 * Mindfall
 * Site Unseen
 * New features
 * Custom Game Browser Updates
 * In-Game Reporting
 * Forge Beta Updates
 * Various quality of life improvements
 * High-performance Ray Tracing
 * Networking bug fixes
 * Tuning updates

XP Boosts, Challenge Swaps, and Credits

 * 19 XP Boosts
 * 41 Challenge Swaps
 * 1,000 Credits

General Customization

 * 3 Backdrops: Coordination Protocol, Uplink Protocol, SPNKR Lock
 * 5 Nameplates: Beta Company, Fireteam Cerberus, Fireteam Ferret, Fireteam Hydra, Fireteam Phoenix
 * 3 Stances: Smooth Operator, Dialed In, Sniper's Honor
 * 5 Armor Emblems: Beta Company, Fireteam Cerberus, Fireteam Ferret, Fireteam Hydra, Fireteam Phoenix
 * 5 Weapon Emblems: Beta Company, Fireteam Cerberus, Fireteam Ferret, Fireteam Hydra, Fireteam Phoenix
 * 6 Weapon Coatings: Urban Renewal, Ochre Sands, Timeless Moss, Grey Death, Lilac Campaign, Sunset Striker
 * 5 Vehicle Emblems: Beta Company, Fireteam Cerberus, Fireteam Ferret, Fireteam Hydra, Fireteam Phoenix
 * 1 Vehicle Coating: Avalanche Slate
 * 1 Armor Coating: Redsteel Splinter
 * 1 Armor Effect: Slipstream Vectorstrike
 * 1 Kill Effect: Slipstream Endpoint
 * 1 Mythic Armor Effect Set: Slipstream Sectorlink
 * 5 Visors: Aqua Green, Tarnished Scale, Deep Ocean, Trion, Autumn Offensive

Mark VII Core

 * 3 Helmets: Deadeye, Flanker, Mercury
 * 3 Helmet Attachments: RS[3]/WOLFTOOTH, TAS/NETMOON, HUL[4X]/ENIT/WITCHBRANCH
 * 3 Chests: UA/M560 PLATE, Mr. Bones, UTIL/PGY PACK
 * 2 Shoulder Pads: UA/VIATOR-2A3, UA/VALENS
 * 1 Wrist: TAC/SPIKE LANTERN
 * 1 Utility: Cut to the Quick
 * 6 Armor Coatings: Sunset Striker, Iron Blood, Tiger Royalty, Avalanche Slate, Timeless Moss, Lilac Campaign

Mirage IIC Core

 * 1 Armor Core: Mirage IIC
 * 5 Helmets: Neith, Extender, Veles, Nexus, Street Viper
 * 3 Helmet Attachments: Extender Gryphos, TAC/RS/MOONGLOW, Viper Shroud
 * 5 Chests: TAC/OPTICAN FMK-60-I, TAC/MULTIMAX, AAP/K-ROC ORDNANCE PACK, UTIL/SUPERHUB CUSTOM, UTIL/PROJECT RA ZPEC
 * 4 Shoulder Pads: SAP/GUARDPRO MAX, SAP/URSAPAD, UA/CDS-SPI-REV6, UA/GUARDPRO MAX
 * 3 Wrists: Project Deitywalk, Shockbrace, M90B PDM
 * 2 Kneepads: UA/TYPE SST, UA/TYPE SLO
 * 1 Utility: Angus Box
 * 2 Gloves: Rift Kappa, Rift Epsilon
 * 6 Armor Coatings: Avalanche Slate, Crimson Sash, Timeless Moss, Sunset Striker, Purple Sun, Scorched Blood

Events
Please see the respective event pages for their Event Passes.

Drop Pods & Patch Notes
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 * title1=March 7 (season launch) patch notes
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SEASON 3 OVERVIEW AND NEW FEATURES
This update brings new content, numerous bug fixes, and several new features to Halo Infinite. For a full list of this update’s bug fixes, see the Resolved Issues section below. New features and content included in this update are:

NEW BATTLE PASS AND ARMOR CORES
Season 3 introduces a new 100-tier Battle Pass with over 180 rewards. Purchasing the Premium Battle Pass is required to earn all rewards, but all players will be able to unlock free tiers that include rewards like Credits, Weapon Coatings, Emblems, and customization items for one of the two new Armor Cores: MIRAGE IIC.

The MIRAGE IIC Armor Core and the Chimera Armor Core, this season's new Fracture Armor Core, will both unlock immediately after Season 3 is installed. Both MIRAGE IIC and Chimera feature a set of Cadet Coatings for players to apply via the Customize menu.

Along with the Premium Battle Pass, players can also purchase the Premium Pass Bundle, which includes 100 XP Grants. This will allow you to immediately unlock 25 Battle Pass levels. To use XP Grants in-game, follow the steps below:

1. On the main menu, select the Battle Pass tile in the top right corner of the screen. This will open the Season menu. 2. On the Season menu, use the Boosts shortcut listed along the bottom of the screen. 3. Select the XP Grant button underneath the Increase XP header.

New Premium Battle Pass Perks
Players who purchase either the Season 3 Premium Battle Pass or the Premium Pass Bundle will now earn bonus Match XP for every Multiplayer match completed during Season 3. The bonus Match XP for purchasing either Season 3 offer is awarded no matter what Battle Pass you have equipped. This bonus Match XP will end alongside the end of Season 3 and launch of Season 4.

Additionally, players who purchase either Premium Pass option will receive the new Redsteel Splinter Armor Coating for all seven Armor Cores.

FREE AND UPDATED ARMOR COATINGS
Steel Armor Coatings As mentioned in the "Season 3 Customization" blog on Halo Waypoint, three new Armor Coatings are now available for free on all seven Armor Cores:


 * Steel Blue
 * Steel Red
 * Steel Sage

Like the Cadet Armor Coatings introduced in the December 2022 update, the Steel Armor Coatings are available to both new and returning players for free, regardless of whether they purchased previous Premium Battle Passes or participated in the associated limited-time events.

New Cadet Coatings
Two new Cadet Coatings have been added to all seven armor cores: Cadet Red and Cadet Olive. As with the Steel Armor Coatings and the existing Cadet Coatings, these Armor Coatings are available to all players on all Armor Cores for free.

Because the Cadet Red Armor Coating is now available, the following Armor Coatings have been updated:


 * Scarlet Empress
 * Scarlet Skies
 * Scarlet Wake

The Armor Coatings listed above were previously available in the Halo Infinite Shop and used the Cadet Red Armor Coating palette. To better differentiate these coatings from Cadet Red, the following changes have been made to the Scarlet Armor Coatings:

Armor pieces are now a deeper shade of red. Trim pieces that were previously dark grey are now polished silver. All players who purchased any of the three updated Scarlet Armor Coatings will now have both the Cadet Red and the applicable updated Armor Coatings. To see comparisons between the Cadet Red and the updated Scarlet Armor Coatings, visit the "Season 3 Customization" blog on Halo Waypoint.

Shred Shift Armor Coatings
As mentioned in the "Season 1 Outcomes Report - Live" blog on Halo Waypoint, the Red Shift Armor Coating received feedback that it did not look like its initial render from 2020. With the Season 3 update, players who have unlocked the Red Shift Armor Coating will now have an additional Armor Coating for the MARK VII Armor Core: Shred Shift. The Shred Shift Armor Coating better reflects the initial render of the Red Shift Armor Coating.

Watchdog Neo Armor and Weapon Coating
The Watchdog Neo Armor Coating, which was revealed in the Holiday Community Livestream, is now available to players who reached SR 152 in Halo 5: Guardians. This updated Armor Coating is available on all Armor Cores and will not replace the existing Watchdog Armor Coating, which remains available to all players who reached SR 152.

Alongside these changes, Watchdog Neo is now also available as a Weapon Coating for both the M392 Bandit and S7 Sniper.

FREE HELMET ATTACHMENTS
All players who sign into Halo Infinite during Season 3 will receive the following helmet attachments for free:


 * MK62 CBRN/ISES helmet attachment, which is compatible with the following MARK VII helmet:
 * FIREFALL
 * UA/TYPE O5 helmet attachment, which is compatible with the following MARK V [B] helmets:
 * Mark V [B]
 * CQC
 * HAZOP
 * Air Assault
 * JFO
 * ODST
 * Recon

To equip a helmet attachment, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the Customize tab of the main menu. 2. Select Armor Hall. 3. Select your preferred Armor Core then select the Core's helmet slot. 4. While viewing your equipped helmet, use the shortcut listed along the bottom of the screen to enter the Inspect menu. 5. On the Inspect menu, use the shortcuts underneath the helmet's name to switch to the Attachments tab. 6. The Attachments tab shows all helmet attachments that are compatible with the currently selected helmet. Use the arrows next to the attachment tiles to navigate between locked and unlocked attachments. Use the Equip button to apply your preferred attachment.

NEW EQUIPMENT: SHROUD SCREEN
When activated, the Shroud Screen equipment launches a spherical, holographic cloud of smoke that obstructs the view of players both inside and outside its area of effect. Much like the Threat Sensor, the Shroud Screen serves as a projectile that players can fire wherever they want. When looking into or out of the Shroud Screen's hologram, players' reticles will not turn red to indicate that an enemy is in their line of sight.

The Shroud Screen is only available in Halo Infinite Multiplayer and will spawn on Equipment Pads placed throughout various maps, including existing maps released prior to Season 3. The Shroud Screen is also available for in Custom Games, Forge, and Academy's Training Mode.

The new rotating playlist, New Arena Unlimited, features several map and mode combinations that include the Shroud Screen. Additionally, the Shroud Screen is featured in an Escalation Slayer loadout.

NEW WEAPON: M392 BANDIT
The M392 Bandit is a new Kinetic weapon available for players to use in Halo Infinite matchmaking, Custom Games, Forge, and Academy. The Bandit is a semi-automatic tactical rifle that's most effective during mid-ranged encounters.

A new Bandit-only variant of Tactical Slayer has been added to the Tactical Slayer matchmaking playlist. The Bandit is also featured in an Escalation Slayer loadout. Additionally, the new rotating playlist, New Arena Unlimited, features several map and mode combinations that include the M392 Bandit.

Echoes Within Narrative Events – Mindfall and Site Unseen
Season 3 will feature two separate Echoes Within events. These narrative events will each last two weeks and feature different 10-item Event Passes. The first of these events, Mindfall, will run March 7-21, 2023. Stay tuned to the News section of Halo Waypoint for the latest updates on the Site Unseen event.

To earn items in either Event Pass, players must complete Event Challenges while the event is active. Event Challenges can be identified by the orange banner icon visible by the Challenge's name. These challenges will often require players to complete matches or perform certain actions in the event playlist.

Fracture: Firewall
Season 3's Fracture event will provide players with multiple weeklong opportunities to complete Event Challenges in the new Escalation Slayer mode and earn up to 20 rewards. While the Season 3 Battle Pass features customization items for the MIRAGE IIC Armor Core, the free Fracture: Firewall Event Pass features customization items for the Chimera Armor Core. Similar to the Echoes Within events, these customization items can only be earned by completing Event Challenges while the event is active.

This event will be active four times over the course of the whole season, with the first instance occurring March 21-28, 2023. Stay tuned to the News section of Halo Waypoint for the latest updates on when Fracture: Firewall will return.

NEW MULTIPLAYER GAME MODES
Escalation Slayer

Escalation Slayer is a brand-new multiplayer mode available for all players via Matchmaking and Custom Games. Mode variants for Escalation Slayer include Arena, Free-for-All (FFA), and Big Team Battle (BTB).

Game Mode Rules:


 * In Escalation Slayer, two teams of four players work to eliminate members of the opposing team and work their way up a ladder of weapon loadouts.
 * Eliminating an enemy team member rewards 100 XP towards the next weapon loadout. Each team's progress towards the next weapon loadout is tracked on a pair of bars located near the bottom center of the screen. Once 500 XP is earned by a team, all team members will level up to the next weapon loadout displayed by their progress bar.
 * Players are given a 10-second window to either manually level up to the next weapon loadout by hitting the designated button/key or they will automatically level up after the 10 seconds have passed.
 * In total, your team is required to get 55 kills over the course of 11 weapon loadouts. The first team to get 5 kills with the final weapon loadout wins the match.

Tactical Slayer – Bandit

A new Bandit-only variant of Tactical Slayer is now available for all players via the Tactical Slayer matchmaking playlist. Tactical Slayer follows the same rules as regular Slayer, except shields and motion trackers are disabled.

NEW ROTATING PLAYLISTS
In addition to the new modes listed above, several new playlists will begin to rotate in and out of Halo Infinite's matchmaking. The first new rotational playlist of the season is New Arena Unlimited. This playlist highlights all of the new Arena content releasing in Season 3, such as weapons, modes, and maps.

The full list of map and mode combinations includes:


 * Escalation Slayer on Chasm
 * Capture the Flag (CTF) on Chasm
 * King of the Hill on Chasm
 * Slayer on Chasm
 * Strongholds on Chasm
 * Fiesta Slayer on Chasm
 * Escalation Slayer on Cliffhanger
 * Slayer on Cliffhanger
 * King of the Hill on Cliffhanger
 * One Flag CTF on Cliffhanger
 * Strongholds on Cliffhanger
 * Fiesta Slayer on Cliffhanger

New Arena Unlimited will be available for one week, before it is replaced by New BTB Unlimited on March 14, 2023. Much like New Arena Unlimited, this playlist will feature all of the new Big Team Battle content in Season 3.

For more information on Season 3's playlists as well as Ranked changes, visit the "Playlists & Ranked Matchmaking | Season 3" blog on Halo Waypoint. Stay tuned to the News section of Halo Waypoint and @Halo on Twitter for the latest updates on rotational playlists.

NEW MULTIPLAYER MAPS
A new Arena multiplayer map, Chasm, is now available in Custom Games and various matchmaking playlists. In Chasm, players will battle across a long, suspended walkway deep within a Forerunner complex.
 * Arena: Chasm

A new Arena multiplayer map, Cliffhanger, is now available in Custom Games and various Matchmaking playlists. On Cliffhanger, players will fight in an asymmetrical ONI outpost, hidden atop a snowy cliffside.
 * Arena: Cliffhanger


 * Big Team Battle (BTB): Oasis

Oasis, a new Big Team Battle (BTB) multiplayer map, is now available via Custom Games and various matchmaking playlists. On Oasis, players will compete in an asymmetrical UNSC outpost located in a remote, desert landscape.

For more information on the design of these new maps, visit the "Season 3: Maps & Modes Previews" blog on Waypoint or view the video below for a flythrough of each new map:

NEW FORGE FEATURES
Editing 343 Industries Maps (Beta) Players can now edit their own custom versions of Multiplayer maps developed by 343 Industries using Forge. By removing certain obstacles on these maps, players can open up new areas and pathways that weren't available in the default versions.

A limited number of pre-existing map objects can be manipulated, while certain elements of the map cannot be edited. For example, pre-existing lighting, navigation mesh for AI bots, audio, and reflection volume data cannot be rebuilt or changed. Using objects that rely on or normally change lighting, navigation mesh, audio, or reflection volume data might yield unexpected results. Script data is built once the map has loaded or when players enter Play mode.

The full list of supported maps includes:


 * Recharge
 * Aquarius
 * Live Fire
 * Streets
 * Behemoth
 * Launch Site
 * Bazaar
 * Catalyst
 * Fragmentation
 * Deadlock
 * Highpower
 * Breaker
 * Oasis
 * Cliffhanger
 * Chasm


 * New Supported Game Modes and Gameplay Objects

Two new game modes and gameplay objects are now available for players to utilize in Forge. Players can now create custom game modes and maps based on Land Grab and Total Control. In addition, players can now add the Invisible Gravity Lift and Invisible Kinetic Launcher objects to their Forge maps.


 * Automatic Version History Notes for Metadata Changes

When updating the metadata (such as the name, description, and tags) of Forge assets, notes are automatically generated in the Version History menu. The Version History menu can be accessed via the file's Details menu.

PLAYER OUTLINE & COLLISION OPTIONS IN CUSTOM GAMES
Players will now have the option to enable friendly and enemy outlines in Custom Games via the Mode Editor menu. Changes to these options will override individual Outline settings for all players in the Custom Game lobby.

In addition, players can now adjust whether friendly players in Custom Games will be able to collide with one another or pass through each other. Changes to this setting will not affect enemy collision, which is always on by default.

MENU IMPROVEMENTS
Several changes and enhancements have been made to numerous menus within Halo Infinite. This includes:

Shop Improvements
New Offer Types

Prior to Season 3, the Halo Infinite Shop contained weekly and daily offers. Weekly offers rotated every Tuesday at 11 AM PST or 10 AM PDT. With the launch of Season 3, new half-week offers will be available in the Shop. These offers will rotate every Tuesday and Friday.

Additionally, new "super bundles" will be available in the Shop. Super bundles contain multiple traditional bundles for a discounted price. Once these super bundles rotate out of the Shop, the included items will be split into separate bundles with a different price. To learn more about super bundles and to see an example of one, visit the "Customization Preview | Season 3" blog on Halo Waypoint.

User Interface (UI) Improvements
Various improvements have been made to the item tiles in the Shop tab in Halo Infinite. These improvements include:


 * A white banner with a magnifying glass and package icon indicates that the tile is a bundle. The number on this white banner displays the number of items included in that bundle.
 * A yellow triangle in the upper right corner indicates that a tile's item or bundle is new to the Halo Infinite Shop. If a tile does not have a yellow triangle in the top right corner, it has appeared in the Shop before.
 * A number of different banners may now appear over a tile's price to indicate its offer type. These banners include:
 * Daily
 * Best Value
 * Event
 * New
 * Returning
 * Sale

A new "Quick Look" shortcut has also been added to the Halo Infinite Shop menu. When hovering over a tile in the Shop, use the Quick Look shortcut listed along the bottom of the screen to quickly view the contents of a bundle.

Selecting a bundle in the Shop menu opens the Inspect menu. The Inspect menu has also been updated to show more item tiles at once.

Post-Game Carnage Report (PGCR) UI Improvements
New improvements have been made to the Post-Game Carnage Report. Visual updates can now be seen in the Player Recap tab, including new shades added to the Medal tiles that indicate how rare each Medal is.

In addition, team statistics now appear in the Team Lineup tab. Whenever you select a player from the Team Lineup menu, their Nameplate and Backdrop, as well as an arrow will appear above the character model of the player you select from your team.

Other UI Improvements
In addition to the new Season 3: Echoes Within loading screens and Battle Pass menu, the following menu improvements have been implemented:


 * Visual changes to progression trackers for Events and Battle Passes.
 * Some in-game text is now easier to read and text scrolling has been improved.
 * The main menu, Campaign menu, and Multiplayer menu have new background scenes.
 * When a Multiplayer Event is ongoing, players will be able to access the Schedule View via a shortcut listed on the bottom of the Event Rewards menu. The Schedule View provides players with information on all past and upcoming instances of the current Multiplayer Event.

RAYTRACED SUN SHADOWS (PC ONLY)
Players on PC are now able to toggle Raytraced Sun Shadows from the Settings menu. When this feature is enabled, all shadows cast by the sun will appear more detailed in multiplayer gameplay. The Raytraced Sun Shadows option does not apply to the Halo Infinite Campaign.

To enable Raytraced Sun Shadows, follow the steps below:

1. Launch Halo Infinite. 2. Navigate to Settings. The default bindings for which are F1 on keyboard and the Menu button on controller. 3. Navigate to the Video tab. 4. Scroll down to the Raytracing header and set the Raytraced Sun Shadows option to the preferred setting. Ray Tracing requires DXR Tier 1.1 support and functions with AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series and later, as well as GeForce RTX 2000 Series and later. If your hardware does not support Ray Tracing, the option will be grayed out in the Video settings menu.

This option will be available on Xbox Series X in a future update for Halo Infinite.

NEW LOCALIZATION SUPPORT
Improvements have been made to numerous localizations of Halo Infinite. The following languages now have full menu text and subtitle localization:


 * Danish
 * Finnish
 * Norwegian
 * Portuguese (Portugal)
 * In addition, players can now enable Russian menu text, subtitles, and voice-over lines during cutscenes and active gameplay.

Visit our "How to change language settings in Halo Infinite" article for step-by-step instructions on switching to another language in-game. The following changes were made in the March 15, 2023, patch.
 * title2=March 15 patch notes
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March 15 patch notes

 * Setting the Target Framerate setting to 120hz on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles now results in framerates higher than 90 frames per second (FPS).
 * Improved stability when navigating Customization menus on Xbox Series X/S consoles.
 * While this fix reduces the likelihood of the game crashing while navigating Customization menus, there is ongoing work to address reports of low framerates in these menus. Stay tuned to @HaloSupport on Twitter as an upcoming update is expected to address framerate in the Customization menus.
 * There is no longer a slight delay between dropping objective objects, such as the Flag or Oddball, and switching to a weapon. This change should improve the viability of the “Flag juggling” strategy.
 * Game mode details are now visible in the Customs Browser menu and when viewing the Details menu of a Customs Browser session.
 * When playing on Xbox One consoles or on PC, friendly and enemy Spartans will now appear more consistently on Forge maps.
 * Theater films now accurately reflect the match’s full duration, and the timeline now displays score events that can be skipped to.
 * Theater films created in an earlier version of Halo Infinite no longer have a Watch Film button that, when selected, leads to an indefinite loading screen.
 * Using the W or S keys to navigate the Rubble section of the Assets menu in Forge’s Object Browser no longer results in a crash.

Thank you to all players who submitted a ticket on these or other in-game issues. Stay tuned to @HaloSupport on Twitter for the latest news on upcoming releases.

Download size
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 * Xbox consoles: approximately 2.3 GB or less.
 * Microsoft Store app or Xbox app on PC: approximately 2.6 GB or less.
 * Steam: approximately 1.6 GB or less.