- 343 Industries has launched Halo Infinite’s first event
- The problem is that it's physically impossible to complete the whole event during its one-week duration
- Players continue to debate the game’s limited cosmetic items and requirement to buy a season pass
Players are complaining Halo Infinite's first event cannot be completed in only one week. Developer 343 Industries has confirmed this is the case.
Infinite’s Controversial Fracture: Tenrai Event
Halo Infinite has taken the gaming world by storm. As the Halo franchise celebrates its 20th anniversary, 343 Industries have released a free open multiplayer beta for Infinite. Players from all around the world have been teabagging each other in the game, with Infinite becoming so popular in a short time that cheaters have started to spawn. Recently 343 released the game’s first seasonal event, Fracture: Tenrai.
The event kicked off on November 23 and will run until Tuesday, November 30, but here lies the problem – it cannot be completed in one week. The event has 30 levels of rewards that can be earned via Tenrai-specific challenges, however, during the first week players have only seven event challenges. If a player completes all of them (and that will be one hell of a grind) they will be able to receive only around 2000 XP, which is enough for about eight levels. Not to mention, players will have to buy the seasonal pass to get access to the items they unlocked. Understandably, this causes lots of frustration for players.
Halo Infinite’s Mixed Reception
343 Industries’ new flagship is off to a somewhat bumpy start. Players were dissatisfied when they learned that the franchise's new installment will not have as many cosmetic options, as did Halo's previous games. The controversy deepens even more because of the fact that players need to pay for a seasonal pass to be able to customize their spartan.
The Fracture: Tenrai event is impossible to complete in a week, but 343 has explained that will be available in other weeks. However, the next time the event will be online will be in 2022. Social media has seen vigorous discussion on the matter with many on Reddit expressing concerns over the short time restraints.
343 Industries have themselves confirmed that the event is impossible to complete in one week. Noah Benesch, a marketing lead for Halo on PC confirmed this while answering a question on Twitter. This prompted many frustrated replies and retweets.
Having played the event myself, I can say that from a gameplay perspective it is quite fun. The random weapons you get at the beginning of a round add a bit of an interesting dynamic, forcing players to use a loadout they would otherwise not play with on a normal game. The downside is that this means there is an RNG element that is difficult to balance. It is quite frustrating when you spawn only with short-range weapons like a gravity hammer and a shotgun, only to find your enemy on the other side of the map at a perfect sniping spot.
Halo games are not new to controversies. The Halo controversies surrounding Halo 4 and 5 are a testament to that. It is still early how 343’s new cosmetics and seasonal pass policies will act out in the long run, but dedicated players are already buying out rare copies of the game.
