Back in 2021, 343 Industries totally revolutionized how Battle Passes worked in online games. The developer introduced Halo’s multiplayer customization in Halo Infinite, along with a new monetization technique that nobody had seen in the gaming industry. The developer introduced a non-expiring battle pass in Halo Infinite, thus making it the first ever major game to introduce the first-of-its-kind battle pass.
The fact that Halo Infinite was the first major game to adapt Battle Passes that don’t expire is a HUGE deal.
We believe that had the game kept up with content demand after its stellar launch period, and grown its player base, that its Battle Pass system..
..which allows you to… https://t.co/KDrZgbCLx7
— Game Pass Tracker on 𝕏 (@gamepasstracker) October 21, 2023
Earlier this week, Halo Infinite announced its Season 5: Reckoning. Naturally, it comes with a new battle pass. After facing criticism for lack of content in the past seasons, 343 has reintroduced the Flood, an alien species that takes over the minds and bodies of the people they infect. This concept will give the battle pass a spooky theme just in time for Halloween.
Halo Infinite’s non-expiring Battle Pass
Every season of Halo Infinite features battle passes. But the best thing about Halo Infinite’s battle passes is that they don’t expire, and remain available to pick up even after the season expires. This concept was being used by Halo: The Master Chief Collection before Halo Infinite, which opened new unlock ladders with each new season and let players spend reward points freely.
However, Halo Infinite’s battle pass was different in the sense that players had to pay for them. It was a huge change from other battle passes introduced in 2021. Halo Infinite battle passes are not time-limited to the seasons they are released.
Players get the advantage of keeping on progressing on battle passes until they complete them. Additionally, players also get to purchase old battle passes during certain seasons, although players are allowed to earn progress toward one pass at a time. With this Halo Infinite made the battle pass system more approachable, however, some players felt like it removed some of the excitement and prestige of unlocking the top-level reward of a pass.
The upcoming Season 5 Reckoning is significantly shorter as compared to the previous seasons. Thus, the current battle pass only has 50 tiers for players to unlock against the usual 100-tier system that many players are used to by now.
Unfortunately in the upcoming season, players will not be able to unlock the battle pass by playing it out in the current season. The premium currency in the game is locked behind the paid portion, and layers wanting to buy it will have to spend 1,000 credits, which comes out to $8.99.
Irrespective of the seasons, all Battle Passes in Halo Infinite are permanently available, and upgrading to the premium Battle Pass is always an option. Season Progress is always applied to whichever Battle Pass the player has selected as currently active in-game.