Halo Infinite - 343 Clarifies How XP, Challenges, And Progression Work

343 Industries has clarified how Halo Infinite will handle XP. Community manager John Junyszek said on Twitter that XP progression happens through challenges, and you'll get more XP by playing and winning matches. There is no "per-match XP."

"Playing and winning matches will be challenges, which will help players progress through the Battle Pass," Junyszek said on Twitter. "Even though this means no per-match XP at launch, you're still always progressing through challenges and therefore the Battle Pass."

Junyszek's "at launch" comment about per-match XP suggests that this might change in the future, but that remains to be seen.

The developer acknowledged that the recent Halo Infinite beta had an issue that caused players to run out of challenges to complete. However, this likely won't be an issue for most people when the game launches due to the sheer volume of challenges available.

"The Tech Preview had an issue that caused people to run out of challenges. Our current plans for launch, while not 'infinite,' mean it's extremely difficult to run out daily challenges. I won't say 'impossible,' cause there are some grinders out there, but I'd be impressed," Junyszek said.

In other news about Halo Infinite's Battle Pass, head of design Jerry Hook said in a blog post that, although 343 did indeed state that the Battle Pass will have free and paid rewards available at each tier, this is not actually true for launch. "Our goal is to still provide great value to players for their time spent playing Halo, whether they choose to go the premium route by purchasing the Battle Pass, or by unlocking the incremental Battle Pass items that are available for free," Hook said. "So, while there isn't a free reward at every tier, there will be numerous free rewards to acquire across the entirety of a season's Battle Pass."

Hook also assured fans that it remains the case that Battle Passes will never expire, which is a key differentiator from other similar systems in games like Fortnite And Call of Duty: Warzone.

It has been a busy and exciting week for Halo, as Microsoft finally announced the game's release date, December 8, as part of Gamescom. The company also released a new multiplayer cinematic, revealed the PC system requirements, announced a special-edition Halo-themed Xbox Series X and controller, and revealed lots more info about multiplayer in general. What's more, Master Chief returned to Fortnite this week and a free Halo Infinite theme is now available on Xbox.