Halo Infinite Box Art Teases New Grappling Hook

[Update: Halo Infinite's gameplay debuted during the Xbox games event on July 23, and it did indeed feature a grappling device. 343 Industries is betting big on Infinite and plans to support it for years as a Halo platform, replacing numbered sequels.]

The first gameplay reveal for Halo Infinite is set for tomorrow, July 23, during Xbox's anticipated first-party Games Showcase for the Xbox Series X. Ahead of that though the official box art for the shooter has been revealed, and it bears a strong resemblance to the game that started it all--and it also confirms some of the returning elements we can expect to see.

The box art looks a lot like that of Halo: Combat Evolved. Master Chief is prominently featured in the foreground, standing on part of a giant Halo ring that can be seen curving into the distance. A pelican drop ship flies through the sky while beam-emitters fire into the air. A crashed ship is also located in the bottom-right. But most notable is a subtle detail on Chief's wrist, as he appears to be equipped with what looks like a grappling hook, which could prove to be a major component during gameplay.

Halo: Combat Evolved launched on the original Xbox in 2001. It was one of the strongest exclusives on the console, and the series has remained an integral part of the Xbox brand going forward. After the lukewarm reception to Halo 5: Guardians, it makes sense that developer 343 Industries is looking back at what worked originally, which has clearly influenced the box art below.

Halo Infinite, while responding to the criticism of Guardians, is also being described as a new approach to the first-person shooter franchise. Without any gameplay it's difficult to say for sure what 343 Industries means by that, but Xbox boss Phil Spencer has been vocal about the work of the first-party studio in the run up to tomorrow's reveal.

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Halo Infinite is one of many exclusives planned for the show, with campaign gameplay confirmed to be show. It, along with other exclusives, will all come to the Xbox Series X as well as PC and Xbox One at launch. Phil Spencer has clarified that first-party studios have the choice to target next-generation hardware exclusively, but that it won't be the case for the first year at least in the Xbox Series X lifecycle.