New Halo Infinite Enemy Revealed Alongside A Closer Look At Master Chief's Suit

Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries has shared some new details about the game's story--specifically, the studio has revealed a new enemy character. Jega 'Rdomnai is a member of The Banished, which is the evil faction of aliens in Halo Infinite. Here is how 343 summed up Jega in a post on Halo Waypoint:

"In hushed whispers throughout the ranks of the Banished, Jega ‘Rdomnai’s name is spoken of with care. The blademaster’s history is shrouded in rumor and half-truths. Some say he was an experiment, an affront to his own kind. Others make mention of a clandestine ambush gone wrong. Very few know the truth, fewer still speak of it. One thing is certain: he has hunted demons before, and as the first recruit welcomed into the Hand of Atriox, he will do so again."

Jega is further described as a "mysterious and battle-ravaged Sangheli warrior." He is one of "several" new characters that players will meet in Halo Infinite, 343 said.

In addition to announcing Jega, 343 showed off more of Master Chief's armor in Halo Infinite. Master Chief will wear the Gen 3 Mark VII armor, which looks familiar but features some new flourishes and upgrades.

"Though it does represent a generational leap for the Mjolnir platform for actively deployed Spartans, some elements tested with the GEN1 and GEN2 Mark VII remain in the prototype stage due to unreliability or cost factors, such as integration of Forerunner-derived nanomachine elements and full shield-shaping," 343 said.

The famous Dr. Halsey created the newest version of the Mark VII armor, according to the Halo lore. The new suit features "breakthroughs in neural interfaces, shield emitters, fusion power, and armor formulation."

The concept art of the Gen 3 Mark VII armor was done by Isaac Hannaford.

As a refresher, Halo Infinite's campaign picks up after the events of Halo 5: Guardians, with a story focusing on Chief as he fights the Banished on Zeta Halo. The Banished's leader is Escharum, who is, like Jega, a new character in the Halo universe. Another new character is the Pilot, who we first saw in the initial Halo Infinite teaser at E3 2018.

"We're excited about a story that helps put players of all experiences on a similar playing field," 343 said. "You are stepping into the Mk.VI [GEN3] Mjolnir of the Master Chief nearly six months after the UNSC met defeat at Zeta Halo. It’s up to you to discover what’s taken place in the past, and what it might mean for our future."

Halo Infinite was originally expected to release this holiday as a launch title for the Xbox Series X, but, due in part to complications related to COVID-19 and working from home, Microsoft shifted the release date to 2021. Despite what you might have read on the internet, Halo Infinite is not abandoning Xbox One or getting delayed again to 2022.