Halo Subreddit locked as fights between angry players spiral out of control

Seattle, Washington - You'd think the surprise release of Halo: Infinite's free multiplayer would be a joyous occasion for fans of the legendary franchise. Instead, the sheer amount of anger flooding the Halo Subreddit has forced moderators to take the nuclear option.

Grumpy Halo reddit users got their own subreddit shut down.
Grumpy Halo reddit users got their own subreddit shut down.  © 343 Industries

The Halo Subreddit was locked down for the weekend after things got completely out of control.

Furious players had been ranting and raving about virtually everything connected to the free game in its beta version. The final straw for moderators was the escalation to doxxing attacks and death threats, according to a mod post pointing out that Halo: Infinite "is a video game, and this level of vitriol is unwarranted."

The post has since been removed, but Twitter users snagged a screenshot while it was still up. Game studio 343 Industries' Community Director, Brian Jarrad, also posted before the weekend shutdown, and included a clear statement on the state of the game and an explanation for the design choices inducing so much frustration.

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Jarrad also appealed to the players' humanity when they get frustrated with the development team:

"I just ask that people please take a breath here, understand there are human beings behind this who put years of their lives into just trying to make the best experiences they can, and do not rush to judge or assume you've got it all figured out."

Battle pass and game mode woes

The defining game mode of the Halo franchise, Slayer, wasn't included in the open beta of Halo: Infinite.
The defining game mode of the Halo franchise, Slayer, wasn't included in the open beta of Halo: Infinite.  © 343 Industries

The main complaints from players on the Halo Subreddit and on Twitter focus on the battle pass cosmetics and the game modes that didn't make the cut.

Unlocking cosmetic changes to your player model in Halo: Infinite is admittedly a grind.

Some players are pretty mad that a free-to-play experience has a paywall on pretty armor changes, and despite a recent update from 343 Industries that gave players more experience towards unlockables, the cosmetic items have been criticized for being unrewarding to players on both the paid and free battle passes.

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The decision not to include the hugely popular game mode Slayer also caused an uproar, although Jarrad said that the team is "still having discussions around [the] feasibility [of Slayer]."

Slayer isn't the only mode not included in the open beta's playlists. Other community favorites, like Infection, an adrenaline-pumping zombie mode, or some of the goofier and chaotic modes like Rocket Hog and Griffball are still sorely missed.

Fortunately, the development team is fully aware of the player's complaints, and the future of Halo: Infinite is almost certain to include more game modes, updated playlists, and more improvements to the unlockable cosmetics.

The full release of Halo: Infinite is coming up December 8.

Cover photo: 343 Industries

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