Halo Infinite is reintroducing a vehicle that hasn`t been seen in a Halo game for 15 years, alongside a new weapon and significant playlist updates.
The Return of the Falcon
Detailed in a Halo Waypoint blog post, the Halo Infinite Fall Update 2025, launching on August 5, will add the iconic Falcon to Halo Infinite multiplayer. This marks the vehicle`s first appearance in the series since Halo: Reach in 2010. The Falcon will be prominently featured in a limited-time mode called “Famished Famished Falcons,” a playful take on “Hungry Hungry Hippos,” where four teams of three will compete to capture a single neutral flag using the Falcon. This versatile vehicle, equipped with a machine gun on one side and a grenade launcher on the other, will also be available on certain Big Team Battle maps and within standard BTB playlists.
Introducing the Vestige Carbine
The new weapon being introduced is the Vestige Carbine, a semi-automatic rifle that fires distinctive radioactive green bolts. This is an entirely new addition to the arsenal, although it shares some visual similarities with the Needle Rifle from Halo: Reach. While the blog post does not explicitly state if the Vestige Carbine will be integrated into regular playlist maps, it will be a key feature in the “Banished Slayer” playlist. This asymmetrical slayer mode pits one side wielding UNSC weapons against another equipped with Banished weaponry, including the new Vestige Carbine.
Operation: Shadows Event
The Fall Update 2025 will also kick off Operation: Shadows, an ONI-themed event that brings new cosmetics inspired by the Office of Naval Intelligence. This intelligence and black-ops agency has played a significant role throughout the Halo series` lore. Players can look forward to a free 20-tier event pass, which includes the stylish Whisper armor set and valuable Spartan Points. Additionally, a 50-tier Premium Operation Pass will be available, offering three more exclusive armor sets.
Playlist Enhancements and Future Outlook
Further enhancements in the Fall Update 2025 extend to various playlists. Most Firefight modes will no longer be restricted to a single perspective; players will now have the option to freely switch between first and third-person views in the majority of Firefight playlists. In Extraction game modes, objective markers will be improved for clearer identification of different sites. Furthermore, Extraction sites will now temporarily lock after the offensive team successfully captures an objective, providing the defending team a crucial moment to regroup and strategize. The Halo Infinite Fall Update 2025 is set to launch on August 5.
While the long-term future of the Halo franchise remains somewhat uncertain, Microsoft has confirmed that more Halo games are actively in development. Last year, 343 Industries rebranded as Halo Studios and announced a significant shift: future games in the series will be built using Unreal Engine 5, moving away from the studio`s proprietary Slipspace engine. Halo Studios indicated this change aims to accelerate game development. At the conclusion of the Xbox Games Showcase in June, Phil Spencer hinted at a “return of a classic that`s been with us since the beginning” for 2026, marking the 25th anniversary of Xbox. This statement strongly suggests a new Halo title is on the horizon.