Halo 4 Infinity Challenge

UNSC-themed, V8-powered 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Truck



Yes, I created an entire section just to show off two pictures of
the UNSC-themed, V8-powered 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor truck one of the
Halo 4 Infinity Challenge grand prize winners will get. Why? Because I
happen to think it’s that awesome. So there. Moving on…

Spartan Ops Season 1 Continues in January



Comprised of three brand new Halo 4 Multiplayer maps (Wreckage, Harvest and Shatter),
the Crimson Map Pack will launch on December 10. A mere seven days
after that, the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge officially begins. To give you
adequate time to enjoy both, Spartan Ops will go on a mid-season break
starting December 10. Fret not, though, because your entire Spartan Ops
timeline will still be both accessible and playable. On top of that, we
will also be featuring a Best of Spartan Ops compilation next week, made
up of the following chapters:

• Core – Chapter 5 of Episode 1

• Hacksaw – Chapter 3 of Episode 2

• Shootout in Valhalla – Chapter 4 of Episode 3

• The Didact’s Gift – Chapter 5 of Episode 4

• Spartan Miller – Chapter 1 of Episode 5


Then, from December 17 – January 14, episodes 1-5 will be
re-entered into Matchmaking (one episode per week) to support the Halo 4
Infinity Challenge, and allow anyone who missed the first run or wants
to replay a previous chapter to easily find teammates online.


The second half of Spartan Ops Season 1 will resume later in
January with brand new episodes, chapters, locations and maps (as
discussed in our recent Spartan Ops developer interview).
Be sure to tune into the Spike TV 10th Annual Video Game Awards, live
on Spike TV, December 7 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT for more information
and an exclusive first-look at the continuation of Spartan Ops Season 1!


Next Week's Matchmaking Playlist Update



There’s only one thing to say after last week’s Matchmaking
playlist update: We got a new King! Since Team Regicide has performed
spectacularly (TWtQS), it’s sticking around for another week. So is
SWAT, of course. Unfortunately that means one playlist has to say
goodbye. Actually, it just has to say “See you later” because it will
undoubtedly be back. Leaving temporarily is King of the Hill (wipes away
a single tear) and taking its place is Crimson DLC. Before we dip into
the specifics of that particular playlist, let’s go over the rather
short list of other things included in last Monday’s update.

• Fixed exploit locations on Haven

• Fixed exploit locations on Adrift

• Introduced Ordnance drop issues on Haven (oops)


Please note that the map fixes only affect playlists and not
on-disc custom game map variants, and we will fix the Ordnance drop
issues in the next playlist update.


If you find yourself wondering why this change list is shorter
than previous ones, it’s because we’ve been hard at work on a Title
Update, which is slated to release soon. You’ll know it’s out when
you’re prompted to download an update upon logging into Halo 4. We will
detail the contents of the TU after it’s out (as it contains exploit
fixes we don’t want abused any more than they already are while they’re
live). We can tell you right now that this particular TU tackles actual
game and gameplay issues, not sandbox tweaks and balances. We have
another TU in the works and will continue working on the timing and
content of the next one. We will update everyone when we have additional
information. One TU at a time, as they say.

Now, back to the
Crimson maps! The 12.10 Matchmaking update will include a brand new
Crimson DLC playlist, and it will also integrate the Crimson maps into
existing playlists. Let’s tackle the Crimson DLC playlist first. It will
be 6 vs. 6 and include the following map and game type combinations:

• Infinity Slayer – Shatter

• Capture the Flag – Shatter

• Extraction – Shatter

• King of the Hill – Shatter

• Infinity Slayer – Wreckage

• Capture the Flag – Wreckage

• King of the Hill – Wreckage

• Oddball – Wreckage

• Infinity Slayer – Harvest

• Capture the Flag – Harvest

• King of the Hill – Harvest


The following Crimson maps will be added into these existing playlists:

• Infinity Slayer – Harvest

• Big Team Infinity Slayer – Wreckage and Shatter

• Dominion – Shatter

• Capture the Flag – Harvest and Wreckage

• SWAT – Harvest

• Team Slayer Pro – Harvest


The Matchmaking algorithm is weighted to match players who have
DLC with other players who have DLC so if you have the Crimson Map Pack
and you enter a regular playlist, you should see the new maps on a
regular basis. This is something we can adjust, so if the new maps
aren’t appearing as often as we’d like, we’ll continue to tweak the
formula.


If you missed last week’s Crimson Map Pack announcement,
continue on to the next section of the Bulletin for some walkthrough and
gameplay videos.


Crimson Map Pack Videos

The Halo 4 Crimson Map Pack is the first of three Map Packs from the
War Games Map Pass. Currently scheduled for release on December 10,
2012, it will cost $10.00 USD or 800 Microsoft Points (or at no
additional charge for those that purchased the Halo 4 Map Pass or Halo 4
Limited Edition) and consist of three maps – Wreckage, Harvest and
Shatter. You can see the screenshots and trailer we released last week here.


IGN has been releasing one new video a day about these maps, so below are the ones they’ve published thus far. Keep an eye on their site for Friday and Saturday’s videos.