Halo Infinite season 2 introduces another 'Battle Pass that never expires'

There's been plenty of grumbling about Halo Infinite recently, with some of its biggest streamers turning to other games, and 343 is looking to regain some of the game's early momentum with a fan-pleasing season 2 refresh. The most eye-catching element of Halo's pass by far is the fact that it will never expire, an unusual tactic that was announced last year.

Season 2 will arrive on May 3 and is called Lone Wolves. It will add new maps, including what looks like a new big team battle map with a giant laser in the middle, new modes, limited-time events, and that battle pass refresh. There are serious Big Iron Banner vibes here, which is Destiny's time-limited competitive mode, and given that 343 has been testing free-for-all game types during the current season (and the name Lone Wolves) this looks like being a big push for that gamestyle: it's not quite Halo Royale, but probably as close as Infinite will get.

Ever since launch there have been complaints about Infinite's monetisation, to the extent that the prices of items were reduced in January, alongside a promise players would be able to earn premium currency from season 2 onwards. Also due to arrive during season 2 is co-op, though don't expect that May 3, while the big remaining question for Halo Infinite is when Forge will arrive.

This article has been updated to note that non-expiring battle passes were announced before Halo Infinite's launch.

Rich Stanton

Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."