'Halo Infinite' is a hit, but its battle pass progression isn't

Halo fans exploded in glee like only a pack of Monster-chugging 14-year-olds can when developer 343 Interactive launched Halo Infinite's free multiplayer ahead of schedule to celebrate 20 years of Xbox. But while the mix of classic and new modes has garnered a positive reception from fans and critics alike, 343 has announced that they're listening to complaints over the pace of its multiplayer progression system.

In a tweet, community director Brian Jarrard stated that 343 is reassessing battle pass progression based on data and feedback from the community. Based on posts from the game's subreddit and other online forums, however, fans haven't exactly shied away from expressing their dismay with the current system. Several posters have called it "grindy," and some have even gone further, decrying it as a "total slog."

Where's my pink armor? — Though every online shooter these days uses some form of battle pass that you grind for more cosmetic items, Halo Infinite's grind is apparently quite brutal. According to fans, this is mostly due to the fact that the game only gives you XP by completing the daily or weekly challenges that 343 comes up with. In almost every other shooter on the market - and, indeed, previous Halo games — you gain a marginal amount of XP simply by playing matches and getting kills.

This makes you wonder why exactly 343 would insist on keeping the XP system the way it is, especially considering that players have been complaining about it since Infinite's early betas. The reason for it is unclear, but some have speculated that it's an attempt to prevent players from simply grinding kills in modes like Capture the Flag and Grifball, which was an issue in the Master Chief Collection. But then again, it seems almost impossible to design an XP system that's entirely free from this kind of manipulation, so it's probably best to go back to the one that fans actually liked.

Walk right through me — Longtime Halo aficionados have cited one other notable issue with the game: the lack of collision between players. In one popular thread, a player describes how close-quarter melee battles feel lifeless and floaty, which leads to opponents spinning around to try to find each other after ghosting right through each other. It's a somewhat strange problem for the game to have, but given that previous Halo games relied on it, it's probably a good addition, too.