Looks like the rumor mill is spinning up again when it comes to Halo Infinite. The upcoming entry in the Halo series is now reportedly receiving a battle royale mode that will supposedly arrive on Xbox and PC next year. According to the Twitter account @GameLeaksRumors, Halo Infinite will function "similarly" to Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and the game will release as multiple "chapters" over its life cycle.
The leaker describes the new vision of Halo Infinite as being supported over the course of a year, with two "spin off titles" currently in the planning stage. Additionally, the Splicespace engine is expected to be upgraded and continued to be built upon throughout the 2020s. While these rumors were circulating in October 2020, they've begun making the rounds once more thanks to a recent resurgence in Reddit posts exploring Halo Infinite's fate.
This is where things get interesting, though. 343 Industries reportedly plans to debut a free Halo Infinite Battle Royale mode, set on the Zeta Halo ring, at some point in 2021.
"This is coming from Microsoft and not directly from 343 as they said the only BR they wanted was the Battle Rifle," reiterated the leak account, making it clear that apparently 343 Industries is not the party interested in pushing this type of content based on prior comments.
As far as the two "spin off" titles, one could potentially be a follow-up to the Halo Wars series, while the other could follow Halo 5's Fireteam Osiris as they branch off during the events of Halo Infinite. There's a lot to unpack here for sure, but all of these potential leaks offer some unique revelations that we haven't heard before.
The leak account also claims, however, that Halo Infinite's ending is "NOT done," with 343 Industries apparently testing multiple endings that could have a "major effect" on the franchise's future. The account doesn't go into detail about what this could be, but given that the game was already delayed previously, it would make sense that 343 Industries is currently reworking such content.
Of course, it's important to take any of this news with a grain of salt, especially the idea that Halo Infinite could receive a battle royale portion when 343 was so adamantly against adding one. While these revelations are currently making the rounds, we'll have to wait for official word or comment on any of it before taking it as fact.