During the 2024 Halo World Championship held in Seattle, an exciting announcement was made regarding Halo Infinite. For the first time in the series’ history, players will soon be able to experience the game from a third-person perspective, as part of a significant November update. This new feature was revealed during a discussion on the game’s ongoing development.
John ‘Unyshek’ Junyszek, Senior Community Manager for Halo Infinite, explained that the third-person controls will be integrated on a mode-by-mode basis. Players won’t have the freedom to switch between first-person and third-person viewpoints at will during gameplay; rather, the game will automatically set the perspective based on the mode being played. This marks a departure from the franchise’s traditional first-person shooter format, offering players a fresh way to engage with the iconic Halo universe.
One of the standout features of this update is that the third-person view will also be incorporated into Forge mode, the game’s level-creation tool. Forge creators will have the option to assign the third-person perspective to individual players or all players within their custom creations, offering greater flexibility and creativity in how battles and missions unfold.
“It’s a fun way to play. You have more awareness, and you get to see your Spartan – it’s super cool,” said Junyszek, expressing his enthusiasm about the new mode. He added that internal playtests have been met with positive feedback, with many developers enjoying the different gameplay dynamic offered by the third-person perspective. “I’m excited for everyone to get their hands on it later this year.”
Halo’s official Twitter account also shared the news with a brief teaser clip of the third-person mode, accompanied by the caption, “Experience a new way to play! 3rd Person Mode is coming to Halo Infinite this November 🔥.”
Skybox Labs Senior Software Engineer Colin Cove highlighted the complexity of implementing third-person aiming mechanics. “The team did a lot of work on aiming, making sure that things were accurate,” Cove explained. Since the camera’s position in third-person is behind the player, as opposed to directly from the character’s viewpoint in first-person, the development team had to rework the aiming system to ensure precision in combat. Junyszek elaborated further, noting, “The camera position has changed so dramatically. Normally the camera’s in your head, and wherever you’re looking, you’re shooting. Now with the third-person camera, where your camera is behind you, you have to account for two different kinds of inputs on our aiming system, and it took a lot of work to make that happen.”
The November update promises to deliver a fresh and exciting new experience to Halo Infinite, combining familiar gameplay elements with an entirely new visual perspective. Fans of the franchise will soon be able to immerse themselves in this unique take on the Halo experience, adding a layer of tactical depth and aesthetic enjoyment to their Spartan adventures.
