• Champions now pay the base gold value of items they request rather than double.
  
• Fixed a bug where two Content Pass tasks have inadvertently merged into each other. There is now a task (with 4 tiers) to gather Pure Gold, and a task (with 1 tier) to gather Rustwyrm Scales. Progress towards the latter has been lost.
  
• The Draconic Grasp task no longer asks for Dragonfang Fists, a blueprint that would be available in an upcoming Superior Pack (spoilers!). It has been replaced by the Tianlong Lance, a blueprint that will be available in a Mega Pack instead (double spoilers!).
  
• Reduced the task requirements for the Party Crashers and Lust For Gold tasks down to their intended values.
  
• Reduced the amount of crafts needed to upgrade the Platinum Beret.

We're excited to announce that “Case Files: Behind Closed Doors", will be premiering at the Steam Next Fest in February! The event takes place from Feb 5th-12th. A demo will be available to play during the event. There will also be a livestream with the developer, who will go over the new case, new mechanics, and more. Mark your calendars, detectives!

To stay up to date with the development of this game, and the other games we have in the works, please consider joining our discord HERE. We are constantly polling the community for input on new features and mechanics. This is the best way to make your voices heard!

Coming to Halo Infinite when CU29 lands on January 30 is a new map: Illusion.



Illusion takes place within an abandoned and forgotten ONI black site where old experiments with recovered (and familiar) Covenant technology still remain, evoking the feeling and design of maps from Halo: Combat Evolved. Let’s take a look...

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We’re joined by multiplayer designer Cliff Schuldt to delve into the depths of this abandoned facility and explore how it came together.

Halo Infinite’s latest update brings an awesome new map to the game—Illusion. What can you tell us about it?

This map is really a love letter to the map design of Halo: Combat Evolved, where every map in that game has a kind of unique element to it—whether that’s in the layout, the location, and so on. Illusion is set at an ONI black site facility, and we really wanted to give it a unique hook to give it a strong sense of identity.

The main point of interest in this map is that its middle section has an active camouflage effect, so players who go into the center will turn invisible—we originally played around with having that area obscured by lots of smoke, but impacting the player’s vision in such a way just didn’t really translate to a fun time in gameplay.



Once we transitioned to the active camo hallway, the lore of the map really grew out of that. On one side of the map, you’ll see an active camo pyramid from Halo: CE and Halo 2 which is hooked up to still-functioning machinery, a remnant of ONI’s attempts to reverse engineer its effects. On the other side of the map, there’s an overshield cube also hooked up to the ONI machines, but that side is damaged and inactive with error messages.

Just as the Season 5 map Prism tells a story about the crystals being mined on Suban for the Needler, Illusion really showcases the secret experiments ONI was conducting around these power-ups from Halo: CE and Halo 2. It shows how this Covenant technology transitioned to the form it takes as portable equipment, which we see in how the camo and overshield modules appear in Halo 5 and Halo Infinite.

What are some of the unique features and locations of this map?

The camo hallway is the central feature, which harkens back to some of that Halo: CE design philosophy. And the ONI aesthetic, too, is something that feels unique. We have felt the “UNSC fatigue” as well at times, but—like with Cliffhanger in Season 3—there are some really cool new visual and design elements that ONI has which breaks away a bit from the more straightforwardly industrial design of the UNSC. This looks and feels like an abandoned and forgotten black site, the past is buried here.

The way we think of this map is that it has “roles” you can take on to suit your kind of playstyle. Do you want to be the person who ventures into the camo hallway to try to take advantage of the center of the map, or are you somebody who prefers to hang back and be the spotter for the team if an enemy is encroaching on your base while you play defense with the sniper? Those long-range plays can really swing the direction of a match. And you can play offensively, going around the side areas of the map or using kinetic launchers to get the jump on the enemy team.



What modes play well with this map?

This map was originally designed with CTF in mind. As a bit of a peek behind the curtain: maps are typically built with a particular mode in mind, and usually you can get a couple of modes that work well... but Illusion ended up surprising us because every mode we tested on it felt like it could have been the “origin mode” for the map.

Strongholds, King of the Hill, and Extraction were modes we particularly loved playing on this, zone control modes in general really brought out that depth in gameplay I mentioned earlier. But Oddball might have been one of my personal favorites—the camo hallway adds a whole new dynamic to how you play. If you take the Oddball into the camo hallway, you run a risky gambit of putting yourself in a vulnerable position but you’re also able to bait the enemy team if your own team is on top of their game.

And Infection... I think people are going to have a good time with that mode on Illusion. Lots of jumpscares!

I remember when you first showed me this map and I literally said “This feels like a map straight out of Halo: CE,” which you then said was very much the intent!

I’ve been a fan of the series since Halo: CE. We used to have LAN parties every weekend with over thirty people coming over, epic high school rivalries emerged from these experiences, and we really carried that feeling through to Illusion as a love letter to the game that started it all.

That’s in the design as well. Like I said about the difference between the “traditional” UNSC aesthetic and what ONI brings to the table, you have more of an eerie vibe to this abandoned space, brutalist designs with those unnaturally tall hallways, this pervading sense that your eyes might be playing tricks on you as you wonder what mysteries were buried here...

And then, in a gameplay sense, there’s a healthy verticality to it as well. Halo: CE had a lot of that when you look at maps like Prisoner, Hang ‘em High, Damnation, Chill Out, and so on. Those all had these strong characteristics, unique hooks in visuals and gameplay (especially when you think of mind-bending maps like Chiron TL-34!)

Do you think Illusion is a map geared towards a particular kind of Halo player?

During testing, one person actually said that they were having a good time on Illusion even though their team was losing! This is not a common response to that kind of situation, but hearing it was great because we want players to enjoy what they are experiencing. Winning is fun, but playing should feel fun.

Illusion is designed for both social and competitive play, we hope that every type of Halo player will find elements of this map that really grab them. It’s super rewarding when you find someone in the camo hallway and take them down with that feeling of “I got you!”, and on the other side of it you feel empowered as a player when you get to be invisible—there's just something about being stealthy and sneaky which adds a lot of fun, but it’s in a controlled area so you have to think about your positioning.

We wanted players to think about this map differently when they’re in those heat of the moment situations and make interesting choices with plentiful opportunities for risky gambits and exciting counter-plays.



We’re quite accustomed to there being fun Easter eggs on new Halo Infinite maps at this point, are there any that players should look out for on Illusion?

Every time people started exploring, we would hear “Oh, cool!” There are lots of little things we put in there that really felt like we were celebrating Halo, remembering our time with the series.

There’s a break room with some fun memorabilia. Let’s say that there are also some more... colorful elements that may prove to be key to discovering something...

And the location of this map is a bit of an Easter egg in itself, as it’s actually underneath another map in the game.

Thank you for joining us again, Cliff—it's always a joy to talk about map design and fun Halo memories with you! Do you have any parting words to share?

It’s been over twenty-two years since Halo: CE released and we are still so excited about leaning into the original DNA of that game’s design—strong identities, approachable depth, and great fun!

That’s really the heart and soul of the team’s love and passion for Halo. We’re all fans, we want to build maps which facilitate players getting to share their crazy moments at the water cooler, whether you’re just running around with your friends and punching each other or if you’re sweating with the team.

It’s been a huge honor to work on this game, but the blessing I didn’t expect was all about the people—from art, design, sandbox, community, and beyond. Getting to work with so many kind and passionate folks who deeply care about what they’re creating has been amazing, and it's been such a privilege to share these things with the fans. We hope you enjoy the map, and (as always) can’t wait to see the gameplay clips you share online!

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For more on CU29, stay tuned for the following blogs to come:

• CU29 OVERVIEW – Catch up on our January 19 community livestream which outlines the content coming in CU29 and our approach to Halo Infinite going forwards this year
  
• FORGE OVERVIEW – Learn more about the new features and improvements coming to Forge, including the Covenant palette, Mode Creator, and more
  
• CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW – Get a closer look at the Mark IV Armor Core, customization improvements, and upcoming Operations

• Fixed: Sometimes a soft-lock could occur that led to a black screen after selecting your loadout
  
• Fixed: Pumpkins could unintentionally hit the player with a formidable explosion, it is slightly less formidable now
  
• Fixed: Hall of Relics menu navigation

• Shield of frost is more reliable now! May it be a trusty friend on your journeys.
  
• Various small performance tweaks

• Fixed: Sometimes a soft-lock could occur that led to a black screen after selecting your loadout
  
• Fixed: Pumpkins could unintentionally hit the player with a formidable explosion, it is slightly less formidable now
  
• Fixed: Hall of Relics menu navigation

• Shield of frost is more reliable now! May it be a trusty friend on your journeys.
  
• Various small performance tweaks

- Added.... a toilet skin
- Added a better way to display more pages for skins hats and items
- Added new level to calendar
- Changed Endless run randomness

Hiya! You can currently get a lil hands on with the game! I'm hosting a beta test for a limited set of people, to hear what you all think about all the stuff in the game!

You will be able to test the game from start to finish, fight all the enemies, burn all the bosses, try all the flamethrower flavors and modifiers! Pretty lit if I get to say so myself. The amount of playtesters let in will be in the tens, and I expect those joining to give feedback on it after they have played. This is a smol game made by just me, so there is no automated system or anything, I'll literally be emailing you the beta key. So be a bit mindful (and aware) of that.

Now when you get your hands on the beta, go nuts. Find some really badass flamethrower flavor combinations, and get really tactical with the enemies. They can always be countered. You just have to figure out how. And different flavors give you different options, so picking a different set will give you a new fresh experience! So buckle up, bring your flammable fuels and prepare to report some bugs. This codebase is a dumpsterfire, but the final boss is still pretty lit. There are limited spaces, so get them while they're hot!



I apologize for all the fire puns in this post. I definitely will keep doing them. Actually I'm not sorry at all <3

1) Updated lock on system, no longer lock on through walls

2) Updated lock on point for certain enemies

3) Added checkpoint before second boss

4) Fixed cannon mods staying equipped when sold

Gear up, NIMRODS! 🔫

The last 5 days have been truly amazing! Tons of you have joined our Discord Server and participated in helping us test the new upcoming build. A LOT of the bugs and feedback you have reported has been fixed.

We meant it when we said that we're building this game together ❤️
Here is a list of all the improvements and fixes we have made this week:

Changes

• Defeating the Treant boss will now complete the Mission
  
• Character Vixen now holds 3 Molotov by default instead of 1
  
• Adjustments made to Teslion and Pulse Rifle Projectile Speed
  
• Balance changes to the Eye Monsters. They now become more dangerous as you progress
  
• Enemy movement speed now grows faster as enemies tier up
  
• Overall minor balance changes to Monsters
  
• Minor improvements made to the Extraction screen
  
• Updated 'Movement Recharge Rate' to 'Genetic Ability Recharge Rate' and its description
  
• Slightly adjusted the Zap SFX volume
  
• Slightly tweaked the description of the Hemolytic Magazine for better readability

Fixes

• Fixed a crash when a Drone kills an enemy if it had the Brass Knuckled Grip and Hemolytic Magazine equipped
  
• Fixed an error that could occur when exiting the game if the Tutorial or Mission Complete UI is active
  
• Fixed an issue where stats would get duplicated resulting in overall incorrect behavior
  
• Fixed an issue where the Drone Level Up would no longer increment on the UI
  
• Fixed an issue where left-click firing would stop when held down after the Gun Upgrade screen is dismissed
  
• Fixed an issue where Egbert would end the run after it's been defeated
  
• Fixed an issue where "Bee Yourself" Mission was no longer able to be completed
  
• Fixed an issue where Sentry Placer was granting the incorrect amount of Turrets
  
• Fixed an issue where Rockets no longer accelerated over time and remained slow their entire lifetime
  
• Fixed an issue where XP Rate and Knockback Power weren't rendered as percentages
  
• Fixed an issue where Status Effect Duration was not correctly applied to the Statistics menu
  
• Fixed an issue where Status Effect Duration description was missing
  
• Fixed an issue where Effect Size was not correctly applied to the Statistics menu
  
• Fixed an issue where Enemy Spawn Rate was not correctly applied to the Statistics menu
  
• Fixed an issue where Stun Duration was not correctly displayed in the Statistics menu
  
• Fixed an issue where LiDAR Probe Kit Bullet Spread was not correctly applied to the Statistics menu
  
• Fixed an issue where LiDAR Probe Kit had an additional 'x' character in the description
  
• Fixed an issue where Vixen didn't have a Flavor text in the Research Lab
  
• Fixed an issue where Chevron Charm was causing an insane amount of Bullet Damage growth overtime
  
• Fixed an issue where Bullet Range for Ammo Supercharging Rack was displaying incorrectly
  
• Fixed an issue where high Penetrations would not go through certain breakables
  
• Fixed an issue where not all Slime variants would drop their currency
  
• Fixed an issue where Eye Monsters wouldn't drop their currency
  
• Fixed an issue where the Treant didn't show their HP bar
  
• Fixed an issue where unintended UI elements were being displayed

Changes

• Based on feedback, we've adjusted the XP colors to now be more distinguishable from each other to improve visuals to see which XP orb to prioritize for pickup
  
• Boss Drop pickup now has a new visual
  
• Balance changes to Tanks. They should now be more threatening
  
• Drone Level circle on the HUD has received a new visual
  
• Back-end refactor for the Gun Upgrade Screen to improve performance and fix other bugs that were present
  
• UI tweaks are made to the "Select a Weapon" screen
  
• Minor tweaks to the 4RM5-D34L4R

Fixes

• Fixed a crash that could occur when the Withered Heart Charm is equipped to the weapon
  
• Fixed an issue where the Custom Turrets would error out if your weapon had Vision Range modifiers
  
• Fixed an issue where Ability Damage was applying when you re-equip your weapon from the Weapon Rack in the Home Ship
  
• Fixed an issue where the Jet Stock augment had poor performance while it was equipped in the Home Ship
  
• Fixed an issue where the Turret sprites were blurry once placed down
  
• Fixed an issue where the Major's Charm had an incorrect configuration
  
• Fixed an issue where the Jet Stock had incorrect values displayed in their description
  
• Fixed an issue where the Hemolytic Magazine would damage the players shield
  
• Fixed an issue where the Charger enemies would look at the player mid-flight
  
• Fixed an issue where the player could be yeeted outside the map
  
• Fixed an issue where the Chicken Charm could cause the player to have negative Projectile Damage
  
• Fixed an issue where Vixen's sprite was at an incorrect size inside the Research Lab
  
• Fixed an issue where Boss Intro's would sometimes not fully show the displayed Boss
  
• Fixed an issue where the game would misbehave when the game is paused right as the Boss Intro would appear
  
• Fixed an issue with the Lightweight Grip where it would show incorrect stat changes
  
• Fixed an issue with the Ripper Clips where it would show an incorrect stat
  
• Fixed several issues with the Controller. This is still Work-In-Progress

Join our Discord Server at https://discord.com/invite/mdbCsgnsS7 and head over to the #beta-announcements channel for the information you need to enter ❤️

Happy Hunting,
Fiveamp Team 🎮🔫

I change the JPGs that I used for start images. Basically, FFMPEG (that does the video) can take a bit to decode, so the jpg was able to show something rather than a blank black screen. I change to AVIF to get an accurate count of images without too much issues. ;)

However, I also fixed a bug where the last scene for Dee played at certain points during that chapter. This was caused by an if that should have been an elif. That has been changed, and now that should play as normal.