The newly released update also includes the Forge Beta, mission replay, and more.

The WInter Update for Halo Infinite dropped today and with it has come some highly anticipated features that many fans say should have been included at launch. New features added to the game today include online co-op, the ability to replay missions, the Forge Beta, and other content that developer 343 Industries say is free to all players.

Online co-op will allow for you and up to three additional friends to play through the entirety of the Halo Infinite story, just like the good ol' days. Crossplay between Xbox and PC players is enabled. All players will benefit from finding collectibles, campaign completion, etc. It isn't just the host that benefits.

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With the addition of co-op also comes the addition of 24 new Achievements for the campaign. 343 says that some of these can be accomplished solo but others may necessitate the use of co-op to earn.

Forge is also back in Halo, albeit in a beta form. The Forge Beta is now available for everyone and includes six canvas maps, new visual scripting enging, object scaling, lighting and audio tools, bot support, huge budget increases, file sharing capabilities, and more. You can now create and share your own map designs, game modes, and prefabs with everyone. Despite the "beta" part of the name, 343 says that the mode is here to stay. It will receive updates to a point that it is perhaps no longer considered a "beta."

Today's Winter Update also includes a new Battle Pass that is completely free for all players. Like the previous Battle Passes, this one will never expire. That means you'll still be able to earn progress towards it months or years after new Seasons start and new Battle Passes are released. This pass includes 30 tiers of rewards, including the addition of several Halo: Reach cosmetics.

There will also be two free events starting in the coming months that will each add 10 reward tiers. December will kick off the Winter Contingency event and offer holiday themed cosmetics. January will see the start of Joint Fire event. This event will focus on rewarding players with some JFO-class Mjolnir armor and other cosmetics.

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The Winter Update also includes the previously discussed Match XP Beta. This revamped XP system will now reward you XP for completed matches as well as granting additional XP for performance (winning a match, end-of-match placement, etc.). The Challenges are still there, but they will be supplementary to the new XP system rather than being the only means of graining XP fast.

A couple of new maps and a new game mode were also included with the update. The new maps are Argyle and Detachment. Argyle is the first multiplayer map for Halo Infinite that was built entirely within Forge. It features tight, indoor environments in a symmetrical design. Detachment is the second all Forge created map that is a symmetrical arena. This one includes both indoor and outdoor areas.

The new game mode is called Covert One Flag and is a variant of One Flagg CTF. This round-based mode includes asymmetric team loadouts. Attackers have Active Camo to help sneak their way past the Defenders. Defenders have access to Threat Sensors to help spot the camo clad Attackers. The team that wins the most rounds wins the match.

Playlists have also been adjusted with the Winter Update.

343 Industries has also improved the matchmaking for competitive multiplayer with the Winter Update. A detailed explanation on those changes can be found here, or you can read the summary below.