Halo Infinite’s Forge mode will launch with six canvas maps, and they’ll be almost double the size of the canvas maps found in Halo 5.
The news comes as part of the fourth and final “Forge Fundamentals” video put together by developer 343 Industries, which gives players an in-depth look at the long-awaited latest version of the beloved map creation suite. Forge is set to arrive in November in a beta state alongside Halo Infinite’s winter update.
Canvases in Forge are essentially just that–an almost blank slate upon which players can craft their custom-made masterpieces. In Halo Infinite, there will be six canvases to choose from at launch, with each representing different biomes. There is a desert canvas, a marsh canvas, and grasslands canvas. There’s even a canvas set in space and one on the bottom of the sea floor, as well as a blank void canvas, should players need it. According to Forge lead designer Michael Schorr, the canvas maps in Halo Infinite will be nearly double the size of those found in Halo 5, resulting in “plenty of room for an Arena or BTB map.”
Once a player has settled on a canvas on which to create the custom map of their dreams, the owner can add players as collaborators to the map, who will then be able make edits and save the custom creation alongside the map’s owner. All collaborators who made contributions to the map will be listed in the map’s credits once it’s published. Those who don’t want their maps to be copied by other players can enable copy protection. Even if copy protection is disabled and used by another creator as a starting point, the original creators will still be listed in the new version’s credits. Each map will come with a version history, so players can easily revert to earlier versions of the map if need be. Old versions of a map will be deleted automatically after 30 days unless locked.
Players will be able to search for published maps using specific keywords and will work similarly to how it did in Halo 5. There will also be specific areas where players can find the most popular maps played in the last seven days, as well as a “recommended” section that 343 will personally curate. A custom game browser, where players will be able to browse and then join custom games, will not be available at launch but will come with the game’s recently delayed third season.
In addition to the launch of the Forge beta, Halo Infinite’s winter update will formally add online co-op for the game’s campaign, two new multiplayer maps, and a new free battle pass. 343 recently announced it would no longer be working on splitscreen co-op for Halo Infinite, citing a need to reallocate resources going forward.
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