Is Halo Infinite getting a battle royale mode? Leaks and rumors

Nathan Warby
Halo Infinite brute with logo

Whispers of a Halo Infinite battle royale mode have been around for some time now, but 343 Industries are yet to confirm or deny the rumors. Will Halo Infinite see a Warzone-style playlist? We’ve put together every leak and hint so far.

Halo Infinite launched to critical acclaim back in 2021, and the Season 2 update has brought a plethora of brand-new content for players to enjoy, including a new Battle Pass, maps, and more.

One feature that could draw fans back in would be a Warzone or Apex Legends-style mode, a concept that would be brand-new for the Halo franchise. Are 343 Industries working on a Halo Infinite battle royale?

Are Certain Affinity developing Halo’s BR?

Certain Affinity logo

Certain Affinity, a studio that has lent a hand in the development of plenty of Halo games in the past, announced on April 13, 2022, that they are “deepening” their relationship with 343 Industries, and will be “evolving” Halo Infinite going forward.

Responding to the announcement, well-known leaker Tom Henderson tweeted “where we droppin’ boys,” a popular phrase said by battle royale players.

Halo Infinite battle royale mode release date leak

Leaker ‘Sean W’ claims that Halo Infinite’s battle royale mode won’t arrive until Fall 2023 at the earliest. This is because the developers are currently playtesting the battle royale map which needs “a whole lot of work.”

The leaker added that this date isn’t definite, and the developers are trying to get this mode ready as soon as possible but it’s “definitely not coming this year.”

Halo Infinite red ghost vehicle

Halo Infinite Tatanka battle royale mode leaks

Reddit user ‘yutuyo’ discovered that the internal name for Certain Affinity’s project is “Tatanka,” which they pointed out is also the name of a professional wrestler known for winning a 40-man battle royale.

According to a report from data miner ‘Infiniteleaks’, Halo Infinite’s Tatanka battle royale mode will throw players into shrinking map zones. This leak lists drop pods, a containment zone, reviving knocked players, and bleeding out for downed players in the game settings.

You may be able to play multi-team as part of Duos and Quads with up to 100 players in Tatanka. This game mode is also said to support between 60 and 100 bots. Four different types of objectives have been leaked for this mode: Capture, Supply Run, Destroy, and Hoard.

Windows Central’s Jez Corden tweeted that Tatanka has been in development since Spring 2020, and is expected to be a “major feature” while 343 Industries focus on Halo Infinite’s core multiplayer as well as a new story DLC.

Corden described Tatanka as a PvPvE (player vs player vs environment) battle royale type experience. This lines up with the previous leaks claiming that fans will be able to battle bots as well as other players.

However, he also added that players should take that last part with a grain of salt. Corden tweeted: “Just to add, still not 100% on the PvE part, conflicting info on some of the gameplay details.”

While this all seems exciting, it’s worth keeping in mind that this information is based on leaks and speculation, so it’s best to wait for the Halo Infinite developers to verify all of this themselves.

Dr Disrespect leak Halo battle royale

Dr Disrespect and Halo spartan

As early as September 2021, before Halo Infinite had even launched, streaming superstar Dr Disrespect claimed to have “inside information” on a new battle royale mode.

He stated on-stream that the BR would have a staggering 300 players, and that power weapons would take center stage.

“From what I’ve heard, 300 players, set loop, power weapons on the map, the map designed around the power weapons and locations and points of interest,” said Dr Disrespect.

This many players would dwarf the lobby sizes of its rivals, but the creator believed this shouldn’t affect performance, adding that the mode will feel “really good, supposedly, super optimized.”

Audio file leak Halo BR

Halo Infinite Ghost fighting

Although it’s yet to materialize, it appears that 343 had at least considered including a battle royale in Halo Infinite long before it was released. In August 2021, shortly after the first technical preview, data miners uncovered audio files that strongly hinted that a BR will arrive one day.

In the short clip, fans could hear the familiar voice of beloved Halo multiplayer announcer, Jeff Steitzer, saying the words “battle royale.”

Steitzer’s lines player at the beginning of every Halo Infinite match, declaring which mode players are about to tackle. If the iconic announcer has recorded lines for a battle royale it’s safe to say that the mode is in the pipeline somewhere.


That was everything we know so far about the rumored Halo Infinite battle royale mode. For more on Halo Infinite, check out details on the upcoming Forge mode as well as the June 14 Halo Infinite update patch notes.

Image credits: 343 Industries