The viral success of a fan-made *Halo Infinite* Zombies mode opens a thrilling Pandora's Box for 343 Industries to boldly borrow iconic *Call of Duty* game modes like Kill Confirmed and Special Ops, creating explosive new experiences for Spartans.
So, picture this: it's 2026, and the folks over at 343 Industries have been playing a little game of 'video game mad libs.' They took a fan-made, Call of Duty Zombies-inspired mode called Survive the Undead, tossed it into the Halo Infinite Combat Workshop, and—boom—it was a certified hit. Players went absolutely bananas for it, proving that Spartans and the undead are a match made in gaming heaven, or maybe a particularly chaotic corner of the Forerunner archives. This whole shebang has opened up a Pandora's Box (or a Forerunner Cryptum, if you're fancy) of possibilities. If a Zombies clone can work, why stop there? The Halo and Call of Duty franchises have been friendly rivals for decades, and it's high time for a little more creative cross-pollination. Let's be real, borrowing the best bits from each other is just smart business, baby!
Now, anyone with two brain cells to rub together can see the obvious parallels between the two titans of the FPS world. Slayer is basically Team Deathmatch with a cooler name and energy swords. Last Spartan Standing? That's just Gun Game with a sci-fi paint job and the existential dread of being the last one alive. But Call of Duty's got a whole arsenal of unique game modes that have never made the jump to the Ring. It's time for 343 to send out a 'Dear John' letter to monotony and invite some of COD's greatest hits to the party.
First up on the potential hit list: Kill Confirmed. This bad boy debuted way back in Modern Warfare 3 (2011, feel old yet?), and its premise is gloriously simple yet devilishly strategic. You shoot a guy, he drops dog tags, you gotta run over and grab them to score. The twist? The enemy team can swoop in and 'deny' your kill by snatching their buddy's tags first. It's pure chaos, constant movement, and rewards aggressive play. Translating this to Halo Infinite would be a piece of cake for the Forge wizards. Swap out dog tags for a downed Spartan's AI companion or a custom data chip that plinks onto the ground. Imagine the madness on a map like Recharge or Fragmentation—pure, unadulterated tag-collecting carnage.
But why stop at player-versus-player? Call of Duty's PVE offerings are legendary in their own right. Enter Special Ops (or Spec Ops for the cool kids). Born in Modern Warfare 2, these are bite-sized, co-op missions that often pack more punch per square inch than the main campaign. They're fast, they're tough, and they require real teamwork. Guess what? The Halo Infinite community is already way ahead of the curve on this one. Talented creators like Frostmear have been crafting their own epic PVE operations—missions with names like Cascading Winter and Entombed Sanctum. These aren't just simple horde modes; they involve capturing points, solving environmental puzzles, activating ancient mechanisms, and taking down brutal bosses. It's like a DIY Halo campaign, and it's utterly brilliant.
343 Industries could totally take this grassroots movement and give it the 'official' seal of approval. They could curate a Spec Ops Playlist through the Combat Workshop, featuring the best community-made missions. They could even commission creators to add more puzzle elements or narrative layers, evolving these modes into something akin to Call of Duty: Ghosts' underrated Extinction mode. Remember that? Four players, alien cryptids, hive minds, and a desperate fight for survival. The framework is already there in the Forge! With official support, these community operations could become a staple, offering a fantastic co-op experience outside the main story.
Let's break down what makes these crossovers a no-brainer for Halo Infinite in 2026:
| Call of Duty Mode | Halo Infinite Potential | Community Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Kill Confirmed 🏷️ | High-intensity objective Slayer. Tags could be AI chips or armor modules. | Encourages fast-paced map and mode design. |
| Special Ops 🎯 | Curated playlist of story-driven, co-op PVE missions. | Showcases top Forge mission creators and narrative designers. |
| Gunfight 🔫 (2v2) | Intimate, competitive maps perfect for the Arena. | Fosters small-scale, tactical map creation. |
| Prop Hunt 🙈 | Warthog, you are a traffic cone! Pure, unbridled silliness in Forge. | Unleashes limitless creativity and humor. |
At the end of the day, Halo and Call of Duty are two sides of the same epic, bullet-ridden coin. They've influenced each other for years. The roaring success of Survive the Undead proved that the Halo community is hungry for these fresh experiences and more than capable of building them. By formally embracing more COD-inspired modes—whether through official playlists or featuring them in the Workshop—343 can achieve a few killer goals:
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Inject Variety: Let's face it, even the best matchmaking can get stale. These modes are a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart of the playlist.
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Empower Creators: Nothing motivates a Forge artist more than the dream of seeing their mode played by thousands. Official recognition is the ultimate carrot. 🥕
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Bridge Communities: A Call of Duty player might see "Kill Confirmed in Halo" and think, "Huh, let me try that." It's a fantastic gateway.
343 has already started down this path by adding community maps and revamping modes like Juggernaut. The foundation is solid. Now, it's time to go all-in. The message is clear: Let the Forge cook! By welcoming a little bit of that Call of Duty magic into the Halo sandbox, everyone wins. The players get awesome new ways to play, the creators get a massive platform, and Halo Infinite ensures its multiplayer remains a vibrant, evolving universe where tomorrow's classic mode might just be a fan's passion project today. Now that's what we call a tactical innovation.
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