The Halo Infinite 'Banished Honor' update revolutionizes the game's economy with the new Exchange shop and earnable Spartan Points, while empowering Forge creators with Flood and Alien palettes. This major content refresh rewards player engagement and fuels community creativity, revitalizing the battlefield for all Spartans.
The battlefield of Halo Infinite is about to evolve once again. 343 Industries has detailed the next major content update for their flagship shooter, titled "Banished Honor," scheduled to deploy on April 30, 2026. This update marks a significant shift in the game's economy and creative tools, focusing on rewarding player engagement and empowering the community's legendary Forge creators. While it may not introduce brand-new weapons or developer-crafted maps, the suite of features aims to refresh the experience for both casual Spartans and hardcore forgers alike.
At the heart of the Banished Honor update is a revolutionary new feature for the in-game Shop: The Exchange. This new section operates on a completely different principle. Instead of requiring premium currency, The Exchange offers a rotating selection of cosmetic items—including both returning favorites and new arrivals—that can be purchased exclusively with Spartan Points. This new, earnable currency is a game-changer. Players will accumulate Spartan Points simply by playing the game, completing daily and weekly challenges, and progressing through Operation Passes. The items available in The Exchange will refresh every four to six weeks, giving players a constant stream of new cosmetic goals to work towards without opening their wallets. This addresses a long-standing community request for more meaningful rewards for free-to-play users.
Accompanying this economic shift is the Banished Honor Operation Pass. True to 343's recent model, this pass is completely free and features 20 tiers of rewards for players to unlock through gameplay. It serves as a primary source of Spartan Points in the early days of the update, ensuring players can immediately engage with The Exchange. The update also brings back a classic, tactical tool to the sandbox. The Plasma Pistol's EMP effect is making a triumphant return! This means Spartans can once again use an overcharged shot from the pistol to disable enemy vehicles, adding a crucial layer of strategy to Big Team Battle encounters and restoring a beloved function from Halo's past.
For the creative backbone of the community, the Forge mode is receiving its most substantial injection of new assets since its launch. The headline additions are two highly requested Forge palettes: the Flood and the Alien (Covenant/ Banished) sets. These palettes will provide forgers with the pieces needed to create authentically terrifying Flood-infested corridors or intricate Banished structures. But the improvements don't stop there. The update also includes:
-
More mode variants for custom game types.
-
Expanded scripting options for more complex gameplay logic.
-
General stability and quality-of-life improvements to the Forge editor.
These tools are expected to unleash a new wave of incredible community content, following the trend of impressive creations like detailed remakes of classic Halo levels and ambitious large-scale modes inspired by popular titles.
Looking just beyond the April 30 launch, 343 Industries has also teed up a refresh for the Big Team Battle Heavies playlist. One week after the Banished Honor update, on May 7, the playlist will be updated with a new set of community-made Forge maps, ensuring the chaotic, vehicle-heavy mode stays fresh. While the developer has confirmed that a match composer—a highly requested feature for streamlining playlist selection—is still in development for Halo Infinite, its release date remains unknown.
The Banished Honor update represents a focused investment in Halo Infinite's core pillars: rewarding player investment and supercharging user-generated content. By introducing a free-to-earn cosmetic economy and dramatically expanding Forge's toolkit, 343 Industries is empowering its players to define their own experience. As the Forge Falcons and other talented creators get their hands on the Flood palette and new scripting tools, the next chapter of Halo Infinite's community-driven evolution is poised to begin.
Comments