Will Halo Infinite Continue Halo’s Rifle Debate?

The standard issue UNSC rifle is always one of the first primary weapons players get their hands on in the Halo franchise. Over the years, however, the series has introduced multiple variants, sparking a community-wide debate over each rifle’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result Halo‘s arsenal has always felt torn between these options. How Halo Infinite addresses this issue will affect its multiplayer greatly.

In Halo 2, Bungie introduced a new gun to function as a replacement for the original Halo‘s Assault Rifle. Known as the Battle Rifle, this three-round-burst precision instrument was designed for medium-long range, and had its own unique dynamic relationship with other Halo 2 weapons like the pistol and the SMG. Though some players always preferred the Assault Rifle, the classic Halo multiplayer gameplay didn’t suffer from rifle overpopulation, at least until Bungie began including both the Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle in their games. While not exactly a problematic decision, it did cause an ongoing debate in the community.

The two weapons did have their own distinct roles, with the BR dominating medium-far range and the AR excelling at close range. However, the competing dynamic of the two rifles (which were both present in Halo 3) developed a rift within Halo‘s player base that 343 has not been able to mend. Players were either on team AR or team BR, and there was often no dissuading them from their entrenched positions. This divide would continue as Bungie’s last Halo title, Halo Reach, opted to replace the BR with a different long range rifle called the DMR.

The History of Halo’s Rifle Wars

Thankfully, the DMR’s status as a BR replacement meant that Reach‘s arsenal never felt crowded with too many overly similar weapons. Players had limited yet clear-cut options for close range and long range. Unfortunately, 343 would not continue this tradition. As the new developer took hold of the reigns for the Halo franchise, it became a bit too eager in including all the popular elements that Halo fans loved in a single game. Instead of choosing either the BR or the DMR to act as the game’s go-to long-range rifle, 343 included both. Now, on top of there being far too many long-range rifle options (five in total, counting the Covenant Carbine and Light Rifle), fans were forced to choose a favorite between three different primary weapons made by the human faction.

It was an options overload for many fans. There aren’t huge substantive differences in the performance of these rifles, and the problem was complicated further in Halo 5: Guardians. Halo 5 still included all three rifles but tried to make them unique in that the Battle Rifle occupied a middle-of-the-road spot between the AR’s close-range and the DMR’s far-range specializations. However, this ultimately resulted in the BR becoming more versatile due to its ability to perform in more situations.

With the upcoming release of Halo Infinite, 343 has opportunities to heal some divisions in the Halo community, including a chance at redefining the dynamic shared by the three rifles. Assuming it doesn’t outright remove any of the guns, it will need to strike a new balance for Halo going forward, or run the risk of dividing the fanbase by including too many weapons that feel too similar (as it did in Halo 4) or one weapon that feels like it could replace its competitors (as the BR did in Halo 5). Only time will tell if 343 can achieve this goal, and until then, players will continue to (quite literally) stick to their guns and choose the rifle they think is the coolest.

About The Author

Jonah Schuhart
(148 Articles Published)

Jonah Schuhart is a Freelance Writer at Screen Rant. Growing up as the stereotypical gamer, Jonah absorbed everything he could about his favorite video games until adulthood came knocking. He decided to become a games journalist after his dad purchased a subscription to Gameinformer when he was 10 years old. Now, he follows in the footsteps of his early influences, giving his two-cents on the games he loves.

You can also find Jonah on Looper, where he writes about his favorite TV and Movies. Follow him on Twitter @JonahSchuhart, or reach him by email at [email protected]

More From Jonah Schuhart