Ever since 2001, the Halo franchise has remained a steady competitor in the shooter genre and one of Microsoft’s crown jewels. Although it’s faltered a bit here and there, it’s still very much a household name, even if folks are pining over the original trilogy, and fan-favorites like Halo: Reach.That said, not everything has been going swimmingly for the series. After the Halo: Campaign Evolved reveal, fans began to doubt the franchise’s staying power, as Microsoft seemed keen to revive the original entry once again. Also, one of their mainline entries has reached the end of the line, as per the game’s official blog, Halo Waypoint.

Halo Infinite’s Final Update Has Landed

It’s A Bittersweet Ending Four Years In The Making

In a bittersweet moment, Halo Infinite has effectively reached the end of its lifecycle of content. While there will be more minor updates here and there to keep the dedicated playerbase playing, Operation Infinite, which launched this week, is the last major update for the game. There are two new maps in tow alongside cosmetic rewards, with Yuletide and Vacancy joining the level pool.

If you’re interested, there are some freebies up for grabs now in Halo Infinite. Now that Operation Infinite has been pushed live, which contains a new free season [Operation] pass, complete with skins. If you reach the max level of Hero, you’ll unlock the Mark VI armor kit, and can look like Master Chief himself. This will be much easier to do since Infinite has added double XP to career ranks.

You’ll also be able to snag some freebie cosmetics after 2026 kicks off in January, compliments of the 25th anniversary of Halo as a series. Think of it as one last hurrah for Infinite.

There’s Still More Halo To Come… Eventually

Next Up Is Campaign Evolved

Halo Infinite Master Chief looking up at larger ring world.

While we wait for the next mainline Halo game, Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remade version of the original entry, is slated for 2026. It’s already courted some controversy due to some design decisions shown off in the initial reveal, but it’s still the next major Halo release, so a lot of hardcore fans will be keeping their eye on it for the time being.

As far as what’s next for Halo, big picture, it would make perfect sense if Microsoft and Halo Studios felt like they had to go back to the drawing board for Halo Infinite‘s follow-up, given the negative reception fans have had toward several of its key components. For now, we can replay the first game over again, albeit with a bit more content.