By now you’ve seen that Infinity’s Armory, the January update for Halo 5 Guardians has been released. You’ve likely already downloaded it too.

I’d like to take a few minutes here to go over what all was included in the update and what they each mean now and may mean for the future.

As always, click on pics to make bigger.

Okay, let’s start with the two “new” maps.

Riptide
This map is a remix of Fathom. You will note many of the same elements within the map.
A huge difference though is the layout. It’s quite complex. For now, it may even be a bit confusing, until you get more used to it. Riptide has a lot more verticality to it and even includes a gravity lift. It’s not symmetrical like Fathom. There are power weapons aplenty on this map. Hydra and Fuel Rod Cannon to name a couple. There are also plenty of nooks in which to take a moment to let your shields recharge.
One thing to note is that just a few exceptions, you can toss nades over the tall walls and rain destruction down upon an unsuspecting (camping) enemy.
As this is a new map, there has not yet been a good strategy to come from gameplay yet. I’ve only played on this map three times so far. In those few games, I’ve noticed that players tend to gravitate towards top mid and also where the grave lift is. With it’s many hallways and varying levels, this could make for a great CTF, Oddball or Assault (Bomb) type map.
There are also several cool things to find in and out of the map. Placed around the map are several Grunts. Take some time to find them. (Go into a Custom game to do so, stress free of being shot at…). There are at least four that I know of. There may be more. Also, outside of the map, you’ll see a Whale breaching the water, a trio of Pelicans doing a fly-by, a couple of beach chairs and more.
So far, I’ve found this map to be complex. The texturing is great (though I personally do not like the sea foam green/teal color (personal preference). One side of the map is sandy, while the other sports leaks with water spewing out all over the floor. Continue reading →

This is a reblog from Halo Waypoint:

The services and multiplayer teams here at 343 Industries have been hard at work at improving and fine tuning the Halo 5 matchmaking experience. One improvement we’re making affects how ranking impacts matchmaking search times for certain players. Over time, it’s possible for players to get skill values that make it difficult for them to find matches. This was an issue that lead some players to create alternate accounts or party up with people of much lower rank to find matches. We’ve implemented changes in our algorithm to get players at all skill levels even faster matches. This should improve matchmaking times and increase the number of people eligible to match for players at all skill levels as well as players in international regions.

ONYX AND CHAMPIONS

Based on feedback from the community, we are making some tweaks to the Onyx and Champion CSR. Players noticed that it was possible to place into Champion (at least temporarily) simply by being the first 200 people in Onyx to complete their placement matches in a season. We are doing two things to increase the competitiveness for Champions. First, the new minimum CSR to earn a Champion rank will be 1800 rather than 1500. Additionally, we’ve placed a cap on the highest CSR you can earn after your placement matches at 1700. These changes will make Champions a more elite group and reward players that prove they’re amongst the top in the world.

Both of these changes rolled out just today (Monday February 1) with the start of the new season), through service side updates, and do not require the download of a content update.

We’ve also been working on additional improvements for players in regions around the globe, and will have more details and updates to share in the very near future. We’ll be monitoring telemetry and feedback closely, so be sure to leave us your feedback here on Waypoint’s forums and @Halo on Twitter.

See you in matchmaking!

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