Halo 5 Grifball Gameplay

Polygon got this clip of Grifball play in Halo 5. Eight minutes of Grifball goodness!! Check it out!

I can’t wait to play this! It’s one of my favorite casual playlists. (Yes, I know some people take it very seriously…)

Halo 3’s final mission “Halo” built in Halo 5’s Forge!

Okay, this isn’t 100% accurate, but it’s still pretty dog-gone good!

This just goes to show you what CAN be done in Halo 5’s Forge. And this is actually pretty basic with regards to design.

The shaking effect was created by using the earthquake filter. That really helps to sell the video!

This was made by xXBarthXx. If you’d like to download this for yourself, go here!

Warzone REQ cost changes!

This is a reblog from HaloWaypoint (along with my commentary in BLUE):

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The various teams here at 343 have been monitoring your feedback, as well as carefully studying a variety of match data, and after this evaluation have decided to lower the cost of a small set of weapons. The cost of these weapons was a little high, and we want players to be able to use them more often and without breaking the bank. Here’s a look at the new lowered weapon costs, which we’ve just released in the wild via a service side update. Continue reading

A closer look at Infinity’s Armory

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. h5-guardians-arena-riptide-01-b1d8fc5e239646319cfce03e8210ebc0
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

February Season Matchmaking Updates

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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Community Forge Map Showcase: Throwback

This is a reblog from Halo Waypoint:

BY 343 INDUSTRIES

In this Community Forge Map Showcase, we’re highlighting some sweet, sweet throwback creations from previous Halo titles. We also know that many of you have expressed excitement over a Community Throwback playlist, but to hold you over, we’ve selected a few incredible creations below for you to check out. Special thanks to HugoCornellier for keeping his thread so well updated with the finest remakes around.  Continue reading

A VERY Merry Christmas from HaloFanForLife.com to YOU!

This is my first go at making something in Halo 5’s Forge. Given the time of the year, I thought it only appropriate to make a Christmas tree. I used several effects here to make offset blinking lights. Signs and radar dishes filled in for ornaments. Both a Covie and regular fire at the top in place of a star. (There actually IS a star at the top, but it’s too small to see in the pics and vid.

HFFL 2015 Christmas Card

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ICYMI: Halo 5 Cartographer’s Gift is now available!

The update was made available yesterday. Pardon my lateness in posting this, but I was knee deep into Forge. Intact, I spent 3 hours alone just looking at all the items you can bring into the maps.

There are some truly amazing pieces out there. The team did a masterful job of creating new assets for we Forge fans to play with.

Now, fair warning, the UI is VERY different from what we’ve know of past Forge’s. For old pros it may take a little while to get used to. For new comers, it may be a bit daunting. However, with the amount of items, audio and visual effects, scripting and so much more, it’s WORTH learning!

If you don’t see me on XBOX One, it’s likely because I’ve made myself ‘OFFLINE’. I do this when forging so I’m not interrupted. I take my forging seriously! LOL

Cartographer’s Gift December 2015 Update

This is a reblog from HaloWaypoint:

Last month, Battle of Shadow and Light, the first free Halo 5: Guardians content update released, bringing with it new REQs and Big Team Battle. This week, the next free update brings Forge in Cartographer’s Gift. Since the introduction of Forge in Halo 3, the community has been creating, sharing, and pushing the mode to its absolute limits. With Forge in Halo 5: Guardians, the only limit is your imagination. The new Forge was built with years of community feedback in mind, and arrives just in time for the holidays.

FORGE

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Forge has been rebuilt from the ground up for Halo 5: Guardians. Giving more power and control to the Forge community was the primary goal, and community feedback will continue to fuel the evolution of Forge as we update the mode with new features and content. Here are just some of the features launching with Forge in Cartographer’s Gift: Continue reading

Cartographer’s Gift REQ Reveal

The following is a reblog from HaloWaypoint (My commentary immediately following the reblogged article): 

The next free update to Halo 5: Guardians arrives next week and with it comes Forge, new Arena and Warzone maps, Seasons and social playlists, brand new REQs, and more. Today, we’re excited to reveal each unlockable REQ. Included are weapons, armor, and emblems you might recognize from past Halo titles, as well as some new additions.

Cartographer’s Gift marks the return of the SPNKr Rocket Launcher – the dual-tubed tool of destruction that comes in 4 flavors. You’ll also notice the full set of Gold Standard weapon skins, which are rather fitting of their Legendary rarity. We hope you’re as excited as we are for Cartographer’s Gift and the wide array of new content it brings to Halo 5. Without further ado, here’s the full REQ reveal of the Cartographer’s Gift update, which we teased in last week’s Halo Community Update.

Join us this Friday at 3 PM PT on Halo Channel and Twitch.tv/Halo to see the new content – including Forge, new maps, REQs, and more – in action!

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