343 Industries and Microsoft have been going on a marketing overdrive for Halo Infinite ahead of its December launch. After showing off a new and improved campaign trailer last week, today 343 introduced something on the multiplayer side. As presented by IGN, a new Halo Infinite video demonstrates the new arena map, Streets, which shows off the city of New Mombasa at night.
The multiplayer level designer for 343, Cayle George, gives us the tour. Running nearly 10 minutes, the video walkthrough shows off a level designed with winding streets (oh, I get it), multiple staircases, and tall buildings with tons of vantage points. It’s a different look for New Mombasa than what I think Halo fans know. Neon lights and signs adorn the buildings. Flickering advertisements and restaurant names give Streets an almost cyberpunk motif. There’s even an arcade present, in which plays a retro Halo theme. It looks great, but there’s no telling how it will play just yet.
Streets is strictly an Arena map. Its asymmetrical design allows it to work well with game types like Oddball and Slayer. According to IGN, Capture the Flag also fits the map fairly well. Since it is asymmetrical, I’m thinking that a one-flag CTF, like High Ground in Halo 3, would be a blast and a half.
New Halo Infinite maps will be familiar, but probably not the same
Streets might be a new map for Halo Infinite, but some fans may feel they’ve seen it before. It looks similar to that of Plaza in Halo 5. In fact, for a moment, I almost thought the map was a remake. But it doesn’t seem that way. And you should also not prepare to see many old maps make their return.
An interesting reveal in the IGN article is that 343 isn’t all too keen in resurrecting old maps. According to Andrew Witts, lead multiplayer designer, 343 has discussed it, but maintains that Halo Infinite is “a different game with different needs.” The franchise has brought back older maps before (see Lockout and Blackout), redesigned. But Halo Infinite, while taking cues from the original trilogy, has evolved to the point that older maps apparently might not feel right. 343 has experimented with older maps in Halo Infinite, but they “don’t work well.” However, Witts said that the idea isn’t completely off the table, but it will have the team’s “own twist on it” while still being “a nostalgia trip.”
That’s a bummer for those who reminisce about Blood Gulch in times of need (guilty). Still, there may be a day we’ll see some beloved return as spiritual successors. As Witts mentioned in the article, 343 has already sort of done that with the Big Team Battle map Fragmentation, which, as he mentioned, certainly does evoke memories of Halo 3‘s Valhalla.
Halo Infinite launches for PC on December 8.
