Ball game modes are coming back to Halo 5: Guardians in 343 Industries’ latest content update arriving later this month, including a fan-favorite and something a little new.
Multiplayer Designer Max Grossman explains what’s in store in Halo 5’s next free update:
“Our first ball-based mode is an upgraded version of the classic Neutral Bomb Assault mode, simply called: Assault (cue Halo theme). The core rules are more or less unchanged: a ball spawns on the center line of the map and players must deliver the ball to the enemy team’s goal and it explodes (Woot!).”
Exact spawn locations will be different each time, but Grossman says players will be able to learn its order. The ball-carrier will have the ability to instant-kill with a melee, thrust more often, and sneak their way into the enemy team’s goal, as spotting mechanics will be similar to Capture the Flag.
For a more relaxed (and more familiar) experience, 343 is also throwing Grifball back into the mix. Grossman says the studio brought in Grifball expert Jeffrey “Nokyard” Fischer who built the game’s first Grifball Court that’s “unlike any Grifball court you have ever seen before.” He also worked with 343’s Weapon Designer, Daniel Wiksten, on “trying to get the damage and impulse blast of the hammer to feel right.”
“This collaboration helped us hammer out (pun intended) the delicate balance of Gravity Hammer vs. Sword vs. Ball that Grifball so heavily relies upon,” Grossman explains. “We leveraged Nokyard’s wealth of Grifball knowledge to try to make the most exciting Grifball yet, complete with thrusting Grif, Ground Pound kills, and ball throwing.”
Players will also enjoy support for ball game modes in Custom Games and Forge.
Finally, Halo’s Fiesta mode will also make a return this February.
Halo 5’s last big content update, Infinity’s Armory, dropped late last month, so we can probably expect a similar, end-of-month launch window for the game’s next one, which doesn’t appear to have a proper name just yet.
Be sure to read more on Halo Waypoint.
