Halo Infinite Makes Change to Radar After Beta Response
343 Industries has been making changes to upcoming Halo Infinite based on the responses to the Beta. One particular change that the team has been working on is the Combat Sensor (radar).
Radar changes have been teased and tested for a while now in Halo. Back in 2017, 343 tweaked the motion sensor/radar for Ranked games in Halo 5. In this version, only two activities would make the player show up on the radar - a non-silenced weapon being fired and sprinting. The functional range was also increased from 18m to 25m. The idea here was to see if these changes would be suitable for future improvements and games. It seems that 343 are ready to start bringing it forward to Halo Infinite.
Improvements and adjustments are an important aspect of crafting sequels. Unfortunately, it seems that this time it didn't quite hit the mark with everyone and the new Combat Sensor was poorly-received by testers.
"The Combat Sensor, or radar, that sits in the bottom left of your HUD followed a different set of rules than previous Halo titles. It only displayed enemies when they were sprinting or shooting, which was more in line with Halo 5's "Threat Tracker." We knew that this implementation was going to feel different, maybe even a little contentious, and that's why we wanted to get feedback on it as soon as possible in the Tech Preview."
The #HaloInfinite Tech Preview may have ended, but your input lives on. In our first Outcomes report, the team acknowledges and responds directly to community feedback surrounding the flight.
— Halo (@Halo) September 3, 2021
? https://t.co/sdPlRFXpzn pic.twitter.com/O7cMD8tuJU
Halo Infinite Makes Change to Radar After Beta Response
The feedback wasn't fully positive, and many players found the changes "confusing". Taking note of the reception, 343 have decided to revert back to more traditional methods. "While some appreciated the new approach, we found that most players missed the old properties in these social matches. We've updated the Combat Sensor to feel more like the "Motion Tracker" of old, which shows all movement besides crouch-walking, and should have that ready for folks to test in the next flight."
A blog post from 343 Industries details the full extent of changes being made thanks to the Beta test. Some will be implemented before the next test, whilst others might not make it to the game until after launch.
Halo Infinite is due to launch on Dec. 8, 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.