'Halo Infinite' Cyber Showdown: Event Start Time and Rewards Revealed

The next major event for Halo Infinite, titled Cyber Showdown, is just around the corner and will see a bunch of cosmetic rewards up for the taking.

While the single-player component of the 343 Industries' shooter launched in December, the competitive online mode actually debuted a few weeks earlier to tie in with the 20th anniversary of Xbox. As such, fans have now been able to invest a couple of months into the Halo Infinite multiplayer experience, familiarizing themselves with all the map layouts, mastering every weapon and grinding their way through the demanding battle pass.

There haven't been too many significant updates to the game yet (343 were presumably more focused on delivering that campaign), but there have been a couple of events to tide people over. Fracture: Tenrai gave you the opportunity to unlock an intimidating samurai armor set, while the Winter Contingency celebration featured a number of Christmas themed rewards.

Next up on the roadmap is the Cyber Showdown event, which will be taking place this week. Here is everything you need to know, including when it starts and the items that are up for grabs.

'Halo Infinite' Cyber Showdown Start Date and Time

Until just a few days ago, the Cyber Showdown event had been veiled in the utmost secrecy. With only the Season 1 roadmap's cryptic teaser to go by, nobody was certain what it would entail, when it would start, or what rewards would be offered. Reputable data miners had predicted that it would have a start date of January 18, but there was no official confirmation of this.

That's all changed now, as the Halo YouTube account has finally dropped a trailer for Cyber Showdown. It doesn't reveal too much about the actual content or the playlists that will be included.

All we can really glean from the brief 30-second clip is that the event will seemingly be themed around retro video games and have a cyberpunk aesthetic (you'll be able to unlock a cool holographic mohawk that is modeled after needler crystals).

The trailer also confirms the rumors that Cyber Showdown will commence on January 18.

If previous updates are any indication, the start time will likely be at 1 p.m. ET. For those in other time zones, this translates to 10 a.m. PST, or 6 p.m. GMT. After all, that was when both Fracture Tenrai and Winter Contingency started.

343 Industries has yet to announce how long the Halo Infinite Cyber Showdown event will be running for. However, those aforementioned leaks (that correctly reported on the start date) have said that it will finish on Monday, January 31.

'Halo Infinite' Cyber Showdown Rewards and Game Modes

It's worth reiterating that the playlists and rewards for Cyber Showdown haven't been confirmed by 343 Industries.

However, these details have leaked online and are corroborated by what we see in the trailer and in the thumbnail for the associated YouTube video.

To unlock the limited-time cosmetics, you will need to participate in Attrition, King of the Hill (KOTH), Capture the Flag (CTF) and Slayer matches. By earning XP in these game modes during the event, you will reap the following rewards:

Event RankReward
Rank 1New Stance
Rank 2Pink Weapon Coating
Rank 3New Name Plate Backdrop
Rank 4Rocking Brute Emblem
Rank 5Holographic Visor (Armor FX)
Rank 6Pink Armor Coating
Rank 7Knife Weapon Trinket
Rank 8New Armor Visor
Rank 9New A.I. Color (Dark Orange)
Rank 10Holographic Mohawk (Armor FX)

Gratefully, all of the items here are cosmetic and the list isn't padded out with any XP boosts of challenge swaps.

Halo Infinite's multiplayer is free-to-play on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. Meanwhile, the single-player campaign is featured in the Game Pass service.

Halo Infinite Cyber Showdown Mohawk
Image shows a screenshot from the "Halo Infinite" Cyber Showdown trailer. As part of the upcoming event, players will be able to unlock a holographic mohawk for their spartan avatar. 343 Industries

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer



To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go