Spartans in the snow
In a Warthog turret bay
O’er the cliff we go
Slaying all the way!
Operation: Snowbound has arrived in Halo Infinite, spanning December 3, 2024, through January 7, 2025. Let’s take a closer look at all the festive fun on offer for the Haloday season!
1v1 Showdown
Whether you’re looking to settle amicable disagreements in a civil fashion, or seeking to put your skills to the test, you’ll want to step into the 1v1 Showdown playlist!
Go head-to-head with other Spartans on small slices of some familiar maps, with identical randomized weapon and equipment loadouts, leaving the outcome to pure skill.
Of course, this time of year is all about having fun and enjoying yourselves, so if you want to enter the 1v1 arena with a friend, you can absolutely party up with them and duke it out against each other in matchmaking.
For a full briefing on this experience, head over to the 1v1 Showdown playlist blog.
Return to Old Haunts
The year is 2007. You’re back home from school or work, the days are growing shorter and the nights are getting colder, but there is comfort and good cheer to be found in the digital realm of Halo 3 matchmaking. The lobby decided to veto CTF on Isolation—very well, Oddball on Snowbound will do nicely!
Snowbound
Credits: UneeQ, Mr Greencastle, Azwilko1997, xMick3y Chiefx, MikRips, ArtN00b, Foge
Remade in Halo Infinite’s Forge, relive those old memories on Snowbound this Holiday. Two Covenant bases, winding caverns connecting them below ground, sentry turrets guarding the perimeter (keeping us in, or enemies out?), and a vast expanse of snow as far as the eye can see…
Snow Ground
Credits: UneeQ, Mr Greencastle
Also remade with Halo Infinite’s Forge, return to High Ground during a very different time of year! The sand and mud of this beach-bound outpost has been covered in snow, but you’ll quickly feel right at home.
Snow Fire
Credits: Halo Studios
Originally released as a map variant of Live Fire during the Winter Contingency III event last year, Snow Fire returns to matchmaking for another outing (and you can find it in your map selection for Custom Games already).
Operation Pass
Operation: Snowbound brings a free new 20-tier Operation Pass, featuring the Infractor armor set.
Covert infiltrators, deft assassins, and expert reconnaissance units, the Infractor armor is based on the Jiralhanae Stalkers encountered in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. There’s no stronger look for putting your foes on ice.
Additional premium options for the Operation Pass include:
- 500 credits will make the Operation Pass durable (it will not expire), offers bonus XP during the Operation’s live window, an extra Challenge slot while your pass is equipped, and comes with an exclusive customization item
- 2,000 credits instantly unlocks all 20 tiers of the Operation Pass at purchase and includes the exclusive bonus customization item
Upgrade to the Premium Pass to acquire the Offworld Holiday weapon model for the VK78 Commando and Everything Nice weapon coating.
Snowball Fight
Not even Spartans are immune to the festive fun found in a good snowball fight!
Coming later in the Operation, the Snowball Fight mode will be playable across Snowbound, Snow Ground, and Snow Fire.
This mode trades out your weapons for an infinite number of plasma grenades. How’s your throwing arm? By the end of the Holidays, nobody’ll be better at getting grenade sticks than you!
The Exchange
In Operation: Snowbound, pick up a variety of Holiday-themed items from previous Winter Contingency Events, along with previous Ultimate Rewards and new customization items, like the Arctic Disruption vehicle coating.
Play matches and complete weekly challenges to earn Spartan Points which you can spend in The Exchange.
Here’s the full list of what’s available:
- Grenade Harness – Hip Gear (NEW)
- Envious Gift – Weapon Charm (NEW)
- Breadhead – Weapon Charm (NEW)
- Arctic Disruption – Vehicle Coating (NEW)
- Silent Nightcap – Helmet Attachment (Winter Contingency II)
- Ornamental – Chest Attachment (Winter Contingency II)
- Peppermint Laughter – Armor Coating (Winter Contingency)
- Peppermint Laughter – Weapon Coating (Winter Contingency)
- UA/Tacitus – Shoulderpads (Winter Contingency)
- Sweetsight – Visor (Winter Contingency II)
- Myesel Ammo Pouch – Hip Gear (Winter Contingency)
- That One – Stance (Ultimate Reward)
- Korolev Grizzlies – Weapon Charm (Winter Contingency II)
- Misriah Maulers – Weapon Charm (Winter Contingency II)
- Soft Impact – Weapon Charm (Halo Gear)
- Pop Dollie – Vehicle Coating (Halo Gear)
- Dart Blaster – Weapon Coating (Halo Gear)
- Snowbound – Weapon Coating (Winter Contingency)
- Lucky Marks – Weapon Coating (Winter Contingency)
- NAVLOGCOM – Emblem (Winter Contingency)
- Wild Justice – Emblem (Winter Contingency)
- Snowmageddon – Backdrop (Winter Contingency)
- Holiday 2022 – Backdrop (Winter Contingency)
- Holiday 2022 – Emblem (Winter Contingency)
- Got Milked – Emblem (Twitch Drops)
- Foam Fury – Emblem (Other)
Head to the Shop in Halo Infinite and deck the halls (and your Spartan, weapons, and vehicles) with the latest yuletide bundles.
Festival Helpers
A combination of the Responder and Bruma bundles, the Festival Helpers bundle includes:
Responder
- Responder helmet
- RS/Lifeline helmet attachment
- UTIL/PEM-2P shoulder pads
- Lifeguard PRO chest attachment
- Snow-go Skiboards hip gear
- Indexer Docbox wrist gear
- Cold Comfort armor coating
- Sweet Release weapon model (CQS48 Bulldog)
- Sugar and Spice weapon coating
Bruma
- Bruma helmet
- TAS/BOCUK helmet attachment
- TAC/CWA-AM shoulder pads
- UTIL/HRTH Module chest attachment
- UTIL/IC-SICL hip gear
- UA/TYPE ACPP kneepads
- Wintertide Wonderland armor coating
Lancejack
Eaglestrike enthusiasts, rejoice! The Lancejack bundle includes:
- Lancejack helmet
- ShM-52 Filter helmet attachment
- Type-10 Defenders shoulder pads
- Blackrock Breacher chest attachment
- Trencher Belt hip gear
- Babysitter Watch wrist gear
- Engraved Stone armor coating
- MA35 BAR weapon model (MA40 Assault Rifle)
- Steel Artisan weapon coating
That’s a wrap for everything in Operation: Snowbound, which means it’s time to chill out and have some fun!
Rediscover Snowbound and High Ground in Halo Infinite, challenge your friends to some 1v1s, build your Brute Stalker aesthetic with the new free Operation Pass, or get in the spirit of the season and build up those Spartan Points for some festive customization.
Be well, be safe, and have a happy Holiday!