BTB Update

Earlier this week, the new Tenrai IV Operation went live and brought with it the highly anticipated Match Composer feature along with some additional updates. We have also implemented some changes to maps and modes in Big Team Battle, seeking to address community feedback and playlist data that we have been collecting to improve the experience for players.

Let’s take a look at what’s new!

Our Goals

This quality-of-life update was made with four core goals in mind for improving gameplay in BTB.

1. We want to see an increase in Flag Steals and Flag Captures so that fewer CTF matches in BTB end from the time limit expiring due to stalemate scenarios.
2. We want to reduce extended stalemates in certain Zone Sets for Total Control. We also want to make the Total Control Zone Sets as fair as possible for both teams on all maps.
3. We want to increase and improve the fun factor and practicality of using vehicles in BTB—especially Warthogs.
4. We want to increase the reliability of finding a hard counter to specific enemy strategies. Knowing you can always get to a Hydra spawner will help players counter air vehicles, for example.

Maps & Modes

General

• We have added more vehicles across the board. This will improve the amount of vehicular combat present in BTB by adding in more of the mechanical mayhem we all know and love
• Flag Placements have been updated to increase the number of Flag Steal attempts and successful Flag Captures
• For BTB: CTF, Flag Return Time has been increased from 40 seconds to 60 seconds. This helps add more exciting gameplay moments when both teams are battling around a pulled Flag
• Total Control zone placements now match what is found in BTB Heavies. These placements improve the flow of the match by reducing stalemate scenarios. They’re also tuned to be more fair for both teams.
• UI Markers for Power Weapons and Power Equipment are now enabled.
• Static Respawn Zones have been enabled for all symmetrical maps when playing BTB: Slayer. Team spawns will no longer flip in this mode
• Sniper- and Launcher-class Weapon Racks will now spawn static selections of weapons.
• Dynamo Grenade spawners have been reduced or completely eliminated on most maps for improved vehicular gameplay
• Disabled Campaign Weapon Variants from having a chance to spawn in Weapon Drop Pods

Fragmentation

• Sniper-class Power Weapon Pads at Hex Archway and Rock Archway will now only spawn the S7 Sniper Rifle
• Sniper-class Weapon Racks at each base are now set to always spawn the Stalker Rifle
• Launcher-class Weapon Racks at Canyon Base and Cliff Base are set to always spawn the Hydra
• Launcher-class Weapon Racks at Rock Power Node and Hex Power Node are set to always spawn the Ravager
• Launcher-class Weapon Racks at Center Rock Path and Center Hex Path are set to always spawn the Hydra
• Dynamo Grenade spawns have been reduced—they have a chance of spawning in the Loot Caves, but nowhere else on the map
• The Center Passage Powerup Pad is set to always spawn Active Camo
• Powerup Pads set to always spawn Active Camo have been added behind the bases (at Hex Pocket and Rock Pocket)
• Added a Vehicle Pad that spawns the Ghost in front of each base
• Added a Vehicle Pad that spawns the Banshee at both bases
• Added two neutral Vehicle Pads that spawn Razorbacks to middle of the map (near Broken Ring and Wreckage)

Deadlock

• Two new Power Weapon Pads set to spawn S7 Sniper Rifles now reside near the center of the map (at each overlooking side of the central trench)
• Precision-class Weapon Racks at the bottom of each base will now guarantee that one spawns a BR75 Battle Rifle and the other spawns a VK78 Commando
• The Sniper-class Power Weapon Pad at the Pelican Crash Site will now always spawn the Skewer
• Sniper-class Weapon Racks at Bridge and Watchtower are now set to always spawn the Stalker Rifle
• Launcher-class Weapon Racks near High Cargo and Low Cargo have been set to always spawn the Hydra
• Launcher-class Weapon Racks at each base have been set to always spawn the Ravager (right next to the Shade Turrets)
• The Melee-class Power Weapon Pad at the center of the map has been replaced by a Grenade Pad. It is the only Grenade Pad that will spawn Dynamo Grenades and will serve as a counter to the new vehicles that have been added to the map
• The Power Weapon Pad in the Cave is now set to always spawn the M41 SPNKr
• The Powerup Pad at Bridge has been moved to High Cargo and will now always spawn Active Camo
• The Powerup Pad at Watchtower will now always spawn Active Camo
• Equipment Pads that spawn the Repair Field have been moved to the top of each base
• Mounted Scrap Cannons have been added to Bridge and Watchtower
• Added a Vehicle Pad that spawns the Gungoose at both bases
• Added a Vehicle Pad that spawns the Chopper at both bases
• Added two neutral Vehicle Pads that spawn Razorbacks at the middle of the map (near Crash Site and Low Cargo)
• Smoothed out the natural geometry at Eagle Base’s ramp in front of the Gungoose Vehicle Pad for improved player and vehicle traversal

Highpower

• The added geometry from the BTB Heavies variant of Highpower has been added to the standard Highpower map. This includes the added cover at Cliffs, as well as the extra cover behind Cobra Base
• The Total Control Zone at Lakeside (near Eagle Base) has been moved into the road at Cliffs for both the Alpha and Delta Total Control Zone Sets
• The Melee-class Power Weapon Pad at Cliffs near Eagle Team base has been moved to the nearby landing pad and has been changed to a Sniper-class Power Weapon Pad that spawns the S7 Sniper
• A new Sniper-class Power Weapon Pad has been added near Rocky Pass for Cobra Team that spawns the S7 Sniper
• The Sniper-class Power Weapon Pad at High Power has been set to always spawn a Skewer
• The Launcher-class Power Weapon Pad at Center Pit will now always spawn the Cindershot
• The Sniper-class Weapon Racks at the landing pad behind both bases will now always spawn the Stalker Rifle
• The Launcher-class Weapon Racks at the top of each base will now always spawn the Hydra
• The Launcher-class Weapon Racks at Overlook and Rocky Pass will now always spawn the Ravager
• The Grenade Pad in the “sneaky-cliff-wall” at Cave Pit is now the only one on the map to spawn Dynamo Grenades
• A Mounted Chaingun Turret has been added to the top of each base and in front of each base.
• The Vehicle Pads on the landing pad at each base now will spawn the Banshee
• Vehicle Pads have been added to the top of each base that can spawn either the Banshee or the Wasp. The vehicle chosen at the start of the game will remain the same for the duration of the match. Both bases will have the same vehicle to ensure balanced gameplay
• A Vehicle Pad that spawns the Ghost is now present at both bases
• The Equipment Pad that spawned the Grappleshot in Cave has been replaced with a Powerup Pad that will always spawn Active Camo
• An Equipment Pad that spawns the Repulsor has been added to the Ridgeline area. This now means both teams will have access to a Repulsor

Breaker

• The kinetic launcher in Tunnel from the Heavies variant of Breaker has been added to the standard Breaker map
• The Launcher-class Power Weapon Pad in Tunnel will now always spawn the M41 SPNKr
• Replaced the Sniper-class Power Weapon Pads at each base with Launcher-class Power Weapon Pads that spawn Cindershots
• A neutral Sniper-class Power Weapon Pad that spawns the S7 Sniper Rifle has been added to Blast House
• A neutral Sniper-class Weapon Rack that spawns the Shock Rifle has been added to “Flappy Flap” (at mid near Launch Ramps)
• Eagle Team’s right-side Sniper-class Weapon Rack has been moved closer to initial spawn and will now always spawn the Stalker Rifle
• Cobra Team’s Sniper-class Weapon Rack will now always spawn the Stalker Rifle
• The Launcher-class Weapon Racks below the Blast House kinetic launchers are set to spawn Ravagers
• The Powerup Pads have been moved to each side of the Blast House and will now always spawn Active Camo

Breaker (One Flag CTF)

This new Breaker map variant includes all the changes featured in the standard Breaker map, with the exception of the details listed below:

• The Defender’s Flag has been set up at the top doorway of Frigate Base, next to where the Drop Wall Equipment Pad resides
• The Attacker’s Flag Capture Point has been added to the top center of the Turbine Base, above the blue-liquid death pit
• Defender Team Respawn Points at Frigate base have been moved back to increase likelihood of Attacker Flag pulls
• New platform geometry has been added to the front of Frigate Base near the Flag to add a new route of attack and escape
• New cover/ramp geometry has been added at Frigate Blast Deck as an entry point to the front side of Frigate Base
• A new static crate has been added to the right side of Frigate Base as a route for players to use
• Removed the Launcher-class Power Weapon Pad from Frigate Base (Defenders)
• The Powerup Pad at Frigate Base (Defense) now spawns the Overshield
• Removed the Warthog Vehicle Pad inside Frigate Base (Defenders)
• The Ghost Vehicle Pad at Frigate base’s little bridge now spawns a Razorback
• The Repulsor Equipment Pad at Frigate Interchange (Defenders) now spawns the Threat Seeker.
• Added an Equipment Pad that spawns a Grappleshot on the ramps up from Turbine Interchange (Attackers) to Overlook
• Added two Mongoose Vehicle Pads to Turbine Base (Attackers)
• Added a new Razorback Vehicle Pad to Turbine Base (Attackers)

Oasis

• Added support for BTB: One Flag CTF. Defenders spawn at Tower Base; the Flag spawns at the entrance to Facility
• Zone A in Total Control’s Alpha Set has been moved from above the West Pump building to its interior.
• The Sniper-class Power Weapon Pads formerly near Oasis are now centralized at each base and will always spawn the S7 Sniper Rifle
• Launcher-class Weapon Racks at each base now always spawn the Hydra
• The two Launcher-class Weapon Racks at the entrance to Facility from Oasis will now always spawn one Hydra and one Ravager
• A neutral Sniper-class Weapon Rack that spawns the Shock Rifle spawns at Cave Lift
• Sniper-class Weapon Racks at each base are set to spawn Stalker Rifles
• The neutral Launcher-class Power Weapon Pad at Pipe Hall now always spawns the Cindershot
• Added a 30 second initial spawn timer to the neutral Wasp spawner
• Added a Vehicle Pad that spawns a Banshee to each base
• Mounted Chaingun Turrets have been added to each base
• The neutral Powerup Pad that spawns at Cave Lift now always spawns the Quantum Translocator
• The neutral Powerup Pad that spawns at Facility now always spawns Overshield
• The neutral Powerup Pad that spawns at Oasis now always spawns Active Camo

Scarr

• The Sniper-class Weapon Racks at both bases near West Balcony and East Balcony will now always spawn the Shock Rifle
• The Sniper-class Weapon Rack at Crosspoint will now always spawn a Stalker Rifle
• Mounted Plasma Cannons have been added at each side of the Crosspoint kinetic launcher
• The Launcher-class Weapon Racks at Processing will now always spawn the Ravager
• Replaced the Shroud Equipment Pad at the Crosspoint platform with a Powerup Pad that will always spawn Active Camo
• The Powerup Pad at Power Core (Top-Mid) was moved to the other side of the platform and will now always spawn the Quantum Translocator
• A Vehicle Pad that spawns the Gungoose is now placed at each base
• A Vehicle Pad that spawns the Chopper is now placed at each base

That’s a wrap on the complete list of BTB updates. We hope you enjoy these changes and that they create more active, driven matches—as always, we are keen to hear your feedback and we will be watching our socials and playlist data closely.

Halo Infinite’s Match Composer is live and players can now select their preferred variants of BTB to play, whether you’re all in for BTB Heavies or prefer to jump into the core objective modes (see more details in our Match Composer blog).

See you on the battlefield!