Halo Infinite is hosting a nostalgia party for Halo 2. You're invited!

When Halo Studios, formerly 343 announced that it would be moving on from Halo Infinite in order to focus on the next phase of the game's development this year, I took it as a sign that Infinite's days of major updates were about to end. To some extent, that's what happened. The free-to-play Halo which finally became great last season slowed down by 2024. Recent seasons consisted mostly of forgettable cosmetics as well as (much appreciated!) maps made by the Community.

The Great Journey is the latest season from Infinite. The studio created a playlist of 2004 ruleset maps to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Halo 2. Oh, and a new weapon: The MA5K Avenger is a rapid-fire variant to the assault rifle which fills the role as the SMG. This gun first appeared in Halo 2. Infinite's scene is a big nostalgia fest, similar to last year's Halo 3 Game Fuel Celebration. Dammit, I'm feeling it again.

This isn't just about nostalgia for the original Xbox Halo. This Delta Arena playlist, which mimics classic Halo rules, is a cool thing.

• Sprint: disabled
• Clamber : Disabled
• Jump height: 120%
• Starting Weapon: MA5K Avenger
• Secondary Weapon: None
• Friendly Player Collision: On

These map remakes are very slick.

Delta Arena has me back to the old ways. I used to be a fan of Halo's FPS conformity, with its sprinting and sliding. Halo Infinite has a slower and more methodical shooting game without sprint. I'm taking it slow when I round corners, and both teams seem to be more alert. It's also a little strange, but perhaps brilliant? Infinite’s default AR/Pistol combination is so powerful that you don’t need anything else. But with an empty slot, I grab the first gun and play around its strengths.

I've always loved clamber, but without it, I realize how creative the long-time Halo players are with the jump button. Without a generous grab of ledges, jumping becomes a more important skill and vertical map control is more important. I felt this most strongly in a King of the Hill game on Conjurer (Warlock), which is a small cubic battleground flanked by platforms that are just to high to reach from the floor. Or on Canopy, where learning a shortcut to the Sniper Rifle's spawn could change the match's momentum.

I'm still impressed by the Forge community for their expertise in recapturing Halo's past in new Halo. But as my colleague and fellow Halo fan Wes pointed out to me, if he really wants to play Halo 2 he can do so via The Master Chief Collection. You can't argue that, but I do enjoy seeing Infinite's great gunplay through the lens of 2004. Microsoft didn't want to bring back dual-wielding, which was a Halo 2 throwback.

The MA5K Avenger is the only aspect of the update that hasn't been very impressive. It's great that Infinite has finally added an "SMG," however, I wish it didn't look like a remodeled AR equipped with a 60 round magazine. It's not a "core weapon" like the battle pistol or rifle, so skins cannot be applied. I can't but wonder if Halo Studios would have given the Avenger a little more razzle dazzle if Infinite had still been a priority. Instead, I'm inclined think we're fortunate to get this.

Third-person Firefight is another cool addition to the Great Journey update. Halo in third person is functional (no surprises, since third-person miniguns are a Halo thing that has been around since 2007), but it's not really appealing to me. It's the exact same game, but from a wonkier point of view. Maybe if you want to introduce Halo to young Fortnite players in your life, then this is where to start.

Infinite will be celebrating Halo 2 for at least another month. I imagine that these cool Halo 2 maps would join the standard map pool after that.