Halo Infinite has made several big changes with its winter update, but one of them isn’t going over well with some fans. Bot Bootcamp, the multiplayer PvE game mode where players take on AI-controlled Spartans, has been removed and we’re not sure if it’s ever coming back.
Today’s update brought us co-op campaign and the Forge mode beta, but it also seems to have taken away Bot Bootcamp. Billed as an introductory game mode, Bot Bootcamp allowed players to take on bots to learn Halo Infinite’s multiplayer maps and systems. The game mode was intended for newbies, but even veterans were playing it as an easy way to grind out weekly challenges.
Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries technically announced this change last week when it confirmed the winter update's playlists. Going forward, Halo Infinite will include Quick Play, Big Team Battle, Ranked Arena, Fiesta, Tactical Slayer, and Team Slayer on the Permanent Playlist, while also featuring Core, Ranked, and Social Playlists which rotate bi-weekly. Core will have beloved game modes like Team Snipers and Team Doubles, while Ranked will have competitive but niche modes like Ranked Doubles and Ranked Free-For-All. Social will have fun and goofy game modes such as Social Slayer, Big Team Social, and Rumble Pit.
If Bot Bootcamp is to return, it'll likely be under the Social Playlist. However, 343 released a playlist calendar for November and December, and Bot Bootcamp isn't on it.
Bot Bootcamp's removal could be a sign that Halo Infinite is struggling to keep its playlists populated. Halo Infinite has been losing players steadily since launch, with just over 6,000 players on Steam last month. The winter update seems to have caused player populations to spike a bit, but nowhere near the 250,000 players that were online at the game's launch last year.
Of course, there are almost certainly many more players on Xbox, but sacrificing Halo Infinite's only PvE game mode to prop up the health of its PvP modes isn't a good sign.