Halo Infinite Goes Cyberpunk In Tomorrow’s Cyber Showdown Event

Starting tomorrow, Halo Infinite begins its third major even since launch, called Cyber Showdown. And things might be getting ‘80s, Tron-style.

Developers 343 have attempted to play the details of the event close to their chests, which of course only ever results in dataminers revealing absolutely everything instead. So while all we officially have at this point is an ambiguous teaser from before the weekend, since then details from reliable leaks and mines have piled up.

The teaser certainly implies some neon-80s arcade machine magics. As a Spartan fiddles with a Space Invaders-like game, called Slipspace Invaders (DYSWTDT?), he’s shot from behind by a rival player. But instead of dying, he seemingly finds himself spawning inside another world, his suit changing from blue to pink, and a new neon mohawk on his helmet.

Weirdly, disappointingly, the Spartan is stood against the most dreary grey background, looking like it could be anywhere on Infinite’s bland maps. But beyond this, despite the imminent start of the event, nothing else was shared. So in leapt the dataminers to do 343’s PR job for them.

With that in mind, take everything reported here with a pinch of salt. But the leakers are saying the event will start at 1 p.m. ET Tuesday, and this time run for two weeks.

🔄Reminder: Cyber Showdown event starts next week.
January 18th, 2022 – January 31st, 2022.
Game Modes: Attrition, KOTH, CTF and Slayer. #HaloInfinite pic.twitter.com/HYzi1o0voM

— Delta (@Delta_ae) January 14, 2022

It will be played, the say, across Capture The Flag, Slayer, and Attrition, while adding new mode, King Of The Hill. There are ten ranks to gain that also imply a very vaguely ‘80s vibe. The ranks go like this:

Rank 1 – Boring stance

Rank 2 – Weapon coating

Rank 3 – Underpants-skid-like nameplate backdrop

Rank 4 – CRAIG! (emblem)

Rank 5 – Silly visor

Rank 6 – Armor coating

Rank 7 – A little sword to dangle off your weapon

Rank 8 – A slightly less silly visor

Rank 9 – AI Color (and sadly not the best new helmet ever)

Rank 10 – Neon mohawk for your spacehat

Synthawk – Armor FX.
Free in Cyber Showdown (thanks to jared). #HaloInfinite pic.twitter.com/f4BUiu6p9t

— Delta (@Delta_ae) January 12, 2022

It seems it’ll be about completing starred challenges, although it’s unclear how they’ll be spread out across the event’s fortnite. That should put some minds at rest, after the disappointing game-a-day of the Christmas event. The good news is, all that lot is free, while there will be a bunch of cyberpunk-ish items in the store for your real-life money. Stuff like a “Synthwave Coating”:

Synthwave Coating (item store). #HaloInfinite pic.twitter.com/fXtIu5vDzk

— Delta (@Delta_ae) January 17, 2022

I mean, if I were a video game developer, I’d seed my game code with all sorts of mad bullshit to trick the miners, and then leak out equally nonsensical information, just to have fun. Which is reason #439 that I am not a video game developer.