While Halo multiplayer has a long history of competition, Halo’s legacy is as in tune with social gaming as it is with competition. Halo has always provided fan-made and social alternatives to your standard FPS multiplayer, whether through Forge or Custom Games.
Despite this, Halo Infinite released without any custom matchmaking support, but added a custom game browser that brings the social side of Halo back to the forefront of the game.
But what exactly is Halo Infinite’s custom game browser, and how is it actually used? Let’s find out.
What is the Halo Infinite Custom Games Browser?
Released in the Halo Infinite December 2022 Update, as posted on Halo waypoint, the Custom Game Browser allows you to host or select a custom game server for any map or game mode created by fans. This means that classic social game modes in Halo, like Duck Hunt or Trash Compactor, are easily accessible to play or host.
Halo Infinite’s Custom Game Browser also means new social game modes like Avalanche Hill can reach the community and be played by anyone, not just people on the host’s friends list.
Additionally, with some of the features missing from Halo Infinite, such as the lack of support for the local co-op campaign or the franchise’s core game modes, the custom game browser can alleviate these content gaps.
While fans have found ways that you can unofficially play local co-op in Halo Infinite, the browser allows them to create fan-created versions of missing game modes, like Infection, that you can play independently.
For Halo Infinite, the custom game browser unlocks a vital part of the franchise’s identity and brings the social and fan-created matchmaking that Halo Infinite was so lacking.
How to find and join custom lobbies in Halo Infinite
Now that you know what Halo Infinite’s Custom Game Browser really is, you might want to know how to get started joining and searching through the various custom lobbies available to you. To start finding and joining custom game lobbies using the Custom Game Browser in Halo Infinite, follow these steps:
- In Halo Infinite’s main menu, press the right bumper to navigate to Community.
- select Customs Navigator.
- once the Customs Navigator lots, you’ll be able to see all the lobbies available for you to join, as well as filters for you to specifically search for a game mode or lobby.
- To find or join a custom game, search for the desired game mode through the filters section or simply select one of the available lobbies.
- With one of the lobbies selected, you will be placed in the Details screen, select Join the game.
It is important to point out that the Details The screen of any selected game lobby will also allow you to save game modes and maps so you can organize and play them yourself. All you have to do is select map details and select Markerand the map will be saved to your available maps.
And with that, you can join and save any available custom game hosted on Halo Infinite at any time, enhancing your social experience with Halo.
How to set up your own custom game lobbies in Halo Infinite
Now that you know how to navigate and join the custom games available through the Halo Infinite Custom Games Browser, what if you want to start hosting and showcasing your own custom maps and game modes in Halo Infinite?
To start your own custom game server for people to join through the Halo Infinite custom game browser, follow these steps:
- From the Halo Infinite main menu, make sure that the options for Play are highlighted and selected custom game.
- Once the custom game lobby loads, select the one you want Map and then select your game mode from the mode editor.
- Once you’ve set up your desired map and game mode, select lobby options.
- ensure the Privacy setting is set to Open.
With your custom game Privacy adjusted to OpenYour custom lobby will appear in the Halo Infinite Custom Games Browser, ready for community members to join and openly search for.
While social multiplayer via the Custom Games Browser is good for social gaming, it’s important to note that matches you complete through custom games will not contribute to your Battle Pass progress.
Because of what battle passes are and how they work in games like Halo Infinite, very few custom or socially oriented matches will give you experience points, regardless of the game.
Explore the social side of Halo Infinite
With the Custom Games Browser unlocking a great feature inherited from the Halo franchise, social gaming is a very welcome addition to Halo Infinite, a game in need of a lot of content and free updates.
However, Halo Infinite is still missing key features, and these features only seep into the game through its Battle Pass and Season systems. Meanwhile, the Custom Game Browser allows fans to make up for the lack of content through their own replacements and creations.