Will Halo Infinite Season 2 Lone Wolves be able to recover its lost player base?

The announcement of Halo Infinite Season 2 couldn't have come at a better time as far as the developers and players are concerned. 343 Industries has experienced a downturn in fortunes as players have grown increasingly frustrated.

Despite the initial traction gained by the free-to-play multiplayer aspect, the lack of fresh content has been a growing issue. Amidst player dissatisfaction and a reduction in player count, a lot depends on Season 2.

While Halo Infinite is arguably one of the best Halo games, it has suffered from some significant issues, most of which come down to the available content. Halo Infinite Season 2 is set to bring several new additions and significant changes when it releases in early May. The biggest question will be whether these additions can improve the game's player count.

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Halo Infinite Season 2's new additions hold promise

On April 8, 2022, 343 Industries showcased a teaser trailer for the upcoming season. Titled "Lone Wolves," it was initially set to arrive sometime in March. However, it has since been pushed back to May 3, 2022.

Before judging if the new content can pull back the players, it's essential to know what the new additions will be.

There will be two brand new maps: Breaker and Catalyst. The announced Last Spartan Standing will be added as a permanent playlist, and it will be Halo Infinite's take on the Battle Royale genre. There are two other modes, including the return of the fan-favorite King of the Hill.

There will also be significant changes to the Battle Pass, along both the free and paid paths. The free path will now have more customization options, while the paid path will hand out 1000 premium currency.

Additionally, there will be many new customization options, including new armor cores. All of these are likely to be part of the Battle Pass, and Halo Infinite Season 2 is reported to bring additions to the story as well.

At the time of writing, fewer than 9,000 players are playing Halo Infinite on Steam. The numbers aren't conclusive since many players are on other platforms, primarily Xbox Game Pass and PC Gamepass, where the base game is part of those services. Regardless, the decline in numbers on Steam can't be ignored.

The new additions will undoubtedly revive a percentage of the player base. It should be kept in mind that Halo Infinite's free-to-play nature gives it an advantage. Whether the additions of Halo Infinite Season 2 will be good or bad is another matter; the very fact that every player will be able to access all the significant additions makes it attractive.

With the way things are shaping up, it seems the player count could well improve with the release of Halo Infinite Season 2. There will, however, be some concerns.

While the new season brings several new things to enjoy, it leaves out some important ones. As things stand, Forge is a fan-favorite feature that's still missing and will not arrive before Season 3. The co-op part of Halo Infinite's campaign is also yet to be added to Season 2.

While players who enjoy the multiplayer aspect will love the additions set to come, fans of the campaign could feel shortchanged. Additionally, previous Halo games, such as Halo 2, for example, had nine maps in a similar timeframe - far more than Halo Infinite.

What is almost certain is the fact that the player count will increase. However, how much of that increase can be sustained will be a topic for another discussion altogether. As far as 343 Industries is concerned, the latter will be the most important matter in the grander scheme of things.