Recently, Halo Infinite has settled into a nice multiplayer groove. Soon after the free-to-play multiplayer mode launched, its monetization and battle pass were bombarded with rightful criticism from players. Over the past couple months, however, changes to the Battle Pass progression have been regular. Daily challenges finally offer enough experience points to effectively level up the game's battle pass within a single gameplay session. Weekly challenges now have more variety and are easier to complete. An effective test case for this is the second Fracture Tenrai event. The first week of the event was controversial, as players claimed that it took too long to complete event-specific challenges with little reward to compensate. Seemingly in response, this week's event offers more challenges (10 as compared to seven) and more frequent cosmetic rewards.

Changes to Halo Infinite multiplayer based on player feedback have been slow, rather than dramatic, but this latest event is a firm step in the right direction. However, even good changes belie the fundamental problem of Halo Infinite's monetization system. No matter how much slicker systems of monetization and play become, the game's money-making component relies on players spending more time and money than they otherwise might.

This isn't to say that Halo Infinite has not undergone real improvement since its multiplayer mode launched in November. A good challenge structures play rather than dominates it. Sometimes I'm really in the mood for Slayer or Fiesta, but generally I'm up for whatever; I just want to play Halo. Challenges direct me to certain playstyles or modes. They help me feel as if each match is building to a larger goal than just winning in the moment. The addition of challenges like "Complete five FFA matches" or "Earn 7,500 Player Score In Team Slayer" help direct play while being relatively unobtrusive.