Halo Infinite Is Finally Making A Classic Weapon Useful Again

Halo Infinite will finally restore one of the franchise’s classic weapons to its former glory come its next free update, making it so the Plasma Pistol will once again disable vehicles with a fully-charged shot.

When Halo Infinite’s multiplayer launched in November 2021, players were dismayed to see that the Plasma Pistol’s EMP effect had been stripped away. Instead, developer 343 Industries gave the Plasma Pistol’s original functionality to the game’s new electricity-based weapons, the Disruptor and the Shock Rifle. That left the Plasma Pistol without much utility aside from its normal shield-depleting charge shot, much to the sadness of old-school Halo fans.

It may have taken two and a half years, but the Plasma Pistol will once again be useful come Halo Infinite’s Banished Honor update on April 30.

“I’ve been way too happy for the team to get this implemented,” Halo senior community manager John Junyszek said during the livestream reveal of the new update. “It’s been one of the most common points of feedback since launch around the plasma pistol. We wanted to make sure it was feeling more effective, more loved, and has plenty of utility.”

Aside from the return of the Plasma Pistol’s most potent ability, the Banished Honor update will introduce a new, free 20-tier Operation themed around the Banished, as well as two new Forge palettes for players to build custom maps with. Last but not least, it will introduce a new way to earn cosmetics, called the Exchange, where players can use credits earned from matches to purchase previously released customization items.

Halo Infinite moved away from full seasons at the end of its Flood-themed Season 5, and instead has pivoted to free Operations that last between 4-6 weeks. Those Operations have included new versions of previous events like The Yappening and Cyber Showdown, as well as the introduction new customizable armor cores, like the Mjolnir Mark IV armor worn by the Spartans in Halo Wars.