Halo Infinite Forge 2.0 launches — the most powerful level editor in any game is finally here
Halo Infinite's Forge 2.0 mode launched this week with a complete overhaul of the level editor. The new tools let players build maps with the same fidelity as the campaign, share them across the community, and host 24-player custom games.
Halo Infinite Forge 2.0 launches
Halo Infinite's Forge 2.0 mode launched this week, completing the most ambitious feature rollout in the game's 5-year history. The new Forge is the most powerful level editor in any game — a full Unreal Engine 5 editor with all the campaign's assets, lighting tools, and scripting systems.
What's in Forge 2.0
The new Forge is a complete overhaul of the original Forge mode that launched with Halo 5 in 2015. Key features:
- All campaign assets — every weapon, vehicle, Spartan armor piece, and prop from the campaign is now available in Forge. Players can build maps with the same fidelity as the campaign.
- Lighting tools — the new lighting system lets players place dynamic lights, change time of day, and set the mood of their map. Maps can be set at sunrise, noon, sunset, or night.
- Scripting system — the visual scripting system lets players create custom game modes with triggers, conditions, and actions. Players can build modes like Infection, King of the Hill, or entirely new concepts.
- 24-player support — custom games now support up to 24 players (up from 16 in the original Forge). Maps can be built for 4v4, 8v8, or 12v12 matches.
- Cross-game map sharing — maps built in Forge 2.0 can be shared across Xbox, PC, and Steam. The community can vote on the best maps each week, and the top-voted maps get featured in the Halo Infinite multiplayer rotation.
The community reaction
The Halo community has been waiting for Forge 2.0 since 2021. The original Forge in Halo 5 was powerful but limited. Forge 2.0 is the version fans have been asking for — a true sandbox where players can build anything.
The first week saw over 100,000 maps created, with 10,000+ shared publicly. The most popular map types so far:
- Remakes — players have remade classic Halo maps (Blood Gulch, Hang 'Em High, Lockout) with the new lighting tools. The remakes are stunning — they look like they could ship as official DLC.
- Original campaign-style maps — players have built maps that feel like the campaign, with cinematics, scripting, and lighting transitions.
- Custom game modes — players have built entirely new game modes, including a zombie survival mode, a battle royale mode, and a tower defense mode.
The 2026 Forge Cup
To celebrate the launch, 343 Industries is running the first Forge Cup — a community map-making competition with a $50,000 prize pool. The competition runs from August 1 to August 31, with categories for:
- Best Remake — best remake of a classic Halo map
- Best Original — best original multiplayer map
- Best Custom Mode — best custom game mode built in Forge
The winners will be announced at Halo World Championship 2026 in September. The top-voted community maps will be featured in the Halo Infinite matchmaking rotation through the end of 2026.
The technical achievement
Forge 2.0 is the first time a major AAA shooter has shipped a full level editor with the same fidelity as the campaign. Other games have shipped editors (Valve's Hammer, Bethesda's Creation Kit, id's DOOM SnapMap), but none of them have matched the visual fidelity of Forge 2.0.
The technical achievement is significant — the editor runs in the same engine as the campaign, so every asset is available, every lighting tool works, and every scripting system is exposed. The trade-off is file size: Forge 2.0 maps are 50-200MB each, depending on complexity.
The map sharing system is the other breakthrough. Cross-game map sharing between Xbox, PC, and Steam is a first for any AAA shooter. 343 worked with Microsoft to enable the cross-platform sharing, and the system uses Azure for storage.
What's next
Forge 2.0 is the first of three major updates planned for Halo Infinite in 2026. The next update is the Winter Update in November, which will add a new campaign chapter, a new multiplayer mode, and a new ranked season. The 2027 roadmap is still in development but is expected to include a major campaign expansion.
The Forge 2.0 launch is a strong signal that 343 Industries is committed to Halo Infinite for the long term. The game has been free-to-play since 2024, and the population is back to 2022 levels.
See our Halo Infinite review for our take on the full game.
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