Halo Infinite Tactical Ops Challenges suck, but the free rewards are worth it

Halo infinite Tactical Ops Challenge
(Image credit: Bungie)

The Halo Infinite Tactical Ops event is now live, which means you’ve got the next couple of weeks to unlock some swanky new cosmetics for your Spartan. There are 10 items waiting to be added to your wardrobe, including the Mark V ZETA helmet that had everyone hot and bothered when it was first revealed.

The free Tactical Slayer multiplayer event wraps up on Tuesday, March 22 at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET / 6 pm GMT. There’s a good mix of classic Tactical Slayer gameplay thrown in, with the full list of variants below:

  • Tactical Slayer
  • Tactical Slayer Commandos
  • Tactical Slayer Sidekicks
  • Tactical Slayer Stalker Rifles
  • Tactical Slayer Manglers

It’s worth noting that the first week will feature the Battle Rifle, Mangler, and Sidekick variants, while the second and final week adds the Commando and Stalker Rifle to the playlist. You can work your way through each challenge as they become active, and tick off all 10 to unlock a trove of free cosmetics.

Halo Infinite Tactical Ops rewards

(Image credit: Bungie)

While the rewards themselves are going down well, the challenges are ruffling a few feathers on Reddit. Complaints are mostly centered around the random nature of some of the tasks, meaning that whether or not you can complete them is down to sheer luck. Back smacks are also drawing ire, with players calling them a "joke", and demanding they be scrapped altogether.

But they’re a necessary evil if you want to spruce up your Spartan. You can peruse the list of cosmetics below and decide if it’s worth the trouble.

  • Claw Patrol - Epic Stance
  • Phalanx - Rare Visor - Mark VII
  • Emile - Epic Charm
  • Lone Wolf - Legendary Backdrop
  • Mark V Zeta - Legendary Helmet
  • TAC/AHD Type 3ZY - Epic Chest - Mark VII
  • MAT-2550 Grenade Pack - Epic Utility - Mark VII
  • TIGRIS - Legendary Gloves- Mark VII
  • Scorpion Punch - Epic Armor Coating - Mark VII
  • UA/MAUROS - Legendary Helmet Attachment

Remember: you’ve got two weeks to get stuck in, so even the more frustrating challenges should be doable – if you have the patience for them.

While no one's raging out completely over the challenges, these kind of missteps are arguably contributing to the lacklustre state of Halo Infinite's multiplayer. The game has been haemorrhaging players since it launched at the end of last year. It hasn't helped that the co-op campaign, which was absent on release, has been pushed back yet again

Players may start trickling back in the run up to the co-op launch, but 343 needs to spice things up in the interim, or risk seeing the Xbox Series X's flagship title fall by the wayside. 

Halo Infinite best controller settings | Halo Infinite Season 1 | Halo Infinite best weapons | Halo Infinite ranks

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Shabana Arif
News Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Shabana has been writing about games for almost a decade now, as well as covering tech, politics, food, and other random tidbits at Gizmodo UK. She's stepped outside of news every now and then to write game guides, and always appreciates a DM if she's helped get you out of a pickle. During her time freelancing, you may have spotted her words at VG24/7, GamesRadar, and IGN. She's also held the position of news editor at Gizmodo UK, T3, and The Sun Online. 

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