Delta Arena: The Classic Twist That Halo Infinite Needed

What Is Delta Arena?

Delta Arena was released on November 5 as a Halo 2 classic playlist for Halo Infinite, featuring Forge recreations of seven iconic maps. The experience was enhanced by altering gameplay settings, including disabling sprint and clamber while increasing jump height by 120%. The available game modes include favorites such as Slayer, Oddball, King of the Hill, and Capture the Flag. All these changes will have you feeling like you warped back in time to 2004.

Change Isn’t Always Good

Since its original launch in 2001, Halo has undergone significant changes. Features like sprinting and advanced movement options have been introduced over the years, but they have consistently received mixed reactions from the community. In my view, these changes are one of the reasons the franchise’s appeal has steadily declined. The core gameplay elements that make Halo great begin to fade when mechanics like the grappling hook are introduced for example.

It was clear early on that, with the release of Halo Infinite, 343 Industries—now known as Halo Studios—was attempting to bridge the gap between old-school and new-school gameplay styles. Unfortunately, they came close but ultimately fell short due to the absence of key features at launch, such as Forge mode and essential legacy mechanics like player collision. This led to several issues, including combat-related problems, such as players phasing through enemies when attempting to melee.

Now, This Is Halo!

I’ve been itching to reinstall Halo Infinite over the past few months but kept holding back because the core gameplay didn’t feel quite right to me. However, with the release of Delta Arena, I knew I had to jump in and see what it was all about. Right away, I found myself having an absolute blast, staying up way too late and playing night after night. It was a refreshing reminder of how satisfying Halo gameplay could be—winning gunfights or pulling off a perfect flank by taking a clever map shortcut felt incredibly rewarding. This was largely because the absence of advanced movement options put a greater emphasis on skill and map knowledge, making every victory feel earned.

I know this might sound like “an old man yelling at the clouds,” but I believe the timeless and fantastic nature of legacy Halo gameplay is perfectly showcased by how great Delta Arena feels to play. Halo 2 turned 20 years old earlier this month and the fact that its core gameplay still holds up after all this time proves its quality. It should be obvious that focusing on that core gameplay and map design needs to be a bigger priority for Halo’s future as a franchise.