"The most fun I've had in Halo PvE in a long time": I played Halo Infinite's surprise new Gauntlet mode, and I'm hooked — it's something I've wanted for ages

Four Spartans charge up a ramp toward a group of Banished enemies in a Forerunner arena, with a glowing structure looming above as combat unfolds on both sides.

Given that Halo Infinite developer Halo Studios said the game's big Operation Infinite update last November would be its last, I — along with most other Halo fans — figured we'd never see more new content come to the winding down free-to-play Xbox and PC live-service shooter. That assumption turned out to be wrong, however, as this week, the studio added a new Gauntlet mode to the game in a surprise update.

The update dropped out of nowhere and raises questions about whether or not Halo Studios is truly done with Halo Infinite, but that's not the subject of this article. Instead, I'm here to gush about how fun the new Gauntlet game type is, and why I'll probably be grinding it whenever I can convince my friends to join my fireteam.