The September/October Halo Infinite Technical Preview offered several returning vehicles for players to use, this time with some changes to make them better fit within the Halo Infinite sandbox.
All vehicles have infinite ammo on their weaponry. Unlike Halo: Reach to Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Infinite does not feature an overheat mechanic on some vehicle weapons or a limitation to the boost on the Ghost and Banshee. This brings vehicles more closely in-line with their Halo: Combat Evolved through Halo 3: ODST counterparts.
The vehicle health system has also been adjusted slightly. Rather than simply doing damage to a vehicle until it explodes, with some locations taking more damage, vehicles now have weak points that affect handling when they are destroyed. For example, players can destroy the tires on a Warthog to make it harder to steer and slower to drive.
All vehicle weapons do increased precision damage when striking unshielded enemies, just like any handheld weapon.
This article contains screenshots and videos of various aspects of the vehicles available in the Tech Preview. Due to the nature of Big Team Battle matches, it was very difficult to obtain good media showing the Scorpion, Wasp, or Banshee. As a result, the screenshots and video demonstrations for these vehicles may not be as complete as desired.
The following sections are included in this article:
Banshee
When entering a vehicle seat, the prompt to get in will display the damage type of the armaments available in that seat. In the case of the Banshee, the damage type is Plasma.
The Banshee is an aerial vehicle, meaning it can be flown off the ground and in any direction. Pilots can boost the speed of the vehicle by holding the Boost input (defaults to "LT" on controller and right-click on mouse and keyboard), but this will reduce the Banshee's ability to turn quickly.
Banshee pilots can perform flips and evade incoming projectiles by pressing the Tricks button (defaults to "LB" on controller and "CTRL" on mouse and keyboard) and performing a movement input at the same time. The Banshee flies forward at all times, even when not otherwise moving. It cannot strafe outside of Banshee tricks.
The Banshee has two firing modes: Plasma Cannons (default) and Banshee Bomb. Switching between modes is performed by pressing the Switch Weapon input (defaults to "Y" on controller and "F" or mouse scrolling on mouse and keyboard).
The Plasma Cannons are two rapid-fire fully-automatic cannons that pepper a target with plasma damage. On the other hand, the Banshee Bomb fires a slow-moving high-damage Plasma bomb that detonates on impact. In some games, this can lock onto enemy aircraft, but I was unable to perform a lock-on during my time in Big Team Battle in the Tech Preview. This could mean the feature is not returning in Halo Infinite, but it is hard to know at this time.
When in a vehicle, the camera is shifted to third person. This screenshot shows the Banshee reticle when the Plasma Cannons are equipped. In the bottom right, a Boost bar can be seen. In previous games, this bar would steadily drain while the Boost was held, but in Halo Infinite, Boost can be performed indefinitely.
Switching to the Banshee Bomb weapon will change the shape of the reticle. It is not possible to use both the Banshee Bomb and the Plasma Cannons simultaneously.
This video offers a short demonstration of the Banshee. Unfortunately, since the Banshee rarely dropped and only at the end of Big Team Battle matches, it was challenging to obtain good footage during the Tech Preview.
Ghost
The Ghost's weaponry, like the Banshee, uses the Plasma damage type.
The Ghost is a very quick ground vehicle, and drivers can even boost the speed of the vehicle by holding the Boost input (defaults to "LT" on controller and right-click on mouse and keyboard). Boosting does reduce the vehicle's handling, however. The Ghost can also strafe in any direction the driver chooses. Finally, pressing the Brake button (defaults to "RB" on controller and "Space" on mouse and keyboard) will cause the nose of the Ghost to be lifted slightly, slowing down the vehicle.
The Plasma Cannons are two rapid-fire fully-automatic cannons that pepper a target with plasma damage. Like other vehicles, they have no cooldown, allowing a player to continue firing the weapons indefinitely.
The Ghost only has one firing mode, with its reticle shown above. As with the Banshee, a Boost bar is shown in the bottom right of the HUD as well.
This video offers a short demonstration of the Ghost, including how it drives when both its wings have been destroyed.
Mongoose
Unlike the Banshee and Ghost, the Mongoose has no weaponry built-in. Rather, it is meant for quick, high-maneuverability transportation of up to two players. The above screenshot shows the prompt for entering the Mongoose's driver's seat. The driver's seat allows a player to move the Mongoose forward and backward, as well as turn the Mongoose to go in a new direction. Strafing is not possible on the Mongoose.
Pressing the E-Brake button (defaults to "LT" on controller and right-click on mouse and keyboard) will lock the rear wheels of the Mongoose, sending it into a drift. On the other hand, pressing the Brake button (defaults to "RB" on controller and "Space" on mouse and keyboard) will cause all four wheels to lock, stopping it very quickly.
Finally, pressing the Fire Weapon button (defaults to "RT" on controller and left-click on mouse and keyboard) will sound off the Mongoose's horn. If the horn is held for long enough and the passenger seat is available, the Mongoose will become Marked for teammates, letting them know seats are available for use.
When a driver is in the Mongoose, a prompt will appear for riding in the Mongoose's passenger seat. While in the passenger's seat, players have access to all their handheld weapons and grenades. However, equipment is disabled. The passenger can look 360 degrees around them, allowing them to target enemies in all directions. Finally, passengers can hold objectives such as the Flag, making the Mongoose an excellent choice for a quick getaway.
If a player would like to enter the passenger's seat of a Mongoose without a driver, they can do so by entering the driver's seat and pressing the Switch Seats button (defaults to "A" on controller and "X" on mouse and keyboard). Players can also use the Switch Seats feature to move from the passenger's seat to the driver's seat.
When driving the Mongoose, a small arrow will appear in the place of the reticle, indicating the direction the Mongoose will travel.
In the passenger's seat, the reticle used will be that of the handheld weapon equipped. Note that zooming in cannot be done while in the passenger's seat.
This video offers a short demonstration of the Mongoose's seats, including how it drives when all four of its tires (its weak points) have been destroyed.
Scorpion
The Scorpion offers two seats, both with their own weaponry. The driver's seat allows a player to control the Scorpion's movement and slow-firing primary tank cannon. The cannon deals explosive Kinetic damage, and the Scorpion itself can move in any direction, provided there is enough room for the treads to turn and align with that direction.
The second seat on the Scorpion gives players access to a Kinetic Machine Gun. The Machine Gun is a rapid-fire fully-automatic weapon, used primarily for taking down any enemies that dare to board the vehicle from the front.
The Scorpion driver's seat provides the reticle shown above. Firing the main cannon is slow, so vertical lines on either side of the reticle are refilled after each shot to indicate when the next shot can be fired.
The Machine Gun seat reticle is similar to the one used in Halo: Combat Evolved through Halo: Reach. The Machine Gun itself can be fired indefinitely without overheating. Although it does not offer 360-degree rotation, it can hit most things in front and to the sides of the Scorpion.
If a player is the only occupant in a Scorpion, they can swap to the other seat by pressing the Switch Seats button (defaults to "A" on controller and "X" on mouse and keyboard).
This video offers a short demonstration of the Scorpions two seats. Unfortunately, since the Scorpion rarely dropped and only at the end of Big Team Battle matches, it was challenging to obtain good footage during the Tech Preview.
Warthog
The Warthog is a unique vehicle in that it offers three seats for players to use: a driver's seat, a passenger's seat, and a gunner's seat. The above screenshot shows the prompt for entering the Warthog's driver's seat. The driver's seat allows a player to move the Warthog forward and backward, as well as turn the Warthog to go in a new direction. Strafing is not possible on the Warthog.
Pressing the E-Brake button (defaults to "LT" on controller and right-click on mouse and keyboard) will lock the rear wheels of the Warthog, sending it into a drift. On the other hand, pressing the Brake button (defaults to "RB" on controller and "Space" on mouse and keyboard) will cause all four wheels to lock, stopping it very quickly.
Finally, pressing the Fire Weapon button (defaults to "RT" on controller and left-click on mouse and keyboard) will sound off the Warthog's horn. If the horn is held for long enough and the passenger and/or gunner seat is available, the Warthog will become Marked for teammates, letting them know seats are available for use.
Approaching the Warthog from its right will allow a player to enter the passenger's seat. While in the passenger's seat, players have access to all their handheld weapons and grenades. However, equipment is disabled. The passenger can only look 180 degrees in front of the Warthog, meaning their survivability is partially dependent on the skills of the driver and gunner. Finally, passengers can hold objectives such as the Flag, making the Warthog an excellent choice for a slightly slower but beefier getaway.
The gunner's seat on the Warthog allows the player to use the M247 HMG mounted on the back. This weapon deals Kinetic damage and can be rotated to look in any direction around the Warthog.
As with the Mongoose and Scorpion, players can Switch Seats by pressing the associated button (defaults to "A" on controller and "X" on mouse and keyboard). However, the switching behavior is unique: if only one other seat is available, switching seats will always move the player to that seat. However, if both seats are available, then the player will switch as indicated here:
Driver's seat -> Gunner's seat
Gunner's seat -> Driver's seat
Passenger's seat -> Driver's seat
When driving the Warthog, a small arrow will appear in the place of the reticle, indicating the direction the Warthog will travel.
In the passenger's seat, the reticle used will be that of the handheld weapon equipped. Note that zooming in cannot be done while in the passenger's seat.
Finally, the gunner's seat has a reticle unique to the Warthog-mounted M247 HMG. It is extremely small, but it accurately shows the spread of the weapon.
This video offers a short demonstration of all three Warthog seats, including a Pineapple Express medal while in the passenger seat.
Wasp
The Wasp was originally introduced as a new UNSC air vehicle in Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer. In that game, the vehicle was meant to be a light, low-damage support vehicle, laying down covering fire early on in Warzone matches. However, in Halo Infinite, the Wasp is much more powerful and sturdy, becoming a worthy contender for the Banshee.
As a VTOL air vehicle, the Wasp can take off and land without needing to move laterally. This is accomplished by pressing the Ascend button (defaults to "RB" on controller, "Space" on mouse and keyboard) or Descend button (defaults to "LB" on controller, "Ctrl" on mouse and keyboard). The vehicle can also strafe in midair without needing to look in the direction of travel, unlike the Banshee.
The Wasp uses Kinetic weaponry, like most UNSC vehicles. It features two firing modes: rapid-fire machine guns and slow-firing explosive missiles, the latter of which can lock on to enemy aircraft. Just like the Banshee, switching between modes is performed by pressing the Switch Weapon input (defaults to "Y" on controller and "F" or mouse scrolling on mouse and keyboard).
When the machine gun mode is selected, the reticle appears like the one shown above. The circle in the center expands during continuous fire.
Switching to the missiles will slightly modify the reticle to make the inner part a bit blockier. While in this mode, aiming at an aerial vehicle for a short time will perform a lock-on, allowing missiles fired while the lock-on is held to track the target in transit.
This video shows both firing modes of the Wasp, as well as how it handles in air. It also demonstrates the lock-on behavior exhibited by the Wasp's missiles.
Summary
Vehicles in Halo Infinite are both familiar and new. Although we only got to use 6 returning vehicles in the September/October Tech Preview, many of the vehicles have been rebalanced to fill slightly different roles than their previous iterations. Here is a summary about the vehicles shown in the July 2021 Tech Preview.
All vehicular weapons deal increased precision damage when striking an unshielded enemy in the head.
All vehicular weapons have infinite ammo with no cooldowns of any kind.
Vehicles with boost no longer have a limited amount of boost before they must recharge.
All vehicles feature weakpoints, which can be destroyed to impact the vehicle's handling (e.g. Warthog tires).
In vehicles that have multiple seats, pressing the Switch Seats button will instantly allow a player to move from their current seat to an available one.
The Banshee is a single-occupant Banished aerial vehicle that has a continuous forward velocity which can be increased, decreased, or redirected.
Although strafing is not easily possible in a Banshee, a pilot can perform Tricks to quickly evade attacks or break a lock-on temporarily.
The Banshee can accelerate its forward velocity by Boosting, but this prevents it from being able to fire until the Boost is stopped.
The Banshee features two Plasma weapons that can be swapped between: rapid-fire cannons and a slow-firing, explosive Banshee Bomb.
The Ghost is a single-occupant Banished ground vehicle that can strafe in any direction.
As with the Banshee, the Ghost can be Boosted to increase its forward velocity, but at the cost of being unable to fire while Boosting.
The Ghost features dual front-mounted rapid-fire Plasma cannons that can do significant damage to opponents with concentrated fire.
The Mongoose is a quick, double-occupant UNSC ground transport vehicle that can drive forward or backward, as well as turn to go in a new direction.
Unlike all other vehicle in the Tech Preview, the Mongoose has no built-in weaponry.
The Mongoose features two seats: one for the driver, and one for the passenger.
The driver controls the Mongoose's movement.
The passenger can look in all directions, fire their equipped handheld weapons, or throw grenades. While they can carry objective items in the passenger's seat, they cannot use equipment.
A skilled driver can use the E-Brake on the Mongoose to drift around turns.
The Scorpion is a double-occupant UNSC tank, with the ability to turn and drive in any direction independent of where the main turret is aimed.
The Scorpion's weaponry deals Kinetic damage.
The Scorpion features two seats: one for the driver/main gunner, and one for the machine gunner.
The main weapon on the Scorpion, controlled by the driver, is an explosive cannon.
The secondary weapon, available to the player in the gunner's seat, is a front-mounted machine gun which cannot turn to look behind the Scorpion.
The Warthog is a triple-occupant UNSC ground vehicle that can drive forward or backward, as well as turn to go in a new direction.
The Warthog's weaponry uses the Kinetic damage type and is only available to the player in the gunner's seat.
The Warthog features three seats: one for the driver, one for the passenger, and one for the gunner.
The driver controls the movement of the Warthog only.
The passenger can use their handheld weaponry and grenades, as well as hold objectives, but they cannot use equipment. They cannot look behind the Warthog in this seat.
The gunner uses the mounted M247 HMG, which can turn 360 degrees.
The Wasp is a single-occupant UNSC aerial vehicle that can ascend, descend, and strafe independently.
The Wasp features two Kinetic weapons that can be swapped between: rapid-fire machine guns and slow-firing, aerial lock-on missiles.