I know you‘re eager to jump into the epic story campaign of Halo Infinite but don‘t want to pay full price. As a fellow budget-conscious gamer, I totally get it!
The good news is, with a bit of patience and creativity, there are ways to experience Halo Infinite‘s campaign without spending a dime. In this detailed guide, I‘ll walk you through all your options – from exploits to discounts – so you can enjoy Master Chief‘s latest adventure on the cheap.
Can I just play the campaign for free right now?
Let‘s start with the hard truth: No, you can‘t access the full Halo Infinite campaign for free at this moment. Unlike the multiplayer mode which is entirely free, the campaign still requires purchase. Here are the current pricing options:
- $59.99 – Buying just the Halo Infinite campaign by itself
- $9.99/month – Access via an Xbox Game Pass subscription
So unfortunately, there‘s no magic button that lets you jump into the campaign at no cost yet. But keep reading, because we can get that price down…
What content can I play for free right now?
While you can‘t access the full thing gratis, some segments of the campaign are playable through Halo Infinite‘s free features:
Free campaign-themed multiplayer maps
Once you load up the free multiplayer mode, you‘ll notice some familiar locations from the campaign like Catalyst, Breaker, and Fragmentation. These maps let you explore small parts of the campaign‘s environment in multiplayer matches.
Of course, you only get to see fragments of these locations with barriers blocking you from wandering too far outside the multiplayer boundaries. But it‘s better than nothing if you want a tease!
Limited-time free campaign events
Occasionally for special events, 343 Industries unlocks campaign missions for free temporary play. For example, during the recent Fracture: Entrenched event, all players could access an exclusive 2-mission mini-campaign set on Fragmentation for free.
These are great when available, but usually only last a week or two before they‘re gone. Gotta pounce on them when you see them!
Future campaign co-op (someday…)
Down the road, 343 plans to add online co-op support for the campaign. When that finally arrives, you may be able to join up with a paying friend who owns the campaign and play through it with them.
There‘s no ETA for this feature yet though. And based on the delays so far, I wouldn‘t expect campaign co-op until late 2022 at the absolute earliest. But once ready, it could be a free way to play if you‘ve got a co-op buddy!
Are there any glitches or exploits to access the full campaign?
Well…technically yes, some crafty players have found exploits that grant limited access. But I don‘t recommend these unreliable tricks:
Cloud gaming trial expired? Game thinks you own it!
For a short while, starting the Halo Infinite campaign through Xbox Cloud Gaming let you play for free indefinitely even after a trial expired. But this loophole has been patched already.
Limited campaign trials can be tricked!
When Halo Infinite had a temporary 3-mission campaign demo available, players found ways to trick the game into thinking the trial was still active. But again, this only worked briefly before being fixed.
Repeatedly use Xbox Game Pass trials
You could repeatedly create new Xbox accounts to get 1 month Game Pass trials over and over. But Microsoft is really good at detecting trial abuse, so you‘ll likely get banned quickly.
As you can see, most of the known exploits are either already fixed or very risky to attempt. I‘d strongly advise patience rather than trying unreliable glitches.
Now let‘s move on to guaranteed legit ways to reduce the campaign‘s cost…
What‘s the cheapest legitimate way to get the full campaign?
If you want to play the complete Halo Infinite story experience with minimal financial pain, here are your best current options:
1 Month of Xbox Game Pass – $9.99
For just $10, you can get full access to the Halo Infinite campaign for an entire month by signing up for Xbox Game Pass. Considering the campaign alone costs $60, that‘s an incredible deal!
You just have to be sure to cancel before the month ends if you don‘t want to continue the subscription. As long as you finish the 10-15 hour campaign within a month, this is by far the cheapest way to play.
Buy it discounted – $39.99
If you don‘t want to deal with a time-limited Game Pass subscription, your next best bet is to buy the campaign on discount:
- Halo Infinite‘s campaign goes on sale for 33% off ($39.99) frequently on platforms like Steam and the Microsoft Store. Just wishlist it and wait for the next sale.
- Physical disc copies can sometimes be found used at GameStop for around $40.
- Third party CD key sites often sell codes $5-$10 cheaper than retail. But make sure to use reputable sellers!
At around $40, you‘re still getting a substantial discount off the full $60 price. For the permanently lowest price, watch for discounts and pounce when you see them.
Wait for a permanent price drop
If you‘re able to wait 6+ months, Halo Infinite‘s campaign price will likely drop permanently:
- Looking at older Halo games, the price usually drops $10-$20 a year after launch.
- For example, 1 year after launch Halo 5‘s campaign dropped from $60 to $40 permanently.
So if you‘re patient, expect Halo Infinite‘s campaign to cost $40-$50 by holiday 2022 based on historic pricing trends.
Obviously waiting that long means you‘ll risk major spoilers. But if budget is your main limitation, the best discount will come with time.
Can I play the campaign on PC without an Xbox?
Absolutely! A lot of people don‘t realize Xbox Game Pass works on PC too – you don‘t need an Xbox console to play Halo Infinite‘s campaign.
Just download the Xbox app on a Windows PC, purchase Game Pass there, and you can install and play Halo Infinite‘s full campaign on your computer! An Xbox is not required.
The Xbox app is a bit wonky on PC I admit, but after some tweaking Halo Infinite‘s campaign plays perfectly fine through it. So if you don‘t have an Xbox, you can still enjoy the campaign on Game Pass for just $10.
Will Halo Infinite‘s campaign eventually be free?
While probably not for a long while, there are a few scenarios where Halo Infinite‘s campaign could go completely free in the distant future:
Free-to-Play Conversion
After 4-5+ years once Infinite‘s multiplayer microtransactions have slowed, 343 could shift to a fully F2P model by making the campaign free as well. This extends gameplay length to retain players.
Added to Game Pass Permanently
When Halo Infinite gets a sequel and sees reduced standalone purchases, Microsoft may just keep it on Game Pass indefinitely to maintain subscription value. This would effectively make the campaign free for members.
Free With Cosmetic Microtransactions
If Infinite starts struggling to attract DLC purchases after a few years, making the campaign free but adding optional cosmetics could be a last resort move.
However, I wouldn‘t expect any of these scenarios to happen until 2024 at the absolute earliest. But down the road, free campaign access is very possible!
The Bottom Line
While the Halo Infinite campaign isn‘t available for free yet, you‘ve got options like using Xbox Game Pass or waiting for a major discount to enjoy the complete experience for cheap in the meantime.
And who knows – if you‘re patient, maybe 343 will shift to a fully free-to-play model several years from now? We can dream!
For now, focus on having fun with the free multiplayer and keeping an eye out for temporary campaign access events. And whenever you‘re ready to dive into the full story, Game Pass or a good sale will be waiting for you.
Stay patient and keep an eye out for deals, my friend. With the right approach, enjoying Halo Infinite‘s epic campaign on a budget is totally achievable! Let me know if you have any other questions.
