Last Spartan Standing isn't Halo's battle royale, but it probably should be

Since Halo Infinite's announcement, there have been rumblings of a Halo battle royale. This week, Halo Infinite season 2 brought with it a new story chapter, two new maps, and Last Spartan Standing—a free for all elimination mode that's the closest 343 has come to parachuting 100 spartans onto an island.

Cards on the table. I don't think Halo Infinite needs a battle royale. Despite being the terminal Apex-liker on staff, I don't even like battle royale that much, bouncing right off PUBG and Fortnite. Halo is very much its own kind of shooter, with its own unique rhythms and flow, an arena shooter built from a wonderfully playful sandbox of weapons, vehicles and equipment.

But even if Last Spartan Standing isn't a battle royale in name, it's very clearly an attempt to hit many of the same beats. An elimination mode where you acquire better weapons as the mat