Whether you are thinking about starting the Halo Infinite campaign for the first time or have been bouncing around the open world for a little while now, you’re probably wondering just how long the story is. That’s a particularly good question since, apart from a few main story icons, the open-world map of Halo Infinite isn’t especially revealing when you first begin. We’ve got you covered. Here’s how long you can expect to tour this war zone with Master Chief and turn the tide of the battle in favor of the marines.

Further reading

How long will the campaign take?

This depends on several factors, but let’s assume you came to dig right into the main story and go through it as quickly as you feasibly can without worrying about much else. That will take you around eight to 12 hours, start to finish.

Keep in mind that Halo Infinite isn’t exactly made to be played as speedily as possible. While guns don’t get more powerful over time, there is a skill tree where you can level up a variety of Master Chief‘s abilities as you find them. You don’t have to, but doing so will make the game easier as you progress, and the story will naturally expand your ability set as you go, giving you more ways to level up.

Infinite also (minor spoilers here) appears to be designed for a sequel, so don’t expect all the story threads to wind up neat and tidy. In that way, it’s more reminiscent of Halo 2 than many of the other campaigns.

What about open-world exploration?

Here’s where things get more complicated. Halo Infinite has a fairly large open world that you can fly, dash, ride, and zip-line through, with plenty to explore and lots of sites to find. These are all indicated by icons you can discover on the invaluable map.

Exploration is an important part of the Halo Infinite campaign. It will help you get more experience and find important power-ups that allow you to increase your shields and change how your abilities work. If you take a break after each major chapter in the story to explore, the game can easily double in length. Take your time and the game could last you north of 20 hours.

Are there side missions in Halo Infinite?

Yes, and these are more in-depth options that will net you the most rewards from the campaign. One of the major side missions is conquering the Banished outposts located around the map, essentially taking over (and usually blowing apart) large bases. Your menu also contains a list of High-Value Targets, which will be marked in red on your map once you locate nearby FOB bases. These are bosses that you can hunt down. Eliminate them, and you will receive their special weapons as prizes, alternative versions with unique characteristics of their own. There are also a number of rescue missions, and general exploring to find upgrades and new armor skins, as well as collectibles to find in every region.

How long does it take to do everything in the campaign?

That depends on how speedy you are with your exploration, but hitting every icon on the map and finding all the easy-to-miss ancient ruins, skulls, etc., will probably take you around 20 to 30 hours.

Can I play the campaign with friends?

At this time, no. Halo Infinite co-op is a moving target that keeps getting farther away: While the feature was supposed to be added soon after the game’s release, the latest news indicates that it’s not ready for the May 2022 season update and will happen … sometime after that, tentatively during Season 2. Split-screen, couch co-op is expected to take even longer to implement. For now, you’ll have to tackle the campaign solo.

Will Halo Infinite have any DLC?

There’s no official word on any DLC for the campaign. The story still has plenty of unanswered questions, but these seem more likely to be saved for a sequel. 343 has not indicated there are any plans for an expansion so far.