It’s been an unusual year in the world of gaming with endless digital directs, delays, and the slow trickle of information regarding next-gen consoles. Originally intended to be a launch title for the Xbox Series X, Halo Infinite is now delayed to 2021 to give the developers a bit more time to polish the game.
To keep you occupied, you can earn in-game items and XP Boosts for Halo Infinite ahead of time via a partnership with Monster Energy.
Halo Infinite x Monster brings some normalcy to 2020
© Microsoft, Monster Energy
Video games and food partnerships have been around for ages. We’ve seen Cup Noodles in Final Fantasy 15 and a promotion between Doritos and Mountain Dew and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Now, we get to witness a brand new partnership between Microsoft and Monster Energy.
From September 1 until December 31, gamers who purchase special Monster Energy drink cans will be able to grab 30-minute Double XP Boosts and access to a Snapcode for a Halo-related AR experience in Snapchat. Gamers can accrue up to 60 hours of Double XP Boosts by purchasing Monster Energy drinks.
To get the max 60 hours of Double XP Boosts, you’d need to purchase approximately 120 cans of Monster Energy between September and December which is a hell of a lot of Monster, even for people who enjoy drinking Monster. You could use it as an opportunity to stock up your fridge well into 2021, though.
You also get a sweepstakes entry with your Monster Energy purchase receipt. The sweepstakes will award 10 winners with an all expenses paid trip to Paris, France to enjoy a unique Zero-Gravity Flight experience plus $1,000 of spending money. If you aren’t one of the lucky 10, you could still win an Xbox Series X as this prize is open to 200 winners.
Want a guaranteed way to earn something cool? A new Snapchat filter for Halo Infinite will be added each month between September through December as part of the aforementioned Snapcodes available on Monster Energy drinks. For example, one Snapchat filter lets gamers take a photo of themselves as Master Chief.
Each filter will reportedly act as a “challenge” and gamers who complete all three monthly challenges will be rewarded free cosmetic items in Halo Infinite. The blog post from Microsoft notes that you can earn these custom Halo Infinite cosmetics through opportunities at select grocery stores like Walmart and Meijer as well.
The custom Halo Infinite cosmetics you can unlock ahead of the game’s 2021 release include the following:
- Adrenal BR75 Weapon Coating
- Adrenal MA40 Weapon Coating
- Adrenal VK78 Commando Weapon Coating
- Adrenal MK50 Sidekick Weapon Coating
- Phalanx Player & Weapon Emblems
- Xiphos Player & Weapon Emblems
© Microsoft, Monster Energy
The cosmetic coating for each weapon isn’t Monster Energy lime green. Instead, it’s closer to an emerald green. Looking at the preview images, the cosmetics actually look really nice. You won’t have to worry about a Monster Energy logo or anything garish as you’re getting some nice green accents and that’s about it.
That said, the Player & Weapon Emblems for Phalanx and Xiphos WILL have some lime green in them. After showing off the exclusive Monster Energy cosmetics for Halo Infinite, Microsoft concludes the blog post by teasing that this won’t be the only program for Halo Infinite during the holiday season.
“The Halo Infinite experience is just getting started! We will share more details and how you can participate soon – head over to www.halowaypoint.com and follow @Halo on your social media platform of choice for the latest news and updates on all things Halo!”
We’re curious what other programs Microsoft has planned for Halo Infinite. In the past, we’ve seen strange partnership deals for Halo before, our personal favorite being the Halo 4 Stuffed Crust Pizza at Pizza Hut. As mentioned above, games outside of Halo have had food partnerships from Final Fantasy to Call of Duty.
As strange as it sounds, the ability to see Master Chief displayed on Monster Energy drinks gives some normalcy to the last few months of 2020. At least, we feel it does. It’s one of those comical aspects of the video game industry with food companies all looking to get in on promotional opportunities and give gamers added incentive to buy their products.
If you’re frustrated at the lack of Halo Infinite during the holidays, it could be worth your time to buy some Monster Energy and prepare for the game’s 2021 release. Or you could avoid the opportunity altogether and wait for Microsoft to drop new promotions for Halo Infinite.
Until then, we’re curious to hear your thoughts on the Halo Infinite x Monster partnership. Are you interested in snagging some cool weapon cosmetics and Double XP Boosts by purchasing Monster Energy drinks? Comment below!
