The Halo team announced today that S&D Extraction, a round-based competitive mode based on tactical shooters and Call of Duty’s Search & Destroy mode, is coming to Halo Infinite in 2025. S&D Extraction will be a part of Halo Infinite’s esports scene, and a $20,000 contest for maps for the new mode will be held as well.
What is Halo Infinite S&D Extraction?
S&D Extraction is Halo Infinite’s take on popular tactical shooters like CS2, VALORANT, or Call of Duty’s Search & Destroy. The Halo Infinite mode’s full name, Seek and Deploy, is a clear reference to popular bomb plant/defusal mode from Call of Duty.
In S&D Extraction, teams of four take turns on offense and defense. The offense tries to “initiate an Extraction” (plant the bomb) on one of two sites, while the defending aims to stop them by defeating all opponents or “converting” (defusing). An S&D Extraction consists of 11 rounds, meaning the first team to win six wins.
Like CS2 or VALORANT, players have to manage an economy in between and during rounds of S&D Extraction. Players earn credits for planting or defusing the bomb and getting kills, but can also secure extra credits at “neutral devices on the map.” Between rounds, players can buy weapons, grenades, equipment, and power equipment like Active Camo, Drop Wall, or Threat Sensor.
A unique mechanic coming to S&D Extraction in Halo Infinite is a buy back mechanic, something that’s not common in other tac shooters. Players that have died in a round and have enough credits can “buy back” into the round, respawning at the spawn point with a base loadout. While exact numbers aren’t clear, the team at Halo Studios says buying back will be expensive, and will require several rounds of saving credits to afford.
As mentioned at the top of the article, a $20,000 S&D Extraction map contest is being held by Halo Studios and ForgeHub. Halo Studios has also hired Forge community mapmakers Artifice and Mikrips to build the mode and its custom map. The first look at the new mode is scheduled for the FaZe Kaysan Invitational on March 29, and will be broadcast on the official Halo Twitch channel.
Halo Infinite has seen dwindling player numbers for some time now. Is this enough to give the player base a much needed spike? Let us know down below, and join the discussion in the official Insider Gaming Forums.
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