A new tease for Halo Infinite has confirmed that The Banished will be part of the long-awaited next game in the series.
The short teaser video, which sees a communication device decipher a signal, features a gravelly voice delivering a message to humanity.
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“The hour approaches. Forces occupy the ring. Within hours, it will be under our control. Humanity will burn. The brazen defiance will be all but a memory. No more Prophets. No more lies. We stand together, brothers to the end. We are his will, we are his legacy, we are The Banished.”
The Banished are a mercenary organization set up after a rebellion in the Covenant Empire, the alien antagonists in the Halo series. They are largely made up of Jiralhanae – better known as Brutes to humanity – but also count many of the Covenant races among their ranks, including the Grunts, Elites, and Hunters. The Banished featured as one of the two main playable races in Halo Wars 2, alongside the human UNSC, and so the plot of Halo Wars 2 may have impact or be referenced by Halo Infinite.
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The audio references the Prophets, a leadership race of the Covenant, as well as mention that “we are his will” and “we are his legacy”. Who the ‘his’ is in this is unclear, but may potentially refer to Atriox, the leader of the Banished in Halo Wars 2.
Brutes were not seen as enemies in Halo 4 or 5, so this signals a welcome return for the fan favorites. Now, where’s my Gravity Hammer?
We’ll likely find much more about The Banished’s role in Halo Infinite at the next Xbox Series X event, which has promised to show first-party games running on the upcoming console.
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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.
Source: IGN.com Halo Infinite: Banished Confirmed in New Teaser Video