You can create a custom multiplayer mode in Halo Infinite in two ways: edit the rules of an existing mode with the Custom Game Mode Editor, or build a more original ruleset in Forge with a Mode Brain and publish it as a Mode Prefab. Publishing saves a shareable file; it does not automatically open a live match. To let strangers join immediately, you must separately host an in-progress Custom Game Browser session with lobby privacy set to Open.
The instructions below apply to Halo Infinite, whose Forge tools are included in its free-to-play multiplayer experience. See the official Halo Infinite overview for the product scope.
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Choose the right creation method
Your starting point determines how much of the game you can change. The Custom Game Mode Editor adjusts settings exposed by a selected base mode. Forge uses a Mode Brain to define a multiplayer experience that can be packaged as a Mode Prefab, including a mode started from scratch with a Minigame variant.
| Route | Best for | What you create | How other players use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Games Mode Editor | Quick rule changes to an established mode | A saved mode variant based on the selected mode | Select the saved mode in Custom Games or share the saved file |
| Forge Mode Brain | New mechanics, objectives, and scripted behavior | A Forge mode or Mode Prefab | Search, bookmark, and rate the published prefab; use it in Custom Games on any map file |
| Custom Game Browser hosting | A live session that people can join now | An active lobby and match, not a published asset | Set lobby privacy to Open and start the match; the listing appears once the match is in progress |
The official Halo Infinite game-mode guide documents the editor’s adjustable categories, while the Content Update 29 notes describe Mode Brain and Mode Prefab publishing.
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Decide what players need to download or select
A mode file and a map file are separate concepts. A saved variant changes rules; a Forge map contains the environment and any placed objects that the design depends on. A published Mode Prefab can be used on any map file, but that does not mean every map is equally suitable. If your objective depends on a particular layout, object placement, or spawn arrangement, tell players which map to select. If the mode is intentionally map-agnostic, say so in the description.
Create a variant with the Custom Game Mode Editor
Open the editor
- Launch Halo Infinite and choose Custom Games.
- Select Create Game.
- Choose Mode Editor.
- Select a base mode from the available list. The controls and defaults change according to that mode.
The editor can expose settings for the match, sandbox, HUD, health and damage, movement, bots, and options specific to the mode you selected. Do not expect every category or value to appear for every base mode; the selected mode determines the available rules.
Work from the base mode whose win condition is closest to your idea. Changing a setting in the wrong base mode can leave you without the scoring, team structure, or round behavior your design needs. Review the defaults after selecting the mode instead of assuming that a value from another mode carries over.
Use a Minigame variant for a fresh ruleset
Halo Support’s Season 4 instructions provide a separate starting point for a mode built from scratch: choose Custom Games → Create Game → Mode Editor → 343 Industries → Minigame. The resulting variant is saved under My Files. This gives you a saved mode asset that you can refine before playing or sharing.
Save and test before sharing
- Give the variant a clear name that describes the objective or unusual rule.
- Play several rounds privately to check scoring, spawn behavior, timers, weapon availability, movement, and HUD information.
- Test with the number of players you expect. A rule that works with two players may behave differently when teams fill out.
- Check both a successful round and a failed or abandoned objective so the mode has a predictable reset.
- Return to the editor when a rule needs changing, save a new version, and test that version rather than assuming the previous result still applies.
This route is the fastest choice when you are tuning an existing game type rather than inventing custom logic. If the idea needs conditional objectives, scripted events, or interactions that the editor does not expose, use Forge.
Build a custom mode in Forge with Mode Brain
Start a Forge session
- From the main menu, open the Play tab.
- Select Forge.
- Choose a canvas or an existing map.
- Enter the Forge session and open the object and scripting tools.
Forge lobbies are hosted on dedicated servers and require an online connection. The official Forge overview explains the session and file-sharing model. Because the session is online, a lost service or Xbox network connection can interrupt work as well as playtesting.
Choose a starting structure
A game-mode variant can be the basis for a Mode Prefab. Alternatively, use a Minigame variant to create a mode from scratch. The Mode Brain is the object used to build the multiplayer game-mode behavior in Forge. Select the starting point that matches your design: a variant is efficient when you want familiar rules with modifications, while a Minigame start gives you a cleaner foundation for a novel concept.
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Define the parts players must understand and repeat:
- Objective: what teams or individuals must accomplish.
- Round flow: how a round begins, progresses, ends, and resets.
- Scoring: what actions award points and what produces a win.
- Player state: spawn locations, lives, health, movement, weapons, and respawn behavior.
- Feedback: HUD elements, timers, sounds, and visual cues that communicate progress.
- Failure handling: what happens if a player leaves, an objective is abandoned, or no team can complete the task.
Write those rules in plain language before wiring the Mode Brain. If a new player cannot tell what to do, when a round ends, or why a score changed, the mode needs clearer feedback rather than more complexity. Keep team and individual conditions explicit, especially when a mode can be launched with different lobby sizes.
Build the smallest complete version first. A mode that can start, provide an objective, award a result, and reset is easier to diagnose than a large ruleset with several untested systems. Add secondary mechanics only after the basic loop works in a private Custom Game.
Save deliberately
Forge does not guarantee an autosave after an unexpected termination. Halo Support warns that unsaved work may be lost after a crash, server crash, lost service or Xbox network connection, or power loss. Save after major logic changes, before testing risky edits, and before leaving the session. A practical rhythm is to save after each completed mechanic, then save again before a large test or after correcting a bug.
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The Forge file system distinguishes administrators and co-owners from ordinary players. The overview says those roles can see version details and manage file details. Decide who is allowed to make changes before inviting collaborators, and keep a known-good saved version so an experimental edit can be rolled back by selecting the earlier version in Version History.
Publish a saved Forge file
For a saved Forge file, Halo Support documents this publishing path:
- Open Community from the main menu.
- Choose My Files.
- Select the saved Forge file.
- Open Details, then Version History.
- Select the version you want other players to receive.
- Choose Publish.
Only one version of a file can be published at a time. If you edit the file afterward, those changes remain private until you publish the new version through the same version-history workflow. The file’s administrators and co-owners can see version details and manage file details.
Publishing is therefore a deliberate release step, not an automatic sync. Keep testing changes in a later saved version while the currently published version remains available to players. When the new build is ready, publish that exact version and tell collaborators what changed.
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Before publishing, review the name, description, tags, screenshots, collaborators, and copy-protection choices exposed for that file. The Forge overview says copy protection is unchecked by default for maps; enabling it prevents other players from cloning a published map. That documented map setting should not be assumed to exist or behave identically for every Mode Prefab asset.
Use tags that describe the actual mode, player count, team structure, and distinctive mechanic. A precise description should tell a stranger how to win, how long a round lasts, whether the experience requires a particular map or number of players, and whether the file is an early test build. Avoid promising features the current published version does not contain.
Publish a Forge Mode Prefab
Content Update 29 adds the ability to build a multiplayer game mode with a Mode Brain and publish it as a Mode Prefab. Once published, a Mode Prefab can be searched, bookmarked, and rated. It functions as a mode in Custom Games and can be used on any map file.
The official update notes confirm the feature but do not document every current Mode Prefab screen in the same detail as the saved Forge-file workflow. Use the file and version controls that the current interface presents, and verify that you are publishing the intended Mode Prefab version rather than assuming its screens exactly match a map file. If the asset appears under My Files, inspect Details and Version History before selecting Publish.
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After publication, discovery features are part of the sharing workflow: players can search for the prefab, bookmark it for later, and rate it. Those actions do not start a match. A player still has to choose the mode while creating a Custom Game, select a compatible map file, and start the session.
Find and use published modes
Browse community files
Published maps, modes, and prefabs are available through Halo Infinite’s Community file-sharing features and Content Browser. The in-game areas include Recommended, Popular Maps, Popular Modes, Popular Prefabs, and Browse All. Browse All can search by names, tags, or keywords. The Forge overview describes these discovery surfaces.
To use someone else’s published mode, open its file details, bookmark or save it when the interface offers that option, then select it from the mode controls when creating a Custom Game. A published mode is an asset that players can retrieve; it is not a running lobby. If a search returns several similarly named files, compare the creator, description, tags, and version details before choosing one.
Run the mode in a Custom Game
- Open Custom Games and create a lobby.
- Choose the map file and the published or saved mode.
- Check the resulting rules, teams, and player settings.
- Invite friends or keep the lobby private for testing.
- Start the match.
If the mode depends on a particular map layout, objective object, or spawn arrangement, select the map file that contains those elements. A Mode Prefab can be used on any map file, but its design may still make more sense on the map for which it was authored. Test the combination you plan to advertise rather than assuming a mode behaves identically on every map.
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Make the session joinable through Custom Game Browser
The Custom Game Browser lists active sessions, not merely published files. To advertise a live match:
- Open the Custom Game lobby options.
- Set Privacy to Open.
- Select the map and mode.
- Start the match and leave it in progress.
- Players can then find the session in the browser and join if space is available.
The session does not appear simply because you published a mode. The match must be running, and the host must use Open privacy. Forge maps and modes are supported. The Custom Game Browser supports up to 24 players and 4 Observers per session; these are product limits, not a promise that a particular mode will be balanced at the maximum.
Use a private lobby while testing, then change privacy to Open when the rules and map are ready. If you stop the match, the browser listing is no longer a live session even though the published mode remains available through Community. Friends can join by invitation without making the session publicly discoverable, whereas Open privacy is required for the browser listing.
For the current lobby and browser behavior, consult the official Custom Game Browser overview.
Troubleshoot publishing and playtesting
The Publish button or privacy state looks wrong
The Forge Known Issues page, updated August 5, 2025, recorded a problem in which the Publish button did not change to Unpublish after publishing. It also recorded cases where file details temporarily displayed a file as private; the documented workaround was to return to My Files and reopen Details. These were dated known issues, so the live behavior may have changed in a later update.
When a publish action appears ineffective, return to My Files, reopen the asset, inspect its details and version history, and verify that you selected the intended version. Check the current Forge Known Issues page before repeating edits or deleting a file.
Your latest changes are missing for other players
Publishing is version-specific. Confirm that you saved the edits, selected the new version in Version History, and published it. Other players continue to receive the last published version until you complete that step. If a friend has an older bookmarked copy, have them refresh or retrieve the current published asset before comparing results.
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Your work disappeared after a crash
Forge sessions do not promise autosave after unexpected termination. Recreate only what was not saved, then establish a deliberate save rhythm: save after each completed mechanic, before a large test, and before exiting.
You cannot upload a screenshot from PC
The Forge overview stated that screenshots for a published Forge file could be uploaded only on Xbox consoles at the time of that guidance, with PC creators using an Xbox console for uploads. This is version-sensitive; check the current interface before planning a publication workflow around that limitation.
The mode is removed or moderated
User-generated content must comply with Xbox Community Standards and the Halo Spartan Code. Content that violates those rules may be subject to enforcement. Avoid copyrighted, abusive, hateful, or otherwise prohibited material in names, descriptions, images, scripting, and map design.
You need help with Forge logic
Halo Support says it does not provide ticket-based assistance for creating Forge maps or visual scripting and directs creators to the Halo Discord community for discussion. Use official support for product and account issues, and the community channel for design and scripting questions.
Publication checklist
- Confirm that the project is for Halo Infinite, not another Halo title.
- Choose Mode Editor for rule adjustments or Forge Mode Brain for custom logic.
- Save the variant or Forge file before testing.
- Test the objective, scoring, spawns, reset behavior, and player feedback.
- Test with the intended team sizes and on the map you plan to advertise.
- Open Community → My Files → Details → Version History for a saved Forge file.
- Publish the exact version you want players to receive.
- Review the name, description, tags, collaborators, screenshots, and applicable file settings.
- Tell players whether they need a particular map file, mode file, or both.
- For a live public session, set Privacy to Open and start the match; publishing alone is not enough.
- Remember the Custom Game Browser limit of 24 players and 4 Observers.
- Save again before making additional edits so the published version remains recoverable.
The practical sequence is therefore: build or edit the mode, save it, test it, publish the chosen version, and then host a separate Open Custom Game Browser session if you want people to join immediately.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a custom Halo mode without Forge?
Yes. In Halo Infinite, open Custom Games, choose Create Game, then Mode Editor and a base mode. You can adjust the categories exposed for that mode, including match, sandbox, HUD, health and damage, movement, bots, and mode-specific options. Use Forge when the idea requires custom logic or a Mode Brain.
How do I start a mode from scratch?
Use the Minigame variant. Halo Support’s documented route is Custom Games → Create Game → Mode Editor → 343 Industries → Minigame. The resulting variant is saved under My Files and can be refined before testing or sharing.
Does publishing a mode open a lobby for my friends?
No. Publishing creates a retrievable file. To run it, create a Custom Game, select the map and mode, and start the match. To appear in the Custom Game Browser, set lobby Privacy to Open and keep the match in progress.
Can a Mode Prefab work on every map?
Content Update 29 says a published Mode Prefab can be used on any map file. However, a design may depend on a particular layout, object, or spawn arrangement, so identify and test the intended map in the description.
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The documented browser limits are up to 24 players and 4 Observers per session. That is a product limit, not a guarantee that a mode is balanced or fun at the maximum.
Why can’t other players see my latest edit?
Only one file version is published at a time. Save the edit, open Community → My Files → Details → Version History, select the new version, and choose Publish. Players continue to receive the previous published version until you do this.
What happens to unsaved Forge work after a crash?
Halo Support does not promise autosave after an unexpected termination. A crash, server crash, lost service or Xbox network connection, or power loss can remove unsaved work. Save after major changes and before risky tests.
Can I publish screenshots from PC?
The Forge overview said screenshots for a published Forge file could be uploaded only on Xbox consoles at the time of that guidance, with PC creators using an Xbox console for uploads. Because the interface can change, check the current controls before relying on this limitation.
Where can I get help with Forge scripting?
Halo Support says it does not provide ticket-based help for creating Forge maps or visual scripting and directs creators to the Halo Discord community for discussion. Use official support for account or product issues.
The Bottom Line
For a quick rules tweak, save a Custom Game Mode Editor variant. For a genuinely new ruleset, build a Mode Brain in Forge, save it, test it, and publish the intended version as a Mode Prefab or Forge file. Players find published assets through Community, while a live public match requires a separate Open Custom Game Browser session that is already in progress.
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