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You can create a custom multiplayer mode in Halo Infinite in two ways: adjust 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 makes the saved asset available through Halo’s file-sharing tools; it does not by itself open a live match. To let strangers join immediately, you must also host an in-progress Custom Game Browser session with lobby Privacy set to Open.
The steps below apply specifically to Halo Infinite. Forge is included with its free-to-play multiplayer experience, and the exact controls can change with updates and with the type of file you are managing.
Choose the right creation route
Start by deciding whether you are tuning a familiar game type or inventing a mode with custom logic. The Custom Game Mode Editor exposes settings for a selected base mode. Forge’s Mode Brain is intended for a multiplayer mode that needs its own rule flow and can be packaged as a Mode Prefab.
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| Route | What you start with | What you can change | Saved result | How players use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Game Mode Editor | An existing mode variant, or a Minigame variant | Mode-dependent match, sandbox, HUD, health and damage, movement, bot and other settings | A mode variant saved in My Files | Select the variant in Custom Games on a chosen map |
| Forge Mode Brain | A game-mode variant as a base, or a Minigame variant for a fresh start | Custom multiplayer behavior built in a Forge session | A published Mode Prefab | Search, bookmark or rate the prefab, then use it in Custom Games on any map file |
Halo Support describes the editor as a way to adjust rules that already exist in the selected mode, so its available options and defaults vary. Forge is the better fit when the concept cannot be expressed as a list of ordinary variant settings. The distinction is documented in the Halo Infinite Game Modes guide and the Content Update 29 patch notes.
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What you need before building
- An online connection: Forge lobbies are hosted on dedicated servers.
- Halo Infinite with access to its multiplayer menus and Forge.
- A clear test plan: define the win condition, player count, scoring, respawns, weapons or equipment, and what should happen when a round ends.
- A save routine. Forge does not automatically save work after an unexpected termination, so a crash, server failure, lost service or Xbox network connection, or power loss can remove unsaved changes.
The official What is Halo Infinite? overview explains that Forge is part of the free-to-play multiplayer experience. You do not need physical game media or a separate paid editor to follow this workflow.
Route A: make a variant with Mode Editor
Open the editor
- Launch Halo Infinite and open Custom Games.
- Choose Create Game.
- Select Mode Editor.
- Choose the publisher category 343 Industries, then select a base mode. The available fields depend on that mode.
For a mode that begins without the usual objective structure, Halo Support’s Season 4 instructions use 343 Industries → Minigame. That Minigame variant is saved under My Files and can also be used as the starting point for a Forge-built mode.
Set rules in the categories the mode exposes
Work through the categories shown for your selected mode rather than assuming every mode has the same controls. Common groups include:
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- Match: round structure, score limits, time limits and victory conditions that the base mode supports.
- Sandbox: weapon, equipment and object behavior available to that mode.
- HUD: which information players see while playing.
- Health and damage: shields, damage behavior and related survivability settings.
- Movement: movement speed, jump and other mobility options exposed by the variant.
- Bots: bot participation and behavior controls where supported.
Change one group at a time and run a short private test after each major change. A setting that appears in one base mode may be absent, use a different default, or have a different range in another. Save the variant with a name and description that tell players what is unusual about it; those details help later when you search My Files or share the file.
Route B: build a Mode Prefab in Forge
Start a Forge session
- From the main menu, open the Play tab.
- Select Forge.
- Choose a canvas or an existing map file.
- Enter the Forge session and save before making substantial changes.
Forge work runs online on dedicated servers. The Forge overview covers starting from a canvas or existing map and using the game’s file-sharing system for files and prefabs; see Halo Infinite Forge Overview.
Add and configure the Mode Brain
Place a Mode Brain object in the Forge project and use it to construct the multiplayer game-mode behavior. The Mode Brain workflow is separate from merely changing a standard variant: you are defining the conditions and responses that make the mode operate as its own ruleset. Build the smallest playable loop first—spawn, objective or scoring event, success condition, and end-of-round behavior—then add optional mechanics.
Content Update 29 documents two starting choices. You can base the Mode Prefab on a game-mode variant, or use a Minigame variant when you want to create the mode from scratch. When the behavior is stable, save the Forge file deliberately and prepare a clear name, description, tags and screenshots where the current interface permits them.
Test before publishing
- Run the mode on the map types you expect players to use.
- Test the first spawn, a late join, a score event, a failed objective and the final win condition.
- Check what happens with the minimum and maximum practical number of players for your design.
- Confirm that the HUD communicates the objective and that no player can become permanently stuck without a reset.
- Save after each successful test. A Forge crash does not guarantee an autosave.
Published Mode Prefabs can be searched, bookmarked and rated by other players. They function as modes in Custom Games and can be used on any map file, which is why testing on more than one map is worthwhile.
Publish a saved Forge file
For a saved Forge file, Halo Support documents this exact version-based path. It is the reliable way to publish the version you have selected rather than an older draft.
- 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 and choose Publish.
Only one version of a file can be published at a time. If you edit the map or mode later, those edits remain in your new version until you publish that version again. Admins and co-owners can see version details and manage file details. The published file can include a name, description, tags, screenshots, copy-protection choice and collaborators where those controls apply.
Content Update 29 confirms that Mode Prefabs can be published, but its notes do not document every current Mode Prefab screen in the same detail as the saved Forge-file workflow. Use the version-history sequence above for a saved Forge file, and follow the controls shown for the Mode Prefab asset rather than assuming every asset type has identical buttons or permissions.
Understand copy protection and screenshots
The Forge overview says copy protection is unchecked by default for maps. Enabling it prevents other players from cloning a published map. That map-specific description is not a promise that every Mode Prefab exposes the same setting, so verify the option on the asset you are publishing.
The same overview described screenshot uploads as available on Xbox consoles at the time of that guidance, with PC creators able to use an Xbox console for uploads. This is a version-sensitive interface detail; check the live menu before planning a release around it.
Find and use the published mode
Publishing creates a shareable file, not a running match. Players can look for published content in the Community file-sharing areas and the Content Browser. The documented tiles include Recommended, Popular Maps, Popular Modes, Popular Prefabs and Browse All. Browse All can search names, tags or keywords.
Give the file a distinctive name and tags that describe the objective, player experience and any map restriction. A concise description should explain how a round starts, how points are earned and how a team or player wins. Those details reduce the chance that someone launches the mode without understanding its rules.
Open a live session in Custom Game Browser
If your goal is for people to join a match that is happening now, use the Custom Game Browser (CGB) in addition to publishing the mode. A CGB listing represents an active session, whereas a Community file is content that players can select later.
- Create or open a Custom Game lobby.
- Open the lobby options and set Privacy to Open.
- Select the map and the published or bookmarked mode.
- Start the match.
- Keep the match in progress. The session appears in the browser only after the match has started.
Forge maps and modes are supported in the browser, and the leader can use content that is saved or bookmarked. The CGB overview documents a limit of up to 24 players and 4 Observers per session; these are product limits, not a promise of a particular audience size. See Halo Infinite Custom Game Browser (CGB) Overview.
Publish updates without confusing players
When you revise a published file, treat the version as part of the release. Save the new work, open Version History, select the intended revision and publish it. Keep the same name when the change is a correction, and change the description or tags when the rules have materially changed. Because only one version is live at a time, players who bookmarked the file will receive the published revision rather than an unpublished draft.
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For a Mode Prefab, use the asset’s current publishing controls and verify the result in Community or the Content Browser. Do not assume that a general Forge-file button sequence is identical for every prefab screen.
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The Publish button is missing
- Confirm that you selected the saved file under Community → My Files, opened Details, and then entered Version History.
- Check that you are the admin or co-owner who has permission to manage file details.
- Make sure the file has finished saving and that the online connection is stable.
Players cannot see my changes
Editing a file does not change the public revision. Select the new version in Version History and publish it. Then have a player refresh Community or reopen the file details before testing again.
The mode is published but nobody joins
Publishing does not create a CGB listing. Open a Custom Game lobby, set Privacy to Open, choose the map and mode, and start the match. The listing appears only while that match is in progress.
The file still looks private after publishing
The Forge Known Issues page updated August 5, 2025, recorded a problem in which file details could temporarily show Private. Its workaround was to return to My Files and reopen Details. The same dated page also recorded cases where the Publish button did not change to Unpublish after publishing. These reports may change as the game is updated, so treat them as version-specific symptoms rather than permanent behavior; see Halo Infinite Forge Known Issues.
Unsaved work disappeared
Reopen the last deliberately saved file and rebuild only the missing portion. Forge does not promise an autosave after a crash, service interruption, network loss or power failure. Saving before every test and before leaving the session is the only dependable protection described in the official guidance.
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Halo Support says it does not provide ticket-based assistance for creating Forge maps or visual scripting. It directs creators to the Halo Discord community for discussion and peer help.
Moderation, permissions and release checklist
User-generated content must follow the Xbox Community Standards and the Halo Spartan Code. Content that violates those rules can be subject to enforcement. Review the mode’s name, description, screenshots, tags and in-game behavior before making it public.
- Choose the correct route: Mode Editor for an adjusted variant, Mode Brain for a custom Mode Prefab.
- Use a descriptive name, tags and instructions that match the actual rules.
- Save after each meaningful build milestone and test.
- Publish the intended version, not merely the latest unsaved or unpublished revision.
- Check Community or Content Browser discovery from a second account or player perspective when possible.
- For a live public match, set Privacy to Open and start the game before expecting a CGB listing.
- Keep the published asset and the live session conceptually separate: one is reusable content, the other is a currently running lobby.
Which approach should you use?
Use Mode Editor when your idea is a familiar mode with altered health, movement, HUD, sandbox, bot or match settings and you want the shortest path to a playable variant. Use Forge Mode Brain when the mode needs a new objective loop, custom responses or behavior that ordinary variant fields cannot express. In both cases, publish the saved asset so others can find it; add a separate open Custom Game Browser session when you want people to join immediately.
Final takeaway
For Halo Infinite, the complete workflow is: build the rules in Mode Editor or Forge, save deliberately, publish the selected file version through Community and My Files, and host an open in-progress Custom Game if you need a live audience. Keeping those creation, publishing and hosting steps separate prevents the most common misunderstanding—believing that a published mode automatically becomes a joinable match.
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