Halo 5’s April Update Brings 2 New Maps

The next free content update for Halo 5: Guardians is coming in April, and will bring 2 new maps, Skirmish at Darkstar and Tyrant.  Ghosts of Meridian will also feature numerous new Req’s, including Tartarus’ Gavel, a legendary Gravity Hammer, and the Hannibal Mantis and Scorpion variants.
Skirmish at Darkstar

This will be Halo 5’s smallest Warzone map.  343i wanted to make the boss encounters in Warzone more challenging, so they added elements to those encounters like giving the bosses the ability to hijack UNSC vehicles or call in reinforcements.  “Throughout the development of our Warzone maps we’ve learned a lot about crafting spaces that work well for both PvP and for fighting AI and bosses,” studio head Josh Holmes stated. “We try to facilitate many different types of play, allowing players to deploy a variety of Reqs according to team strategy and individual playstyle. We want to make sure that no matter which Req players bring in, they have an area on the map where it can be used effectively and to have fun.”

They also wanted to change how matches started: “For Skirmish at Darkstar we have a new intro experience where players are dropped into the middle of the action. Both teams have a clear objective that creates confrontation from the beginning,” Holmes said. “Like in Halo 5: Guardians’ campaign, Prometheans on the map are using stolen UNSC vehicles against players. To balance this, we provide a number of paths that on-foot players can use to navigate between bases without getting run over by vehicles (AI or player controlled). We still want vehicles to be strong, but we made areas where players using vehicles will need to pay more attention and work together as a team to be successful.”

Tyrant
This small-scale symmetrical map was created with Capture the Flag and Assault in mind.  The map features strong sniping sightlines in both red and blue bases, as well as a scattershot for players who prefer up close and personal combat.  Because the map is easily controlled with a sniper rifle, 343i multiplayer designer Quinn DelHoyo had some tips for countering an enemy team who has control of the power weapon:

“The sniper rifle is usually key to winning on Tyrant, but here are a couple tips for Capture the Flag if your team doesn’t have control of the sniper rifle. The first tip is to grab the opposing flag and toss it into the nearby grav-lift/man cannon. If you have a teammate waiting on the other side, they can start running the flag while you hold off opponents in their base.  Another similar move is to grab the flag and toss it up to the level above each base where a teammate can grab and go. I recommend mixing these up as they get the flag out of the base quickly and allow the flag runner to take different return routes to your base.”

Ghosts of Meridian is Halo 5’s fifth free content update following its October launch.