Halo Infinite toy leak reveals the return of a beastly enemy

Halo Infinite is set to ship alongside Microsoft Xbox Series X later this year, and while we don't know much about the game just yet, an alleged leak from an unexpected source has revealed that Halo Infinite will feature the return of an iconic enemy that appeared in Halo Wars 2 — along with some exciting all-new weapons to play with.

Photos of two unreleased Halo Infinite toys were posted on Twitter on April 25 and then reposted to the gaming forum ResetEra on Friday. The figures were both Lego-like Construx figures, one of which was a Brute Warrior.

The Brutes, or Jiralhanae race, are a giant ape-like species that were introduced in Halo 2 but were absent from Halo 4 onward. The toy is decked out in armor that looks a lot like the uniform of the Banished faction from Halo Wars 2 rather than the standard Brute power armor, which made the hulking alien race so menacing in previous installments of the game. The new Brute is also holding a never-before-seen weapon that appears to be cross between the classic T-25 Brute Shot grenade launcher and the Focus Rifle.

This might signal the return of the group in Halo Infinite, which would make a lot of sense based on the Construx leak. The Banished are led by a Brute warlord named Atriox, and it's an interspecies group that rebelled from the Covenant. In the years since, they've functioned as yet another enemy faction opposed to both the UNSC human forces and the Covenant.

The leaks seemingly confirm that this splinter faction might return as an enemy in the Series X launch title, or perhaps even an unlikely ally?

The second Construx figure is of a Spartan Gungnir with another new weapon that appears to be a heavy pistol, along the same lines at the Magnum. Spartans are genetically modified human super-soldiers, like Master Chief. Project GUNGNIR was a secret initiative conducted by the humans in Halo 3 to create an even stronger subdivision of Spartans that have been around ever since, but it's chiefly responsible with the creation of the Spartan Laser and upgraded pieces of Spartan Armor that appear as cosmetic options in most Halo games since.

The Inverse Analysis — These leaks don't give gamers any major insights into gameplay, but it does further confirm that Halo Infinite will be a big nostalgia trip for lifelong fans of the series and includes various hints at previous species and technologies. At this point in the Halo timeline, the Covenant have been all but dissolved, and all of the races have broken up into different factions. The Banished are perhaps the earliest and most interesting splinter group, so for them to have a major role in the upcoming game makes a lot of sense. But it's unclear exactly how they'll fit into the broader plot.

Not only will Halo Infinite put gamers back into the shoes and power armor of Master Chief, but the game will involve these beastly Brutes among other memorable baddies from the long-time Xbox exclusive.

Get those Spartan Lasers ready.