Halo Infinite: These are the weapons you can use during the beta

These are the weapons you can use during Halo Infinite's beta tests.

The first test session for the Halo Infinite beta is now underway, and as you duke it out with the game's AI bots or complete training drills, you're going to be picking up lots of weapons along the way. Halo Infinite features plenty of weapons from past games as well as brand new ones, and all of the weapons have a unique role within its sandbox. Here's an overview of every weapon that you can use during Halo Infinite's beta tests, including an explanation about what they do and details on how you can maximize their effectiveness.

List of weapons in the Halo Infinite beta

For the first beta preview that runs from July 29 until August 1, there are a total of 12 different weapons available for players to try out and use in matches against bots as well as during weapon training drills.

MA40 Assault Rifle

The latest variation of Master Chief's iconic weapon, the MA40 Assault Rifle, is one of the best jack-of-all-trades options available to players in the Halo Infinite multiplayer. It does good, consistent damage at close and medium ranges thanks to its automatic firing, and it's a great weapon to soften foes up with before you finish them off with a quick melee strike. The Assault Rifle is generally weaker than precision weapons when outside of its optimal range, though, and up close, the shotgun will beat it as well.

BR75 Battle Rifle

The BR75 Battle Rifle is an excellent choice for dealing precision damage at range thanks to its stellar accuracy, and the damage is strong, too. Picking up one of these whenever you find them is recommended as precision weapons are the core of the Halo sandbox. Try to make sure you keep your foes at a distance while using the Battle Rifle, though, as it will struggle against close range weapons if you let them close the distance.

VK78 Commando

The VK78 Commando is an automatic precision weapon that's essentially a combination of the Assault Rifle and Battle Rifle that's effective in the roles both weapons fill, making it a great option if you want something solid in both close and long range combat. It loses to the Assault Rifle up close and to the Battle Rifle from afar, though. With the Commando, you're ultimately getting versatility instead of specialization.

Pulse Carbine

The Pulse Carbine is a unique burst-fire plasma weapon that's ideal for short and medium ranges and does excellent damage to shields, making it an awesome weapon to pair with something headshot-capable. It also does respectable damage to unshielded targets, but ballistic human weapons outperform it in this situation. If you fire it too much too quickly, the Pulse Carbine will overheat, so keep that in mind during use.

Plasma Pistol

The Plasma Pistol returns in Halo Infinite, and like in previous titles, it's incredible at stripping shields — especially if you overcharge by holding down the trigger. This will cause the weapon to discharge a massive plasma bolt that tracks enemies and knocks out their shields instantly, leaving them wide open for a headshot. This bolt can also EMP vehicles, which will be useful in Big Team Battle modes. It does abysmal damage to enemies once their shields are down, though.

MK50 Sidekick

With its ability to do good chunks of precision damage and its quick fire rate, the MK50 Sidekick is a great sidearm that's ideal for finishing weakened enemies off. It can also act as a respectable primary weapon, too, although it's less effective in that role compared to more specialized options.

CQS48 Bulldog

The CQS48 Bulldog shotgun is the only close range power weapon in the Halo Infinite beta, and it's a powerful one. Between its high close range damage, tight bullet spread, and fast firing rate, the Bulldog solidifies itself as the most powerful close-quarters combat weapon in the game — though that may change when the Energy Sword is available.

S7 Sniper

The S7 Sniper is the ultimate long range power weapon, giving players the ability to two-shot enemies by hitting them in the body or one-shot them with headshots. It's clunky in close range situations, but if you're able to put lots of distance between you and your targets, the sniper rifle will excel. Just make sure to aim carefully before firing, as both ammo and magazine size is limited.

Needler

Fear the pink mist! Halo's wackiest weapon is back in Halo Infinite, and like previous iterations, it's a great medium range tool for taking down fast-moving targets thanks to its aggressive tracking and speedy fire rate. Once you sink seven needles into another player, the needles will "supercombine" and explode, killing them instantly while also dealing some damage to anyone around them.

Ravager

Even though the Banished Spiker resembles the Spiker from Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, the weapon performs more like the Brute Shot and Concussion Rifle that the Covenant used in previous Halo titles. The Ravager allows players to blanket an area with area-of-effect damage by shooting small explosive plasma projectiles, which is useful for softening enemies up or knocking them out of position. If you get an opportunity to hit multiple players at once with the Ravager, there's a good chance you'll get a multikill on all of them by following up with a headshot weapon.

Heatwave

The Heatwave is a Forerunner weapon that players can use to bounce deadly energy projectiles off of surfaces, which is a useful way to deal indirect damage around corners. You can also shoot it at players directly if necessary. Notably, players can switch the trajectory of the projectiles between a vertical and horizontal mode to control the weapon more precisely.

Skewer

Last but not least is the Skewer, which is one of Halo Infinite's most effective anti-vehicle weapons. It shoots an extremely deadly projectile at high velocity, tearing through any armored vehicle that it hits. It also sends lighter vehicles flying, which will help disable vehicles that it doesn't destroy outright. The Skewer also one-shots other players if they're not in a vehicle, making it a deadly anti-infantry power weapon when in skilled hands. It's slow and awkward up close, though, so switch to something better suited for that range if needed.

Your thoughts

What do you think of the weapons featured in the Halo Infinite beta? Let me know. Personally, I think they're all interesting and fun to use, and hopefully the weapons that 343 Industries adds in the future will be as well. For more on the Halo Infinite beta, don't miss our list of all the maps and modes in the Halo Infinite beta. Also, make sure to check out our guide on how to play the Halo Infinite beta for info on how you can participate in the tests yourself. Hopefully, these beta tests help 343 Industries shape Halo Infinite into one of the best Xbox games ever.

The next adventure in the saga

Halo Infinite

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A new Great Journey awaits

Halo Infinite is sure to be an incredible game filled with wonder, adventure, and more. Based on the beta and what was seen at E3 2021, we can't wait for the full release.