Halo 4's episodic co-op Spartan Ops will be taking a mid-season break so that Microsoft can make room for the Halo 4's "Infinity Challenge" and the upcoming multiplayer Crimson Map Pack.
"Spartan Ops will go on a mid-season break starting December 10," Microsoft announced. "Fret not, though, because your entire Spartan Ops timeline will still be both accessible and playable."
According to the Halo Waypoint site, "The Halo 4 Infinity Challenge on Xbox LIVE will bring gamers the biggest and most accessible Halo tournament in the world. This free-to-enter tournament will track your personal score in War Games and the number of Spartan Ops chapters you complete on global leaderboards, and your progress with relevant Halo 4 Challenges." The tournament will have 2,800 total prizes.
The Crimson Map Pack will release on Dec. 10 and is comprised of three new multiplayer maps: Wreckage, Harvest and Shatter. The maps will release a week before the Infinity Challenge begins in order to give gamers time to get familiar with the new maps.
Even though the Spartan Ops season will be on break, several of the best chapters from the first five episodes will be featured next week in a "Best of Spartan Ops Compilation." The compilation will consist of the following chapters:
- Core - Chapter 5 of Episode 1
- Hacksaw - Chapter 3 of Episode 2
- Shootout in Valhalla - Chapter 4 of Episode 3
- The Didact's Gift - Chapter 5 of Episode 4
- Spartan Miller - Chapter 1 of Episode 5
The first five episodes will then be re-entered into Matchmaking one episode per week from Dec.17 to Jan. 14, 2013, as part of the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge. The second half of Spartan Ops season 1 will begin later in January. An exclusive first-look at the continuation of Spartan Ops Season 1 will be shown during the Spike TV 10th Annual Video Game Awards on Dec. 7 on Spike TV.