Breathe easy, competitive Halo fans and players: the current version of Flinch present in the Halo 5: Guardians beta is going to be removed.
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Flinch is the movement of a player's reticle when shot, not something present in original Halo titles but introduced (to criticism) in Halo 4. 343 Studio Head Josh Holmes tweeted that the mechanic seen in the Halo 5 is actually just an animation reaction that is simulating Flinch-like effects, and will be updated out of the game.
While there remains some debate in general about Flinch as opposed to de-scoping (which takes you out of zoom when hit but does not move the reticle), it's pretty clear within the competitive community--see discussions such as this Reddit thread. De-scoping doesn't move your aim, allowing skilled no scopes or quick scopes even when being hit by enemy fire. Flinch ruins that aspect of the game by artificially moving your reticle, requiring players to re-align aim making heads-up battles more frustrating.
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While there are those who dislike de-scope, the series' roots using the mechanic means many hardcore players will be happy to see it go once the game is updated.
