After years of teasers and delays, the long-awaited Halo Infinite has finally been released. Set on the Zeta Halo, you once again assume the role of the Spartan, Master Chief. Rescued by a fellow UNSC soldier, Master Chief is tasked with dispatching a rogue faction of the Covenant called The Banished. Unlike other entries in the franchise, Halo Infinite mixes classic linear level design with a large open-world that players can explore.
Unlike other Halo games, players can actually upgrade Master Cheif’s abilities and shields, giving him access to new powers. However, you will need to hunt down Spartan Cores, which are a special currency solely used to upgrade the various pieces of gear you earn throughout the campaign. Here’s how to get Spartan Cores and how to upgrade your gear.
How to Get Spartan Cores
Spartan Cores are solely obtained by opening up glowing green crates with the UNSC hologram displayed over the top. They will blink and emit a light chiming noise if you are close to one. Opening it up will reward you with a single Spartan Core. You can locate these crates by opening up your map, zooming in, and finding any white arrow symbol pointing upwards. While you can stumble upon these crates randomly throughout your journey, the best method is to liberate Banished-controlled FOBs. Doing so will display a bunch of key points of interest around the FOB, including Spartan Core locations.
You will also find Spartan Core crates during most missions or Banished-controlled installations. You can check how many are in the mission or location by highlighting it on your map. While highlighted, you will see a small bar (circled above) below the name of the area that displays how much Valor you’ll earn and the number of each collectible in the area. I recommend scouring the area for at least the Spartan Cores before leaving any point of interest you visit. Keep in mind not every area will have Spartan Cores, but it definitely behooves you to check first!
Remember: Your scanner can detect Spartan Core boxes within its range. These will be highlighted as orange crates on your HUD whenever you press down on the D-Pad. This can drastically cut down your search time if you’re struggling to find a particular crate. There are no other ways to earn Spartan Cores, so make sure to open every UNSC box you come across.
As for upgrades: Once you have enough Spartan Cores, open up your menu and navigate to the “Upgrades” subtab. From there, you can select which ability you want to upgrade, see what these upgrades do, and the amount of Spartan Cores needed. I strongly recommend upgrading your Shields and Grappling Hook first, especially if you’re playing on a higher difficulty. It costs 9 Spartan Cores to fully upgrade a single ability — meaning you’ll need a total of 45 to max out all of Master Chief’s abilities.
That’s all you need to know about Spartan Cores, so get out there and give the Banished hell!
