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Halo Space ending and post-credits scene explained

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

If you demand the Halo Infinite ending explained y'all're not alone, as even long-time fans of the serial accept been left wondering what is going on as the campaign draws to a close. Master Principal's adventure actually ramps up towards the end, with barely an hour going by without some new piece of information or exposition expanding the lore and Halo universe. So if you need the Halo Infinite ending explained or details on the Halo Infinite post-credits scene, yous've come up to the right place.

If you're curious as to who the next big bad is going to exist, who The Endless are in Halo Infinite, or just want to know what really happened to Cortana, we have you covered in this Halo Infinite ending explained guide. Plainly, massive spoilers ahead.

What did Cortana exercise between Halo five: Guardians and Halo Space?

Halo Infinite ending explained — (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

With Halo Infinite picking up some 18 months after the conclusion to Halo 5: Guardians, we're only given the smallest of hints as to what Cortana gets up to on her reign of terror. We learn that she swept through the milky way destroying everyone or thing that opposed her, including Laconia Station – which held 76 Spartan IVs – and even threatened Earth direct, stationing Guardians around the planet before leading an assault on the UNSC headquarters in Sydney, wiping the entire region out.

That isn't the most egregious action undertaken by Cortana, however. Information technology'southward also revealed that Cortana tried to draw Atriox, leader of the Banished, into her cause. When Atriox refused her request, Cortana ordered an army of Guardians to environs the Banished homeworld of Doisac and destroy the entire thing. Wondering why the Banished have such hatred for humanity? They blame Cortana's creators for the entire event.

Does Cortana die in Halo Infinite?

Master Chief's mission (before Halo Infinite officially begins) was to reach Zeta Halo and deploy 'The Weapon' a new Smart AI specifically designed to contain and eradicate Cortana earlier she can practice whatsoever more harm, and then delete itself. Nosotros spend much of Halo Space wondering what happened to Cortana and whether Chief completed that mission, merely to somewhen realise that she did in fact destroy herself.

Cortana allowed herself to be deleted after reckoning with her actions. Atriox confronts Cortana on Zeta Halo, who leads her to believe that Master Master has been killed equally a consequence of her destroying Doisac. Cortana then realises the damage that the Banished pose with a super-weapon in its easily, destroys a part of the ring to filibuster its activation, and prevents the deletion of The Weapon, setting a plan in motion for Principal Chief to return, make a new best friend, terminate the Banished, and prevent the destruction of everything the pair had worked so hard to protect over the original trilogy of games.

What is the Weapon in Halo Infinite?

You spend most of Halo Infinite in the company of The Weapon, an artificial intelligence who bears a hitting resemblance to Cortana. It'south revealed that The Weapon is in fact an exact copy – "the just selection we had left", as Primary would put information technology. Dr. Halsey engineered an verbal replica of Cortana, albeit ane that had never met Master Chief, to let it to get behind the AI's defences and shut her down for good. While The Weapon has some reservations almost this revelation, past the end of the game her and Main Master accept reconciled with their mistrust for ane another and she'due south given the option of choosing her own name – naturally, she picks Cortana.

Who are The Endless in Halo Space?

All throughout Halo Space, it's teased that Zeta Halo is unlike the other Installations that humanity has encountered thus far and that information technology could exist hiding something far more destructive than the Alluvion – the parasite that is capable of destroying all sentient life in the universe. During the last meet with the Harbinger, it'southward revealed that The Silent Auditorium was treated by the Forerunners (the original architects of the Halo Array) equally a courtroom, a prison house, and a place of execution. And it's here where the Harbinger'southward species was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment in the bowels of Zeta Halo.

While Principal is able to defeat Straw, non before she establishes communication with a presence outside of The Silent Auditorium, noting: "You lot have what you lot need. Tell them I am sorry it took so long…My time is ended. Yours too. They will make sure. The Endless volition return."

The implication here beingness that The Endless, the species the Forerunners in one case sought to imprison, and went to great lengths to ensure it remained that way, accept been released from their captivity. Whether The Endless will all resemble the Harbinger and their ability set up, or be something else entirely, remains to be seen for at present.

Halo Space post-credits scene explained

The Weapon explains to Chief Chief that "the signal" the Harbinger was using to communicate outside of The Silent Auditorium was "Old… like, really old." It isn't made clear who the Harbinger was talking to, merely the Halo Space mail-credits scene indicates that it may have been a familiar face. We see a Brute activate what appears to be a slice of Precursor engineering science that is emanating the aforementioned yellow glow as the protective shield surrounding the Harbinger in the final The Silent Auditorium run across. Seconds later, we see the slabs containing the imprisoned Endless begin to activate, indicating that the Harbinger's plan has been set into motility.

Halo Infinite Legendary mail service-credits scene explained

Atriox is surprisingly absent-minded throughout Halo Space. The leader of the Banished (who many of y'all may remember from beingness such a ascendant force in Halo Wars ii) can be seen in Infinite's opening cinematic – he's the Animate being who defeats Master Chief and subsequently launches him out into infinite. What'southward weird is that he never really appears once again, with it implied that Atriox died when Cortana ruptured a piece of Installation 07, forcing a dying Escharum to lead the Banished in his stead.

The Halo Space post-credits scene that unlocks when y'all consummate the entrada on Legendary mode seems to indicate that the Creature is indeed Atroix – alive and well. While the regular ending seems to indicate that Atriox unlocks the vault and gains access to The Endless for his own gain, the Halo Infinite postal service-credits Legendary scene paints a dissimilar picture. In it, we're able to hear a conversation between Atriox and an unknown AI, and both seem concerned by what is in front of them.

In fact, Atriox actually speaks to the need to contain The Countless and the threat they pose to life. It'due south hinted that Atriox and the AI are working for a group called "Criterion" – which to my noesis is the first fourth dimension this entity has been mentioned in the Halo universe – who are concerned by the "unprecedented" action Atriox is taking hither by opening up the vault.

It's all incredibly mysterious and it's likely nosotros won't take answers for a little while yet. Halo Infinite is designed to exist a platform that grows over time, then expect to look a little while earlier we get more info on who the Countless and Benchmark are, and what Atriox is up to here.

Josh West is Features Editor of GamesRadar+. With over 10 years experience in both online and print journalism, Josh has written for a number of gaming, entertainment, music, and tech publications, including 3D Creative person, Edge, gamesTM, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. He holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Characteristic Writing, has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a volume for Hachette, and worked every bit the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare fourth dimension, Josh plays bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in movies and Tv set shows that y'all've definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in.