Halo Infinite players demand answers after seeing AFK player’s “broken” aim assist

Halo Infinite’s multiplayer preview is underway and players are already concerned about “broken” aim assist, after Snip3down shared a clip of crosshairs locking on while a player was AFK.

Eric ‘Snip3down’ Wrona now plays Apex Legends professionally for TSM, but, before the Respawn Entertainment battle royale, he was a 24-time Halo champion. So, it should come as no surprise that he’s watching the Halo Infinite multiplayer preview with a critical eye.

And that’s precisely what happened when Snip3down saw and shared a clip that’s now gotten attention across the internet. In said video, a streamer leaves their desk and, inherently, their controller, but the gun still seems to lock onto enemies perfectly.

It’s a textbook example of magnetic aim assist, but stronger than people expected. When the Halo veteran shared it, he asked a simple question: “Ok Halo, I’m going to need an explanation.”

Halo Infinite “broken” AFK aim assist?

The clip, originally from a streamer named ‘Sheney,’ shows a literally AFK (away-from-keyboard) setup, as the gun’s crosshairs track multiple opponents perfectly — following them as they strafe, while they jump, and generally across the screen.

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It immediately got a ton of attention, as numerous replies centered around how “broken” and “confusing” the aim-assist mechanics are. People were especially worried at first because it seemed that this was mouse and keyboard.

But, after some investigative work by the Halo community it turns out that it was controller and there are some theories as to why it’s happening exactly.

While the clip has gained momentum across the web, with the LiveStreamFails subreddit even getting in on the action, Halo detectives have worked out a theory.

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Based on streamer Chris Covent’s efforts to replicate the aim assist, it’s now believed that the game wasn’t simply aiming for an AFK player. Instead, the assumption is that Sheney had “slight stick drift,” which would cause the game to assume he’s aiming and then try and assist.

Mint Blitz, a Halo YouTuber, offers a similar, but more expansive explanation — believing that this is actually a multi-input bug that “will get fixed before launch.”

Whatever the case is, there are not just eyes on Halo Infinite’s multiplayer preview — there are focused eyes. The first Halo FPS since 2015’s Halo 5: Guardians, players have been eagerly awaiting this game for a while and want it to be as good as it can possibly be.

For the developers at 343 Industries, it’s now clear that fine-tuning aim assist will play a critical role in the title’s reception.