Writh Kul & HVTs - Halo Infinite Interstitial World Design

I was responsible for designing several of the High Value Target (HVT) missions. These missions required careful planning, including selecting a location within the open world, defining the enemy type, and aligning the encounter with a specific gameplay fantasy. As a late addition to the campaign, most HVTs had to be integrated into existing spaces with minimal level design support. While this presented constraints, it also provided an opportunity to repurpose and revitalize areas that were at risk of being cut—giving them new purpose and gameplay relevance.
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MY ROLE: As a World Designer, my role focused primarily on level and combat design within the open-world structure. Direction for each Point of Interest (POI)—including narrative and combat themes—was provided from above, and it was the responsibility of the Lead Level Designer and myself to determine the most effective location for that POI on the world map. This required careful consideration of narrative flow, player golden pathing, and ensuring the POI placement supported the intended gameplay experience. My process began with a pitch document, followed by a detailed blockout using block meshes, terrain sculpting tools, and initial mission and combat scripting. Once the POI was in a playable state, it was submitted for review by the Lead Designer. From that point forward, my role evolved into a more production-focused capacity—advocating for the zone across departments and ensuring the original design intent was preserved through to final shipping. In addition to high-level design responsibilities, I also contributed to set dressing, terrain polish, and advanced encounter and mission scripting as needed to support the overall gameplay experience.
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GAME DESCRIPTION: Halo Infinite is the sixth major installment in the Halo franchise—a sci-fi first-person shooter that traditionally followed a linear, story-driven format. With Infinite, the series made a significant shift to an open-world structure, supported by a heavily modified game engine built to accommodate the new scale and design goals. This transition required extensive research and iteration to strike a balance between the franchise’s classic cinematic gameplay and the newfound freedom of open-world exploration—merging deliberate design intent with the most open-ended player experience the series has offered to date.