Master Chief just can’t catch a break. After over 20 years, he’s back on a new Halo ring with a new mission, and a new threat to face. We were already treated to the multiplayer component of Halo Infinite before the campaign launch, but for many people, it’s the story of Chief, Cortana, and the universe in general that makes the Halo franchise so enduring. It’s a shame that co-op isn’t available yet and we can’t explore this new ring’s open world with a friend, but for now, this is a pleasant return to form for the titanic FPS franchise.
Details on the campaign were incredibly scarce all the way up until the game’s launch, but now that it’s out in the wild, we are glad to see the return of collectible skulls. Skulls have been both a collectible and optional difficulty modifier ever since they were found in Halo 2, and have been in every game in the series since. They have become a badge of honor to not only find, but use in the game’s ultimate challenge called LASO (legendary all skulls on). If Halo Infinite is already too easy for you, or you just want an excuse to explore the lush Halo landscape, here’s all the skull locations and their effects.
Note: Some skulls are only accessible during specific story missions. Right now, there is no way to replay any campaign mission without starting the entire game over, so make sure you collect them as you go to avoid having to do so.
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Boom Skull
The first skull to collect is, appropriately enough, in Halo Infinite‘s very first mission titled Banished Warship Gbraakon. As you make your way through the linear level, you will want to stop when you come to a specific room just after you’re given a brief description of each of Chief’s abilities. You will do a short space walk, take an elevator, and go through some hallways leading into a room with a bunch of Brutes and Grunts and some metal crates along the sides. If you come to a doorway you can see holographic projects through, turn back.
This is a multilayered room, so clear it out and platform off of the boxes to reach the second level. From the direction you entered the room in, look right and then ride a metal box being lifted up and down to the top. Finally, hop off to another crate and grab the skull
When activated, the Boom Skull will double the blast radius of all explosions.
Cowbell Skull
Right after that, in the game’s second level, called Foundations, proceed as normal until you reunite with The Weapon. After spotting a few strange spirit figures of children and taking the second ride up an elevator, you will enter a giant open room you can enter via a left or right path. Take the left, clear out the enemies to make things easier on yourself, and stand just outside the door you entered from.
Look at the first pillar up to where it turns into a diagonal. There are two holes in it, and you need to aim your grapple to pull yourself onto the higher of the two. Once on top, very carefully get to the front left edge and look up for another gap you can see running along the ceiling. One more risky grapple to get up there and this second skull is all yours.
When activated, the Cowbell Skull will propel any objects pushed by explosions that much further.
Catch Skull
The first skull you can hunt for after arriving on Zeta Halo and the world opens up to you is the Catch Skull. Open your map and look to the far north. There’s a small lake tucked between some steep mountain cliffs you want to travel to. Look around the edge of the lake for a conspicuous tree stump with the glowing skull perched on top waiting to be found.
When activated, the Catch Skull will make enemies throw, as well as drop, way more grenades.
Fog Skull
The Fog Skull is out in the open world as well. On the map, look to the far west up in the cliffs near FOB Alpha. You will actually need to go around and underneath the cliff side on the edge of the map. Take a flying vehicle — the Wasp is your best bet since you’ll need to enter a tight space. Go around the side and look for a small canopy within the metal columns above the bottom path where someone has set up a little campsite. Among a pile of brute and marine helmets is the glowing skull.
When activated, the Fog Skull will turn off your radar.
IWHBYD (I Would Have Been Your Daddy) Skull
One of the most entertaining and popular skulls in the Halo series makes a return on Zeta Halo. While exploring the ring, take a stop at a base called The Tower down south that you will need to take over during the main story. It is just across a bridge and where you fight Chak ‘Lok. The skull is way up at the top, meaning you will either need a flying vehicle, which is the far easier way, or an upgraded grapple shot to allow you to scale all the way up. The skull is on the center structure on a red-and-white crate.
When activated, the IWHBYD Skull will make enemies and allies say less common — and often more comedic — voice lines and barks.
Blind Skull
Further to the southwest, you shouldn’t have much trouble spotting the massive trench cutting through the ring’s surface. Again, a flying vehicle is highly recommended here. Fly through the trench and below a small bridge of land connecting the two cliffs. Way down below are a few hexagonal pillars sticking out and leading to a tiny hole hiding the skull.
When activated, the Blind Skull will turn off your entire HUD and make whatever weapon you’re holding invisible.
Thunderstorm Skull
Hopefully, you still have that flying vehicle to whisk you over to the far southeast of the map for the Thunderstorm Skull. Near the Banished AA guns, there is a massive tower of those hexagon pillars rising into the sky. There’s one single pillar jutting out next to the mountain of them with the skull perched on top.
When activated, the Thunderstorm Skull will increase the rank, and thus difficulty, of most enemies.
Black Eye Skull
Now move on to the western side of the region to the southeast and you’ll find the Black Eye Skull is hidden in the most classic of video game hiding places: Behind a waterfall. Just follow the cliffs until you find the falls and look up. The entrance is about halfway up, and rather small and hard to spot, but you can reach it with your grapple or, as always, a flying vehicle. Crouch inside the cave lit by red lights pointed at the skull sitting atop a pike of wood.
When activated, the Black Eye Skull makes it so your shields won’t recharge naturally, and instead will require you to melee an enemy to get them back.
Famine Skull
Our next skull, and last one in the open world part of the game, is way off the mainland to the southeast on an isolated little island that requires a flying vehicle to reach. There’s a crashed Wasp on the front, but around back, down a slope, you will find the corpse of an Elite wearing golden armor leaning against a boulder. You will have to pry the skull from his cold, dead fingers.
When activated, the Famine Skull will make any weapons dropped by slain enemies only have half the normal amount of ammo.
Mythic Skull
Back in the more structured campaign missions, this skull is in the mission titled “The Command Spire.” Go through the mission as normal until you enter a large room with those hexagon pillars floating through giant orange force fields. Follow the path of the columns until they turn for a second time and start to glow orange with symbols. Use your grapple to pull yourself up to ride on one of the pillars and, before the pillar turns and moves on, turn and grapple again into a ledge on the ceiling.
It will be nearly pitch black here, so turn your light on and grapple once more to a higher level with an open doorway leading through a short hallway to the Mythic Skull.
When activated, the Mythic Skull will give all enemies more health.
Grunt Birthday Party Skull
For everyone’s favorite skull, you have to wait until you reach the “Repository” mission to grab it. Once you come to the gigantic room with light bridges leading to a central control terminal guarded by sentinels, take them out and interact with said terminal. A cutscene will trigger showing a bridge appearing to lead you to a door, but don’t take it just yet. Instead, look to the right of the new bridge. There is a second door here you can sprint, leap, and grapple over to. Enter the door and pick up a Power Seed. Escort this Power Seed across to the opposite door — the one to the left if facing the door the bridge leads to. If you happen to drop the Power Seed down the pit on accident, you can thankfully go back to where you originally got it and grab another as many times as you need.
Once you do manage to bring it to the other side, enter the door and take an immediate right. Insert the Power Seed in the block at the end and go back to following the level’s main path.
Later, Weapon will ask you to look out a window. Continue into that room and look above the twin rafters ahead of you. Grapple up and you will come to a window that would normally be closed if not for the Power Seed we moved earlier. Get ready, because some camouflaged Elites await to protect the skull resting on the floor across the room.
When activated, the Grunt Birthday Party Skull will make all headshots you land on a grunt result in a pop of confetti and cheering.
Bandana Skull
The very last skull you can get in Halo Infinite is located in the level “Silent Auditorium.” Go along as normal until you come to the first room where you’re attacked by sentinels. DO NOT KILL ANY SENTINELS! Killing even a single one will cause the skull to not be obtainable and you will have to restart. Just avoid them and progress further into the mission until you hit the point where you activate a switch to create a light bridge across a gap.
You’re supposed to turn left after crossing, but instead go straight across the second light bridge and through the door. If you happened to kill any sentinels, this door will not open for you. Assuming you didn’t, go through and pick up the skull from the big triangular ledge.
When activated, the Bandana Skull will give you unlimited ammo and grenades, and removes the cooldown for all your abilities and equipment.
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