For those that don't always keep up the news, here's the details the update you got earlier this month...
Reach Xbox LIVE playlists have been updated!
Our first Halo: Reach post-launch playlist update has been successfully deployed to Xbox LIVE. This update addresses a variety of issues in addition to tweaking some of the existing core gametypes and playlists.
Please note that this is just the first of many updates. Our team continues to work on improving the Reach online experience and we're always listening to your feedback and reviewing the voting and game data we get from our servers. Reach will just keep getting better! As always, we welcome your feedback in our Optimatch forum here on Bungie.net.
Also note that we have another small update happening later this month (either 10/12 or 10/19 pending final test pass) that will enable campaign matchmaking. And for everyone out there who doesn't love Infection as much as the rest of the players, don't fret, we have plans to move Infection into its own "Living Dead" playlist later this month.
Lastly, in addition to everything listed below, today's update also makes some tweaks to the betrayal system. Hopefully players will feel it's a bit more 'fair' now and it shoudl behave closer to what you're used to in Halo 3.
Here's the full changelist of everything included in today's update:
PLAYLISTS
Rumble Pit
* Added Crazy King
* Added Juggernaut
* Removed Oddball on Asylum
Team Slayer
* Removed SWAT
* Removed Classic
* Weights adjusted based on voting data
Team SWAT (New!)
* Based on existing Team Slayer SWAT offering
* Removed Hemorrhage
* Replaced Zealot with Arena Zealot map variant
Team Objective
* Added Crazy King
* Added several gametypes on Powerhouse (CTF, Assault, Stockpile, Crazy King, 3 Plots)
* Removed heavy vehicles from all 4v4 Team Objective gametypes
Multi Team
* Added Rocket Race
Big Team Battle
* Added Crazy King
* Removed SWAT
* Removed Snipers from Boneyard
* Weights adjusted based on voting data
Doubles Arena
* Removed Slayer Pro for Season 2
* Removed Boardwalk
* Replaced Zealot with Arena Zealot map variant
Team Arena
* Removed Slayer Pro for Season 2
* Replaced Zealot with Arena Zealot map variant
MAPS
Arena Zealot (New!)
* Added a softkill zone to the space area
* Modified initial spawns so enemies cannot see each other
Zealot
* Objects can no longer be dropped into the boot_base
Asylum
* Removed multiple duplicate Headhunter score zones
Boneyard
* Changed the base object for territories from a hill marker to a flag stand
* Objects can no longer come to rest on the out of bounds cliff behind the scaffolding where the Invasion core is captured
* Players can no longer sit in the out of bounds area under the ship scaffolding
Pinnacle
* Health Packs should not respawn after 15 seconds
Hemorrhage
* Landmine removed from Red team's west cliff
* Respawn time for all Mongoose vehicles is now 45 seconds
* Scorpions replaced with Wraiths (4 minute respawn)
Paradiso
* Respawn timer for Concussion Rifle at Red base is now 30 seconds to match Concussion Rifle at Blue base
Reflection
* Changed the base object for territories from a hill marker to a flag stand
Boardwalk
* Changed the base object for territories from a hill marker to a flag stand
Powerhouse
* Respawn timer for all Needler weapons is now 45 seconds
GAMETYPES
Global Changes
* Slayer DMR now has motion tracker enabled
* Evade has replaced Hologram for all gametypes in which players can hold objects (CTF, Assault, Stockpile, Oddball)
* Evade has replaced Dropshield for gametypes which create concentrated gameplay in specific areas (Crazy King, Territories, Oddball)
* All Classic gametypes should now include Sprint as default equipment
King of the Hill
* Teams are now always able to correctly score points
* Players standing in the hill no longer receive extra points upon returning from a host migration
Rocket Race
* Players now attached to vehicles after being on foot for 10 seconds
* Flipped vehicles will be detected to prevent players from attaching to a non-upright vehicle
* Added functionality for tracking and reporting rotations
* Fountain of Mongeese should no longer be possible (don't ask)
* Players are no longer able to jack another teams Mongoose
* Players are no longer forced into a specific role of driver or gunner
* All players start with a Rocket Launcher
* Players move at 50% speed, do significantly reduced damage and are marked with a nav icon
* Players on foot are now able to score points in Rocket Race
Juggernaut
* The Juggernaut no longer sees other players as allies upon returning from a host migration
* New clients after a host migration will no longer lose their Juggernaut status
Territories
* All teams now have separate capture timers for each territory
* Locked territories will no longer prevent players from using equipment
* The flag in the territory is now attached if the territory is a flag stand object
* Added a HUD_Widget to display contested status to players inside a territory
* The progress bar for a territory will now show as full when that territory is being contested (capture progress is saved and will appear again once the territory is no longer contested)
* Random flag clothes will no longer disappear after a round transition
Oddball
* Bombs in Hot Potato now properly report carry time
* Multiple hot potato bombs will no longer spawn in the same location
* The carry time reported stat will now always be correct after a host migration has occurred
* Players carrying the oddball during a host migration will no longer receive extra points
Stockpile
* All stockpile flags are now attached to their spawn location if it is a flag stand
Invasion
* The game score is now set per frame tick based off of the current phase
* A failsafe game end timer has been added to catch any possible bad cases of Invasion games not ending properly
Invasion: Boneyard
* The core will now reset whenever it is thrown through a shield door into a spawning location in Phase 3
Invasion (Assault) and Assault
* Added sudden death to Invasion (Assault) and Assault gametypes
Race
* Players who die before the first checkpoint will no longer spawn in a random location on the map
