Halo is a series that has often tucked away secret Easter eggs to be found by gamers through both the single and multiplayer experiences. From a Brute acting as a club DJ in Halo Reach, to the collectible Skulls that could be found in every campaign since Halo 2, the sci-fi shooters have always kept players scouring each level looking for new secrets, and Halo Infinite, the latest in the series, is no different.
After the free-to-play multiplayer mode of Halo Infinite launched last month, players have been able to see the extra details squeezed into the game by the developers. Following the launch of Halo Infinite’s campaign mode on December 8, players found even more Easter eggs, including one which referenced a developer for the game who sadly passed away in Spring of 2020.
The developer, Jens Hauch, had previoulsy worked at ArenaNet, the developer for Guild Wars 2, before leaving to work at 343 and on Halo Infinite. Hauch passed away from unknown circumstances at 46 years old, yet 343 decided to make their colleague immortal by placing a tribue to him in Halo Infinite. Spotted by one player on Reddit, the Easter egg can be found on a mountain south of the Third Island in the Sequence mission. The Easter egg shows two Forerunner glyphs indicating the letters JH in a tribute to Hauch.
Players of the game took to Reddit to share their thoughts on the tribute. Some initially thought the Easter egg was a location for a Skull, or a more light-hearted secret like the tribute to Craig the Brute, but many shared their condolences upon finding out the reason behind the JH in the mountain. One user, who appears to have known Hauch, wrote: “Jens was a force of nature. He had a way of engaging in challenges and driving them to a conclusion that was better than anyone had hoped for…This is a tribute to a man that we didn’t get nearly enough time with.”
Hauch is unfortunately not the only Halo developer who has passed away unexpectedly recently. Composer for Halo Reach, Destiny, Guild Wars 2, and Fable 2, Stan LePard passed away in February of this year. As was the case with Hauch though, LePard’s death was met with an outpouring of sadness from the gaming community, with many praising LePard’s work and setting up a fundraiser to support his grieving family. Though LePard did not have a tribute in Halo Infinite, many Halo fans recalled the excellence of his music and creations.
Alongside nods to previous Halo games and a giant sandwich, Hauch’s Easter egg is a worthy find in Halo Infinite, if only to pay respects to a developer that helped make the game what it is today.
Halo Infinite is available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
