In Halo Infinite, use Community > Community File Share to find Forge-made maps, modes, and Prefabs, then bookmark anything you want to keep. Use Community > Customs Browser when you want to join a Custom Game that is already running. These are different jobs: File Share finds content, while Customs Browser finds an active session that can accept you immediately.
If you want to play a particular creation with friends, bookmark it and have the fireteam leader select it in a Custom Game. If you simply want to play with other people now, browse active sessions and choose one with room. The steps below apply to Halo Infinite and do not assume that a particular file or lobby will remain available.
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What you need before you start
The workflow is for Halo Infinite multiplayer. Forge is included with the game’s free-to-play multiplayer experience, so you do not need a separate Forge purchase to discover or use community creations. Availability is live: creators can change or remove files, and a browser session can fill or end while you are looking at it.
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- Use the main-menu Community tab. The exact menu labels below are the current labels described by Halo Support.
- Decide whether you need a file (a map, mode, or Prefab) or a live game session. A file can be saved for later; a live session must already be in progress.
These instructions are not a verified guide to Halo: The Master Chief Collection. They are specifically for Halo Infinite.
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Understand the two ways to play community content
| Goal | Use this path | What you get | What can prevent success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Find a map, mode, or Prefab to use later | Community > Community File Share | A searchable listing and a bookmark you can use when arranging a Custom Game | The creator may change the file, or the listing may no longer be available |
| Join strangers or friends who are playing now | Community > Customs Browser | An immediate join option for an active Custom Game | The game has not started, is full, or has ended |
| Run a specific creation with your own group | Bookmark the creation, then create a Custom Game | Control over the map, mode, and group | The organizer must be able to select the saved content and invite players |
Halo Support describes Customs Browser as a list of currently active Custom Games that players can join immediately without waiting in a lobby. That distinction explains why a friend’s pre-game lobby or a planned event may not appear there: the browser is not a reservation list.
Find community-made maps and modes in Community File Share
Community File Share is the discovery route for Forge creations. Halo Support’s Forge overview says to open the Community tab and use the Community File Share tiles to discover popular Forge maps, modes, and Prefabs: Halo Infinite Forge Overview.
Browse the featured tiles
- From the Halo Infinite main menu, select Community.
- Open the Community File Share area.
- Choose a tile that matches what you want to play. Recommended contains selections chosen by Halo Studios.
- Use Popular Maps or Popular Modes when you want creations with the most plays during the last seven days.
- Use Popular Prefabs when you are looking for reusable Forge building pieces. This tile is based on the most-bookmarked Prefabs during the last seven days, not on match plays.
The seven-day windows are rolling popularity indicators, not permanent rankings. A popular item can move down the list as player activity changes, so save a creation when you find it rather than assuming you can locate it again by position.
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For a specific creator, title, style, or keyword, select Browse All in Community File Share. The search supports file names, tags, and keywords. Try the exact title first, then a distinctive word from the title or a relevant tag if the first search returns nothing.
- File name: Enter the published name when you know it.
- Tag: Narrow results using the creator’s descriptive tags.
- Keyword: Search a general term when you do not know the exact name.
Check the item type before saving. A map, a mode, and a Prefab are different kinds of Forge content; finding a similarly named item of the wrong type will not give you the setup you expected.
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- BUILT-IN AUDIO SUPPORT — Plug in compatible headsets using the 3.5mm audio jack for direct voice chat and immersive in-game sound.
Open a listing before saving it
Read the listing’s name and preview information so you know what you are bookmarking. Community File Share is a catalogue of creations, not a guarantee that every item is currently playable in every party size or rule combination. If the title identifies a mode that requires a particular map, note that relationship before you leave the listing.
Bookmark a creation so you can use it later
Bookmarking is the hand-off between discovery and actually hosting a game. Halo Support’s menu guide identifies Community > My Bookmarks as the place to retrieve saved custom games, Prefabs, and replays: Guide to Halo Infinite Menus.
- In Community File Share, open the map or mode you want.
- Select the listing’s Bookmark control.
- Return to Community > My Bookmarks when you want to check or select it.
- When arranging a Custom Game, have the fireteam leader choose the bookmarked or saved creation from the map and mode selection menus.
Bookmarking does not place you into a game and does not make a lobby appear in Customs Browser. It only keeps the creation accessible from your account for a later Custom Game setup. If a creator changes or removes the file, your saved reference may no longer behave exactly as it did when you found it.
Join a live community session through Customs Browser
Use Customs Browser when the priority is playing immediately with a group that has already started. It shows active sessions, not games that are waiting for enough players.
Open and inspect the session list
- From the main menu, open Community.
- Select Customs Browser.
- Review the displayed session names, map names, mode names, and thumbnails.
- Apply filters or sorting to narrow the list. Filters are useful when you know the map, mode, or another session characteristic you want.
- Refresh after changing filters and whenever you need a newer snapshot of available sessions.
The browser displays 12 sessions per page. That is a page size, not a promise that only 12 games exist; moving through pages, changing filters, and refreshing can expose a different set of active listings.
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- SHARE BUTTON: Seamlessly capture and share content such as screenshots, recordings, and more with the new Share button.
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Join immediately or inspect details
Select a session and choose Join for an immediate attempt to enter. Choose View Details first if you want to inspect the map, mode, player count, or other information before committing. A session can fill between the time it appears and the time you select it, so an unsuccessful join does not necessarily indicate a problem with your account.
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Know the session capacity
Halo Support states that a Custom Game supports up to 24 players and 4 observers per session. The practical limit for a particular listing can be lower if the host configured fewer slots or if players have already occupied them. Look at the displayed capacity and open slots rather than assuming that every session has the full limit.
Why a specific Custom Game Browser session is missing
A missing listing is usually explained by the browser’s definition of joinable. The session must be in progress and have a slot available. A lobby that is only waiting to start is not listed as an immediately joinable game, and a full session is omitted.
The session has not started
If a friend created a Custom Game but is still in the setup lobby, wait until the match starts. Customs Browser is not a directory of future games. Once the game is in progress, refresh the browser and check the relevant filters again.
The session is full
A full session will not appear as joinable. The host may need to finish the current round, remove a player, or start a new session with additional capacity. Increasing the browser’s refresh rate cannot create a vacant slot.
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Your filters hide it
Overly narrow filters can remove a session from the results even while it is active. Clear or broaden the filters, refresh, and then narrow the list one condition at a time. Confirm the map and mode names shown in the session details rather than relying only on a thumbnail.
The match ended while you were searching
Browser listings change as games finish. Refresh to obtain a current list. If the match ended, the original session is no longer joinable; the group may remain together and start another Custom Game.
You are trying to join a friend’s full fireteam
Halo Support notes that a missing or disabled Join option for a friend can mean that the friend’s fireteam is full. Ask the fireteam leader to make room or start a new group, then try again.
You were booted from the session
A player removed from a session cannot rejoin that specific session independently. Someone still in the session must invite the removed player again. This is different from a temporary browser refresh issue: repeated searching will not restore access without a new invitation.
Host a Custom Game with a community creation
Choose this route when the map or mode matters more than joining an arbitrary live match. A Custom Game can use Forge maps and modes, and its organizer can combine maps and modes outside the combinations used by standard matchmaking. Halo Support’s game-mode guide explains the Custom Game setup options: Guide to Halo Infinite Game Modes.
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Prepare the content
- Find the map or mode through Community > Community File Share.
- Bookmark it, then verify that it appears under Community > My Bookmarks.
- Invite the players you want in your fireteam before configuring the match, or plan to share the session details once it is active.
Configure the match
- Open the Custom Game setup from the multiplayer menus.
- Choose the map and mode selectors.
- Select the bookmarked or saved Forge content. The fireteam leader is the person who chooses the content for the group.
- Set team, player, and observer options that fit the creation. Do not exceed the session’s maximum of 24 players and 4 observers.
- Start the Custom Game when the group is ready.
The organizer has more control on this route, but the group must coordinate. A bookmarked creation is not automatically synchronized to every participant’s account; the leader’s selected content determines what the session loads.
Invite players after a round
When a browser match ends, players remain in the same fireteam. The leader can start another Custom Game with that group, which is useful for rotating through several bookmarked maps or modes without rebuilding the party from scratch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose the right route for your situation
| Situation | Recommended action | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| You want to play any interesting community mode right now | Open Customs Browser, filter, refresh, and select an active session | You are relying on a currently running game with an open slot |
| You know the exact map or mode title | Search Community File Share with Browse All, then bookmark it | File Share supports names, tags, and keywords |
| You want to play with friends on a particular creation | Bookmark the file and have the fireteam leader select it in a Custom Game | The organizer controls the content and start time |
| You cannot see a friend’s session | Check whether it has started, whether it is full, and whether your filters are hiding it | Only active, immediately joinable sessions are listed |
| You want another round with the same group | Stay in the fireteam and let its leader start another Custom Game | The group persists after the browser match ends |
What Custom Games do—and do not—count toward
Custom Games are for playing selected content with a group, not for progressing the standard reward track. Halo Support states that Custom Games do not award Match XP or Challenge progression. Plan your session accordingly: use it to explore a Forge creation, practice a rule set, or organize a private event, rather than expecting the same progression as matchmaking.
The browser’s operational limits are also worth keeping in mind:
- 12 sessions per page: the number of entries shown at once.
- Up to 24 players: the maximum player count for a session.
- Up to 4 observers: additional observer slots within that session limit framework.
- Active sessions only: a game must be in progress and joinable to appear.
A reliable troubleshooting checklist
Work through this order when a file or session seems to have disappeared:
- Confirm you are in Halo Infinite, not a different Halo title.
- For a creation, return to Community > Community File Share > Browse All and search the exact name, then a tag or keyword.
- For a saved item, open Community > My Bookmarks and check that you bookmarked the correct content type.
- For a live game, open Community > Customs Browser, clear restrictive filters, and refresh.
- Check whether the target session has actually started and still has an open slot.
- If joining a friend, ask whether their fireteam is full or whether the match ended.
- If you were removed, request a fresh invitation from someone still in the session.
- If the game ended, remain with the fireteam and ask its leader to start another Custom Game.
These checks separate a discovery problem (the file is hard to search for) from a live-capacity problem (the session cannot accept another player). Repeating the same search without changing the relevant condition will not solve either one.
Quick Recap
Official references
- Halo Infinite Custom Game Browser (CGB) Overview — browser behavior, filters, capacity, missing sessions, and rejoining rules.
- Halo Infinite Forge Overview — Community File Share discovery and popularity tiles.
- Guide to Halo Infinite Menus — Community and My Bookmarks navigation.
- Guide to Halo Infinite Game Modes — Custom Game map and mode selection.
- Halo Infinite Forge — official Forge overview and community-creation context.
- Halo Infinite Update – December 6, 2022 — official update reference.
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