Spartan Academy

Aim Assist is a tricky mechanic, a lot of players don't quite understand it, but it has a huge impact on how you play.

Aim Assist, or "AA" is broken down into several parts, they all come together to make the aiming experience better. Yes, aim assist is a GOOD thing for Halo! It's the reason that controller players can land their shots, and it helps create additional consistency for all players!

Autoaim is the system that redirects your shots closer to target. A lot of players call this "bullet magnetism", though the game files refer to this as autoaim. When you fire your weapon, Infinite checks to see where your aim is, and will alter the bullet trajectory towards the targeted enemy. What this means for you is that if you're a little off target, those shots will curve onto target and help you.

Each weapon has a different autoaim value, some weapons get more help than others. For example, the MA40 Assault Rifle is very generous with it's autoaim, but the S7 Sniper Rifle expects you to do all of the work.

There is a range in which this autoaim falls off, as well. If you are on console (Xbox One, Series X|S), you get an additional benefit: the red reticle. It will technically be any color you set your enemies to, but this colored reticle tells you when you have the benefit of aim assist. The PC community has been asking for this feature to come to PC since launch, but 343 has stated they believe it to be an anti-cheat measure.

Magnetism is the pull of your crosshair onto target. This is the part that gets tricky between inputs. (Can you see why we don't use the term "bullet magnetism"?)

Controller users will feel magnetism anytime they're moving. It appears to work at 60% strength on a scale where 100% means perfect automated targeting. This is why when you're navigating in multiplayer, you'll feel your weapon "pull" to target. It will stop if you do.

A lot of higher level players will adjust their "deadzones", or the radius on their thumbsticks where the game will not accept input. By lowering their deadzones, they find a point where their Spartan will always be in a state of movement, and will always have magnetism.