At PAX Prime last week, Halo 4 developer 343 Industries revealed the news that the e-sports mode Griffball, a game in which players carry a bomb and aim to plant it without dying, returns in Halo 4. 343 Industries also revealed that carrying an enemy flag in Capture the Flag now equips players with a pistol in one hand.

Grifball was introduced in Halo 3 with the addition of the map editor Forge and grew in popularity with Halo: Reach. On user-created maps, it is based around teams of four wielding Energy Swords and Gravity Hammers that fight over the bomb. The carrier of the bomb gains increased speed and health; planting the bomb on the opposite end of the 'field' scores points. The first team to five points wins.

In Halo 4, Grifball players can now pass the bomb to other players, a mechanic brought over from Oddball.

Meanwhile 343 Industries posted screenshots of Capture of the Flag and a new map called Exile on the Halo Waypoint blog. The big change compared to past Halo titles is that a magnum pistol is now equipped in the right hand when carrying the flag, which previously used both hands.

Running speed appears unaffected by carrying the flag, so the old trick of "flag juggling," repeatedly dropping and picking up the flag to gain speed, is gone. Bungie tried to remove flag juggling in Halo: Reach, or at least make it harder by forcing players to jump and throw the flag, though the community still found a workaround. The change is a fundamental change from past Halo games because carrying the flag made the player vulnerable and slower, while juggling the flag to gain speed showed the flag's position on the map.

Players can also wield a pistol when carrying the ball in Oddball; assassinations are possible in both Capture the Flag and Oddball, specifically using the gamemode's object.