Halo Infinite fans buy nail polish for Halo Infinite skin, get Forza Horizon 5 skin instead

Halo-themed nail polish.
(Image credit: Xbox.)

Halo fans have been left disappointed after buying nail polishes for a snazzy Spartan skin, only to find the included cosmetics were for Forza Horizon 5.

The beginning of 2022 saw Microsoft announce a neat collaboration between Xbox and nail polish brand OPI, with some verifiably cringeworthy shade names like You Had Me At Halo, N00berry, and Can't CTRL Me. The announcement also promised a cool Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 cosmetic for those who spent a certain amount on the polishes. The Halo cosmetic is a rad-looking shimmery Spartan recolour, while the Forza Horizon 5 cosmetic is a gorgeous sunset ombre livery. 

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They're both undeniably stylish, but some Halo fans have been left feeling a little deceived after only receiving codes for the Forza cosmetic (thanks, Kotaku). While the current terms and conditions on OPI's site say that codes for the Halo Infinite cosmetic are only available through Amazon (the Forza Horizon 5 skin comes through Ulta purchases), a quick glance at Wayback Machine shows that those conditions weren't originally listed. The whole thing has caused some confusion, leading some to make double purchases to get the desired game's cosmetic.

As if things weren't already a bit of a mess, it turns out the OPI Halo skin isn't even in the game yet. Players won't be able to use the cosmetic until a game update, scheduled for on or before March 1.

I'm a big fan of this collaboration—beauty and gaming are two of my major hobbies so it's always very cool when worlds collide—so it's too bad it seems to have been flubbed by poor communication. Hopefully, it won't deter future collaborations with beauty brands.

Mollie Taylor
Features Producer

Mollie spent her early childhood deeply invested in games like Killer Instinct, Toontown and Audition Online, which continue to form the pillars of her personality today. She joined PC Gamer in 2020 as a news writer and now lends her expertise to write a wealth of features, guides and reviews with a dash of chaos. She can often be found causing mischief in Final Fantasy 14, using those experiences to write neat things about her favourite MMO. When she's not staring at her bunny girl she can be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games or spending far too much money at her local arcade.