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

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. 

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.