Fans of theHaloseries have been waiting for quite a while for the sixth main title in the franchise,Halo Infinite. It has been six years since the release ofHalo 5: Guardiansand, in addition to that, the launch date ofHalo Infinitewas pushed to Holiday 2021, due to a range of factors including the coronavirus pandemic. The delay allowed developer 343 Industries to polishHalo Infinite’sgraphicsand performance, two elements that were highly criticized after a gameplay reveal in July 2020.
Halo Infinitewill offer afree-to-play multiplayer modethat will support 120 fps on Xbox Series X, and the first season of the game will be based on 2010’sHalo Reach,one of the more acclaimed entries in the series. The mode will feature a number of fan-requested touches like equal starts, so that all players jump into the fray with identical equipment, and crossplay across Xbox consoles and PC.
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Today, invites began to go out for the first technical preview, which will focus on multiplayer and testing the performance of thebots inHalo Infinite’s Academy mode. The preview will run through the weekend, from July 29 to August 1, and participants will receive an additional email in the next few days with details about the test and instructions on how to download theHalo Infinitepre-release build.
Those who didn’t receive an invite to this latest beta test, known as a Flight, should make sure they are members of the Halo Insider Program, which allows fans to participate in hands-on early access tests ofHalogames during development and provide feedback. Each Flight has specific goals, and so not all Insiders will make it into every test. Brian Jarrard, Community Director at 343 Industries, confirmed that because this latest tech preview is specifically to testHalo Infinite’smultiplayer mode, a lot of invites will be rolling out.
Multiplayer inHalo Infinitewill feature an Academy modeto give newcomers a chance to practice with different weapons, learn someHalolore, and test their skills against bots. This will give players the opportunity to practice in a multiplayer environment, but without the stress of going head to head with real people who are perhaps more experienced.
The multiplayer technical preview that begins on July 29 will let players try outHalo Infinite’sWeapon Drill modes. This will allow 343 Industries to test how intelligently the bots in the Academy move and react when facing real players, such as their ability to dodge grenades and use the game’s new grappling hook. There will be four levels of bots — Recruit, Marine, ODST, and Spartan — each smarter and more reactive than the previous one.
Halo Infiniteis in development for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
