During Microsoft’s E3 2019 presentation, the studio closed out the show with a new trailer for the upcoming Halo Infinite. Later on, Microsoft also confirmed Halo Infinite will be a launch title for the next-generation Project Scarlett Xbox console. However, fans won’t have to wait for Project Scarlett’s release to get a taste of what Halo Infinite offers. It sounds like developer 343 Industries is prepping an upcoming beta test for both PC and Xbox One.
Halo Infinite Upcoming Beta Tests
According to this Halo Waypoint post, 343 Industries will be hosting a pre-launch “Flighting Program” for Halo Infinite. This flighting program will essentially be a prolonged beta made up of numerous “opt-in flights.” The specific terminology used suggests that interested fans will have to manually sign up for the flighting program.
The Halo Waypoint post also says that the opt-in flights “will start small and slowly expand out until release.” This suggests that only a small number of beta testers will be chosen at first. However, more and more testers will be white-listed over time, hopefully giving all who sign up a chance to play. Since 343 will segue the beta into Halo Infinite’s launch, fans shouldn’t expect the beta until sometime in 2020.
Lastly, it sounds like the beta will come to Xbox One first and then PC at a later time. 343 promises it will be giving equal attention to Halo Infinite’s console and PC versions, and that includes the beta.
Halo Infinite is currently scheduled for a holiday, 2020 release on Xbox One, Project Scarlett, and PC. The Halo Waypoint fact sheet also reveals a few other tidbits that are worth knowing. According to the Waypoint post, Halo Infinite will have full support for LAN multiplayer and split-screen gameplay. The game’s armor customization system will also be on par with Halo: Reach. Players who reached SR 152 in Halo 5 will also have their efforts acknowledged in Halo Infinite.
While it seems incredibly unlikely for now, Xbox head Phil Spencer recently commented on bringing Halo to PS4. According to Spencer, Halo on PS4 is possible since he wants to focus on creating “a connected ecosystem” for players.