Halo Infinite multiplayer showcased at E3 2021.
For those hungry for more Halo Infinite news, Microsoft and 343 Industries have shared a trailer showcasing the game’s multiplayer, which will be free to play.
In addition, Halo Infinite’s head of creative area, Joseph Staten, provided new information about how the game’s development is going and also that the launch is still scheduled to take place in late 2021.
Check it out below:
Hello guys! I hope you enjoyed your first look at Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode. I’m sure you have a lot of questions, so I’d like to offer more information, as well as encourage you to check out our more in-depth text on Halo Waypoint. We also have a new video from our multiplayer team coming out tomorrow, plus an in-depth look at our trailer this Thursday during Xbox Game Showcase: Extended with Associate Creative Director Tom French, Multiplayer Designer Alex Bean and Lead Designer of sandbox Quinn DelHoyo. But for now, let’s talk a little more about where the team has been, where we’re headed, and what we’re working on leading up to launch.
When I joined the team in 2020, I fell head over heels into the game, enjoying the campaign and participating in multiplayer playtests. The first thing that struck me about Halo Infinite is how, in many ways, the realization of the vision we had for Halo 20 years ago – when we were making the original titles. That sense of wonder, the freedom to explore an expansive alien world and uncover its secrets all come to life. Finally, technology has caught up with the vision, and that’s extremely exciting for everyone at 343.
We also came together as a team and identified key areas of focus that we feel are important to finish the game on a strong note and deliver an experience our fans will love. Since then, we’ve focused heavily on the elements that make Halo exceptionally fun, while polishing and optimizing the game in preparation for launch on Xbox and PC. We’re not done yet, but we’re getting close. We can’t wait for you to finally play this title.
Even though launch is a big moment, it’s just the beginning of Halo Infinite’s Great Journey (sorry, couldn’t help it). Our team’s main focus is on the content we’ll deliver after the game launches, and work has already begun on our first year of content – and beyond. You’ve seen some examples of this effort in our Multiplayer Trailer, featuring tons of Spartan customization options that will feature in our first season, “Heroes of Reach,” including a Spartan Yoroi. And in case you were wondering, Yoroi armor is free and you can unlock it just by playing Season 1 events.
When it comes to gameplay, our goal is to deliver a multiplayer experience that honors classic Halo combat, while giving new players the support they need to get into the game and enjoy it. To that end, we’re introducing Spartan Academy and Spartan Commander Laurette, which will help players get to grips with maps, weapons, and equipment. We’re also introducing bot matches so new and returning players can warm up before hitting the battlefield. We have more features for bots and Academy content ahead of launch.
And that hits our other focus, making Halo Infinite a game that will grow over time with the community. It’s extremely important that all of you are partners on this journey, and we’re dedicated to listening to your feedback and continuing to improve the game over time. As we try new things and take risks, we’ll be listening carefully to the community to understand what players love and what we need to re-examine as we go forward. For the first time in franchise history, we’re getting a chance to really dive in and deliver new experiences for our players. Some things you can expect like new maps and modes. But we may have a few more surprises up our sleeve for the next few months – before this year.
What makes me most excited about this journey we’re starting together is the fact that multiplayer is free to play, and how that gives us the opportunity to build the greatest Halo community ever. Plus, with crossplay and cross-platform progression, there are almost no barriers to having fun with friends no matter where they play. It’s very special to be able to grow the community and bring it together in this way.
For the past few months, we’ve been taking fans behind the scenes with our Inside Infinite blog series, featuring faces from across the studio and telling stories about how the game is made. The past year has been full of challenges and successes for all of us. But we will continue to have open and candid conversations with our community and keep everyone informed of our progress as we make this title our most ambitious Halo game yet.
I also want to encourage everyone to go to Halo Insider and sign up if you haven’t already. We’ll be conducting technical previews over the coming months, and signing up will give you the chance to be one of the first people to play, provide feedback, and help ensure we have the best launch possible. We’ll have more details on the preview program soon, but for now, sign up! We’re really excited for people outside the studio to play the game.
Lastly, while today is – in large part – a celebration of the Halo Infinite multiplayer experience, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also talk about those tantalizing bits of the campaign we shared during the showcase. We’re continuing the story of the Master Chief and Cortana from Halo 5, but we’re also telling a story that new players will welcome. Cortana’s fate is one of the great mysteries of the Infinite campaign, and early in the story, you’ll meet a new UNSC AI, “the Weapon,” who was created to help stop Cortana. Together with Pilot, Master Chief and Weapon, an epic adventure begins to explore Zeta Halo, defeat the Banished forces that control the ring, and unravel even more mysteries along the way.
Speaking on behalf of the entire Halo Infinite team, we are honored to share our work with you today as we head towards the release of Halo Infinite this holiday season. We have a lot more to share with you in the coming months, but most importantly, there’s a lot for you to discover for yourself when the game launches. Zeta Halo is almost ready for you to explore, and I hope you’re as excited as we are to enjoy this adventure.
