For Xbox fans, it's been a long wait for any news on the console's biggest first-party exclusive coming this fall. Halo: Infinite hasn't had any substantial news or reveals since its debut at E3 last year, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it does mean fans are desperate for more news. The next Halo does have a showcase confirmed for Xbox's 20/20 July conference, so it's not much longer, but fans want to know when they can get their hands on this game. Even before that, fans will likely get a taste of that with a multiplayer beta.
Like many multiplayer games getting ready to release, studios typically put out some kind of multiplayer beta to stress test the online infrastructure. Obviously for Halo Infinite, not only being part of the iconic Xbox shooter franchise but also framing the game as a reboot in the wake of Halo 5: Guardians, it's a critical moment for the Master Chief. While multiplayer betas for past Halo games have had varying time frames, there's always been a multiplayer beta for every modern Halo game.
Multiplayer Betas in Halo's Past
As mentioned earlier, practically every modern Halo game since Halo 3 has launched with a multiplayer beta. Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 were early exceptions because of the infancy of online multiplayer gaming in general. The first Halo game only officially had online multiplayer on PC, whereas Xbox could only accomplish multiplayer via a LAN network. Halo 2 was the first to utilize the at-the-time brand new Xbox Live service, and thus didn't have a beta period for multiplayer during the early days of the console network. Halo 3, Halo: Reach, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Halo 5: Guardians had multiplayer beta tests. The only exception was Halo 4 because 343 Industries, newly helming the Halo franchise after Bungie's departure, was solely focusing on internal testing and core development.
343 Industries and Halo had run into problems before when omitting beta testing. Most recently was The Master Chief Collection, but specifically on Xbox. Prior to The Master Chief Collection making its way to PC in 2019, the definitive edition of the series was released on Xbox in 2017. Upon release, Halo: The Master Chief Collection had a litany of connection stability issues, effectively making multiplayer modes unplayable for all Halo games in the collection. This is primarily the reason why every release in The Master Chief Collection for PC has had a multiplayer beta test prior to the release, each of which performed nominally better than the original Xbox release.
Multiplayer Beta Likely Coming Soon
That being said, there will almost certainly be a multiplayer beta for Halo Infinite. At this point, it would be a mistake not to, considering how much is riding on Halo Infinite for the whole franchise. Microsoft has mentioned before that 343 Industries intends to implement beta testing for Halo Infinite in 2020, though no specific date has been announced yet. Regardless of whether or not the story was disappointing, many fans found a surprising savior in the multiplayer modes for Halo 5: Guardians. Not only that, Halo more recently is recovering from the stigma left behind by The Master Chief Collection's initial multiplayer experience.
Every beta in the Halo series has come within its own unique time frame, but it wouldn't be unusual for Halo Infinite to receive a multiplayer beta soon. Halo: Reach received a multiplayer beta in May of 2010, when the game launched in September of that year. Halo 5: Guardians had a multiplayer beta in December of 2014, but the game came out in October of 2015. It wouldn't be surprising if a multiplayer beta announcement comes with the Halo Infinite showcase in July's Xbox event, with a schedule/time frame announced during or soon after the show. Halo Infinite is a launch title for Xbox Series X after all, so a multiplayer beta in July or August isn't that far fetched.
Halo Infinite will release Holiday 2020 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC