Microsoft and developer 343 Industries have teased Halo Infinite's gameplay for quite some time but have never really shown anything of visual value; it's mostly been minor spoken details. For the most part, fans know that Infinite's multiplayer will be free to play and that it will run at up to 120fps. They also learned earlier this year that Halo's famous multiplayer announcer, Jeff Steitzer, will return to narrate Infinite's multiplayer matches, which isn't too surprising as he's done that in every Halo to date.
However, today marks Xbox's E3 showcase, and 343 industries used the opportunity to give fans their first real look at Halo Infinite's gameplay, showcasing mechanics from previous titles as well as new things for fans to look forward to, like new armor and ways to obtain weapons. 343 Industries also confirmed that the first season of multiplayer would arrive alongside the Halo Infinite campaign, giving players the title's full experience right out of the gate.
The gameplay trailer displays Halo's typical run-and-gun style through choreographed play. Spartans run all over Infinite's various maps killing each other in ways that most players can only dream of doing in a match, like no-scope killing with a sniper mid-jump or catching an energy sword via grenade explosion and killing with it. The antics certainly work to paint Halo Infinite's multiplayer as something thrilling, which the game mode has never really failed to be.
Now that Halo Infinite's first multiplayer showcase is out of the way, 343 Industries will likely take steps to unpack most of the new things players can expect from it when it launches late this year. The studio originally delayed Infinite to spruce up its graphics, as many fans were disappointed with the game's original look when 343 first showcased it. As a result, the game's multiplayer information ended up getting put on hold, hence why it lacks any specific gameplay details.
In this E3, Halo Infinite shared the spotlight with dozens of other Xbox and Bethesda games, so it's not surprising that it received a gameplay trailer and nothing else this time around. Hopefully, sometime soon, a later showcase will teach fans more about the different tweaks 343 Industries has made to Halo's overall multiplayer system, as well as the new items that it will have in store for them. The new shogun armor displayed in the trailer, for instance, likely has some companions that are just as unique looking.
Halo Infinite releases in late 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.