343/Microsoft 343 Industries has finally shared some exciting new details on Halo Infinite, including the brilliant news that the game will indeed feature 4-player split screen.
Bonnie Ross – 343 head and Microsoft corporate Vice President – said during DICE 2017 that all future Halo titles would feature split screen modes, but it was officially confirmed that Infinite would have the much-requested feature during a Mixer stream.
Microsoft/343 Industries343 had previously stated that the controversial choice not include split screen in Halo 5 was one of the “most difficult decisions” the studio had ever had to make, so it’s great to see them back on track.
A number of other new features for Halo Infinite have been detailed in Reddit post. The game will have customisation options inspired by Halo Reach, and that “Black Undersuits” – ie, the parts of the armour that aren’t metal – will feature.
The game’s engine was also developed with “PC in mind”, and 343 have said that this time, PC will be treated as a “first class citizen.”
The Reddit poster goes on to speculate based on the details given in the Mixer stream that the game will likely see a public beta in early 2020, with a release a few months after.
Yesterday, we also reported that Halo Infinite may well feature some RPG elements, based on job listings posted by 343. The studio is apparently after a Senior Systems Designer who has experience with RPG and shooter mechanics.
The listing reads:
343 is looking for a Senior Systems Designer to work on our next epic, systems-driven Halo Campaign. We are looking for a seasoned individual to manage, architect, document, and help drive systemic gameplay within our Campaign experience. Key responsibilities will focus on building and help manage a passionate design team, working closely with other disciplines to design systems as well as tools for the Campaign team. While working closely with the Campaign Director, the ideal candidate will need strong communication skills to pass on both vision for the game as well as give and elicit critical feedback from their team.
343/MicrosoftIt certainly sounds like 343 are trying to build a new kind of Halo game, but also keep the longtime fans happy by adding long-requested features. It’s an ambitious balancing act, but they might just pull it off.
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.