Xbox has confirmed players can start playing Halo Infinite's multiplayer today for free after a weekend of rumors and speculation. The reveal was announced as part of a 20th anniversary celebration of both Xbox and the Halo franchise, both of which were released on November 15, 2001. Halo Infinite's multiplayer was initially planned to launch alongside the campaign on December 8, but it appears those plans have changed.
On the leadup to the Xbox Anniversary Celebration stream, there were growing rumors about Halo Infinite multiplayer releasing a month early. Release dates on store pages were changed, Pringles added a countdown to November 15 on its site, and several reputable gaming insiders suggested the early access release was legitimate. After all, it is a milestone year for both Xbox and Halo. There were rumblings of a last-minute delay of the game, but that didn't prove to be the case.
To unsuspecting viewers' surprise, Xbox officially revealed Halo Infinite multiplayer is launching today, November 15, during its 20th anniversary stream. Although it was initially intended to release alongside the Halo Infinite campaign, Master Chief's next story isn't required to play the free-to-play multiplayer component. Developer 343 Industries previously confirmed this split release, which likely played a role in branching the multiplayer off from the campaign's December release date. To sweeten the deal, the Halo Infinite Xbox Series X was also released today, so owners of the special edition console can utilize it to play the game they bought it for.
Halo Infinite's multiplayer is launching in the middle of a very competitive period for FPS shooters. Earlier in November, Activision released a new Call of Duty, and EA is gearing up for the worldwide release of Battlefield 2042 on November 19. Thus far, both have gotten a middling reception from fans, so it's possible Halo Infinite could steal the show if the surprise release goes well. It seems primed for a comeback after some franchise missteps, and there's a considerable amount of buzz backing its potential as the first new-gen Halo game.
On top of its already well-liked multiplayer courtesy of some flight tests, 343 has been teasing an emotional Halo Infinite story in pre-release trailers. Only time will tell how it all pans out, but at the moment, both Xbox and 343 are putting a lot behind this game. It was given an extra year of development to allow for additional polish, so the early release of the game's multiplayer could be a major gamble by Microsoft.
Halo Infinite multiplayer is available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC, and it releases fully on December 8, 2021.