Halo Infinite's free multiplayer mode has been released early – it's available now on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
As part of Xbox's 20th anniversary stream to celebrate the release of the original Xbox, Microsoft confirmed the surprise release of the multiplayer component, which will be entirely free-to-play. The surprise announcement is a nice way to celebrate the anniversary, not to mention one of the company's longest-running franchises – not least given that Halo: Combat Evolved was a launch game for the original Xbox.
The mode was originally supposed to be released on December 8, alongside the game's campaign mode. Unlike previous Halo games, the multiplayer and campaign modes are two separate releases, with the former free-to-play while the latter will retail at $60.
Rumors began to spread a few days ago about an early release for the mode, after a fan saw a November 15 release date listed in the game's store page source code.
Despite the game also arriving on Xbox One, Halo Infinite has been a highly anticipated first-party release for Microsoft since the Xbox Series X/S was released last year. Halo Infinite was originally set to release as a launch title alongside the Series X and S game consoles before Microsoft delayed the game into 2021 due to "COVID-related impacts."
In recent months leading up to its release, 343 Industries held a series of technical preview tests on PC and consoles to allow players to get a glimpse of what to expect from Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode.
If you want to learn more about Halo Infinite, IGN has exclusive coverage on the game running throughout this month. This includes our hands-on impressions of the campaign after playing the first four hours. In addition, earlier this month, we revealed a new multiplayer map called 'Streets' coming to the game.
Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.