According to a recent blog post on Halo Waypoint, the first beta for Halo: Reach on PC from The Master Chief Collection will be released in the last week of June “if everything goes according to plan.” This will not be a massive test phase where everyone interested in playing will get a shot, however. The beta will only be open to a small group of players who’ve locked in a chance for an invite by registering to be a Halo Insider.
In the blog, 343 Industries goes into more detail about why its chosen to approach the first Halo: Reach beta this way.
“We’re starting more modestly because we’ve got quite a few levers to pull and we want to ensure our delivery pipeline runs smoothly, our communications are clear, and that participants can properly provide their feedback on the build,” 343 Industries said. “Since there are so many pieces and levers that need testing, verification, and appropriate approvals, we need to take our time to ensure we’re sending out a quality flight to our Halo Insiders.”
Hands-on with some PC Halo was expected earlier this year but was delayed because the ports to PC needed a bit more work. Microsoft has been playing nice with PC gamers by bringing Xbox experiences to them via the Xbox Game Pass and one of the highest profile releases is getting tested before launch. E3 2019 attendees had a chance to play the PC version of Halo: Reach from The Master Chief Collection and those who weren’t able to try it then will get another opportunity sometime next week.
If you don’t make it into this first test, the developers have not shared when a second opportunity will come around. This is likely because a second wave will be heavily dependent on how stable 343 can make the latest build with the small group that’s being allowed to access it this first time around. If you don’t get in or need something to play up until the invites go out, you can try out games like Metro Exodus, Wolfenstein 2, and Imperator Rome with your Xbox Game Pass for PC.
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