New Halo 5 Guardians Beta Trailer

Microsoft has published a new Halo 5 Guardians Beta Trailer. The trailer showcases a variety of abilities, weapons, and maps that users will have access to in the Halo 5 Guardians beta. The beta starts on December 29 for those who purchased Halo The Master Chief Collection. Hopefully the Halo 5 Guardians beta does not experience the same matchmaking troubles that the Halo Collection did with players unable to join games online. The beta will last for three weeks, ending on January 18, 2015. The beta will offer 4v4 matches across seven maps, with two new weapons available, some new modes and a Competitive Skill Rating system. You can also choose not to participate in the Halo 5 Guardians beta and instead watch matches in Spectator Mode.

Halo 5 Guardians is changing up the base Halo gameplay quite a bit. Mobility has been pushed with every player equipped with a sort of small jetpack that allows you to boost both up and down onto ledges. You can even use it for a new ability that is reminiscent of Destiny’s Titan where you can do an area of effect attack on the ground killing anyone in range. Assassinations reappear and are quicker to execute. You can also slide to avoid fire and find cover quicker. One of the new weapons is a grenade launcher and the other is a remix of the energy sword. The sword is now called the Prophet’s Blade and is more yellow in color and shorter. It still is an instant kill weapon. Some of the more energy based weapons from Halo 4 also return. Aiming down the sights has been modified and is called Smart Scope but you will be forced out of aiming when shot. Every weapon will have some form of Smart Scope but its not necessary to use it.

The Halo 5 Multiplayer beta will help 343 Industries actually incorporate fan feedback into the game since the title won’t be released until late 2015. It will be the first taste players will get of Halo 5 Guardians and all of the changes it is bringing to gameplay. If you’re interested in where Halo 5 Guardians is going narratively you can check out Halo Nightfall which features a new Spartan character, Locke.