The upcoming Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer beta is still scheduled to begin on December 29, Microsoft confirmed today, following some speculation that the start-date had been moved up to December 9.

"As previously announced, the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta will officially begin on Dec. 29, 2014 and run through Jan. 18, 2015. Any dates claiming otherwise are inaccurate," a spokesperson said.

Multiple online reports suggested that the beta had been brought forward, and would now begin on December 9. Interestingly, December 9 is the 343rd day of the year, which would have been a sneaky nod to developer 343 Industries, but it is not so.

The Halo 5 beta--which 343 says is not a marketing ploy or a simple server stress test--will give gamers a first feel for the many significant changes 343 has made to the Halo formula in Halo 5, including a range of new player abilities such as ground pound and thrusters.

We recently got to play Halo 5, and you can hear our reactions and see some gameplay footage in the video embedded above. For more on Halo 5, which launches in fall 2015 for Xbox One, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com