After years and years of waiting, 343 Industries finally exhibited Halo Infinite's multiplayer during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase at E3 2021 and then immediately followed it up with an extended vidoc from the developers that revealed even more. Multiplayer is the bread and butter of the Halo series, and with the multiplayer adopting a free-to-play model this time around, fans were naturally wondering if (and potentially worrying that) things might go amiss due to loot boxes, pay-to-win, and other nasty elements. But from what I've seen and heard so far, 343 has laid those concerns to rest and I couldn't be more excited about what Halo Infinite will have to offer later this year.

Starting with the basics of its gameplay, Halo Infinite brings back the tried-and-true Arena mode of 4v4 multiplayer and complements it with a bigger-than-ever Big Team Battle mode that now supports 24-player matches. From what we've seen so far, there appears to be a good variety of unique multiplayer maps in a variety of settings that cater to any number of different playstyles. In the vidoc, 343 said it will have more maps and modes to come over time, and I'm eager to see what else 343 has cooking to mix things up in an unexpected way, similar to the MOBA-style Warzone mode for Halo 5.

A big takeaway from the vidoc is that 343 is aiming to support Halo Infinite multiplayer not only for months to come after launch, but years, similarly to The Master Chief Collection. It's new and exciting to think about Halo becoming more of a platform than a game, and it opens up a number of possibilities for where it might be headed in the future. Now, we still don't know all the specifics--and no one outside 343 has actually played the game yet--but 343 is saying all the right things about Halo Infinite multiplayer, as I see it.