Halo 5 Spectator Mode Included in Beta, But it Won't Allow Cheating

Halo fans are just two weeks away from jumping into the Halo 5: Guardians beta on December 29, and now 343 Industries has confirmed that the game's new Spectator mode will be included with it.

Producer Josh Holmes made the announcement in the latest Halo Bulletin, saying he thinks the functionality will be a big hit with the eSports community.

"Spectator mode is huge," Holmes said. "Basically, what you'll be able to do in the beta is--any of your friends that are online, you can go and spectate on their games."

There will be a delay in video feeds as a means to weed out cheating, Holmes explained.

"You can then go and look at that game and you can view it from multiple different perspectives," he said. "It's essentially liked a saved film that's running off of the dedicated server."

Holmes went on to say that he thinks Halo 5's Spectator mode will be "great" in the hands of livecasters and streamers. 343 seems to be taking eSports very seriously for Halo 5, as the developer recently announced the Halo Championship Series, a league dedicated exclusively to Halo tournaments.

Elsewhere in the Bulletin, Holmes laid out the specifics for the Halo 5 multiplayer beta, explaining that players will get to try seven maps and three game modes. Not all will be available right away, however, as the maps and modes will be rolled out over the course of the beta's three-week duration.

343 is also testing some interactivity functionality with the Halo 5 beta, Holmes said. During week two, players will be able to vote on a power weapon for one map, while week three voting will allow players to choose which map they want to see put in rotation.

After widespread connectivity issues with Halo: The Master Chief Collection led 343 to delay Halo: Spartan Strike to 2015, some feared the Halo 5 multiplayer beta might also be pushed to next year. However, Microsoft assures fans that this is not the case, and the beta remains on-schedule to arrive December 29.

Everyone who bought The Master Chief Collection is guaranteed a spot in the Halo 5 beta, though it's unclear if there are going to be other ways to get in. For more on the Halo 5 beta, check out the video above.