Halo: Master Chief Collection Devs Will Beta Test Next Patch

Halo series custodian 343 Industries is planning to group-test a major Master Chief Collection patch with a closed beta, as part of a wider effort to resolve the game’s online problems that have dragged on since its release in November.

A new content update, that will introduce major changes to key elements such as matchmaking and the party system, will be available on Friday to select fans in North America, with the test phase taking place throughout the weekend.

343 Industries believes that, despite testing the patch internally, exposing it to some members of the community is the only way to know for certain whether it will work as desired.

“Given the scale of the update, which includes changes to the Halo: The Master Chief Collection matchmaking experience and party system, we are opening it up to members of the Xbox One Preview program to provide additional testing in an ‘at home’ environment to ensure the official release is the best possible experience for players,” the studio said.

Some previous patches to Halo: The Master Chief Collection have inadvertently introduced new bugs to the game’s netcode.

The preview program is opt-in, so those who do not want to take the risk will not need to. Only some players, likely those who have reached a certain level of experience with the game, will be invited to take part. The beta is for North American residents only.

Halo The Master Chief Collection launched on Xbox One on November 11, and since then has been plagued by online problems and netcode bugs.

More details of the patch beta test can be found here.