Halo Master Chief Collection Patch Beta Cancelled

An experimental public beta test of a patch for Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which would have been the first of its kind on a console, has been cancelled.

Developers at 343 Industries initially believed that a controlled public test of a content update would give insight into what problems it would fix and what new potential errors it could bring up.

But the team now says the beta would have further postponed the release of this long-awaited patch, and say that testing can be completed internally. It is hoped that this major content update, of which there is no release date yet, will remedy the game's major problems.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection launched on Xbox One on November 11, and since then has been plagued by online problems and netcode bugs. Subsequent patches have alleviated many issues--especially the matchmaking delays--but they have also inadvertently introduced new bugs.

"After further evaluation, the team has determined that final testing for the content update will be completed internally, and we will not be conducting a beta test for the next content update," 343 Industries wrote on its Halo blog.

"Also, it was determined that the additional time and work devoted to the beta would’ve actually postponed the public availability of the content update. Lastly, there were some added challenges surrounding the beta--including an extra series of required updates and rollbacks--that made us take a step back and re-examine."

343 Industries concluded: "Ultimately, this plan will allow us to deliver the smoothest possible experience, and ensure that the next content update becomes available as soon as possible."

While fixing the game's major bugs has been a priority for 343 Industries, beyond this the game will be supported with expanded content.