Halo Reach And The Rest Of The Master Chief Collection Will Come To PC "When It's Ready"

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to PC at a rate of one game at a time--while the Xbox One version launched with four games, on PC titles are being released and sold individually. Some people are wondering when the games are coming, and now Microsoft has reaffirmed that it is taking a "when it's ready" approach to the launch schedule.

Responding to someone on Twitter, Halo community director Brian Jarrard pointed out that Microsoft never committed to a firm release schedule for each game in the package. "We've never said anything about all the games arriving on PC this year," he said.

The current plan is for the first title, Halo: Reach, to release by the end of 2019, though even this is not locked in. "We've been consistently saying they're ready when they're ready. We certainly hope Reach arrives by end of year but much depends on flighting outcomes--when it's ready, it'll launch," Jarrard said.

After Halo: Reach, the Halo games in The Master Chief Collection will release in chronological order: Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and finally Halo 4. It's understandable that some would feel frustrated that it's taking so long for the Halo games to come to PC. On the other hand, Microsoft does not want to repeat the mistakes of Halo: MCC's terrible launch on Xbox One, so taking the time to make sure the releases come out well seems like the right course of action.

The release of Halo: Reach appears to be coming up soon, as Microsoft recently published the system requirements for the game. Microsoft held the first beta test for Halo: Reach on PC earlier this year while another round of testing is going on right now.

Similar beta tests, or "flights" in the Halo parlance, will be held for each of the other upcoming games before their official release. You can sign up for the free Halo Insider program for a chance to get into the beta tests.

Halo: Reach is also coming to Xbox One in The Master Chief Collection, though a specific release date has not been announced.

As for the next all-new Halo game, Halo Infinite is set for release in Holiday 2020 as a launch title for Project Scarlett. Microsoft will also hold beta testing periods for Halo Infinite, though no firm details have been announced regarding this.