Halo: The Master Chief Collection public testing won't start before E3

Halo: The Master Chief Collection's public testing phase, originally planned for April, is now unlikely to kick off before E3. Developer 343 Industries has been teasing a beta since just after the port announcement, though it's been taking a little longer than anticipated to get the game ready for players. 

"Currently it doesn't look like public flighting will begin prior to E3," 343 community director Brian Jarrard wrote on Reddit. "The team has made a lot of progress on a number of areas but everything is just taking time (in some cases longer than initially anticipated)."

In an update at the end of April, Jarrard explained that making the changes for PC was a complicated process that necessitated some extra time. Mouse and keyboard controls, as well as the UI, was a priority, he said, but wasn't in a good enough state for public testing. 

A recent progress report revealed some new details about the port, including the addition of a Reach-style progression system that will let players unlock rewards and will include levels and seasons. One of the reasons it's taking longer, according to 343, is the team's not content with making a straight port, instead aiming for a game that's "authentic to Halo and the PC platform".

E3 2019 begins on June 11. 

Cheers, PCGamesN.

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog. 

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