14 DAY TRIAL // The development team at 343 Industries and publisher Microsoft are announcing that they are updating the beta period for Halo 5: Guardians with a new Forge map called Orion, which is designed to support the Slayer experience.
The official announcement explains that "Teams will face off on this asymmetrical map, battling from the tops of two defendable towers. Teams must be willing to push out from their bases in order to capture the Sniper Rifle, Hydra MLRS, and Energy Sword that spawn in exposed areas."
So far, it seems that there are no plans to also introduce a new mode for Halo 5: Guardians before the testing period is done.
343 Industries is also using the opportunity to thank all those who have played and are supporting the new experience, asking them to continue to deliver their feedback in order to offer the crucial information that is required to improve the multiplayer experience before the full launch of the game.
The Halo 5: Guardians beta has been offered since December 29 of last year, and so far the community seems to be split when it comes to the new mechanics, with plenty of long-term fans saying that the Sprint mechanic needs to be removed or entirely rebuilt in order to make the game feel closer to the essence of the series.
Halo 5: Guardians is the biggest Xbox One launch of this year
343 Industries and Microsoft have opted for a long beta period for the new shooter in order to make sure that they have data and opinions that can help them shape the mechanics of Halo 5: Guardians in the coming months.
The game needs a solid multiplayer mode in order to deliver a lot of sales and remain interesting for the community in the long term.
The testing also helps to eliminate bugs, which can have a disastrous effect on a launch, as Halo: The Master Chief Collection has been showing.
Halo 5: Guardians will also include a solid single-player campaign, which will feature both the classic Master Chief character and at least one important newcomer, Agent Locke, who was introduced in the Nightfall live-action series that came out in November.
