The free-to-play online shooter gets a beta this spring

Mar 25, 2015 18:39 GMT  ·  By

After having appeared as a wild rumor just hours ago, Halo Online is official, with franchise developer 343 Industries confirming that the title is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter experience that will launch in Russia this spring as a beta, and has theoretical chances of appearing in other parts of the world.

The Halo series has been around for quite some time, and most of its big releases have been exclusive to Xbox consoles, although some have however made their way onto the PC platform. Unfortunately, in recent years only the downloadable Halo: Spartan Assault appeared on the PC besides the consoles, despite rumors about other PC releases of older games in the series.

Halo Online is official and is heading to PC in Russia

Now, it seems that a new, custom-built Halo game is coming exclusively to the PC this year, as 343 Industries confirms on its official website that Halo Online is going to launch only on the PC in Russia as a free-to-play online shooter.

More specifically, Halo Online is a partnership between 343 Industries, traditional development partner Saber Interactive, and Russian MMO giant Innova Systems. The title will be available from the 4game platform on the PC and uses the engine of the old Halo 3 to ensure that it can run well on all sorts of hardware configurations.

There won't be a campaign but fans should expect intense multiplayer action and plenty of new elements that might not even appear in the console Halo games.

"Halo Online is powered by a highly modified version of the Halo 3 engine and optimized for smooth performance on lower-end PCs. While there’s no campaign mode, Halo Online is set on a secret UNSC space installation called Anvil, where Spartan-IV soldiers train together in war exercises to sharpen their battle skills and test experimental technology," the studio explains.

Halo Online beta is launching soon

A special beta test for Halo Online is going to take place this spring in order to test out the gameplay mechanics, the features, and the in-game economy. Unfortunately, it will only be available in Russia.

While answering other questions, 343 Industries has mentioned that Halo Online is a learning opportunity and doesn't mean that this is where the Halo series is heading. It also won't appear on the Xbox One as the experience has been built from the ground up specifically for PC.

In terms of releasing the game in North America or Europe, 343 mentions that the focus is on Russia, but "theoretically" the title can launch in other parts of the world, although it would need lots of changes, from language to focus and other such things.