14 DAY TRIAL // Video game developer 343 Industries and publisher Microsoft are announcing that all those who digitally pre-ordered the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians before September 21 and are not using the Instant On power mode might have a wrong download for the game that will make it impossible for them to play on October 27.
In order to make sure that the new Master Chief adventure is available for all fans on release date, the two companies are encouraging all gamers to check the size of the file associated with the title.
If Halo 5: Guardians is currently taking up more than 40 GB than the actual shooter, and only a day-one patch is required to unlock all the content and to make some tweaks before gamers can access all the included modes.
If the size is under the 40 GB mark, then gamers will need to delete it and then reinstall the entire title, which might take a little time given its size.
The two companies explain that, "While we anticipate this affecting a small number of players, we want to ensure everyone is ready to play come launch day."
The previous massive launch in the series, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, was affected by some technical issues when it arrived on the Xbox One last year and Microsoft is eager to make sure that the new installment is not affected.
On October, 27 servers will be stressed by the deployment of the day one patch and by multiplayer activity so gamers who placed a pre-order before September 21 should check and re-install now if they have to.
Halo 5: Guardians is at the center of the Xbox One holiday strategy
Microsoft needs the coming video game to be a success because it is the most significant once offered on the console in the coming months and offers a unique selling point in its competition with the PlayStation 4 from Sony.
343 Industries is introducing a wide range of innovative elements, from a single-player campaign that supports cooperative play and unique exploration focused levels to a multiplayer that includes a new Warzone mode and a system for REQ cards.
Competitive gamers will also be able to play in the Arena, and Microsoft has big plans for an eSports presence, with a major event planned for the winter months.
The studio says that it has made a number of tweaks to the core Spartan mechanics since the beta for Halo 5: Guardians and that it plans to tweak playlists and other elements based on both data and player feedback.
The Xbox One is at the moment lagging behind the PlayStation 4 in terms of sales both in the United States and in the rest of the world.
Microsoft is also preparing to deliver a massive bundle for Black Friday, which will include both Fallout 4 and Gears of War: Ultimate for the price of 299 dollars (249 Euro).
It's unclear whether the company is also planning to offer a solid deal that includes both the Xbox One and Halo 5: Guardians.