14 DAY TRIAL // After offering a range of information about Battle of Shadow and Light for Halo 5: Guardians, the development team at 343 Industries and publisher Microsoft are finally launching the first major content update for the shooter for all those who own it on the Xbox One.
The two companies explain that all gamers who will log into the game will be prompted to download the patch to be able to play when they run the title next, and the tweaks are required to play the multiplayer modes.
The biggest addition for Halo 5: Guardians are the 48 new REQ cards that gamers can get access to, most of them visible in the image associated with this article, including some cool new armor, more emblems and extra options for those players who want firepower.
One assassination is included, and gamers can get them all by using an in-game currency that they earn from matches, but the developers also offer the option to spend real-world money on them for fans who simply cannot wait.
343 Industries says that their roll-out is not instant, and that means it might be some time before gamers get to collect and use them.
Big Team Battle has also been added to Arena matchmaking, and four associated maps are also available in Halo 5: Guardians.
The full list of changes that are made by the Battle of Shadow and Light free update can be seen by clicking on the button at the end of this article.
Most of the tweaks are designed to improve the overall quality of the multiplayer experience.
Halo 5: Guardians will continue to evolve in December and 2016
343 Industries has also made it clear that it is tracking player behavior and feedback that centers on individuals to find out which gamers are abusing the REQ system or are using boosting to improve their overall performance.
For those who break the rules of Halo 5: Guardians, the studio will first deliver temporary bans, but they can also be eliminated from the multiplayer modes of the shooter altogether if they fail to change their behavior.
343 Industries is also encouraging fans to continue to offer feedback about the title so that the team can have a clear image of the changes it needs to make in future title updates.
Halo 5: Guardians will get access to another big set of changes in December when the studio also plans to introduce the Forge, which offers more features so that members of the community can create cool new environments and other content and then share it with friends.
The development team has pledged that all the maps to be delivered for the shooter during its first year will be entirely free to make sure that the fan base is not split.
The money derived from the REQ system is at the moment set to offer a constant revenue stream for 343 Industries and also allows the studio to enhance the prize pool for the World Championships, which debut with a qualifying period in December.
