343 explains how it created Halo 5s new Warzone mode

If you've been keeping up with all the latest updates from developer 343 Industries, you'll know the tantalisingly close Halo 5: Guardians will feature a new four-player co-op campaign (featuring a Spartan called Fred no less) and an new upgraded version of the Forge theater (set to release two months after the base game). But what about the game's most lasting feature - that moreish multiplayer? 343 is hoping to add a new favourite to your online shenanigans with Warzone. The new mode may be the franchise's most ambitious one yet, featuring 12-player teams squaring off against one another with a few AI and some colossal maps thrown in for good measure.

"Warzone was a lot more challenging than we thought," recalls 343 Industries co-founder Bonnie Ross in the latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine. "And there were points where it did not feel like it was coming together. It was a huge bet for us. I think it was pretty nerve-wracking at some points, but there was a moment several months ago where people started getting good scores back from user research."

The latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine, with Halo 5: Guardians on the cover, is out now. Download it here or subscribe to future issues.

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