Halo: The Master Chief Collection will grant access to the Halo 5 multiplayer beta

Now this brings me back

Halo: Combat Evolved's multiplayer will forever be my personal favorite, despite all the improvements that the series has made since. Even if the default pistol is way too good at long-distance headshots, everybody's got one, so it's totally fair! I'm sure many of you have fond memories of your favorite online Halo experience, which you probably thought were a thing of the past. But thanks to Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One, some of your most beloved Halo multiplayer experiences are making a comeback.

Yep, all those rumors were true. Every game starring Master Chief--Halo: Combat Evolved, 2, 3, and 4--is being bundled onto a single Xbox One disc, running at 60fps in 1080p. Halo 2 is also getting special attention with the full Anniversary Edition treatment, meaning high-res textures and improved lighting (though you can switch back to the original visuals at will, now at near-instant speed). But what's most exciting for me is that the multiplayer experience for all four games will be united under a single interface and bolstered by dedicated servers. Better yet, these online experiences will be one-to-one ports of their respective engines--meaning that beloved bugs-turned-tactics like Halo 2's BXR technique will be restored in full.

If you're more interested in the series' single-player campaigns, you'll be able to play any mission from any of the four games in any order, on any difficulty. That's a lot of any. Halo 2 will also include new terminals that hint at Halo 5's story--perfect for Halo lorehounds. To top it all off, The Master Chief Collection grants access to the Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer beta, which is slated to start in December 2014.

Expect additional assets shortly!