Halo 5 map DLC and online co-op will be free

Update: 343 Industries studio head Josh Holmes has revealed that he misspoke regarding the nature of Halo 5 online. Campaign co-op will require an Xbox Live Gold subscription after all.

Original story: Halo 5: Guardians will feature free DLC and free online co-op, according to the latest issue of Game Informer. Speaking to the magazine, developer 343 Industries and Microsoft revealed that more than 15 maps will be released for the game by June 2016, all of them free.

Those who prefer a more cooperative experience will also be in for a bit of a money-saving treat, as they’ll be able to play online with their friends, even if they lack an Xbox Live Gold subscription.

All this talk of free may sound familiar to early purchasers of Halo: The Master Chief Collection. In apology for the game’s rocky launch where players could not properly participate in multiplayer matchmaking, 343 Industries offered a free HD remaster of Halo 3: ODST’s campaign. With the Halo 5 news, it would seem that 343 Industries still has some good will to garner from Xbox One players spurned by previous fumbles.

343 Industries also teased a new multiplayer experience, something they’re waiting to reveal until E3 2015.

Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.