Halo Infinite multiplayer will be available at launch, 343 Industries confirms

343 Industries community director Brian Jarrrard has dismissed a rumor that Halo Infinite multiplayer would arrive after the game's single-player campaign.

The rumor, while unsubstantiated, found surprising traction on Twitter this morning, presumably because Halo Infinite is still the talk of the town after yesterday's Xbox Games Showcase. An unnamed source cited by YouTuber Brad Sams claimed that Halo Infinite multiplayer wouldn't be available at launch, but Jarrard says that's plainly not the case. 

This rumor immediately seemed odd seeing as how Microsoft and 343 Industries assured fans that, while this week's reveal focused on the campaign, the game's multiplayer would be shown at an upcoming event. And with Halo Infinite positioned as a tentpole launch title for the Xbox Series X, it would be strange for it to be pushed out incomplete. Perhaps it was the accompanying news that the studio's public beta plans have been scaled back considerably – to the point that a public beta for Halo Infinite seems unlikely at this point – that led some fans down a pessimistic line of reasoning. 

In any case, it's nice to know that Halo Infinite will be a full-fat Halo experience when it launches this fall. Xbox has certainly pushed several other features, with the most notable being split-screen co-op also available at launch. The company also stressed that Master Chief will be the only playable protagonist – a departure from the setup for Halo 5: Guardians – and that its open world will use a day-night cycle. 

Watch the new gameplay trailer for the "most ambitious campaign" in Halo history.