Will Halo Infinite multiplayer gameplay be shown at the Xbox E3 Showcase?

It’s been a long road to the release of Halo Infinite. Even as I write this, we still don’t know when the game will launch. Multiple delays have pushed the Xbox flagship title to a Fall 2021 release.

In terms of blockbusters, Halo Infinite is probably the biggest one of 2021. But there are still so many question marks surrounding the game, especially following the gameplay premiere last summer.

Although 343 Industries has since addressed the graphics and performance of that demo, and have been updating us regularly on various aspects of the game’s development, there’s still a very large chunk of Halo Infinite that remains a mystery: the multiplayer.

You don’t need me to tell you how much multiplayer means to Halo. We’re talking about a franchise that has helped define what competitive multiplayer means in a game.

But Halo games in the past have faltered when it comes to multiplayer, which is why there’s so much pressure on Halo Infinite to succeed. And it’s why it must be shown at E3 during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase.

We don’t know much about Halo Infinite’s multiplayer at this point. We know that series regular Jeff Steitzer will be returning as the main voice of multiplayer. And we also know that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be free-to-play, which isn’t terribly alarming considering some of the biggest franchises have started to go that route with their multiplayer components.

Activision has Call of Duty: Warzone, EA has Apex Legends, and Epic Games obviously has Fortnite. But those are all battle royale games. Microsoft has denied the battle royale spinoff of Halo Infinite, so what would a free-to-play multiplayer portion of the game look like? And does that mean those who buy the game are only paying for the single-player story?

There are a lot of questions to be answered, which is why it’s imperative that 343i talk about Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer at E3.

And it’s also important that they show what it looks like, how it plays, and what sort of changes they are making. It’s been six years since the last mainline entry in the Halo franchise. Halo 5 was a return to form for the series when it comes to multiplayer and I hope Halo Infinite can build on it.

I don’t think multiplayer needs to be the main focus of the Halo segment during E3, but we need to know some details. And we need to see some gameplay. I’m sure 343i also wants to show the improvements made to the campaign, especially after last year’s debacle, but they are running out of time to show off multiplayer and the E3 showcase presents a tremendous opportunity.

For what it’s worth, Halo is front-and-center on the Xbox & Bethesda Showcase page which suggests it’ll make up a big portion of the showing. I fully expect Halo Infinite multiplayer to be shown so be sure to tune in live Sunday, June 13 at 10:00 a.m. PT.