The first beta test for the PC version of Halo: The Master Chief Collection has been delayed, which will come as no surprise to those of you who know it was originally scheduled to launch this month. Which it hasn’t.
In a Halo Insider’s update (via PC Gamer), Brian Jarrad, community head at developer 343 Industries, confirms that public testing will not launch in April (duh), but isn’t able to give a new date. “I can definitively say there won’t be any public flights this month,” Jarrad explains. “I know excitement and anticipation is off the charts and everyone here inside the studio shares it as well. But this is a really complicated project and we all agree that quality trumps everything else and we need to bring MMC to PC at the bar Halo fans and PC players expect and demand.”
Earlier this month, Jarrad had tweeted that “if things go according to plan” then the first test flights for Halo: Reach – chronologically the first game in the Halo series, though not the first released – would launch in April. ‘Flights’ here refers to tests of the game available to Halo Insider members. Jarred has now quote tweeted this comment, acknowledging that it “aged badly”.
“This project is complex, and being transparent means sometimes things change vs. what we originally hoped. Work continues but the first published flights are pushing out further than originally targeted.” Jarrad promises more information will be shared soon.
Well this tweet didn't age well. Hey, this project is complex, and being transparent means sometimes things change vs. what we originally hoped. Work continues but the first public flights are pushing out further than originally targeted. Will share more info soon! https://t.co/aSCB37ZxD2
— Brian Jarrard (@ske7ch) April 29, 2019
This was expected, and not just because April is nearly finished and we’re still not flying. In a statement last week, Jarrad warned that the game’s testing may not meet his earlier deadline because “PC is considerably more complicated”.
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We still don’t have a definite Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s PC release date, but we know that the entire collection is hopefully due this year, that it will release in instalments starting with Reach, and that Insider members will get early access.