"Halo" will return to PC, albeit with limitations.
Game giant Microsoft has announced that a new title under the sci-fi first-person shooter series will be launched, a multiplayer-only and free-to-play game aptly titled "Halo Online." A closed beta will be launched this coming spring in Russia.
343 Industries, the developer of the "Halo" game franchise, says that the new "Halo Online" will be powered by a highly modified version of the engine used in "Halo 3," optimized and balanced for smooth performance even on lower-end PCs. Since this version of the game will be free-to-play and multiplayer only, there would be no campaign stories for a single player mode. However, the "Halo Online" game places the map on a secret space installation by the UNSC. Called Anvil, this is the place where Spartan-IV soldiers train on war games to stay on point and sharpen battle skills; this is also where Halo soldiers test new technology.
This spring, "Halo Online" will be launched as a beta program in Russia. The beta is being developed by Saber Interactive, the company behind other game franchises such as "Inversion" and "TimeShift." Once done, the new "Halo Online" will be published by Russian MMO company Innova Systems.
The beta program is designed to test and adjust the gameplay, features, and especially the in-game economy. No specific date has yet been mentioned.
When asked if there are any plans on releasing "Halo Online" globally, especially to hardcore "Halo" fans in Europe and North America, Microsoft said there are no specific plans yet, and each version would have to be tweaked to each region's standards if there would be future global launches.
"Right now our focus is on learning as much as we can from the closed beta period in Russia," the company said. "Theoretically, any expansion outside of Russia would have to go through region-specific changes to address player expectations."
