You could be playing Halo Infinite next weekend
A test build focused on multiplayer bots is on the way
Halo Infinite's multiplayer will be free, support crossplay, and its battle passes will be permanent. That's quite a lot of ticks in the "yes please" column.
Here's another: it'll also have bots, a first for the series, and next week could see the release of a "technical preview" designed to let players test them.
As 343 Industries explained in a lengthy blog post, Halo Infinite is further along than an 'alpha' build but not yet as far as a 'beta'. Thus, their public tests of various features will be called technical previews. The first will be available to play on PC and console, and is designed to stress test the game's multiplayer services and gather specific feedback on content.
In particular, the technical preview will include arena maps you can play against bots, the Academy training mode's weapon drills, and the UI for the eventual paid-for battle pass content.
343 say they want player feedback on the fundaments of the game. "We want to know how you feel about the core combat experience," reads the post. "How do you feel about player movement, weapon balance, equipment, etc.? How fun is it to engage in a battle in Halo Infinite?" While they want players to share their thoughts directly, they'll also be gathering metrics from player sessions in-game.
There's not yet a fixed date for when the technical preview will be available, but it's close. "We’ve been given the okay to say our first Bot-focused technical preview could happen as soon as next weekend," reads the post. "Prior to the flight starting, we’re planning a live stream where we’ll dive into the actual build and walk through nearly every facet of the technical preview. Stay tuned."
They're looking for "hundreds of thousands" of players to take part in the test, but you'll need to sign up for a chance to be included, and there's no guaranteed access. To have a chance of being involved, you need sign up as a Halo Insider, verify your email, opt-in to communications and testing on your chosen platform, and if on PC, "upload your DxDiag and connect your personal Steam account." Testers will be selected based, in part, on their computer specs, so that the game is tested across a broad range of computers.