We’ve already seen a glimpse of Halo Infinite’s campaign, but the game’s multiplayer is still mostly a mystery. That being said, Xbox boss Phil Spencer is promising that things will be “special,” even confirming that professional Halo players helped 343 Industries with the game’s development.

Spencer explained that the team recognizes how important esports players are to the Halo community, which is why they were “heavily involved” with Infinite’s multiplayer development. The Xbox boss didn’t reveal any specific names, but emphasized that the pro players were there to help polish the experience.

We also learned that Infinite’s multiplayer will build off of the platform introduced in Halo 5, which, unlike the game’s campaign, was mostly well received by fans. Given that the series’ fifth mainline entry is already five years old, players should anticipate some significant improvements as well.

It’s already been made clear that Halo Infinite will serve as a sort of spiritual reboot for the series, with the game’s cover making a clear reference to the original Halo: Combat Evolved. There’s a chance some of that inspiration may have a role in the game’s multiplayer as well, as Spencer specifically mentioned the feeling of lugging your Xbox to your friend’s house to play local multiplayer, and how far the series has come since those days.

Infinite’s gameplay reveal showcased a few brand new pieces of equipment as well: the Drop Wall and the Grappleshot. Players will be able to pick up these tools during multiplayer matches as too, similar to how the overshield and active camouflage worked in the past.

Among a few other titles, these new pieces of equipment call to mind gameplay mechanics from Overwatch. The Grappleshot seems to be inspired by Widomaker’s Grappling Hook, where the Drop Wall works a lot like Orisa’s Protective Barrier. Obviously, Halo’s multiplayer mechanics are significantly different, but there’s a good chance Blizzard’s hero-shooter provided a bit of inspiration.

The Halo series has always been known for its multiplayer about as much as, if not more, than its campaigns. If anything, the involvement of pro players in Infinite’s development is certainly a good sign. Fans have high hopes for Infinite’s multiplayer approach, and if Spencer’s promises have any truth to them, we should get something pretty special.

Source: GameSpot

NEXT: Halo Infinite Looks To Reboot The Series Without Rebooting The Series