Microsoft and 343 Industries will be releasing 15+ free DLC multiplayer maps for Halo 5: Guardians.
[dropcap size=small]W[/dropcap]hile the E3 press conferences are not for another 1-2 days, some confirmed information on Microsoft’s Halo 5: Guardians has been released. Amongst a number of new additions to gameplay in the Halo game franchise, 343 Industries and Microsoft plans to release more than a dozen DLC maps free for all Halo 5 users.
The game is set to come out in late October 2015 which will initially possess a reported 20+ multiplayer maps for all users. It was then recently stated that by June 2016 that Microsoft would be giving away more than 15 free DLC maps for free. Microsoft has claimed that this is being done to bridge the gap between players who buy the downloadable content and those who do not. There is always an evident divide and Microsoft does not want to separate payers who play Halo 5. Studio head Josh Holmes refers to the two groups as “haves and have nots” and claims that by releasing the maps for free it helps to create a “great multiplayer ecosystem”.
Along with the release of this information, it was initially stated that the cooperative campaign mode would not require a Xbox Live Gold subscription. Unfortunately this was just a rumor based on a misunderstanding. Cooperative campaign will still require users to subscribe for Xbox Live Gold, but if users do not desire to play online, the game will still possess AI-controlled companions in campaign mode.
There are a number of features that 343 Industries and Microsoft are excited to release in their E3 press conference on Monday, June 15 at 9:30 AM PT (released gameplay video from Gamespot featured below). The game itself is scheduled to be released October 27th, 2015 with the DLC maps to be added by June 2016.
