The MuchAwaited Halo 5 Multiplayer Beta Starts Today
The Halo 5 Guardians multiplayer beta is on. It's a trifle later than expected by two days, but Microsoft has made good by extending the beta an extra day, thus you can now plasma-filet fellow players through January 18. The beta should be downloadable by 12 p.m. ET Monday afternoon  but you need to own Halo The Master Chief Collection to qualify for access. , Microsoft released a trailer a little over a week ago that walks through some of the beta's features. It'll focus on 4v4 Arena play across seven maps and three game types, and represents "only a small portion" of the final product, according to Redmond. The final version of the game  which will let you play as a brand new character, Spartan Locke, sleuthing for an M.I.A. Master Chief  launches this fall somewhere between September 23 and December 21 on Xbox One. In related news, Microsoft is opening up preorders for the full Halo 5 game early. It's happy to part you from a significant wad of your holiday cash if you're feeling particularly Halo-hardcore Microsoft is selling a Limited Collector's Edition of the game, which includes a poster, digital miscellany, items not specified wrapped in a steel book, and a numbered statue of what, also not specified for 250. A 100 Limited Edition includes the digital content, items and steel book, while the 60 standard version includes the poster only if you preorder.