Halo Infinite's multiplayer will be free-to-play, 343 Industries has confirmed. The announcement came shortly after Irish retailer Smyths Toys Superstores posted an Xbox promotional page that stated:
"The legendary Halo series returns with the most expansive Master Chief campaign yet and a groundbreaking free-to-player multiplayer experience. Enjoy up to 120 FPS and greatly reduced load times creating seamless gameplay with Xbox Series X."
The page was ultimately removed but not before the internet had taken notice. While 343 confirmed the multiplayer being free-to-play, they didn't address another claim that there will be a Battle Pass offered. They also didn't say when we will get our first look at multiplayer gameplay.
343 Industries has yet to formally show Halo Infinite's multiplayer, opting instead to feature nearly ten minutes of campaign footage during the recent Xbox Games Showcase. In the weekly Halo Waypoint post, the developer admitted "our original plans for large-scale flighting aren’t where we originally intended in large part due to the challenges of working from home during the COVID-19."
While 343 Industries is hoping to offer a public hands-on with multiplayer before the game's release, nothing is set in stone right now. It's unclear when we'll get our first look at Halo Infinite's multiplayer either. In that same blog post, however, they did confirm two-player splitscreen and online four-player co-op.
Halo Infinite is due out Holiday 2020 alongside the Xbox Series X. It will also be available on PC via Xbox Gamepass for PC, the Microsoft Store, and Steam, in addition to the entire Xbox One family fo consoles.