Halo Infinite's official Twitter account has confirmed that the game's multiplayer component will be free to play. The announcement follows 8 minutes of Halo Infinite gameplay debuting at the recent Xbox showcase, giving fans their first real glimpse at Master Chief's Xbox Series X entry.
What makes the announcement especially significant is the rumor that Xbox Live Gold may be phased out, which would allow users to access multiplayer without having a subscription of any kind. It's possible that an announcement such as this could become the new norm for Xbox Live games, offering players an avenue to play with friends without directly paying for a subscription to a specific service.
Additionally, Halo Infinite will run at 120 FPS on the Xbox Series X. The game's Twitter account didn't share any details regarding the Xbox One version of the game, though it seems unlikely that it will be able to hit the same benchmark. Being able to hit 120 FPS is a significant technical achievement, however, and is a good indicator of how powerful the Xbox Series X will truly be.
Halo Infinite has been criticized for its graphics, though Microsoft has asserted that they'll be improved before the game launches. That may be a driving factor in the game's frame rate, and it's possible that the game will sometimes dip below 120 FPS, but considering the norm for consoles has consistently been between 30 and 60 FPS, it's a major improvement over what players have seen in the past.
It isn't entirely clear how much content will be included in Halo Infinite's multiplayer, though there are rumors that Halo Infinite multiplayer will be shown in August. The announcement didn't confirm that, but with Halo Infinite's launch presumably only being a few months away, it does seem likely that fans will get a meaty look at the online components in the near future.
This is a significant move on Microsoft's part. Halo Infinite is one of the biggest games launching this year, and offering any aspect of it for free is sure to win over the hearts of some fans that have been sitting on the fence, even those that have criticized it. Microsoft has been emphasizing a consumer-first mentality with many of its announcements, which may pay off in the long run.
For now, fans of the franchise will have to wait for more details. Developer 343 Industries has shut down the idea of Halo Infinite Battle Royale, so it doesn't seem likely that that will happen, at least at launch, but free multiplayer is a huge win for fans of the series.
Halo Infinite is in development for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.