Custom match types have a long history in the Halo franchise. Who's to say if the original Halo's multiplayer would have been as popular as it was without rockets-only, infinite grenades, and other match options. That customizability has grown in subsequent Halo releases, with the introduction of Forge in Halo 3, and with the Halo franchise being brought to PC. Now 343 want's to make it easier than ever to find custom Halo experiences, as it's introducing a custom game browser into Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Unfortunately, little detail regarding 343's plans for a custom game browser have yet to be revealed, so far. All that's made clear in the latest Halo Waypoint developer update is that it's in development and will be up for testing soon. More specifically, 343 will be rolling out test flights featuring custom game browsers to its Ring 1 and Ring 2 testers on February 18. As such, a first look at the scale of 343's plans will be revealed soon.

RELATED: Halo: The Master Chief Collection Testing Mouse and Keyboard Support for Consoles

A custom game browser, as the name implies, will allow Halo players to peruse a variety of different game types for which players have already created lobbies. That way it's relatively easy to find a specific type of custom game or to create a lobby otherwise. Or players can scroll/click through existing lobbies to find something they may not have tried before. It gives custom games much more visibility overall.

halo reach custom game creation

But one of the key aspects of a custom game browser will be how it opens up custom games from all of Halo: The Master Chief Collection's different Halo games. At least, that's what the idea implies. It's possible that the browser will be segregated so each Halo game has its own. That would be an unfortunate decision when it comes to usefulness, but it could be a limitation of Halo: The Master Chief Collection's systems.

There was some confusion this past week regarding the custom game browser. 343 had teased that it would soon offer a "new place and way to play." Some Halo fans went wild with speculation regarding 343's language, but it was only ever intended to refer to Halo: The Master Chief Collection's custom game browser.

The custom game browser will launch into testing on February 18. If everything proceeds smoothly, it could be brought to the full Halo: The Master Chief Collection in a matter of weeks or months. 343 continues to build on and expand Halo: The Master Chief Collection, delivering on the excitement for Halo that continues to grow leading up to the launch of Halo Infinite.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is available now on PC and Xbox.

MORE: Why Did The Halo Movie Never End Up Getting Made?