Halo: The Master Chief Collection began its journey on the PC platform last year with the impressive release of Halo: Reach. And now, 343 Industries is preparing Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary edition for Insider testing before it is introduced to the collection.
This Anniversary edition is the 2011 Xbox 360 exclusive remake of the original shooter that released in the early 2000s. According to the most recent development blog post, the first public flight for the game is slated to kick off in February, though the exact dates and content available will be shared later.
343 will be looking for feedback on the game"s single-player and cooperative campaign, multiplayer, progression, and customization systems during its flights. Testing the dedicated servers, peer-to-peer connections, a new UI, as well as cross-play between Steam and Windows 10 versions will be a focus.
The newly released Halo: Reach will also be a part of this flight, with the studio planning to test a new crouch behavior to let players do the action while moving. Moreover, "Intelligent Install systems" will be tested on the PC version, letting players pick and choose what Halo games and their individual parts would they like to install without having to download the entire collection.
Those interested in testing the upcoming games and features to Halo: The Master Chief Collection on PC can still sign up for the Halo Insider Program over here. 343 added that it is continuing to work on resolving Halo: The Master Chief Collection bugs as well, but reminded players that even a seemingly "simple fix" takes time:
"I would like to gently remind folks that game development takes time. Whether it’s a new or old game, there is no “cut and paste” in bringing a requested feature to MCC. The games themselves have been effectively re-built to co-exist and run in one of the most complex multi-game suites in the history of gaming. "
Halo: The Master Chief Collection on PC is available for purchase on Steam and the Microsoft Store for $39.99, giving access to each game as it releases. Xbox Game Pass for PC subscribers will also gain access to the title at launch. In addition, just like Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary will be available as a standalone purchase for $9.99.