Halo 5 Is Testing Major Radar Changes That Could Go Into The Next Game

More than 16 months after its release, 343 Industries continues to update and evolve Halo 5: Guardians. In its latest weekly blog post, the studio announced that it is going to launch a new test playlist that features major changes to the way the game's motion sensor/radar works.

In the playlist, only two player activities will make you show up on the sensor: a (non-silenced) weapon being fired and a Spartan ability being used. On top of that, the "functional range," which is how far the motion sensor can track you, is being increased from 18m to 25m.

This is being done to "help determine if this has a potential place in Halo 5 going forward as well as potential learnings and implications for future Halo FPS titles."

343 has already tested this internally and found that it introduces a further element of strategy, as players can basically choose when they want to show up on the radar. Additionally, because suppressed weapons don't show up on the radar, they can be more effective.

Bear in mind that this is only a test. 343 may never introduce the radar changes to a wider audience in Halo 5 or in the next Halo FPS game (which we now know will have split-screen).

"The motion sensor is a staple of Halo gameplay but has also been a source of some controversy, particularly amongst the more competitive multiplayer crowds," 343 said. "While some players argue that the motion sensor should be completely removed, others argue that due to the speed of the game, gameplay would become too chaotic and it'd be too difficult to track players and Spartan abilities. Instead of an either/or approach, the team has been doing some work to change the motion sensor's functionality and now we'd love for players to help test it out and give us feedback!"

The new radar changes will be available in Halo 5's "Proving Grounds" playlist on Thursday, March 9. The playlist will be available for "at least a month," 343 said.

"We'll run the test as long as it takes to ensure that the team has adequate data and player feedback to make decisions," the developer explained.

343 will be poring over the gameplay data, but if you want to send in specific feedback, you can do so on Halo 5's forums or relay your thoughts to multiplayer director Quinn DelHoyo on Twitter.

Halo 5 still has a big playerbase, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said this week on IGN's Unlocked podcast. He added that the game's pool of players may rise even more in the near future, as Halo 5 is among the titles included with the $10/month Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which launches this spring.

On the more immediate horizon for Halo 5 is a new update that includes fixes, tweaks, and improvements across the board, but with a focus on Forge mode. The patch goes live on March 7, and you can see the full patch notes here.

In other Halo news, Microsoft confirmed this week that it will not release a new Halo FPS this year.

What do make of the Halo 5 radar changes? Will you try out the playlist? Let us know in the comments below!