Halo 4 PC Beta Test Delayed Slightly, Here's What You Need To Know

The first public beta test for Halo 4 on PC through The Master Chief Collection was scheduled to take place last week, but Microsoft chose to delay it due to a "blocker" issue. Thankfully, this problem is expected to be sorted out in short order, and beta invitations should begin going out soon.

"Unfortunately, we're not quite ready yet," Halo's community director, Brian Jarrard, wrote on the Halo forums. "As of this writing, the team has one remaining blocker to address before we can progress the build to Ring 3 and send out Halo Insider invites. We're close and, assuming this blocker can get resolved quickly without any further issues, we’re hoping to kick things off next week."

A "blocker" is a bug that is "severe" enough to stop the beta test from working as intended, developer 343 says. When this bug for Halo 4 is fixed, the team will get the client ready for testers. That being said, the beta version of Halo 4 may still contain bugs, since it is a work-in-progress version of the game, just not bugs that are as critical in nature.

As for Ring 3, this pertains to the nomenclature for Halo Insider public testing program. Rings 1 and 2, meanwhile, are for internal Microsoft developers and some outside partners.

The Halo Insider program is free and open to everyone. In addition to these betas for MCC, Microsoft will presumably use the system for Halo Infinite's beta tests.

Halo 4's PC beta test will be bigger than usual, it seems, as Jarrard said every single Halo Insider member who is eligible for the test will be selected, provided they signed up by Thursday, October 15 at 3:20 PM PT. People who signed up after that are not guaranteed a spot, but Jarrard said these users can "rest assured you're in the system and on deck for future activations."

Halo 4 is the sixth and final Halo game coming to PC through The Master Chief Collection, following Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 3: ODST.

In other news, MCC recently got an update that readies the game for cross-generation multiplayer support for when the Xbox Series X and S consoles arrive in November.