Halo Infinite is out now for Xbox and PC users worldwide, or at least the multiplayer portion of it is out. Thankfully, 343 Industries is doing what we hoped for and has released the multiplayer segment of the game early before the campaign alongside an announcement of the Halo Infinite Season 1 extension. 

The Halo Infinite Season 1 extension was revealed in a new blog on the official website, going over the multiplayer beta and welcoming players. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the original Xbox and the launch of Halo: Combat Evolved at the same time, the multiplayer beta was released.

In the midst of this, a Halo Infinite Season 1 extension has been announced that will see this inaugural season last much longer than we initially thought it would. In turn, this also means that players will have to wait considerably longer to enjoy the second season sometime next year. 

This announcement is already seen in the game, with anyone who boots up the multiplayer beta being able to see that the UI for the current Season 1 battle pass states that its end date is in May 2022, which is much longer than we initially thought it would be. 

Of course, the Halo Infinite Season 1 extension would already happen a bit since there is the multiplayer beta going on right now, but it does not stop with just that extra leeway of time. It will also expand on the end date well into next year, meaning that we will not see Season 2 until sometime in May 2022. 

It is great that players can start progressing through Season 1 right now ahead of the game’s official launch next month, but that is not the only extra bit of time for the first season. Originally, 343 announced that seasons would only last for around three months and then a new one would arrive. 

It is unclear if this schedule and timing will change moving forward with every season, but that is at least happening for the first one. So, instead of ending sometime around March 2022, it will last for two months or longer until May. 

The reason behind this sudden Halo Infinite Season 1 extension is because of a couple of different reasons. For one, it is to give the developers enough time to ensure that the second season reaches the high level of quality expected. 

In addition, it is meant to give the developers time to create the second season in a “healthy and sustainable way,” which makes the situation understandable. The scenario surrounding the initial release of Halo Infinite is marred with less-than-stellar working conditions to meet its release date.

Fortunately, the Halo Infinite Season 1 extension does not mean that you will just be sitting there with nothing to do long after completing the first battle pass in the game. Additional events, cosmetic items, and other content will drop in the first season to make the wait for Season 2 a bit easier.

As part of this, there are some 20th anniversary free items that you can get just by logging into the multiplayer beta right now. After this temporary free reward period, November 23 will see the first event with Fracture: Tenrai, where players will be able to earn the samurai-themed armor pieces and other items. 

There will be multiple chances to get this armor in Season 1, with this being the first. Furthermore, alongside the Halo Infinite Season 1 extension announcement, 343 Industries went into detail about why this multiplayer beta was chosen as the format to launch the game. 

Rather than waiting for the full release on December 8, the game is available almost an entire month early for players to check out, complete with all progression and purchases carrying over into the final release. The main reason behind this is to test the game for launch day next month. 

With the entire multiplayer game out now in beta form, everyone can jump in and play it, giving the team time to find out what bugs and other major issues that they might have missed and a chance to fix them in time for the full launch. 

So, while there are some issues you might experience in the beta, it is not a perfect experience. This is the full multiplayer game out right now. All 10 maps from multiplayer are here alongside all multiplayer game modes that will be in the title on December 8. 

You can even play the game online with your friends in Big Team Battles, Arena game modes, and the Ranked playlist for those looking for that more competitive experience. There are even local matches available in the custom games option for playing against bots and the tutorial areas like the Academy. 

This is not the end of the announcements, though, as we now know when we will find out more about what’s coming to Halo Infinite multiplayer in the future. After the holidays are over, sometime in January next year, 343 will be unveiling details about other Season 1 events, Season 2, and the missing campaign co-op and Forge features. There is still some time until then, so stay tuned until next year for those details. In the meantime, multiplayer for Halo Infinite is out now and the campaign will follow soon on December 8.