In a recent Xbox Plays stream, Halo producer Sean Swidersky of 343 Industries revealed that the studio is looking into increasing the player count for the Halo: Master Chief Collection multiplayer modes.
What could this mean for Halo: Infinite's multiplayer which is due later this year?
Halo Multiplayer Player Count Increasing?
While we don't have confirmed player counts for Halo: Infinite's multiplayer, this recent update hints that 343 could be going big on lobbies.
Swidersky talks about the fact that they are shooting for bigger lobbies and could go as large as 40-60 players. He seems to pull this number out of nowhere but typical lobbies in this range are typically reserved for more modern shooter titles.
Many Halo multiplayer maps and game modes are tailored to much smaller lobbies and maps, which begs the question why would they be trailing this out now?
Well, it could all be preparation for the launch of Halo Infinite's free multiplayer later this year. While we wouldn't expect them to take things too far, lobbies of between 24-36 players, even if just in specific game modes, could be game-changing.
There is also the risk that the Halo fanbase may enjoy the existing multiplayer for a reason, and messing with this formula may have a negative effect.
Of course, with any changes to a long standing franchise, you risk upsetting parts of the fan base but with a new release comes the best chance to shake things up, and it doesn't need ignore what made it successful, just add something new.
By just adding one or two game modes with expanded lobbies, it would give players a chance to try things out and come to their own conclusions. We'll be keeping a keen eye on this as we get closer to the launch of Halo: Infinite.