As "Halo 5: Guardians" Oct. 27 release nears, Developer 343 Industries reveals launch day matchmaking playlists, along with a public API to aid Halo community in developing its own websites and apps to track multiplayer performance.
The multiplayer playlists include Warzone, a new multiplayer mode, wherein players could call in power weapons and vehicles as two teams of 12 players fight each other. In Warzone, the REQ system will be used to “create a deep reward system for the game that allow players to collect items from a large pool of compelling content, delivered in a series of randomized packs,” according to a post on Halo Way Point.
The classic Big Team Battle isn't one of the modes since they are focusing on Warzone for now. New set of maps will be released at the end of the year for the classic mode.
Nine playlists will be launched with classics such as SWAT and Slayer that are supported with the new “Team Arena” and “Breakout” playlists for competitive play. Meanwhile, a solo challenge “Free for All” is back on the game. The “Weekend Social” playlist is based on a community vote of what to play.
The multiplayer activities will be supported with a “fully-featured stats experience” on Halo Waypoint and the various Halo Channel apps. Players will also have access to life-to-date stats for each player, stats of every match played, and a statistical breakdown for each player in a match stat through the Halo API Program.
The complete Halo 5 multiplayer playlist is revealed by IGN as follows:
"Warzone" is a 24-player multiplayer on huge maps with AI adversaries that supports the REQ Pack system. It includes "Escape from A.R.C. Warzone," "Raid on Apex 7 Warzone," and "March on Stormbreak."
The "Warzone Assault: Destroy the Power Core" or defend it in this asymmetrical Warzone mode variant with "Dispatch," "Arra," and "Summit" games.
"Team Arena" is a competitive five versus five multiplayer mode comprised of "Breakout," "Gambol Breakout," "Trident Slayer," "Coliseum Slayer," "Eden Slayer," "Plaza Slayer," "Empire Slayer," "The Rig CTF," "Coliseum CTF," "Truth CTF," "Fathom Strongholds," "The Rig Strongholds," "Eden Strongholds," and "Empire."
In "Slayer," you have to “Work with a team, vanquish your opponents” for "Coliseum," "Regret," "Plaza," and "The Rig."
Fathom Breakout is Halo 5’s premiere high lethality single-life elimination mode which includes "Gambol," "Trident," "Crossfire," and "Altitude."
In "Free-for-All," there are no teams and it is everybody for themselves in games "Eden," "Regret," "The Rig," "Plaza," "Orion," and "Pegasus."
For SWAT, shields and motion tracker are removed and all players start with Battle Rifles for "Eden SWAT," "Regret SWAT," "The Rig SWAT," "Plaza SWAT," "Orion SWAT," and "Pegasus."
Meanwhile, SWAT Magnums is the same as the original SWAT but instead of a Battle Rifle, Magnum handgun is the starting weapon for games "Eden SWATnums," "Regret SWATnums," "The Rig SWATnums," "Plaza SWATnums," "Orion SWATnums," and "Pegasus SWATnums."
And there is a "Weekend Social" playlist which is a weekly mode that features a game that is voted by the community via Halo Waypoint/Channel.
