Halo

You can get a pre-load of Halo Infinite right now

As we approach the release of the latest title from the flagship franchise, ensure that you'll be ready to go on launch day.

A screenshot of Halo Infinite
halo waypoint

Halo Infinite is one of the most anticipated games of the year and with that kind of hype, any kernel of information surrounding its release becomes fair game for dissection. As pointed out by Polygon, you can now get a pre-load of sorts to guarantee you are perfectly set up to start playing upon the game’s launch.

The Microsoft store is offering a 280.2 MB placeholder file for the public to download, which basically gives users a pre-order for a pre-order. It is unclear whether or not this file means that the game will immediately download onto your system as soon as the clock strikes midnight on December 8. However, grabbing this pre-load may make the actual downloading process a bit more expedient. You might be able to get into a game of Team Slayer slightly quicker than the suckers who wait until the day of.

The latest entry to the Halo franchise has already made waves in the news cycle for its year-long delay, after being announced for an end of 2020 release. While disappointing, it makes sense that a global pandemic might muck things up a bit across all facets of life, Halo included. Since the delay we’ve already gotten a taste of what multiplayer will look like and an official release date.

When Infinite launches, it will come equipped with a free-to-play multiplayer (although you will need an Xbox Live Gold subscription) and a single-player campaign. Cooperative campaign and the sandbox “Forge” mode won’t be available upon release but will come shortly after the fact — three and six months, respectively.

Start thinking about that setup With any anticipated release, you probably want to have everything down to a tee. That could mean arranging your room so that you minimize the distance needed to travel to your gaming set-up. That could also mean getting a Halo Infinite-themed Xbox Series X. Whatever your personal arrangement is, you may as well start planning it out.

Will Infinite live up to the hype? Only time will tell, but the early looks at gameplay suggest a mechanically fluid experience. Here’s to counting down the days until release.