Microsoft has finally confirmed the date for the highly anticipated multiplayer beta for Halo 3, announcing that the beta will kick off over Xbox Live on May 16 at 5 a.m. PDT and run through June 6 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
Beginning May 16, gamers who secured their admission to the multiplayer beta either through the “Rule of Three” promotion or by purchasing a specially marked copy of Crackdown will be able to jump right in using their Xbox Live Gold account and get a taste of what promises to be one of the biggest games of 2007.
According to Microsoft, the demo will launch with three different maps, including Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla, which represent a mixture of large and medium-scale combat environments and are new to Halo 3. Each Each map will also include the opportunity to test drive new Halo 3 vehicles such as the Mongoose all-terrain vehicle, as well as try out new weapons such as the Spartan Laser and Spike Grenades.
Gamers worldwide who did not participate in the “Rule of Three” promotion but are interested in joining the multiplayer beta of Halo 3 can still participate by picking up Crackdown, which acts as a key for gamers to download and participate in the Halo 3 multiplayer beta.
Finally, in the march up to next month’s beta launch, Bungie has released a new behind-the-scenes video feature on Halo 3 available on Bungie’s website, or in HD from the Xbox Live Marketplace.
