‘Halo: Master Chief Collection’ Update: New Beginning, Backup & Improvements Announced

Ever since “Halo: Master Chief Collection” was released in November 2014, many players have been complaining about the problems plaguing its multiplayer. This week, developer 343 Industries assured everyone in a new developer update that things will change for the better very soon.

On Thursday, 343 Industries published a new MCC Development Update post on Halo’s website to share to fans the status of the Master Chief Collection update project. Among the things discussed in the post are the new beginning for the team, the need of backup and the changes that the developer has made so far.

A New Beginning

Community manager at 343 Industries Brian Jarrard revealed in the post that a new era has begun for the studio in terms of their goal to engage and interact with the Halo community. That said, the developer is now excited to foster a transparent, honest and consistent relationship with fans, and this involves communicating with the latter and listening to their feedback.

“We’ve been working to change how we communicate externally as well as internally, while also improving how we listen and process feedback. This is a partnership built on two-way communication and throughout this project you can expect regular updates straight from the trenches with an open, honest look at the successes and challenges of a project as ambitious and complicated as MCC,” 343 Industries stated. “Likewise we’ll be actively seeking your input and feedback throughout — including hands-on help once we move into public fighting.”

Backup

Also mentioned in the MCC Development Update is 343’s request for backup. The developer first acknowledged that what it is working on is a “big ambitious project” that needs a lot of work in terms of addressing bugs, adding visual enhancements, updating old systems, improving playlists and developing new features.

Because 343 Industries is a small team, all of the work that needs to be done is too much for the members to handle. Which is why the developer is already asking for help. “We’re going to need a little bit of backup. We already have plans to mobilize our community for hands-on testing but unfortunately, that model isn’t really viable when it comes to working on development tasks with the code base itself.”

So while hands-on testing is not available, 343 has tapped some external support to partner with it through the big project. “We’re currently in the process of working through various milestones like getting processes and tools in place, getting familiarized with the many code bases, working through scope and schedules, and generally getting all the foundation elements locked so there’s a clear and realistic plan of attack,” the developer explained.

Changes

343 also pointed out the significant changes it has made to the game thus far. The changes made so far are mostly targeted at the Xbox Live matchmaking changes. Improvements to the game engines, user interface, peer connections and many others were also implemented to enhance the multiplayer experience.

“This is by no means everything that’s been done so far but with this great foundational refresh complete, the team has been able to start on a number of other big ticket items including general bug fixing, visual enhancements for Xbox One X, and more,” 343 pointed out before confirming that more development updates will be rolled out in the coming weeks.

Finally, Jarrard assured fans that while they are dedicated to realizing the Master Chief Collection update, their work does not interfere with the development of the next “Halo” installment. “Rest assured that while MCC is incredibly important to the studio, in no way is this work interfering or taking away from the next big thing. We are committing the necessary resources to do both projects right.”