343 Industries Cancels Halo: MCC Patch Beta Test, Game Remains Broken

The developers of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, 343 Industries, has called off the beta test of its upcoming patch, declining to test it with the XBox One preview community. 

343 Industries states that the process would have been too time-consuming and that the whole process would have required a number of other updates to enable. 

The studio has declined to release any specific dates as to when the Halo MCC patch will be available to the public, stating only that the fixes will be internally tested. 

Here’s what they said:

"After further evaluation, the team has determined that that final testing for the content update will be completed internally, and we will not be conducting a beta test for the next CU [content update]. Also, it was determined that the additional time and work devoted to the beta would've actually postponed the public availability of the content update.

"Lastly, there were some added challenges surrounding the CU beta – including an extra series of required updates and rollbacks – that made us take a step back and re-examine the CU beta. Ultimately, this plan will allow us to deliver the smoothest possible experience, and ensure that the next content update becomes available as soon as possible.

"Progress on the CU continues, and we'll work to provide an ETA once the final date is locked. As stated last week, our current focus and priority remains delivering the upcoming improvements to the matchmaking and party systems, but the team is also working on and prioritizing additional items beyond this, and I look forward to discussing these – a lot more – as we get closer to those updates."

It’s hard not to wonder why the developers didn’t bother to test the game fully before releasing it to the public. There’s no excuse for releasing an unfinished game, much less selling it at full price.