Halo 5: Guardians is getting some new DLC very soon, and 343 Industries has now provided a sneak peak of upcoming content, while also responding to the concerns that some fans have had about the game’s aiming mechanics.
In a recent blog post, 343 said that Halo 5: Guardians’ first “content drop” will arrive in “just over a week.” Perhaps the most substantial addition is a slew of new maps, with four Big Team Battle arenas landing, marking the return of the 8 vs. 8 BTB from Halo titles of yore. Some of these maps were designed by the Halo 5 community alongside 343, using the game’s Forge tools, which will be available to all players sometime in December.
The four new maps are heavily inspired by some firm fan favorites, but sadly there’s no Blood Gulch in sight. Deadlock is inspired the Halo: Combat Evolved classic Standoff, Basin is inspired by Halo 3‘s stellar Valhalla location, Guillotine is inspired by Halo 2‘s Headlong, and finally we have Recurve, which featured in Halo 4 as Longbow. That’s one updated map from each of the core Halo titles. Fans might lament that they’re all new versions of old maps, but at least 343 are sticking to their guns with their free DLC plan.
The developer also revealed a little more about the new REQ content for Halo 5, teasing a few scant details of new armor, a new assassination and a few new weapon and vehicle variations. The “November REQ Sneak Peek” title comes with the implication that we’ll see new content monthly from 343 going forward.
Halo 5: Guardians designers Chris King and Scott Sims also shared an update regarding the controversy surrounding the aiming system in the game. Some players had reported that they were struggling with aiming despite performing well in the beta. 343 had stressed at the time that players needed to get accustomed to the new feel of Halo 5‘s controls, but King and Sims were quick to confirm that the issue is a minor one.
“First things first, in the grand scheme of things, this is happening to a small number of people. Most folks are having a good experience and the last thing we want to do is inject either placebo effect or confirmation bias into your gameplay feel, so bear that in mind if you’re having no issues, and just enjoy the dry but interesting technical data. But this is good news for those who are suffering.”
The developer is working on a fix for these issues, but they also teased upcoming planned changes that will give players a much deeper level of control over how their game plays.
“One thing that has become clear in absorbing all your feedback is that Halo players want choice when it comes to controls…and with that in mind, we are also working on another little pet project that will allow even more precise tuning. This update will offer more custom fine-tuned control over controller settings.”
Tell us, have you picked up Halo 5: Guardians yet? If so, are you looking forward to this new DLC? Let us know below.