Halo: The Master Chief Collection matchmaking update delayed (again)

343 Industries revealed plans for updating Halo: The Master Chief Collection's multiplayer in early February. The update would be focusing on three major focal points; matchmaking search time (hit-registration), match search success, lobby/party functionality, and it would up for external testing by Xbox One Preview Program members.

Unfortunately, the update was delayed and has been delayed for a second time, but that's not all – the external testing phase has been cancelled.

After what 343 calls 'further evaluation' the final testing for the content update will be done internally for the entirety of the testing phase. This decision was founded on additional challenges that the beta posed:

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 reexamine the CU beta.

Read, 'reexamine' as 'cancel.'

Fortunately it doesn't seem as though the playlist update has been cancelled, Team Snipers and Rumble Pit will make their way into the game replacing SWAT and Halo 2: Anniversary Rumble.The promised objective-only playlist will remain unseen, as it is being polished (and delayed).

There is not ETA on the update, but there are additional improvements in the works.

[343]