Before the year ends, video game fans will be able to experience the latest multiplayer game as 343 Industries releases "Halo 5: Guardians" multiplayer beta.  In a press release from Halo Waypoint, the developers will let players who have "The Master Chief Collection" as well as "Halo: Nightfall" unlock the Guardians beta starting Dec. 29.

343 Industries top man Bonnie Ross explained the decision to release the beta before the year ends.

"We are intentionally putting out the beta a year early so we actually can get fans' feedback to make sure that we are building the multiplayer that they want to play," Ross pointed out during an interview posted on Dualshockers.

The beta testing for "Halo 5: Guardians" will run until Jan. 18, 2015.

Meanwhile, CinemaBlend reported that Agent Locke will become a major character in the upcoming fifth installment of the popular first-person shooter game franchise published by Microsoft Studios.  Through a post on Reddit, voice actor Mike Colter confirmed that Agent Locke will be a playable character in the game, and discussed the importance of his character in "Halo 5."

"Once Halo: The Master Chief Collection is released, and then Halo 5 comes out shortly thereafter, you're basically going to be playing a game with me as the primary character. I'll have some cool weaponry, and some cool abilities, because by that time I'll be a Spartan IV," Colter shared.

Fans will first encounter Agent Locke in the live-action series "Halo: Nightfall," which will premiere with the Master Chief Collection.

Aside from Nightfall, "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" will also feature the remastered next-generation editions of all the previews installments of the Halo series. According to the game's executive producer Dan Ayoub, the Master Chief Collection is made to showcase "bookend cinematics that are going to also start to tie into some of the things that are coming down the line in Halo 5."

"Halo: The Master Chief Collection" will hit the shelves on Nov. 11. On the other hand, the highly anticipated final edition of "Halo 5: Guardians" is expected to be released in Fall 2015. Both games are exclusively made for Xbox One.