'Halo 5: Guardians' release date news: Split-screen mode to be scrubbed

"Halo 5: Guardians" Multiplayer Beta[Photo credit: 343 Industries]

One of the key features of every "Halo" game, aside from its riveting story, is the adrenaline-pumped co-op action. Although key changes will be introduced to better improve gameplay, the release of "Halo 5: Guardians" will definitely leave some franchise fans wondering since it will, for the first time in the series, do away with the split-screen mode. 

According to title developer 343 Industries, doing away with the split-screen mode will further their aim of developing the best "Halo" title.

On the official community blog for the game, the developer said, "With Halo 5 we are delivering massive scale environments, improved AI behavior, increased visual and gameplay fidelity, something that truly takes advantage of a new platform." 

The split-screen mode is one of the best features of the "Halo" franchise since it allows up to two players to enjoy the game simultaneously on a single console. However, removing the feature lets the developer showcase the maximized beauty of the Xbox One's graphics. 

The blog post added. "Many of our ambitious goals for Halo 5 would be compromised in a split-screen setting and the time spent optimizing and addressing split-screen-specific issues would take focus from building other parts of the game." 

The upcoming "Halo 5: Guardians" will instead focus on online connectivity for its co-op mode, since this feature is becoming one of the top options in massive multiplayer gaming.

However, the removal of the option is not permanent, as 343 Industries is not closing its doors and scrubbing the split-screen feature completely. Pending game and player feedback, the developer may bring back the classic split-screen co-op play. 

Meanwhile, aside from an improved co-op play, "Halo 5: Guardians" will also introduce a new player campaign mode. Other details are expected to be revealed by the developers at this year's gamescom event.