Halo 5 multiplayer is now free to play on Windows 10

By John Callaham
last updated

As promised, Microsoft has launched Halo 5: Forge, its free map editor for Halo 5: Guardians, for Windows 10 on the PC. The editor also allows gamers to play in multiplayer matches in those levels. Microsoft has also launched the official Halo news app for Windows 10.

Here's a quick description of Halo 5: Forge for Windows 10:

With Halo 5: Forge, the entire Forge experience from Halo 5: Guardians comes to Windows 10, with support for mouse and keyboard, the ability to host and play custom matches for up to 16 players, and a new content browser that spans platforms. Download new levels from the Forge community created on either Windows 10 or Xbox One. Customize existing maps or create your own from scratch. Halo 5: Forge opens the door to new possibilities in Halo 5: Guardians and beyond.

Be aware that Halo 5: Forge does require at least Windows 10 Anniversary Update to be installed on your PC. Microsoft has announced that it plans to update Halo 5: Forge with a true multiplayer game browser at some point in the future.

Halo app

Along with the map editor and game, Microsoft has released a new Halo news app for Windows 10:

  • FREE access to the latest videos, tutorials, news, and insights from across the Halo universe, including Halo 5: Forge and the soon-to-be-released Halo Wars 2.
  • LAUNCH the latest Halo games available on Windows, including Halo 5: Forge and Halo Wars 2 (coming soon).
  • FRESH content from 343 Industries, bringing you the latest and most exciting updates and videos available.
  • DISCOVER information on future titles as well as Forge maps and modes created by the Halo community
  • LEARN tips and tricks for playing a variety of Halo games, including tutorials on building content in Halo 5: Forge or details on how to best use various units in Halo Wars 2 (coming soon).

Download Halo news app from the Windows Store (opens in new tab)

John Callaham
John Callaham
44 Comments
  • Nice, Microsoft. The news app is x86 only. UWP, like the cake, is so often a lie.
  • Huh? You thought this was going to be ARM? lol
  • Updated my post.
  • Oww ok, well fair enough. We might still get an ARM version of the app. In the mean time. I'm pretty sure you can watch most of these things in the Halo Channel app.
  • If that's true then why make a separate app?
  • The Halo Channel is more focused on general Halo video content including Videos from the community, . The Halo app is more focused on the actual games I guess.
  • if you used a little more your brain, you would maybe get it.
    Only because it is x86 it doesn't mean it is not UWP, many UWP apps and games will be restricted to CPUs/Devices because not everything can be done for all platforms, especially something like a videogame. or do you expect Microsoft to do stupid and uneccesary and senseless optimization for people on phones and ARM devices? it's not even about the graphics but the controls too, supporting touch only becaused "Microsoft should use UWP on everything" it is just stupid mindset.
    This thing is heavy, and it is meant to be heavy since it is aimed at making Halo 5 maps which is a Xbox One game. Do you really think ARM cpus can hold this kind of graphics?
    But let me guess, you also expect ReCore or GW4 and other heavy AAA games to be available on phones? that's a great dream, genius on internet.  
  • What part of 'news app' didn't you understand?
  • What a silly statement. It's running Halo 5 multiplayer. It's a game. Of course its not going to be in the UWP app space.
  • I think he means the Halo News app - I think the Forge Editor etc. is a separate download?
  • You mean cake, not pie.
  • You are correct! Oops! Fail!
  • Wow, hell has frozen over. Halo is natively supported on PC again.
  • Except it is forge only!
    I would gladly pay them money to have the Halo game on PC.
  • Yeah, true. I'd love to have the full game again.
  • As a halo newbie, what does forge only mean?
  • Basically, Forge is a map and a game situation editor for Halo. But in fact, this app is not only an editor. It has multiplayer capabilities too.
  • Forge is a mode where you can build your own Halo multiplayer maps, and then test them out, and if you want, share them with the larger community so that any Halo user can play custom games on them. It's like Minecraft for Halo: you build whatever you want with the assets they provide you and then share it with others.
  • If I don't want to build a map but just have a match, is it possible?
  • Yes, just join multiplayer maps that other people have forged. This is the ultimate Halo 5 Multiplayer as users can create maps for endless multiplayer maps. You don't have to forge anything if you don't want to. Just install and join a match.
  • Good point. Does it allow different modes like CTF a custom? Seems like you know about it and I cant check until I get home :D
  • The caveat being that currently its invite only to join matches. They'll be adding a match browser later as the article states. For now, friends and reddit
  • As far as i can tell it's just a custom game browser, but this article is ambiguous, are they going to add automated matchmaking? I certainly doubt it, but i also doubted anything from halo 5 would end up on Windows. Even if they refuse to add automated matchmaking for playlists this is still great and i have hope that the community will hack it to add a real matchmaking, though the likely hood that Microsoft would not c&d that and get it pulled is also low.
  • basicaly the pc version of forge mode is giving us a cut down version of the game engine.
  • Why not just make Halo Waypoint better instead of making another Halo companion app?
  • Not currently available in Canada
  • You can fake the region
  • Can't download for some reason.
  • Search the store for "Halo 5" and then download the "Halo 5: Forge Bundle" - That works in the UK where as the app itself doesn't
  • Forge isn't yet available in all markets or at all. You should mention that in the article guys.
  • Search the store for Halo 5, and download "Halo 5: Forge Bundle" It's showing available in the UK, where as the Forge app on it's own is saying unavailable
  • Apparently it works this way for now. Kind of strange behavior if you ask me.
  • Apparently servers are down and you can do exactly nothing in forge except for training course which is bad. I hope they launch servers asap or it'll once again show how Microsoft cares about PC. :/
  • Thanks for the tip!  But indeed very strange.
  • Thanks so much! was worried my PC was incompatible for some strange reason. 
  • No problem, buddy! :)
  • Love that they have released Forge for PC now, it's going to be easier to create maps from a PC at the moment IMO. Not available in the UK yet but going to keep checking.
  • I was excited, but I found out my Surface Pro 4 doesn't meet the video memory requirement. Oh well, I'll check on my PC later.
  • my surface book doesn't as well...
  • Will there be a steam release?
  • Nope. This is Win Store exclusive.
  • for anyone having an issue, download the news app first and then use that to download Forge.
  • Yeah, no thanks, bring Halo MCC and full Halo 5 to PC and then we might be talking.
  • Its **** I can't play it without gold on xbox, but on pc you can makes sense and its free