Second Halo: Reach PC flight launches, lasts until August 27

What you need to know

  • 343 Industries has launched the second test flight for Halo: Reach on PC.
  • The flight allows players to play Halo: Reach's Firefight mode, available to roughly 10,000 people.
  • The playtesting period lasts until August 27, 2019 at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET.
  • The goal of the flight is primarily to test both Firefight and Matchmaking systems.

Halo developer 343 Industries has announced that the second test flight for Halo: Reach on PC has arrived and is now live, and it's set to last until August 27, 2019 at 10 AM PT/ 1 PM ET. Invites have been distributed to Halo Insider Program applicants over email, with instructions on how to install the build via Steam.

This flight is significantly larger than the previous one, as it has about 10,000 participants compared to the first flight's 1,000. Players will be able to play Halo: Reach's Firefight mode across three different maps: Beachhead, Corvette, and Holdout. Players will be put into matchmade games with other Insider participants in either one of two playlists: 4-player Heroic standard Firefight, or 4-player Normal grab bag Firefight. The two will rotate over the course of the test, but both will not be active at the same time.

After the test has concluded, 343 Industries plans a following blog post detailing its findings. Alongside the Firefight test, the developers are also beta testing a new support site that is intended for players to use to submit issues they may encounter.

Related: How to play Halo: Reach early on PC

If you haven't already, we strongly advise signing up for the Halo Insider Program, as more flights that include more content and a higher player count are very likely on the way soon. If you're looking to get your hands on some Halo games right now, make sure to check out the Master Chief Collection on Xbox One.

Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. He's been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you'll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he's not writing or gaming, there's a good chance he's either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once. Follow him on X (Twitter).