Halo Infinite’s first playable preview is confirmed for this week

343 Industries has confirmed that Halo Infinite’s first technical preview will kick off tomorrow, Thursday, July 29 and last until Sunday, August 1.

The Xbox developer will also be live streaming the content of the preview from 2pm PT / 10pm BST on Wednesday.

The playable preview is reserved for those who registered for the Halo Insider program, and invites have begun appearing in inboxes today. According to 343, “hundreds of thousands” will be invited to the test, which will be focussed on a new multiplayer mode that pits human players against AI bots.

The Bot Arena playlist puts 4 players against 4 Bots on Arena maps. For the first technical preview, Bot Arena will feature Slayer across three maps in this build: Bazaar, Recharge, and Live Fire.

343 is planning to hold future “flights” in the run-up to Halo Infinite’s release later this year, which it says will expand into different content such as traditional PVP Arena and Big Team Battle.

Xbox users can register for Halo Insider now by using their Gamertag, verifying their e-mail address and then opting in for communications and flighting.

343 stresses that it’s important to complete all steps in order to be eligible for the technical preview. According to Brian Jarrard, Halo community director at 343, over 100,000 people have attempted to sign up without completing all the required steps.

“I know folks are getting tired of seeing all the Halo Insider reminders – I promise we’re not trolling,” he said. “Truth is we have a LOT (six figures worth) of people who ‘signed up’ but didn’t complete all the required steps. Legit makes me sad knowing they’ll miss the opportunity.”

Microsoft confirmed during June’s E3 showcase that Halo Infinite will be released this holiday alongside its free-to-play multiplayer experience.