Hey folks - I wanted to share a quick update on the Warzone Fireteam "test" and plans for a NEW test that will be kicking off next weekend!



As you know, late last year the Warzone design team implemented a test changing the max number of players in a WZ Fireteam from 12 to 6. The reasoning for this test was in response to feedback and data showing that the vast majority of WZ players were entering matchmaking either solo or in small Fireteams and facing off against pre-made 12-man squads was resulting in a poor experience. Games of individual/smaller disparate groups matching against seasoned 12-man pre-made Fireteams often resulted in lop-sided victories and in extreme cases, straight up "farming" of these helpless individuals for the duration of a game. So far the test is indeed showing that blow out victories/defeats are less common and feedback from solo/small Fireteam players has been positive.



That said, we also recognize that while technically a minority in terms of the overall population, there is still an active and passionate group of Halo 5 Companies that have built a strong community regularly playing in 12-man Fireteam WZ matches. The change noted above negatively impacted that play style and segment of our population so the team has been working on potential ways to satisfy both audiences.



While we realize there are some tradeoffs and potential shortcomings that may not make this the ideal permanent solution - namely potentially long wait times depending on the health of the "premade 12-man Fireteam population" - the 343 team still feels it's worth testing out a new Warzone playlist that specifically caters to large Fireteams.



Mark your calendars. Rally your Halo 5 Companies and assemble your Fireteams. Prepare for the "Warlords" playlist coming to Halo 5 Warzone on Friday, Jan. 27 at approx. 2PM PST. This is going to be run as a test and given population constraints will be setup to run for the weekend, similar in fashion to the Mythic WZ Firefight playlist.



It's important to note that you'll ONLY be able to enter matchmaking in the Warlords playlist if you're in a 12-man Fireteam. If this sounds cool to you but you don't have enough friends currently, look into joining a Halo 5 Company and/or check out the official "Halo" club on Xbox One. Within the Halo club you can utilize the "Looking for Group" feature to find 11 more Spartans to join you in Warzone. We're working on putting together a 343 Fireteam right now and look forward to doing battle next Friday. And if Uny, Grim and I can't fill out our roster we'll be in the Halo club looking for 9 more folks to take up arms.



Thank you for your patience and understanding as we've worked through these issues and we look forward to your help and feedback as we test the Halo 5 "Warlords" Warzone playlist next Friday-Sunday. See you then!