It looks like players will be limited to a set cycle of maps in Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer, as 343 Industries confirms that voting and vetoing selections will not be available in the upcoming first-person shooter.
This news comes to us via IGN, who caught wind of a tweet from Studio Head Josh Holmes. When asked if there would be a voting or veto system similar to the one seen in Halo 2, Holmes stated “No voting or veto, just straight rotation.”
Some Halo fans are none too thrilled by this revelation, as 343 has already announced that Guardians will not feature any sort of splitscreen mode, and the Big Team Battle Mode won’t be available at launch.
So long as the rotation keeps things fresh, I’m not sure I see the problem here. When map voting and vetoing are implemented, it’s not uncommon to see fan-favorite locations get used repetitively. While that’s great for people who can’t get enough of their favorite maps, the impact is the exact opposite for folks who like a little variety in their shooters. For most folks, you can only run through Haven so many times before it starts to feel redundant.
Then again, not every online shooter has a stellar map rotation system, either. My current gripe is with Destiny’s PvP mode, which has a rotation schedule that’s downright baffling. I’ve been in multiplayer sessions where the same map pops up three times in a row, then appears again just one match later. I’ve only ever seen Widow’s Court once while playing online and two of the DLC maps are still total mysteries to me. I don’t play an insane amount of competitive multiplayer, but certainly enough where I should be seeing a bit more variety in my play sessions.
If 343 can guarantee that the Halo 5 map rotation is more varied but maybe still favors fan favorites here and there, I say there’s nothing to worry about.
As always, we’d be interested in hearing how our readers feel about a lack of votes and vetoes in Guardians. Is that a bummer for your online experiences or are you the type of player who doesn’t really mind not having a say in what level gets played next? What games have you played that offer a more ideal system?
To see how the Halo 5 map rotation works out in practice, you can pick up a copy of the game starting Oct. 27 for the Xbox One.
