Here's exactly how and when to join the Halo Infinite test flight preview

Halo Infinite is set to host its first-ever private test flight on Xbox, so we’re here to give Guardians all the juicy details they’re looking for leading up to the launch of the demo. Want to know what time the beta starts? Curious about the schedule of play times over the course of the weekend? We’ve got you covered with the latest updates from the Halo Waypoint blog.

When does the Halo Infinite flight start?

343 Industries hasn’t yet offered a precise start time for the game’s first technical preview, but a recent official forum post suggests the development team hopes to launch the Halo Infinite flight client sometime after 3 p.m. Eastern on July 29. Participants are encouraged to watch the Halo Twitter account and Discord servers closely as the precise launch time nears.

How do I download the Halo Infinite test flight client?

Provided you’re a featured member of this weekend’s Halo Infinite multiplayer flight, you should receive a Waypoint message in your Halo Waypoint message box detailing specific download instructions. These instructions will be sent shortly after the flight client goes live.

How do I sign up for the Halo Infinite test flight?

Unfortunately, if you haven’t received an acceptance message or email yet, 343 Industries has confirmed with 100 percent certainty that you will not be able to play the flight content this weekend.

That being said, you can still sign up for potential access to future flights by registering for Microsoft’s Halo Insider program. Here are the steps to get that process done.

1. Go to the Halo Insider website and select “signup.”
2. Press the button to “sign in” to your Xbox live account, and enter your Microsoft Account credentials.
3. Select “yes” to let Halo Waypoint access your Xbox Live info.
4. Confirm your age as 18 or older.
5. Accept the Halo Insider Program Confidentiality Statement.
6. Click the button that says “join the program.”

Registration appears to be a bit glitchy right now, so it may be best to wait until after this weekend to join up if you haven't already.

Halo Infinite flight schedule

While 343 says players will be able to matchmake at any time while the flight is live, the developer suggests a list of specific times participants may want to play to have the easiest time filling lobbies. Here’s that schedule of suggested times for those who may need it.

• July 30: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern and 10 p.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern.
• July 31: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern and 10 p.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern.
• August 1: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern and 10 p.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern.
• August 2: Tech Preview closes at 1 p.m. Eastern.

What’s included in this flight?

• Bot Slayer: Squads of four face off against four bots on Live Fire, Bazaar, and Recharge maps. The difficulty of these bots will steadily increase over the weekend.
• 4v4 Social Arena Slayer: This will potentially launch later in the flight, around Sunday, and won’t include bots.
• Weapon Drills with the following weapons: MA40 AR, BR75, MK50 Sidekick, CQS48 Bulldog, Needler, VK78 Commando, S7 Sniper, Plasma Pistol, Pulse Carbine, Ravager, Heatwave, and Skewer.
• Battle Pass and menu: Players will be given a small amount of in-game credits to test out the UI. Unlocks during this flight won’t transfer to the final game.