Examiner
While "Halo 4" won't have a competitive skill rank until April, 343 Industries did reveal Friday evening that the first competitive playlist for the Xbox 360 shooter will arrive in mid-February.
The upcoming competitive playlist will feature "heavily modified versions" of Slayer, Capture the Flag, Extraction and King of the Hill. Yes, King of the Hill will make its return after it was pulled from the regular playlist rotations in December. One of the 343 Industries staff said, "[W]e envision it as both the go-to place for competitive play and the premier playlist to get your 50 in."
343 Industries is basing the settings for the competitive playlist on what is currently being used in the competitive community including the Arena Gaming League (AGL) tournament taking place in Chicago this weekend. You can watch live feeds of the tournament at Twitch.tv.
The developer shared some of the initial settings planned for the new playlist that fixes many of the complaints that competitors have had with "Halo 4" multiplayer since it launched. This includes pre-set game loadouts and no instant respawn. You can check out the full details below.
4 vs 4
Pre-set game loadouts
Forced respawn timers
No instant respawn
Ordnance on re-supply timers
Join-in-progress off
No split-screen play
Friendly fire on
Max party size 4 with big party matching enforced
No guests allowed
