After much speculation as to when Halo Infinite's first multiplayer beta will begin, the date has been confirmed. It will begin later today (July 28) and run through Sunday, August 1.

Halo's official Twitter account has confirmed the exact launch time for the first Halo Infinite experience: 2pm PT, 7pm EST, 10pm UK EST.

This will be the first of multiple technical previews of the Halo Infinite multiplayer, no doubt in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the launch woes experienced by players of "Halo: The Master Chief Collection" in 2014. No doubt.

The preview will test gameplay with AI bots and will feature a bot arena that Halo developer 343 Industries will use to "gather feedback on bot behavior and online performance." That arena will include a slayer mode, three maps, and various challenges for players to complete throughout the weekend.

Players can also try out Weapon Drills, a new feature that allows players to test Halo Infinite weapons in a virtual shooting range.

343 Industries will also test the implementation of Battle Pass, the game's UI, and a new version of the Halo Waypoint app for Android and iOS devices

The only problem with Halo Infinite's technical preview is that anyone can participate, but only those who have signed up for the Halo Insider Program. Fortunately, there is no limit to who can sign up and get a chance to play, although the process required jumping through a lot of hoops.

Once that's all done, you shouldn't have to do anything else: 343 Industries will send an email invitation to anyone who signs up, regardless of whether they choose to fly PC or Xbox. This is why it is so important to opt-in to be contacted by email.

It should be noted, however, that according to Microsoft, there are a limited number of invitations to the technical preview, so there is no guarantee that you will be selected for that slot. If you provide the exact information Microsoft has requested, your odds will be higher, but even then, there is no guarantee.

Fortunately, there will be multiple previews of Halo Infinite's multiplayer, so there are still plenty of chances to be invited.