RUMOR #1: Details of the Halo 2 beta test have been leaked.
Source: A post on the official Xbox forums which was republished on the Gaming Age forums.
The official story: "Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation"--Microsoft spokesperson.
What we heard: With Halo 2 only 87 days away, gamers are ravenously devouring every scrap of information Bungie makes made public. However, they are even more interested in what Bungie is keeping secret. So when the alleged beta-test leak appeared on the Xbox forums, Master Chief wannabes went to condition red. It described three new multiplayer maps: "Zanzibar," the factory shown off at E3; "Mid-ship" which takes place inside a Covenant Battle cruiser; and "Ivory Tower," a greenhouse filled with elevators. It also outlined the new weapons in the game, including: the new SMG ("this little baby packs a punch"); the Battle Rifle, which can be used to snipe from afar or up-close as an assault rifle; the Covenant beam rifle ("equivalent to the human Sniper Rifle"); the Brute Shot ("shoots grenades that bounce around"); the hard-to-find Covenant Carbine ("the best gun in the game"); and the Energy Sword ("don't mess with the best 'cause the best don't mess"). The leak also killed some rumors ("You CANNOT duel wield plasma swords?There IS NO DIFFERENCE aside from appearance between Spartans and elites in MP.") But veteran Halo fans will be most excited by the following tidbit: "Halo 2 will support four people on one Xbox for LIVE play. All at the same time." But is the leak accurate? Given the fact Microsoft pulled the original from the Xbox.com forums, the answer is almost certainly "yes."
Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus.
