"Halo: Reach" co-op problems with 4GB Xbox 360 units may have been unintentional, but the absence of Campaign Matchmaking in the in the title at launch was not. Bungie didn't want to spoil the the game's ending for players picking the game up off the shelf in its first week, but they have some fixes to deliver and believe the time will also be right for such functionality in less than a month.
"The first matchmaking update for 'Reach' will occur in early October and consist primarily of fixes for bugs and balance issues," the update on Bungie.net explained. "We're not done testing them all yet, but when they're ready we'll fill you in on all of the little details. We'll also be adding some game types and Forge maps. Co-op campaign will be going live in October as well."
They also issued a warning for anyone afraid of spoilers.
"Campaign matchmaking will not take into account what your current progress is, so if you're worried about spoilers make sure you finish campaign before jumping into this playlist!" the studio's representative explained.
Not restricting access by single-player progress is a double-edged sword, since you can inadvertently get pushed ahead to places in the "Reach" story that you aren't familiar with yet, but I think the benefit of getting to join up with anyone for the mode more than makes up for that. And besides, if you really are averse to spoilers, nothing's stopping you from completing your 1P run-through before you dive into Campaign Matchmaking.
Do you think Bungie made the right call by holding off on Campaign Matchmaking at launch? Are you ready to get your hands on it now? Share your responses with us in the comment section below.