343 Industries describes the requisitions system for Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer

Microsoft’s 343 Industries studio unveiled a new rewards system for its upcoming Halo 5: Guardians.

The Req System — short for requisition system — is important because it will provide players with the incentive to continue playing the game. The rewards will keep players engaged, encourage more friends to join, and get more players to join the game, helping with the overall success of the all-important exclusive title for the Xbox One video game console.

This system won’t make or break Halo 5, but it is something new that may intrigue fans who have put down their assault rifles and retired. 343 Industries created a video (below) describing how the system works. The more you play and the more enemies you shoot, the more points you earn. You can spend those points requisitioning new armor, weapons, vehicles, and power-ups such as overshields during multiplayer matches. All told, there are more than 1,000 Req items in Halo 5, which launches on Oct. 27.

Halo 5 will feature more than 20 multiplayer maps at launch, with more than 15 free maps added from launch through June of 2016. All of that represents a huge investment in multiplayer, and that tells you how critical it is for the overall success of the game.

The developers at 343 are fans of collectible card games, in both physical and digital forms. The Req system mirrors card packs. In the game, you can earn booster packs (or possibly buy them) to get a bunch of cards. You can cash them in or sell them off to get more Req points. As you play, you can use the Req cards to get get items such as Scorpion Tanks. That can turn the tide of a multiplayer battle, so long as you know how to use it. All of the Req packs in the Req store can be acquired by earning Req Points during gameplay.

Only cosmetic Req cards can be used in Arena multiplayer battles, which are more competitive and are likely to be the basis for esports tournaments. But in the larger Warzone battles, you can use any kinds of cards.