Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today confirmed the multiplayer beta of Halo 3 will debut to audiences worldwide via Xbox LIVE  on May 16 at 5 A.M. Pacific Time and run through June 6 at 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time.

Coming exclusively to Xbox 360 this year, Halo 3 is the highly anticipated third chapter in the groundbreaking Halo trilogy from developers Bungie.

Halo 3 lets you experience Master Chief's latest battle as he launches an epic mission to stop the Covenant, destroy the impending Flood threat, and ultimately save mankind.

New Levels, Weapons, Game Types
Made possible through the Xbox Live gaming and entertainment network, the multiplayer beta for Halo 3 will provide the first opportunity to get your hands on the new levels, weapons, vehicles, and game types, as well as a chance to provide valuable data that Bungie will use in continued development of the game.

So starting May 16, if you secured your admission to the multiplayer beta either through the "Rule of Three" promotion or by purchasing a specially marked copy of Crackdown for Xbox 360, you'll be able to don your Spartan armor, download the beta on Xbox LIVE, and jump online using your Xbox LIVE Gold account to battle other gamers from around the world.

Three Maps to Play
When users gather online to play the multiplayer beta via Xbox LIVE in May, they will be treated to three richly detailed, action-oriented maps: Snowbound, High Ground, and Valhalla, which represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments and are brand new to Halo 3.

Each map will test the gamers mettle as they are placed behind the controls of new Halo 3 vehicles such as the agile Mongoose all-terrain vehicle, and armed with deadly weapons such as the new and improved Assault Rifle, the ferocious Brute Spiker, the devastating Spartan Laser, and the treacherous new Spike Grenades. This is just a taste of what is on offer before Halo 3 goes on sale.

"Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 changed the face of console gaming forever", said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "Gamers from around the world have logged more than 800 million hours on Xbox LIVE playing Halo 2, and years after its launch it remains the number one title on our Xbox LIVE network. Bringing an early look at the multiplayer elements of Halo 3 to our passionate fan base is tremendously exciting for us".

So on May 16th make sure that you get onto Xbox Live to secure yourself a copy of this beta version. How often do gamers get to have input into one of the most anticipated games this year-