: Especially since you can't play it online and there is no singleplayer mode.

Taking ANY company's content and redistributing it without their consent is against the law, John. Whether it's named "free" or not. It's a Free Beta. Just as (technically) Halo3 and Halo5's betas were "free".

I'm sure Microsoft is very much aware of how popular Mods are on the PC. It's impossible to be involved in the gaming market without learning of it and how popular it is. This is not the same situation as Skyrim or even Gmod. This is a beta that is designed for a particular region of the World. Russia doesn't exactly get a lot of love in the world. So giving them a chance to test this new Free-To-Play system out first is a smart move, on MS's part.

Modders are very talented folks and I can't wait for a chance to create maps for my favorite series. But I am more then willing to wait if it means the game is tested and working before I get it.

But like I said above, Halo Online is not a completed game and not, currently, meant to be modded. Doing so and redistributing the content elsewhere is in fact stealing/theft. And unless the developer/publisher of the game, specifically, gives the "A-Okay" for modding it, it's illegal.

Look at it this way. Community Customs is a free to visit site where visitors are free to join and comment. Would you want some one to come in and mod it and then distribute it under your name elsewhere? All the while, you're having to pay for it and having no control?