I was under the impression that Halo 5 would be that way. I went back to double-check what they said and, no, they didn't explicitly say that. Still, it's heavily implied, given all the emphasis they're putting on the return of the level playing field. They're making a really big deal out of it. If they bring that back for the beta only for the final game to go back to custom loadouts and rank-based unlocks like Halo 4, well, I think I'll be waiting to get the game used for cheap, and even then I'll be staying away from MP. I'm not looking forward to having to slog through more BS like in Halo 4. No rank-based unlocks, and no custom loadouts outside of custom games. I won't accept anything less.