Microsoft has revealed intriguing details of Halo 4's multiplayer mode. For the first time in the series, players will be able to customise the abilities and equipment of multiplayer characters through a progression system.

Furthermore, developer 343 Industries – which has taken over the Halo franchise after the departure of its creator, Bungie Studios – has hinted that there may be some kind of social gaming service akin to Battlelog or Call of Duty: Elite. There could also be some kind of narrative element to multiplayer.

Fans of the series may also be interested to note that the classic Battle rifle is back. The familiar pulse weapon looks set to be restored to its powerful specifications from the first Halo titles.

Speaking at the Xbox Showcase event in San Francisco last week, creative director Josh Holmes told reporters: "You, as a player, have the ability to customise all aspects of your Spartan warrior – and not just cosmetically. For the first time in a Halo title, you can actually change gameplay-impacting components. This allows you to customise load outs and gives you gameplay enhancements that can be unlocked through the progression system."

In an interview with the Guardian later on, executive producer Kiki Wolfkill explained that 343 Industries had been looking at trends in the first-person genre, and had recognised the need to provide a more adapable and personalised multiplayer experience.

"We've looked at everything," she said. "Whether it's first-person multiplayer or third-person – some very interesting things have happened there. And if we've seen some interesting design elements, even if they weren't successful in another game, they may have sparked interest for us.

"When we look at our multiplayer, one of the things we've explored is, because Halo is about the sandbox, about people playing how they want to, how do we push that even further? How do we really support different play styles in Halo 4? There's always been a lot of choice in Halo, but it's about pushing that even further. It gets back to how do we allow players to choose the thing that supports the play style that makes them the most successful."

The move toward a full character progression system will no doubt be controversial with Halo fans, and will be viewed as a shift in style toward first-person shooter rivals such as Call of Duty and Battlefield.

"The community should have some confidence that it's been thought through as a Halo game," said franchise development director Frank O'Connor. "The balance system has been considered as an intrinsic part the Halo feel. I'd like to tell people to be happy and confident and look forward to it, but I can't control that. We'll explain our decisions at a later date. It's been carefully considered."

During a press briefing, Holmes also hinted that the infrastructure of the multiplayer mode is likely to evolve too, with changes to the lobby and matchmaking systems that suggest a more socially connected title. "We're really changing the experience surrounding multiplayer," he said. "We're providing a brand new experience for you and your friends to play, in a way you've never played Halo before."

O'Connor was more specific in an interview later with the Guardian. "If you've ever played Geometry Wars on the Xbox, it shows you the top 10 players in the whole world – who are also your friends," he said. "This makes you feel more important and more succesful as a player than you actually are.

"It's all about contextualising. The number one rule of multiplayer game design is – everything is fun against a friend. Pong is fun against a friend! But it probably isn't against an anonymous random person. So socialising your multiplayer experience is the number one thing you have to do. It's something we'll be expanding on with Halo 4."

Microsoft showed a couple of brief teaser videos revealing in-game visuals, and specifically two new Team Slayer maps: Warhouse and Wraparound.

"Warhouse is a civilian manufacturing plant that is in near space orbit around a gas giant," explained Holmes. "It's been commisioned for the creation of a new weapons platform, the Cyclops Mark 2." The massive Cyclops mech can be seen in a huge arena in the middle of the map, around which multilayered metal platforms provide an extremely vertical experience.

Wraparound is a similarly small, arena-based map focused on the Team Slayer mode. "But this is a very different location," said Holmes. "This is solar facility that is generating the artificial sunlight, creating the light and energy that powers a planet.

"Again, the focus is on great circular flow around the outer areas. You've got multiple levels, there are drop down areas on the catwalks so you can quickly transition from level to level – and then there are circular hallways that go round the outer edge and then connect back, either on the sides or through these man cannons that launch players through the air into the central space.

"Both of these maps are designed for fast play and constant action – really intense combat."

While the gameplay looked similar to Halo experiences of the past, the environments show an interesting visual diversity, ranging from grungey industrial tech to glowing hyper-advanced architecture.

"One of the opportunities we have with the environments within our multiplayer experience is to visit places that you've never seen before in the Halo universe," said Holmes. "We want to give you that wider view and show you places you my not encounter in the campaign. All the maps have been purpose-built for multiplayer – that gives us the optimal flow and balance."

There has also been a suggestion that the Halo 4 multiplayer may contain narrative elements. In the past, the online experience has been somewhat separate from the story elements of the campaign mode. However, during a video in which interviews with several 343 Industries team members were featured, one suggested that the studio is creating a convicing reason why red Spartans fight blue Spartans.

"We really wanted to redefine what the multiplayer is," said Holmes. "We wanted something that is definitely Halo at its core, something with that classic feel, but that has evolved in important and innovative ways. We've created a combat that is much more fast-paced, more intense and visceral than anything you've experienced before from a Halo game."

Lots of interesting information then, hinting at a multiplayer mode that will hark back to classic Halo (hence the Battle rifle and fast-paced combat), while recognising industry-wide additions to the genre, such as character progression and social frameworks. No doubt we'll discover more at this year's E3 event.

• Halo 4 is due for release on Xbox 360 in winter 2012