I have seen several questions regarding information of the return of the premium playlist, so I decided to create this thread for those whose questions have not been answered.
On the 1.4.12 Weekly Bulletin BS Angel announced that the premium playlist would be making a return in the January matchmaking update on the following conditions:
-the playlist will be a 6v6 slayer only. No objective. Sorry achievement hunters. 
-The playlist should be Vanilla Reach settings.
-the playlist will be ALL DLC required. This includes the Noble, Defiant, & Anniversary DLC
-The playlist is returning on a <mark>probationary status</mark>, meaning if the number of people playing it are not high enough, the playlist will be removed.
I hope this helped!
Sources:
> ā¢ Squad DLC added. All DLC included/required.
>
> Yes, we read our forums. No, we donāt always respond with words, because sometimes we respond with action instead. Like this time.
>
> When Premium Battle was removed, threads about its disappearance slowly began cropping up. We adjusted the Matchmaking algorithm to match players who have DLC with other players who have DLC more often, but we noticed many players saying they still werenāt getting enough DLC to satisfy their map-related cravings. So weāre bringing a premium list back in the form of 6v6 DLC Slayer. <mark>This list is being introduced on a probationary status due to the low population previously experienced in Premium Battle. We will be keeping a very close eye on its numbers, so if you want it to stick around, youād best play it. Consider this your first warning.</mark>
> Also, I told you the Matchmaking team loves you! In fact, they wanted me to pass along some hugs. And kisses. And lots and lots of DLC maps!
> > Living Dead update is nice, but it needs more gametypes as well. Also, just Slayer for Squad DLC? No Objectives? No Multiflag on Highlands or Breakneck? Come on nowā¦
>
> Thereās only so much we can do each month. We have a path weāre following, but we have to traverse it a few steps at a time.
>
> (P.S. Iām a straight up Objective girl, so I understand where youāre coming from!)
> > DLC Slayer require both the Noble and Defiant map packs?
>
> All DLC. So Noble, Defiant, and Anniversary.
> > Will 6v6 DLC Slayer list have TU settings?
>
> I believe itās Vanilla.
I canāt believe there is no objective -_-
I appreciate that it is returning, but they need to put a splash of objective and infection in for us achievement hunters. I have one lone achievement left, ironically āAll Aloneā and have no hope of getting it through the Living Dead playlist.
I get that playlists take up server space, but 343 has to realize that the DLC only playlist will always have a low population due to its very nature. I would also love to hear about anything related to patching the new achievements to make them not map specific like the rest of the achievements in game.
> I canāt believe there is no objective -_-
Iām with you all the way on that one. It really makes no sense for a number of reasons. First of all, Premium Battle (objective) had a higher population than Premium Slayer before they combined them in to one playlist. And two, there is an objectieve achievement (Donāt Touch That!) attached to a Defiant map, which is otherwise impossible to get in Team Objective. You can play 100 games straight and you will never see Condemned or Highlands show up in a voting slot. And chances are, even if it does, it wont even get voted for. The other day, to my amazement, CTF on Tempest showed up and guess what happened? Everyone voted for 3 flag on Asylum insteadā¦
343 say they are reading the forums and listening, hence the increased weighting of Condemned in Living Dead, which in my opinion is a nice gesture, but if people donāt have the maps (which obviously most of them donāt) you still will never get to play it. But what was the logic in making DLC squad slayer only? Oh, right āWe can only do so much in a monthā. Are you kidding? All they really had to do was bring back the original Premium Battle playlist. Iām sure they still have the files saved. It would have taken zero effort. And why is it vanilla setting only and not TU, or even a mix of both?
Not to jump the gun with Halo 4 or anything but, making questionable decisions such as these, especially making achievements map AND gametype specific kinda makes you wonder what is going on over in that studioā¦
I posted in a thread earlier saying that it was great news that a DLC playlist was coming soon. Finding out itās a Slayer only playlist is very disappointing. Not even for the sake of the DLC achievements. Itās been like being offered a free banana milkshake then instead being punched in the stomach and the milkshake poured over your head.
Hey, itās something. Perhaps if the numbers are high enough, theyāll add objective gametypes to the playlist once they see that people actually want to play on it.