Halo 2 is expected to feature similar modes supported by Halo 1, as well as additional modes.
For instance, Halo 1 could support 16 players on 4 Xboxes simultaneously over System Link (ethernet). It did not support Xbox Live.
Halo 2 will fully support Xbox Live. Its per-game player limit may be as high as 64. It is expected that the limit of 4 Xboxes per System Link game will be removed, allowing more individual players to play on separate Xboxes, removing the necessity for split screen mode, although this mode is expected to still be available.