Welp. You may say it was coming. You may say it is better this way. But in one of the biggest surprises of the years, Halo Infinite has been unceremoniously delayed.
The game is now expected to make its way out sometimes in 2021.
Developer 343 Industries cited multiple factors as the reason for the delay, including of course the coronavirus pandemic that kept the team from working from home for the bulk of the year. Shifting the release to 2021 ensures that they have adequate time to deliver on their vision.
Halo Infinite Development Update pic.twitter.com/TFZvXhRN9f
— Halo (@Halo) August 11, 2020
This new Halo was supposed to be a launch title for the upcoming Xbox Series X console, a flagship game meant to show the best of what the hardware offered with next-generation features like 4K 60fps gameplay and raytracing.
But the fact that the first gameplay trailer that Microsoft showed off for it during its Xbox Games Showcase last month got a lukewarm reception, this delay was always on the cards.
Much of the criticism surrounded the graphics, and the lack of advanced features, along with the multiplayer component that was supposed to be added in at a later date.
343 Industries says it wants to deliver the game at the quality that the fans expect. This is possibly a nod to the criticism, and a hint that the team might rework some things.
Either way, we are going to have to wait till next year to find out.
But the big setback is that Halo Infinite will not arrive alongside Xbox Series X. What this means is that Microsoft will have to fully rely on third-party titles during the launch window as the upcoming console will be without any big exclusive game at lunch.
Double welp.
