Master Chief is gearing up to make a triumphant return in 2021 as Halo Infinite has been delayed for a second time; now expected to launch in November of that year. This might actually be a good thing however as it will coincidentally fall on the 20th anniversary of Halo: Combat Evolved – the first game in the series that launched back in 2001 on the original Xbox console.
First unveiled at E3 2018, it was announced that Halo Infinite would launch alongside Project Scarlett (Xbox Series X) in November 2020… until the COVID-19 pandemic hit and changed everything. With developers now working from home, logistical factors being considered, and widespread lockdowns, it was clear that development timelines and launch dates would undoubtedly shift for the foreseeable future. Throughout the pandemic, virtual events and presentations have become the norm with companies shifting their focus into online spaces to showcase their latest work; E3 2020 was cancelled in early March with other conventions quickly following suit.
The launch of the next-generation of gaming consoles was seemingly up in the air until Xbox confirmed that Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S would indeed launch on November 10th, 2020 with Halo Infinite now shifting to a Holiday 2020 release date. As November came and went, the prospect of seeing Master Chief before the end of 2020 was growing dim and unfortunately fans will have to wait another 11 months for his return as Joseph Staten, Creative Director at 343 Industries, confirmed the news:
We needed more time to do things right. That included pushing hard in the Fall, giving the team time to recharge over the Holidays, and then coming back in January to finish the game at a healthy pace.
Joseph Staten, Creative Director – 343 Industries
Gamers got their first look at the Halo Infinite Campaign during the Xbox Games Showcase event which was held virtually back in July. The demo ran for 8 minutes and introduced fans to some NEW mechanics including a mapping system – first time in a Halo title; similar to that in Borderlands 3 and Gears 5 – as well as the Grappleshot (grappling hook) which can be used to quickly traverse the rocky and mountainous landscape in addition to bringing enemies and weapons closer to the player. Unfortunately, the graphics and overall aesthetic of the game seemed a little lackluster to fans, some of which compared it to that of the Xbox 360 console. Yikes! But what happened exactly?
Neill Harrison, Director of Art Management at 343 Industries, explained in the latest Inside Infinite that the primary goal for the July demo was to showcase some Halo Infinite gameplay for the first time to fans and that it was indeed a work-in-progress build of the game rather than one that was closer to completion; it had been speculated that was the case given the unique circumstances this year. And while the internet has never been shy to voice their opinions, especially towards an IP that is very important to them, Ani Shastry, Development Manager for the Graphics team on Halo Infinite wants the community to know that they have listened to their feedback and that an integral part of 343 Industries culture is taking that feedback – good or bad – and applying it to their projects.
Moving forward, the Live Team will take the reigns after launch and monitor player activity to ensure that the state of the game is maintained; reacting accordingly. Challenges, Progression, Achievements, and Customization are just a few of the elements that bridge the overall experience to the players and will include consultations with the Community, Analytics, and User Research teams.
As unfortunate as the delays have been, the passion for bringing Halo Infinite to life is stronger than ever and it sounds like gamers from around the world are in for a real treat next year. With plenty more surprises to come – seriously, where’s Cortana? – 343 Industries intends to keep fans in the developmental loop with regular updates in the coming months leading up to launch day.
Halo Infinite is scheduled to launch in November 2021 for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One X, Xbox One, and Windows PC.