Microsoft and 343 Industries has delayed Halo Infinite till 2021, which will give the team adequate time to deliver a Halo game experience that meets their vision.
Unfortunately for those that were hoping to play Halo Infinite on their new Xbox Series X when it launches later this year, they will have to wait a little longer.
The move comes after the games reveal at the July Xbox showcase, as the game wasn’t received well due to its less than perfect graphics.
The Halo Infinite studio head Chris Lee had this to say about the delay:
“The decision to shift our release is the result of multiple factors that have contributed to development challenges, including the ongoing COVID-related impacts affecting us all this year. I want to acknowledge the hard work from our team at 343 Industries, who have remained committed to making a great game and finding solutions to development challenges. However, it is not sustainable for the well-being of our team or the overall success of the game to ship it this holiday. The extra time will let us finish the critical work necessary to deliver the most ambitious Halo game ever at the quality we know our fans expect.”
In terms of the game’s gameplay, 343 seems to have new ideas such as a new map, hinting at a more open-world type structure, and even a grappling hook, which will change the dynamic of combat. The new installments visuals looked to be reliving the past to the very first Halo, with bright and colourful fields, striking blue skies and monolithic structures. The aforementioned criticism by fans for the quality of the graphics has been acknowledged by 343 and the feedback is “not falling on deaf ears.”
343 ensures that Halo Infinite will be better looking after launch, as they are planning a ray-tracing update for sometime after the release. That’s concerning the graphics, but the art-style will most likely remain the same.
Recently though 343 Industries has announced that the multiplayer component will be free to play and will support 120 frames per second on Xbox Series X. The new multiplayer hasn’t been shown to the public yet but Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently mentioned that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer was “special” and that the team is working with professional Halo players to improve the experience.
This all sounds very promising and it seems like all involved in the development of Halo Infinite are working hard to ensure a viable and enjoyable experience for all fans of this popular franchise.