Halo Infinite Is the Sequel You Deserve, Promises Developer 343

Attachment 45944

Halo Infinite got off to a rocky start after its lackluster reveal earlier this year, but 343 Industries founder Bonnie Ross is now promising that the latest entry in the landmark Halo franchise will be what players deserve. This should come as reassurance to fans of the series, who were left underwhelmed by the shoddy, outdated graphics and underwhelming gameplay in the game's demo released back in July.

Halo Infinite, the sixth main entry in the Halo series and fourteenth overall, sees the return of Master Chief continuing his mission where Halo 5 left off, protecting humanity against the Covenant, but in a more central role than before. Infinite went into production in 2015, but suffered a series of setbacks almost straight off the line. A new game engine had to be built in order to cope with the increased technical demands of the game, creative leads departed the project in droves, and the COVID-19 pandemic led to even more complications as developers were forced to work from home. As a result, Infinite has been delayed until the end of 2021, a bit of a blow to Microsoft, who was counting on the game to help sell the recently released Xbox Series X/S consoles.

But the good folks at 343 Industries, the studio developing Infinite, remain optimistic about their ability to deliver a title that's as polished as possible, despite the setbacks. Ross put out a statement on Halo's latest community update acknowledging Infinite's difficult production, and her gratitude to the fans for their patience, as the team continues to work tirelessly "to deliver something special…the Halo game you deserve."

Attachment 45945

It's a good move that 343 is opting to delay Infinite's release to make it as polished as possible, considering that it's meant to be the flagship of the series on current and next-gen consoles for at least the next ten years. But while players have learned that delays for quality's sake doesn't necessarily mean a game will be ready for release when it finally does hit shelves (looking at you, Cyberpunk 2077), Ross isn't the first major studio figure to reassure fans that 343 is taking their criticism into account.

Ross has also addressed the disappointment fans felt at the game's delay, but assured them that it wasn't a decision that was made lightly. In light of the multitude of issues that Halo Infinite has dealt with since its inception, cautious optimism isn't entirely unreasonable, and honestly may be more than 343 should reasonably hope for. But if nothing else, players can at least look forward to seeing Craig the Brute's inevitable facelift.

Halo Infinite will be available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC in 2021.