Halo Infinite Release Date Locked In For Late 2021
Master Chief is finally suiting up and we're getting ready to jump back into 343 Industries' sci-fi shooter with Halo Infinite. While the long-awaited sequel to 2015's Halo 5: Guardians was supposed to launch alongside the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in November, players were gutted to learn Microsoft had pushed its flagship franchise to "some time" next year.
Both 343 Industries and Microsoft have been dragged over the coals when it comes to Halo Infinite - which wasn't helped by July's disastrous Xbox Games Showcase. If the birth of the Craig the Brute meme wasn't enough to contend with, gamers have been sharpening their pitchforks over a lack of news about the Halo Infinite release date. We know when you'll be able to play the next-gen title, however, be warned, it's still a way off.
Halo Infinite release date: What is it?
After criticisms we've been left in the dark about Halo Infinite, 343 offered an update in a lengthy blog post. Here, Creative Director Joseph Staten looked ahead to fall 2021 to ship Halo Infinite. Explaining this new release window, Staten added, "I joined 343i right as the team was wrestling with feedback from the July campaign demo. This discussion boiled down to one fundamental truth: 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. Because Halo Infinite in the Fall of 2021… is just the beginning of the adventure".
We'd previously heard rumours that Halo Infinite could land in spring 2021, but thanks to Staten's latest musings, it's clear this isn't the case. A fall 2021 release means the soft reboot will be coming our a full year after it was supposed to.
Even though it's great news we finally have a release date, we've been here before, and let's remember fall is a very long season. Ultimately, it sounds like 343 is hedging its bets with a broad release window that could shift over the course of several months.
Halo Infinite release date: Will it stick?
If you didn't think 2020 was bad enough already, this year has been struck by big delays for the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 and Halo Infinite, leading to questions about whether either game would see the light of day. While Cyberpunk 2077 is finally out on current-gen consoles (with next-gen coming in 2021), Halo Infinite is still a way off. The latest update comes following a reminder that there's still "more to be done" in the graphics department.
In the update post, Director of Art Management, Neill Harrison, said Craig has been given a "significant makeover". Despite this, he added, "There’s been further work done on the material fidelity and more variety added for Brute faces […] So, whilst we have come to love our dear old Craig, he’s certainly undergoing a significant makeover". Even though 343 has pencilled fall 2021 into our diaries, we'll have to wait and see if Halo Infinite can meet this date or heads will roll.
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