Halo Infinite
Developer 343 Industries, Skybox Labs, Sperasoft, Certain Affinity Publisher Xbox Game Studios Format PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series Origin US, Canada, Release Q3/Q4 2021
Microsoft made one of the boldest decisions of the new console generation by choosing to delay its most obvious launch-window system-seller. In light of the outcry surrounding Cyberpunk 2077, that seems a smarter move than it did in August. Yet a delay of a year for such a flagship game, if not unprecedented, is certainly unusual.
Covid has, the publisher admits, “contributed to development challenges”, but it’s not the only explanation for the postponement. The response to its gameplay showcase at Xbox’s July event will certainly have been one reason; Infinite’s visuals, largely thanks to some poorly-chosen screenshots, but also Microsoft’s decision to prioritise performance over fidelity for the event, were immediately subjected to online ridicule. A paused frame of footage, meanwhile, led to one Brute – dubbed Craig – becoming a meme in his own right.
To its credit, Microsoft has responded in good humour, with Phil Spencer claiming 343 Industries has had Craig T-shirts printed. Nonetheless, it’s a costly delay, not only since it leaves Xbox Series without a potential killer app, but because an extra year of development won’t come cheap. 343 issued denials of any creative difficulties in 2019, when executive producer Mary Olson left the project less than two months after the departure of creative director Tim Longo. With studio director Chris Lee taking a step back following the July backlash, series veteran Joseph Staten has been brought back on board to steady the ship. Given the extra year of development will mean another 12 months of escalating player expectations, Infinite will need a reliable hand on the tiller.
Its problems raise questions about the sustainability of the modern blockbuster, particularly given Infinite will be available to all Game Pass users at launch. Granted, it’ll sell plenty of subscriptions on its own, but can it hope to make its development costs back? Perhaps the answer lies in its 120fpssupporting multiplayer component, which will be released as a free-toplay affair, letting those who aren’t fussed about the campaign jump in without paying a penny. That might seem an unlikely way to claw back that budget, but no doubt Microsoft will have been learning from Call Of Duty: Warzone, which contributed a large chunk of the $1.2bn Activision made from microtransactions between July and September 2020 alone. Whether or not that gamble pays off, Infinite remains one of 2021’s most fascinating triple-A games – not just for what it is, but what it means for the future of its publisher, the Halo series, and the firstperson shooter in general.