Ever since Microsoft delayed the game away from the launch of the Xbox Series X and S, the Halo Infinite release date has been unknown. Would it drop sometime in early 2021? Could it perhaps be a Spring release? 343 has finally weighed in on when fans can expect Halo Infinite, and if you were hoping to play it sometime soon, we have a bit of bad news.
In a blog post over on Halo Waypoint, creative director Joseph Staten gave us the cold hard truth:
After Reach shipped, I became a Halo fan, cheering-on 343i from the sidelines. But I’ve spent the last four months immersing myself back into the Halo universe, and it’s my honor as creative director to help our team ship Halo Infinite in Fall 2021.
Yep, that’s when the game is coming out. And from now until then, every one of us at 343i and our great partner teams will be building, testing, and polishing an experience we hope all of you love.
In hindsight, it is remarkable that Microsoft came this close to releasing Halo Infinite last month. Game delays aren’t uncommon anymore, especially in the time of COVID. What is unusual, though, is getting within a month or two of launch, then deciding to push a game back for an entire year. It makes you wonder what kind of state Halo Infinite would’ve been in upon release.
Maybe this is for the best.
Unfortunately, that Fall 2021 date is all we have to go on at this point. Staten and the rest of the team had nothing more specific to share. Most Halo games have arrived in November, though there are a few oddballs in the franchise’s history. So we can’t say with any degree of confidence when in Fall 2021 the game might come out.
We can take some solace, at least, in the fact that Halo Infinite should arrive much more polished than it was going to be in 2020. The gaming landscape is going to change pretty dramatically come next year, as 343’s next Halo adventure might have the likes of Horizon Forbidden West and the God of War sequel to contend with. This won’t be Master Chief versus Miles Morales — more of a fair fight. Halo Infinite will really need to blow the socks off of fans, so hopefully this extra year of development will ensure it does just that.
