Stop us if you’ve heard this one before — a video game rumor hits an online message board, a number of gaming websites run with it, and days later, the rumor is debunked. It happens repeatedly, the rumors are more often wrong than right, and yet still, these rumors continue to be treated as legitimate news. It sucks.
Yet here we are.
As far as this “Halo Infinite not coming to Xbox One” rumor goes, we’re on step two of three. The rumor hit ResetEra. The usual suspects of video game journalism dove on it like Phil Spencer himself made the announcement (while also warning everyone to take it with a “pinch of salt”). Now we’re just waiting for it to be proven false. Either Microsoft will do it through a statement, or we’ll just magically get Halo Infinite on Xbox One next year.
Here’s why the rumor sounds like a bunch of crap.
To start, Halo Infinite has undoubtedly been in development for a number of years. Up until a few weeks ago, it was slated for the Xbox Series X’s launch, which we now know will happen in November. Both versions — Xbox One and Xbox Series X — had to be far enough along for Microsoft and 343 to confidently target the Series X launch. There’s no way Microsoft would scrap a game that deep into development. That would be ridiculous.
On top of that, Microsoft has gone out of its way to ensure those on Xbox One will still get to play a number of first-party titles for a certain length of time (likely around two years). Halo Infinite was held up as the sterling example of how Microsoft could make a game on the Series X shine will still supporting the Xbox One. It told Xbox One owners they would get to play Halo Infinite. To renege on that promise now wouldn’t just hurt Microsoft’s credibility, it would absolutely obliterate it.
And lastly — this rumor came from ResetEra. You know, the forum site where a supposed “insider” lied about developers having trouble making Resident Evil 8 run nicely on the PS5? You may take a mod’s word for it that a forum poster is “in a position to possibly know such things.” (Oh, possibly? So he could also possibly be making it up?) But short of someone posting a video of Bonnie Ross saying Halo Infinite for Xbox One is canceled, we don’t think anyone there is automatically worthy of trust.
Idea: instead of telling people to take everything with a pinch of salt, use your judgment.
That is all.