Anyone who was waiting for Halo Infinite before knows that it was delayed recently due to issues with COVID-19. At the time that this delay was announced, no specific release date was mentioned for it later down the line, though it was expected for that release to be sometime in 2021. But the uncertainty is gone now, as we have now been officially informed that Halo Infinite is now expected to release in Fall of 2021, developer 343 Industries confirmed this in a blog post. As part of 343’s year-end update, they confirmed the new release date, while also giving expectant fans a peek at some of the game’s art, graphics, and customization features.
Halo Infinite was supposed to be a launch title for the Xbox Series X|S in November, but COVID-19, as well as a variety of other, less notable factors, led Microsoft to delay the game to an at the time unspecified date in 2021. There’s no denying that the new Fall 2021 date is a lot later than many fans wanted or expected, since it will be a full year later than the original release date. But it’s better than an even longer delay.
Along with this much-appreciated news, 343 also published images of the first multiplayer map for Halo Infinite. As was announced in the past, the multiplayer element of Halo Infinite will be free-to-play, which is the first time this has ever happened in the history of the series. Players that aren’t interested in the single-player story can still play multiplayer with their friends, without paying for that campaign.
Joseph Staten, a veteran from Microsoft who has recently returned to Halo to work on Halo Infinite, said that he’s impressed by what he’s seen so far from the Halo Infinite development team.
“Folks here don’t just understand Halo, they love the core gameplay and characters and community–everything that makes Halo, Halo–just as much as I do. And, like me, they also feel a deep responsibility to serve,” he said. ”
“We aren’t making this game for us. We’re making it for you. My first week on the job, I played the entire Infinite campaign. Twice. I was, in a word, stunned—in the best possible way—by what the team had done. Infinite is, by far, the most expansive and vertical Halo world, ever. Why did the team do this? Because they understand that wonder and freedom are key to the Halo experience.”
When Halo Infinite finally releases, it will be available on Xbox Series X|S, as well as Xbox One and PC. For those who are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, they will be able to play Halo Infinite for no cost aside from their subscription.
Other aspects of the blog post from 343 included some discussion regarding multiplayer, including how that multiplayer would still include microtransactions, but not in the form of loot boxes. This should come as no surprise, seeing as how the multiplayer element will be free.
