The Xbox Series X will still launch this holiday season with Microsoft narrowing the release window to November 2020. However, when it arrives, it will be without its biggest exclusive title, Halo Infinite.
Originally slated to launch alongside the Xbox Series X, the latest installment in the Xbox's flagship series has been pushed back to 2021 "to ensure the team has adequate time to deliver a Halo game experience that meets our vision." In a post on Halo Waypoint, 343 Industries studio head Chris Lee stated that "multiple factors" have contributed to development challenges, "including the ongoing COVID-related impacts affecting us all this year." He wrote:
I want to acknowledge the hard work from our team at 343 Industries, who have remained committed to making a great game and finding solutions to development challenges. However, it is not sustainable for the well-being of our team or the overall success of the game to ship it this holiday.
We know this will be disappointing to many of you and we all share in that sentiment. The passion and support the community has shown over the years has been incredible and inspiring. We wanted nothing more than to play our game with the community this holiday. The extra time will let us finish the critical work necessary to deliver the most ambitious Halo game ever at the quality we know our fans expect.
The decision to delay Halo Infinite comes less than a month after the debut of gameplay at the Xbox Games Showcase. During the event, 343 Industries showed off eight minutes of gameplay footage which was met with some reservations regarding lackluster visuals and graphics. Responding to the criticism, 343 acknowledged that they had work to do, but also defended that the shift back towards the "classic" art style of the original trilogy was intentional. Perhaps this extra time was needed to continue to improve upon the visuals.
Or maybe the extra time will help with multiplayer, which we've yet to see. In a recent post, 343 revealed that the "original plans for large-scale flighting aren't where we originally intended in large part due to the challenges of working from home during the COVID-19." This seems in line with what Lee stated today, suggesting multiplayer isn't quite where it needs to be.
It was recently confirmed that Halo Infinite's multiplayer will be free-to-play and support 120FPS on Xbox Series X. There are also reports claiming it could come with a battle royale mode.