Halo Infinite officially delayed to 2021 due to COVID-19 challenges

Halo Infinite was supposed to be Microsoft’s big launch title for Xbox Series X. It was supposed to drive a lot of people to the next-gen console despite being available on Xbox One and PC. Sadly, that won’t happen when the console launches this November.

Halo Infinite has been delayed to an unspecified time in 2021 to allow for a better development. The highly-anticipated game had its first look last month at the Xbox Series X showcase but was instantly criticized for having dated visuals. Many thought it made Series X look foolish as its being marketed as the most powerful console ever made.

343 Industries made the choice to delay Halo Infinite to allow more time to work on the game which has been impacted by COVID-19.

“We have made the difficult decision to shift our release to 2021 to ensure the team has adequate time to deliver a Halo game experience that meets our vision,” reads a statement from 343 Industries studio head, Chris Lee. “The decision to shift our release is the result of multiple factors that have contributed to development challenges, including the ongoing COVID-related impacts affecting us all this year.”

Halo Infinite is the first mainline title in the series since 2015. Halo 5: Guardians was heavily criticized for its story which was short and messy. 343 Industries likely wants to avoid a situation like this again and make sure Infinite delivers on all fronts across the board. Whether it will or not remains to be seen.

343 Industries already promised that the visual fidelity of the game will be improved by the time the game launches, this delay will likely help ensure that it’s a hell of a looker.

Halo Infinite will release sometime in 2021 on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC. Microsoft has since confirmed Xbox Series X will release this November.