Halo Infinite Delayed Until 2021 Due to COVID-19

While the team over at 343 Industries mentioned this was a possibility back in June, it looks like the reality of COVID-19 has made a Halo Infinite delay impossible to avoid. While originally planned to be an Xbox Series X launch title, the studio has made the decision that they need more time to deliver the Halo experience that they want to offer. 

343 Industries took to the official Halo Twitter account to share the news of Halo Infinite’s delay. “We 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,” the statement began. 

“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 this year. 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.” 

They added, “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.”

Halo Infinite Development Update pic.twitter.com/TFZvXhRN9f

— Halo (@Halo) August 11, 2020

While news of a delay is always disappointing, it’s good to see more and more studios take this approach rather than rushing launches. A rushed launch has been a trend that has increased over the past several years as publisher demands and quarter-driven revenue continues to take priority. This demand has led to massive crunch times, poor quality launch days, and a downturn in community trust. Normalizing delays for more time should be a priority for gamers and creators alike. 

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At this time, we do not have a release date other than 2021. How do you feel about the Halo Infinite delay news? Hit us up with all of those views over on Twitter @PrimaGames, we’d love to hear what you think!