Yesterday was a big day for major Xbox announcements. On one hand,Microsoft confirmed that the Xbox Series X will be launching sometime in November, just three months from now, but on the other, it was revealed thatHalo Infinitehas been delayed to 2021, leaving the console to launch against Sony’s PlayStation 5 without its flagship title.
It’s a huge shift in Microsoft’s plans for the holiday season, one thatwill be a major blow to the Xbox Series X’s launchnow that its highest-profile exclusive has been taken out of the equation. In response 343 Industries Founder Bonnie Ross took to Twitter to apologize to fans who were really looking forward to taking on the next chapter of Master Chief’s story this year, and willing to overlook the graphical issues most fans have taken issue with since the game was shown off last month.
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The tweet, which came attached to 343’s original statementannouncingHalo Infinite’s delay, keeps things simple and to the point. “I know we disappointed many fans this holiday and I apologize,” she wrote. “Thank you for your support and understanding today."
In the original message, 343 Studio Head Chris Lee explained that there were “multiple factors” that led to the delay, including setbacks caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which left the team in need of more time to finish upHalo Infiniteto their satisfaction while at the same time maintaining their well-being. “We know this will be disappointing to many of you and we all share in that sentiment,” Lee said, but he stressed that the extra development time will result in “the most ambitiousHalogame ever at the quality we know our fans expect.”
It’s frustrating to see a game a lot of people are this excited for get delayed into next year, so it’s understandable that 343 is apologizing. However, for the most part, fans seem to bereacting positively toHalo Infinite’s delay. With how many people took issue with the game’s visuals in particular, people are generally happy that Microsoft and 343 are willing to take their time ensuring the game gets as much polish as possible.
Still, it leaves Microsoft in a bit of a precarious position going into the holiday season. WithHalo Infinitedelayed, Microsoft has no first-party title launching with the next Xbox, a move that couldmake consumers wonder if it’s worth buying an Xbox Series X at launch. With Sony poised to potentially outsell the XSX with the PS5 by a sizable margin, this could potentially have huge sales ramifications for Microsoft in the next console generation.
Halo Infinitewill launch in 2021 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
