The Xbox-Bethesda showcase was one of themost anticipated events for E3 2021. Now that the companies have shown off more extended looks at bothHalo InfiniteandStarfield, Microsoft is beginning to telegraph what its future is going to look like to consumers.Halo Infinitehas been highly anticipated ever since its announcement and eventual delay, but now that it’s set to come out later this year, the game will be the first major first-party release for the Xbox Series X/S. In a similar way,Starfieldis coming exclusively to Xbox consoles in 2022 (as well as PC), so some ofStarfield’s success might be riding on how wellHalo Infiniteis received.
Halo Infinitewill be the first voice of Microsoft first-party games on the newest console generation, but it might end up beingStarfieldthat truly takes things to the next level. There’s a lot to be excited about from Microsoft’s E3 conference, but perhaps the two most telling things for its future areHaloandStarfield, two games that can help establish the Xbox Series X/S.
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What Halo Infinite Needs to Be
The most recent mainline entries in theHalofranchise have had mixed receptions from audiences. While still popular, longtime fans of the series are hoping thatHalo Infinitewill be a return to form and capture the magic ofthe originalHalotrilogy. If 343 Industries can capitalize on that and deliver aHaloexperience that lives up to the franchise’s legacy while also bringing in new fans to the series, it should realign faith in Microsoft’s first-party studios.
The games being released by them over the past few years haven’t been bad by any means, but they certainly haven’t hit the highs that the company might be hoping for. IfHalo Infiniteis able to start the lineup of first-party releases on the Series X/S with a bang, it’s going to set Xbox up for some even bigger smash hit releases, namelyStarfield.
Halo Infinite’s Reception and Release
TheHaloseries has seen some of the biggest releases in all of video game history. For good reason, the originalHalo: Combat Evolvedput Microsoft on the map as a console producer that should be taken seriously. Because ofHalo 5: Guardians’mixed reception, fans of the series might be skeptical aboutInfinite, but it just might be able to see the highs that the series has seen in its earlier days. In fact, a new, well-reviewedHalogame on the relatively new Xbox Series X/S might shape up to be the biggest release in the series. Additionally, its status as aday one Xbox Game Passgame will likely also help it find greater success than seen before in the franchise.
IfHalo Infiniteis a smash hit, it’s likely that the true success for Microsoft will come fromStarfield’s release. A release that might be even bigger thanInfinite’s depending on a few important factors includingHalo Infinite’s potential success.
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The Excitement Surrounding Starfield
Starfieldis set to release next year on November 11, a full eleven years after the release ofSkyrim. While Bethesda was a big name in gaming beforeSkyrim, the fifthElder Scrollsgame caused the studio’s popularity to explode. In the years since, the studio has been focusing onFalloutreleases withFallout 4andFallout 76. WhileFallout 76’s release might have been a slight misstep for the studio, its popularity has continued to climb with fans craving new information about the next big release. Now thatStarfieldhas an official release date, excitement for it is going to continue growing over the next year and a half until it releases.
One thing to whet the appetites ofStarfieldfans will beHalo Infinite. IfInfinitereleases to critical acclaim, the game will serve as an appetizer forStarfield’s release in the following year. This will set upStarfieldto likely be even bigger thanHalobecauseHalohas the potential to be a proof of concept for AAA first-party games on the Series X/S.
Starfield and the Future of the Xbox Series X
Halo InfiniteandStarfieldwill likely be the one-two punch that Microsoft is needing to get its new console off the ground. As stated above,Halo Infinitehas the potential to be the springboard that the rest of Microsoft’s first-party games can launch themselves off of.Starfieldis no different but because it’sBethesda’s first game since being acquired by Microsoft, more eyes than ever before will be on both of the companies. Its status as an Xbox exclusive will also likely boost console sales and put Xbox in a better, more comfortable place than it has been in several years.
Regardless of how wellHalo Infinitedoes,Starfieldis likely to be a hitfor the simple fact that it’s a Bethesda game, however, the magnitude of its success is potentially tied to how many people truly believe in the Series X’s status as a viable console option in the following year. That belief might just be tied toHaloand its success later this year.
FollowingStarfield, however, the heights of Xbox’s success can continue growing. The Zenimax acquisition will prove to be successful ifgames likeStarfield,The Elder Scrolls 6, and the rest of the company’s current working projects are hits, which history suggests they will be. If each consecutive game can be bigger and better than the next, then each can serve as a springboard for what’s to come, but at the end of the day, it all starts withHalo InfiniteandStarfield.
Starfieldreleases June 11, 2025 for PC and Xbox Series X.
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