Microsoft and 343 Industries have announced that they have delayed the launch of “Halo Infinite,” the most anticipated launch game of the Xbox Series X, until sometime in 2021. As part of the news, it’s confirmed that the Xbox Series X will go on sale sometime in November.
343 Industries says the delay is related to the coronavirus pandemic as employees have shifted to work from home and development of large games has been difficult. This is not an uncommon move, “The Last of Us Part II” earlier this year and the new “Destiny 2” expansion both suffered from COVID-19 related delays.
Chris Lee, studio head for the game says in a statement today about the delay:
“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. 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. 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.”
The delay also follows on from the game’s major unveiling as part of Microsoft’s first party presentation the other week where the game was met with a decidedly mixed reception with memes quickly generated lambasting the quality of the game’s graphics.
343 Industries responded to those criticisms at the time, admitting that “we do have work to do to address some of these areas and raise the level of fidelity and overall presentation for the final game.”
Source: The Verge
