Halo fans will have to wait until next year to play the latest installment in the storied franchise.
Halo Infinite will be delayed until 2021, Microsoft-owned developer 343 Industries announced today, citing development challenges including COVID-related impacts.
“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,” Chris Lee, studio head for Halo Infinite, said in a statement. “However, it is not sustainable for the well-being of our team or the overall success of the game to ship it this holiday.”
Halo Infinite Development Update pic.twitter.com/TFZvXhRN9f
— Halo (@Halo) August 11, 2020
Halo Infinite was one the high-profile titles set to launch with Microsoft’s new console, the Xbox Series X, which is still on schedule to debut in November, The Verge reported.
Microsoft showed off the game last month in a preview. Developers described Infinite as not simply a sequel, but as a “spiritual reboot” to the series, and a platform that 343 can use to keep building on the Halo universe.
Halo has been a tentpole franchise for the Xbox line of consoles for almost 20 years, dating back to the original game in 2001. Originally developed by the Bellevue, Wash.-based studio Bungie, Halo was regarded as the “killer app” for the original Xbox, and the games in the franchise are a significant driver of the Xbox’s overall success as a platform.
