Following Halo Infinite‘s first-ever gameplay demonstration in July, developer 343 Industries announced that Halo Infinite is delayed until 2021.
The announcement from Chris Lee, 343’s Studio Head, was posted to Twitter today. Lee cited “multiple factors contributing to development challenges.” Much to the surprise of no one, COVID-19 is listed as one of those challenges, though 343 mentioned no specific issues or setbacks the team is addressing.
Halo Infinite Development Update pic.twitter.com/TFZvXhRN9f
— Halo (@Halo) August 11, 2020
What the announcement did say is that there’s no way to adequately address these issues, whatever they are, “…while maintaining the “well-being of the team or the overall success of the game…”
Lee also said delaying Halo Infinite means the team can ensure they deliver “the most ambitious Halo game ever…” without sacrificing any quality.
While any delay is naturally disappointing, we did get a glimpse of that ambition during the recent Halo Infinite demonstration and follow-up interviews. Not only is Infinite‘s Halo Ring one of the biggest in the series, but it’s reportedly chock full of things to discover and stories to tell.
Hopefully, 343 can share a more specific Halo Infinite release date sometime later this year. It’s too bad it won’t be one of the titles that launching alongside the Xbox Series X when the next-gen console hits shelves this November. Stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Halo Infinite news as it develops.
