Halo Infinite Now Set to Launch in Fall 2021

Halo Infinite is now set to hit the market in the fall of 2021, developer 343 Industries recently confirmed in a blog post. As part of the year-end developer update, 343 confirmed the new release date and provided some new insights into the graphics, design, and customization features of the game.

Halo Infinite was originally scheduled to be released as a launch title for the Xbox X | S series in November, but due to complications related to COVID-19 and other factors, Microsoft delayed the game until 2021. The new date for autumn 2021 may be later than some had expected, as it is a whole year past what was originally announced.

343 also released images from the first Halo Infinite multiplayer map. As previously announced, the multiplayer element of Halo Infinite will be free-to-play, a major change for the series.

The new Halo Infinite blog post also included new details about the multiplayer, while the developer also acknowledged concerns about the graphics of the game. Additionally, 343 highlighted how Halo Infinite will use microtransactions but not loot boxes.

The graphics were criticized by the community for being underwhelming in reaction to a demo released this past July. 343's director of art management Neill Harrison called the reaction "humbling," and said "the reality is that the art and visuals weren’t at the bar we hold for Halo—even for a work-in-progress state. Much of the feedback we heard from the community aligned with our own views and work we were already committed to doing around things like indirect lighting, material response, foliage and tree rendering, clouds, level-of-detail transitions, and character fidelity."

The post also touched on Halo Infinite's sagging facial expression, which quickly earned the nickname Craig and became a meme that summed up the missing graphics from Infinite. Harrison says that "facial animation on NPCs was not fully implemented in that build... poor old Craig was never intended to be seen in that condition."

Harrison also stated they are also looking at "additional opportunities for improvement," and called out some improvements the developers have already made since July: adjusted dynamic lighting "to add more punch and contrast to the image" and higher character fidelity.

Screenshots later in the blog provided an early insight into the customization options for multiplayer in Infinite. They are abandoning the classic halo system of primary / secondary armor colors for more diverse "coatings." The new system is designed to allow for more diverse armor loads, but will also be easier and faster for developers to create.

As they did with regular updates to the Master Chief Collection, 343 Industries has plans for consistent "Inside Infinite" posts like this. "Starting with this update, we’re going to be sharing more about what we’re doing and, most importantly, why we’re doing it," said Staten.

When Halo Infinite is released, it will be available on Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One and PC. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play it at no additional cost.

Joseph Staten, a longtime Microsoft veteran who recently returned to Halo to work on Halo Infinite, said he was impressed with what he saw from the development team.

"Folks here don't just understand Halo, they love the core gameplay and characters and community--everything that makes Halo, Halo--just as much as I do. And, like me, they also feel a deep responsibility to serve," he said. "

"We aren't making this game for us. We're making it for you. My first week on the job, I played the entire Infinite campaign. Twice. I was, in a word, stunned—in the best possible way—by what the team had done. Infinite is, by far, the most expansive and vertical Halo world, ever. Why did the team do this? Because they understand that wonder and freedom are key to the Halo experience."

"After Reach shipped, I became a Halo fan, cheering-on 343 from the sidelines," Staten wrote. "But I’ve spent the last four months immersing myself back into the Halo universe, and it’s my honor as creative director to help our team ship Halo Infinite in Fall 2021."

Staten goes on to say that based on feedback from Halo Infinite's July demo, "discussion boiled down to one fundamental truth: we needed more time to do things right."