Halo Infinite is undoubtedly one of the most hotly anticipated titles in Microsoft’s Xbox Series X lineup. Unfortunately, the delay that hit Halo Infinite in August means that players won’t be playing the game at launch, or even for the remainder of 2020.
However, one star arose from all the news surrounding Master Chief’s latest escapade, and it wasn’t anyone hardcore fans of Halo were expecting. Craig the Brute became a meme sensation during the Halo Infinite’s first gameplay reveal, and has since become embraced by the development team who now have had Craig t-shirts made.
The news that Microsoft and 343 employees have full-blown Craig t-shirts comes straight from the Head of Xbox Gaming himself, Phil Spencer. Spencer revealed as much during an interview with GameSpot saying “We actually have these t-shirts, I didn't wear it today, which is Craig's face. I love that the team embraced that, it was just so funny.” For those who have no idea what Halo Infinite’s Craig meme is, it actually stems from internet users citing a closeup of an enemy Brute as an example of how poor the game’s graphics were.
Craig was actually just a regular Brute who Master Chief meleed, but those who paused the video at the proper time got the perfect image of the most milquetoast Brute in Halo’s history. As a result of the internet doing what the internet does, the Brute was swiftly dubbed Craig and he exploded as a meme shortly after. Now, it seems that the Halo Infinite development team and Spencer have fully embraced the internet’s love for Craig. Though Spencer neglected to wear the Craig shirts that the team created during the interview, he states that he’s very fond of the Craig meme, himself.
Spencer even said during the aforementioned interview that, “I think Craig will be around for many, many decades in the Halo lore. You'll find his pictures all over the place. Yeah. Probably in games somewhere.” While Halo Infinite’s delay is a positive thing, it does mean that the game’s Brutes will potentially look a lot more polished. Though if what Spencer said is true, it sounds like fans should keep their eyes peeled for some kind of Craig reference whenever Halo Infinite gets released.
Unfortunately, fans still don’t know when Halo Infinite will be released. 343 Industries has responded to release date rumors, reaffirming that players shouldn’t put stock in any unofficial news surrounding the game’s release date. Halo Infinite’s development cycle seems to be proving quite difficult for those involved, with developer turnovers and lackluster gameplay showings. Still, if one good thing came out of Halo Infinite’s lukewarm gameplay reveal, it was Craig the Brute.
Halo Infinite will be available for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2021.
Source: GameSpot