Following the slightly mixed response to the last entry in the series, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Infinite was supposed to be 343 Industries' chance to get the franchise back on track. With a renewed focus on the fan-favorite Master Chief and fewer distractions from other Spartans, the pared-back storyline and refreshed gameplay did make a favorable impression on critics and fans, but things haven't been that plain sailing for Halo Infinite. Plagued with delays before launch and the release of a bug-ridden free-to-play multiplayer has ensured that Halo Infinite hasn't gotten off to the most ideal start.
The game's story campaign, visuals, and open-world design have been praised by plenty of gamers, and some have seen it as a return to form for the series. But 343 Industries' lack of clarity over Halo Infinite's post-launch roadmap and additional delays for fundamental elements like the campaign co-op mode has left a bitter taste in the mouths of some fans. Given that 343 Industries' intention is to support Halo Infinite for many years after its release, including carrying on the story through post-launch content, players haven't been that impressed with what they've seen so far. If some recent rumors are true, there could be more trouble on the horizon as well.
The Commitment To Post-Launch Support
Although there were lots of elements of Halo Infinite that impressed fans, including a well-written story that had both a compelling plot and an emotional heft to it, the overall game has been somewhat of a disappointment. This isn't because it's a bad game, but the rollout of content and the lack of updates or news has made Halo Infinite feel like a fairly limited experience thanks to its short campaign and relatively little amount of post-launch support. The campaign may have been good, but it hasn't really held players' attention for long, and considering 343 Industries' intention for Halo Infinite to be the focus of the studio's Halo content for at least ten years, gamers have been hoping for more.
The expectation was that Halo Infinite would be more like other live-service games such as Fortnite or Apex Legends, which get regular updates and seasons full of new content. So far, Halo Infinite's post-launch support has been full of delays and not much else. The campaign co-op is on the way, but it could still face further delays, and while Halo Infinite has had a few seasons of new modes, maps, and gameplay fixes, it doesn't feel like fans have had anything that substantive.
DLC Rumor Breakdown
Halo Infinite's campaign was one of the best things about it, and players were definitely hoping for some juicier story content to play through alongside more engaging multiplayer elements. Halo Infinite's story would continue to be expanded over the years through DLC and post-launch updates, and players were excited to see where Master Chief's battle against the Endless might take him. In keeping with 343 Industries' fairly sporadic updates regarding new aspects of Halo Infinite, there hasn't been any official news on campaign DLC, but a recent leak could shine some more light on it.
A video from YouTuber Sean W detailed an interaction with an anonymous source that revealed a lot of new information about Halo Infinite's future story-focused DLC. Although it's exciting to learn that campaign DLC is apparently in the works, players might have a much longer time to wait than they might realize. It seems as if 343 Industries only recently made the decision to work on some hefty campaign DLC, and this means fans won't see it any time soon, with a suggested release date of 2025 at least.
The DLC will reportedly take players to a new world where they will be pitted against the mysterious Endless, who became an important part of Halo Infinite's plot during the original campaign. More rumors were sparked in December 2021 when 343 Industries trademarked Halo: The Endless for an unknown purpose, with many speculating that it could be to do with Halo multiplayer and potential Esports events. This is all still rumor at this point and many questions still surround Halo Infinite's future, but fans are hoping to get some answers soon.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.