Prior to its reveal this summer, Halo: Infinite held a lot of pressure on its shoulders to be that defining experience for Xbox Series X owners at launch. Unfortunately, its reveal didn't go as smoothly as many fans had hoped leaving many worried that it wasn't going to be ready for launch in a few months. Turns out, Microsoft agreed, delaying the game into 2021 to give 343 Industries more time to work on it. Even though the decision hurts the Xbox Series X launch, the game itself appears to be much better off for it.
The latest information on Halo: Infinite comes from Qilin, a developer currently working on the game. While the individual hasn't shared their identity and doesn't intend to anytime soon, they typically post regular updates to this social media account regarding Halo and the Xbox Series X. The latest update from Qilin should provide fans with a glimmer of hope.
According to Qilin, the latest build of Halo: Infinite was recently posted internally for developers to work with. While they go on to say it looks amazing, the biggest tease is that new features have been added and that the game is "going to change everything when it's out." While Qilin doesn't go into any further detail, it's apparent that the extra development time has seemingly done wonders for the title, allowing 343 and the support studios to add in features that likely wouldn't have made it in time.
The reason for this big jump is apparently the delay itself. Qilin revealed that since the pressure of meeting a rapidly approaching deadline was removed, the team's moral has improved and creativity has begun to rise. With the added time, more polish and care has been applied to various parts of the game as well as adding in content that would have been cut to reach the launch date. They also make it clear that more than a few members of the studio were hoping for a delay out of the November launch. While Qilin isn't specifying what part of 2021 Halo: Infinite is targeting for release, they prove a bit of hope to fans by telling them to hang in there as it won't be too long.
Since the decision to delay the game, Microsoft and 343 have been fairly quiet about the anticipated shooter. However, that fact doesn't mean the team isn't watching as a recent rumor was immediately shot down by the studio, letting fans know that the Xbox One version wasn't getting dropped. In addition, the studio announced that Joseph Staten, a major piece during Bungie's Halo games, is returning to the series in a leadership role. Staten joins on with 343 on Halo: Infinite after serving in another leadership role for a different Microsoft-published game.
Halo Infinite is in development for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.