343 Industries has been awfully quiet since the delay of Halo Infinite earlier this year. Though Xbox Head Phil Spencer recently shared his thoughts on pushing the game into 2021, 343 Industries hadn't addressed the situation until now.
As the next big entry in the Halo franchise, Halo Infinite was supposed to be a launch title for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S this holiday season, but it was unfortunately delayed until 2021. While the specifics for this delay aren't known, the response to the Halo Infinite gameplay premiere suggested that the developers could benefit from more time on the project.
In its latest community update, 343 Industries discussed the delay and all that went into it. While acknowledging fans' concerns, 343 talked about how it can't wait to share details about the rich story and characters of Halo Infinite. 343 also touched upon how the customization and progression would work in the game and how it would all look in the multiplayer experience. As to when players could actually expect to see the game, 343 said, "when it's ready."
Additionally, 343 also talked about how the Halo Infinite delay affected the game's marketing plans. The various marketing teams and partners were working tirelessly for a year in preparation for the holiday launch. While the delay hasn't stopped the company's various partners, it has definitely slowed it down, ultimately affecting the release of Xbox Series X, which launched without any exclusive next-gen title. Phil Spencer also talked about how releasing Halo Infinite this fall would have been a cultural moment for Xbox, as a Halo game hasn't served as a launch title since the release of the original Xbox.
Interestingly enough, the Halo Infinite delay had little to no impact on the sales of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, as Phil Spencer confirmed that Microsoft is selling every console it builds. Currently, it's very difficult to find an Xbox Series console at retail, and that will likely continue throughout the shopping season. However, this shortage may very well be due to the fact that Microsoft was a little late in manufacturing these consoles last summer.
As far as Halo Infinite is concerned, Microsoft is confident that this delay will greatly improve the game and allow the game to meet fans' expectations in every way possible. Only time will tell whether that is true.
Halo Infinite is coming to PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2021.
Source: HaloWayPoint