After yesterday’s Xbox showcase, fans couldn’t be faulted for thinking that Gamescom would come and go without any Halo Infinite news, a seemingly shocking move considering it's Microsoft’s biggest game of 2021. However, it turns out that Microsoft was simply saving information for the main stage at Gamescom Opening Night Live, where Halo Infinite’s release date was officially revealed alongside a new multiplayer cinematic.
During the Opening Night Live showcase, Geoff Keighley took the stage with Halo Infinite Head of Creative Joseph Staten, revealing some big new details for the upcoming sci-fi shooter. First, the team revealed the intro cinematic for Halo Infinite’s first multiplayer season, which featured a team of Spartans rescuing a woman from the ruins of a city destroyed by the Covenant. The biggest reveal, however, was Halo Infinite’s release date.
Xbox has danced around Halo Infinite’s release date for a while now, surprising many when it wasn’t revealed during E3. However, Staten confirmed that Halo Infinite will be released on December 8, 2021. Contrary to some rumors, both the multiplayer and campaign components of the game will be launching at the same time, though it has been previously confirmed that there will be no campaign co-op or Forge included when the game debuts.
The December 8 release date is a bit farther back than what was anticipated, but only by a matter of weeks. Early speculation suggested that the game would release sometime in November, which would align closely with the first anniversary of the Xbox Series X’s release date. For the most part, though, those rumors were ground solely in the vague “holiday 2021” release window and the apparent synchronicity of the console's launch anniversary.
Currently, December has a fairly open release calendar, though there is some competition that 343 Industries will want to be aware of. The biggest game launching alongside Halo Infinite, at least as far as what is currently announced, is the zombie-killing parkour game Dying Light 2, which is slated to release on December 7, just one day before Halo.
Of course, Halo Infinite will launch on Game Pass, so anyone subscribed to Microsoft’s service won’t have to pay for it directly. That gives it an immediate advantage as far as the barrier to entry goes, so Halo Infinite will likely have the advantage in terms of day-one players over Dying Light 2. Of course, there’s always the potential for new delays and announcements to shake things up.
Halo Infinite releases December 8, 2021, for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.