Expectations for Halo Infinite are enormous, and 343 Industries is determined to deliver on fans expectations, even if it means pushing the title back from the key 2020 holiday release window. Patient Xbox One owners looking forward to the latest chapter in Master Chief's saga may be in for some bad news, however.
Halo Infinite will be the first Halo game in half a decade, and was intended to be the flagship title of the Xbox Series X launch line-up. Even though the killer app's delay to 2021 may be a major blow to the next-gen hardware's early sales, news of the Halo Infinite delay received positive reactions from gamers who are willing to wait for quality.
Early this morning, the mod-verified Reset Era user Sponger posted that Microsoft and 343 Studios are considering dropping the Xbox One release of Halo Infinite altogether, or possibly even postponing its launch until 2022. Sponger provided a possible explanation for the potential scrap, stating that the Xbox One S version of the game is "nowhere near 1080p" and fraught with serious asset loading issues. These problems could be the reason the title slipped from its crucial 2020 holiday release window, though the Infinite delay was a troubling sign for Xbox One owners even before Sponger spoke out.
343 Industries is keenly aware of the pressure to deliver a blockbuster after Halo: The Master Chief Collection's Xbox One launch was beleaguered by numerous bugs and online issues. While diligent patching and content updates have since transformed the compilation into a much more enjoyable experience, the game's poor initial reception was enough to inspire 343 Industries to hold beta tests for every new Halo title.
This tactic has already paid dividends for the gradual PC release of The Master Chief Collection and turned Halo 5: Guardians' into the serie's most successful launch ever. But certain issues, like the disparity between different platforms' specs, cannot necessarily be ironed out with extra development time. The Xbox One version of Infinite was always going to be a scaled down release compared to next-gen systems, but if the game's graphical and loading issues cannot be streamlined or optimized, it may result in an experience unworthy of Halo's legacy.
Halo Infinite's delay is definitely a surmountable challenge for the Xbox Series X, and Halo Infinite's 2021 release may even give the hardware a second launch, but there is no such silver lining for Xbox One players if the game is scrapped. The only solace current gen Halo fans can take is that 343 is committed to bringing players the best experience possible on every platform possible. Hopefully, that passion will yield enough progress to get the Xbox One version in fighting shape by the title's revised release window.
At time of writing, Halo Infinite is still due to be released on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2021.
Source: Reset Era