The delay of Halo Infinite is disappointing, but it will benefit the game and Xbox in the long run

Halo Infinite has been delayed into 2021. There is no specific timeframe within 2021, so it is anyone guess exactly when the game will launch.

When we first saw the gameplay reveal last month, reactions were mixed to say the least. The gameplay looked incredible, but the visual fidelity was incredibly rough. The game got meme’d to a point where no one was talking about the game, but rather a few spots where the game looked less than appealing.

This news is incredibly unfortunate in many ways. This means that Halo Infinite won’t launch with the Series X, meaning the launch lineup for that console is relying on third parties and a few smaller second and third parties. The delay also means more development time on the game, which also means more crunch for the developers. Factoring in Work From Home, the delay puts developers in an incredibly tough spot.

While the delay is incredibly disappointing in many ways, it is a good sign that 343 and Microsoft were willing to delay the game. The delay hurts the launch of the Series X, but will likely lead to a better product. Halo Infinite has been in development for 5 years, likely around 6 by the time the game is released. It needs to be a great Halo game. Hopefully the delay means it will be.

The delay will also benefit Xbox in the long run. Launching Halo Infinite in a less than finished state would have been a very bad look for Xbox. The Xbox One had several undercooked first party games, and one of the promises of the new regime was giving games the right amount of time and funding to be great games. Launching Infinite in a rough state would have been the antithesis of the messaging of Phil Spencer, Matt Booty, and the rest of the Xbox team.

Let’s hope that whenever Halo Infinite launches, it is a massive success. The team at 343, Xbox, and the fans deserve it.