Halo Infinite is set to arrive in 2021. The delay of the game was one of the biggest surprises of 2020, but after initially being a disappointment, there is a lot to look forward to in the Master Chief’s next epic adventure. Between now and the release of the game, fans can expect the full story reveal, another massive gameplay drop, the multiplayer reveal, surprises, the announcement of the official release date, a full explanation of what the game truly is, and much more. In the end, the delay of Halo Infinite will likely lead to a better game in 2021.
Halo Infinite was revealed with a cinematic trailer in 2018, but it is likely that more story elements are on the way. The narrative for Halo is extremely important to fans of the franchise, especially after the shortcomings in that area for Halo 5: Guardians. 343 Industries will want the lead up to Halo Infinite to be one that highlights how emotional this new Halo will be from a story perspective, and that will likely come in the form of either in-game cinematic trailers or CG promotional videos (ala the “Believe” campaign for Halo 3). The product itself is what is going to be most important, of course, but leading up to the release, Microsoft and 343 will likely want to put the minds of fans at ease by letting them know that this game is indeed heavy on the Master Chief, heavy on story, and heavy on a single-player focus that matters to fans who grew up playing the games.
Fans should also expect another gameplay reveal in the near future. The first full gameplay reveal of Halo Infinite ended with Craig memes; not with jaw drops. That was back in July of 2020, and it was not long after that Microsoft made the massive decision to postpone the game until 2021. 343 will want to do a redo, this time showing off what the Xbox Series X/S can really do.
The actual game idea is solid, it was clear what 343 was going for. Just like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a 3D realization of the original Legend of Zelda, where players can go anywhere in an open landscape with total freedom, Halo Infinite seems to allow players to explore a much more freeing world than has been seen in past Halo games. Once the kinks are fixed, the gameplay has the potential to “wow.” 343 has said that the delay will be worth the wait, and the reshowing of the gameplay reveal could prove that.
Perhaps the best part about the delay of Halo Infinite is that the team is no longer beholden to the release date of the Xbox Series X/S. This means that Halo Infinite can release whenever it is ready. In early December, 343 revealed that Halo Infinite is intended to launch in Fall 2021. It is likely that the official date will be revealed during the E3 timeframe, or whatever Microsoft comes up with as a replacement for an E3-type conference. The hope is that the team now can work hard on finishing the game with much less pressure.
Recently 343 showed off some gorgeous multiplayer screenshots of Halo Infinite, but thus far fans are waiting with bated breath for a full multiplayer reveal, including footage, weapons, modes, and more. So much is unknown about Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer, which makes it that much more exciting.
All that has been shown so far for Halo Infinite multiplayer is a couple of maps, a few gun models, and some images of customization items, but that is all. Players should expect a multiplayer reveal soon that will reveal weapons, player progression, maps, modes, and more.
As far as the modes, players should expect to see information on some versions of big team mode and arena-style mode. Big team modes usually house 16 players on massive outdoor maps, often with vehicles and a larger weapon pool. Meanwhile, arena-style modes are 6v6 and much more competitive. Halo 5: Guardians introduced a few other modes, like Warzone (not to be confused with Call of Duty: Warzone), a 24 player mode objective mode, and Breakout, a round-based one-life mode that has the chance to come back due to its popularity.
Another massive piece of speculation is that Halo Infinite will reveal a battle royale mode in 2021. In some ways, it almost seems like it is too late to announce a battle royale. As big as the mode/genre is, a few contenders have already been swallowed by the genre and it is hard to find a footing now (see Battlefield‘s Firestorm or Radical Heights). Plus, the Halo big team sandbox is absolutely perfect for a battle royale.
With all of that being said, the developers have already shut down rumors about a battle royale for Halo Infinite. And many fans are against it as well. Some do not like the idea of it because they fear that it would take the talent away from other core modes or tasks. And it is true that 343 bit off more than it could chew with projects in the past, like Halo: The Master Chief Collection. But the developer who shot down the rumors could be simply trying to distract fans from the fact that a battle royale mode is on the way, and it is possible for 343 to outsource talent for different modes or ideas. Especially if Halo Infinite is a game that is supposed to have legs for the long haul, it would make sense for it to have a mode that is one of the most popular in all of multiplayer right now.
Fans should also expect Microsoft to promote Halo Infinite in big ways in 2021. Although the Xbox Series X/S has some huge games coming this year, the exclusives may not draw eyes (especially as Microsoft continues to figure out how it handles the Bethesda purchase and exclusivity with those titles). A Halo game will be a massive title in any year, but 2021–the follow-up year after a brand new console launch–is a perfect year for a knockout must-have killer-app like what Halo Infinite could be. So Microsoft will likely spend a whole lot of money promoting it.
Before the delay, Microsoft already dumped money into deals with Butterfinger and Monster Energy for Halo Infinite. Look for more deals like this leading up to the release of the game. But also look for commercials during things like the NBA Finals and the 2021 Olympic Games. It is possible that Microsoft gets creative with a promotional campaign like the aforementioned “Believe” campaign from Halo 3 again.
As far as guessing the release date for Halo Infinite, it is likely that it will launch sometime in late October or early November, based on when the last three Halo games were released. Halo 4 came out on November 6, 2012 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection was released on November 11, 2014. And Halo 5: Guardians launched on October 27, 2015. That timeframe makes a lot of sense to release in time for Black Friday and the holiday rush.
That 2015 release date also sticks out in that it will have been six years since the dlast mainline Halo game. Microsoft has certainly given 343 a long leash to make a great game. Halo 5: Guardians was a game that had solid multiplayer, but left fans unhappy in terms of the story (84 Metacritic). Halo 4 is a game that had a memorable story, but left some to be desired on the multiplayer side (87 Metacritic). Meanwhile, Halo: The Master Chief Collection was marred with glitches and performance problems (85 Metacritic). All good games, but none of them seemed to have caught the magic that the original Halo trilogy did from Bungie (Halo 1 has a 97 on Metacritic, Halo 2 has a 95, and Halo 3 has a 93) and even Halo Reach (91 on Metacritic).
Interestingly enough, Bungie had control of the Halo franchise for about 13 years, from 1997 to 2010; creating multiple legendary games and a beloved expansion in Halo 3: ODST. Meanwhile, 343 Industries has now had the franchise for 14 years (with some crossover there, as the teams worked on some games at the same time) but has only made a remake (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary), a collection (Halo: The Master Chief Collection), and two mainline Halo games in Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians. The critical and sales success of Halo Infinite may be important for 343 Industries as well because Microsoft could be ready to let someone else try its hand at making Halo games instead.
Thanks to having a much longer development cycle this time, 343 Industries has the opportunity to make something special with Halo Infinite. With a release in the fall of 2021, likely some time in early November, players might be able to expect a game of the year candidate. If the multiplayer images that were shared are hints of anything, Halo Infinite could be a visually stunning game that may take full advantage of the Xbox Series X. With various multiplayer modes, there will be fun to be had for all, and the story will focus back on The Chief once again. Halo Infinite has the chance to bring the franchise back to the top yet again in 2021.
Halo Infinite releases fall 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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