While the rumor mill can often surface a lot of interesting tidbits before they're publicly announced by a developer, there are times when it just spreads anxiety without reasonable cause – thankfully, then, recent rumors about a further Halo Infinite delay and possible cancellation of the Xbox One version have been quickly shut down.
Tensions are running high around the release of Halo Infinite, after its initial 2020 release date – coinciding with the launch of the Xbox Series X, likely in November, was delayed into next year. The reasoning was supposedly to prevent crunch, and allow time for the developers to ensure a high quality product – though there have been mutterings of the ongoing development of the Halo TV show slowing things down at 343.
John Junyszek, the Community Manager for Halo at 343 Industries, responded to a fan tweeting about a possibly further delay into 2022, confirming that there were "no plans to change our 2021 release or the devices and platforms we'll be supporting."
Hey Eric - we're seeing lots of fake "leaks" out there, so please don't believe everything you read. There are no plans to change our 2021 release or the devices and platforms we'll be supporting. We're building Halo Infinite to be the best it can be on each device/platform 👊August 25, 2020
That last point seems in response to claims that the Xbox One version could be dropped to focus on the next-gen Xbox Series X iteration of the game – possibly fueled by Microsoft discontinuing the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All Digital Edition consoles. However, it still seems very, very unlikely, given the current Xbox One console base that 343 would be missing out on.
While another delay isn't out of the question (remember how often The Last of Us 2 was delayed?), the current postponement happened in mid-August. Any further delay wouldn't be communicated – or even agreed on internally – until we're well into 2021.
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Halo again
While the delay has frustrated many of us eager to experience Halo Infinite before 2020 is out, and no doubt done some harm to the sales of the upcoming Xbox Series X console – given Halo Infinite was the flagship launch title – the opportunity to make sure Infinite looks its best should be the smart move in the long run.
The gameplay reveal we saw in July received a mixed response, with some rough-looking screenshots and textures undermining what we expected of a next-gen title. If the extra time will ensure that the hype matches up with reality, all the better.
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