‘Halo Infinite’ release date: 343 Industries says Xbox One version is still in the pipeline

A recent tumultuous launch of a much-awaited AAA title has reignited the debate on whether or not “Halo Infinite” should be exclusive on Xbox Series X/S and PC. However, developer 343 Industries reiterated that the game will be launched as a cross-generation title next year.

‘Halo Infinite’ won’t be exclusive on PC, next-gen Xbox

Talks about “Halo Infinite” becoming exclusive on PC and Xbox Series X/S started to gain attention recently on social media due to a now-deleted tweet. However, the franchise’s community manager John Junyszek quickly dismissed the speculation while also jokingly asking fans to let him enjoy the holidays.

Fans of the video game series have been discussing whether or not it is better to drop the Xbox One version of “Halo Infinite.” It became a more frequently recurring topic after the underwhelming gameplay trailer that 343i unveiled last July.

The response from the eight-minute video trailer also led to a string of new plans for “Halo Infinite.” The release date was delayed, Chris Lee confirmed he “stepped back” from being the “Halo” studio head, and Joseph Staten was announced earlier this month as the game’s new creative director.

‘Halo Infinite’ release date delayed by a year

With that, it is safe to say that the speculations and arguments in making the “Halo Infinite” exclusive to new-gen Xbox and PC have their merits. People in favor of dropping the Xbox One support might have also found more reasons supporting their suggestion after seeing what happened to “Cyberpunk 2077.”

For now, however, fans will have to trust 343i that the originally planned versions of “Halo Infinite” are still intact despite some crucial development changes over the last few months. To be fair to the developers, they have also recognized the criticisms received from July’s campaign demo. “The reality is that the art and visuals weren’t at the bar we hold for Halo – even in a work-in-progress state,” Director of Art Management Neill Harrison said.

It should also be noted that “Halo Infinite” will not be released until fall 2021. That means 343i still have close to a year to complete and polish the game.