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Halo Infinite Studio Head Promises Delay Will Be Worth It

The 343 Industries founder has addressed fan disappointment at Halo Infinite's new launch window.

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In a holiday roundup post on Halo Waypoint, 343 Industries studio head Bonnie Ross has addressed fans' disappointment about the newly announced Halo Infinite release window, but has promised that the delay is happening for a reason.

The Waypoint post includes updates on the Master Chief Collection, the Halo Esports community, and even the upcoming live action Halo TV show, but closes out with a message from studio head Bonnie Ross. Though the message is focused on the studio's successes of 2020, including five releases as part of the Master Chief Collection on PC, Ross also touches on the conversation around Infinite's delay.

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Now Playing: Halo Infinite - Everything You Need To Know

"2021 will be a big year for the Halo franchise," Ross says. "As we recently announced, Halo Infinite will release in fall of 2021. I realize the wait has been difficult, and I assure you that the team wants the game in your hands as soon as possible, but they also want to deliver something special…the Halo game you deserve. Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and most importantly your words of support to the team. I cannot express how grateful I am for the Halo community and the encouragement you've expressed to us. It has lifted us up and provided us the fuel to keep going. As you saw from the recent blog post, the team is making tremendous progress and is SO eager to show you more."

Halo Infinite was originally meant to release as a launch title with the Xbox Series X|S (also coming to Xbox One), but was later delayed into 2021. 343 only recently narrowed that release window to fall 2021.

Though Halo Infinite is coming to Xbox One as well, it was a strong contender to be a showpiece for the new Xbox Series X|S. The new release window will put Infinite's release nearly a year behind what was initially announced--though as Cyberpunk 2077's messy launch recently proved, sometimes it's better to give developers the time they need to polish a game of this scope.

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GamerBum

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Calling it now. The main reason for the year delay is so they have plenty of time to build an awesome battle royal mode. Not just to fix graphics.

Now I’m no game developer but a whole year just to improve the graphics seems like way too much. Surely it doesn’t take that long. The game is content complete apparently.

This game is going to be a masterpiece calling it now with the extra time going into an awesome BR mode.

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sakaiXx

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Don't care.

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sealionact

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@sakaixx: If there's an article about a game I don't care about, I just don't read it.

You read it and commented.

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sakaiXx

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@sealionact: I didnt even bother reading and just went to comments.

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sealionact

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@sakaixx: Uh huh.....

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Just_Visiting

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I think after the Cyberpunk launch the gaming community will be a whole lot more tolerant of delays to highly anticipated games....

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Just1MoHr

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Edited By Just1MoHr

I am a XB fanboy who loves his 1x & sX, but at this point I cringe any time MS makes "promises."

After the reveal, their games, games, games are coming, I honestly can say that I just cannot believe them anymore. I buy next gen consoles to play more inspiring games, not to play games that look worst than phone games. WTF were they thinking with Battletoads graphics???? I look at the MS digital store & all I see coming in is TRASH games daily & I think to myself....who the fauk is buying this garbage & if so......WHY????????? WHY???????????????

I just looked at the list of games coming in the next 6 months & it is depressing from all angles. There are maybe 3 that I want to buy & that is it and 1 of them is depending gameplay. The games that are great on the XB, are super though: Gears 5, Halo, Titanfalls 1-2, SW Battlefront 1-2, COD BO4/MW/CW...etc.

So I am finally going to get a 2nd PC with an RTX2080 so I can play ALL OF MY GAMES in next gen upgraded graphics, rather than waiting on consoles to maybe upscale or incompletely pinch an upscale.

PS 5 is not any better & only the new GOW I am really looking forward to.

This is just getting to be too much & I am just tired of it man!

Look how beautiful this is:

"God Of War 3 4K , Ryzen 9 5950X RPCS3 PS3 Emulator Performance | RTX 3090"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWshTklD1e4&t=803s&ab_channel=Bang4BuckPCGamer

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PCPS4XB

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@just1mohr: GOW 4 looks better

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Just1MoHr

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@pcps4xb: Until we get it.

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PCPS4XB

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Edited By PCPS4XB

@just1mohr: that would be nice but for a masterpiece game like GOW, I can't wait for something that might or might not happen lol.

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deactivated-64a3ced8b46b8

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I'm fine with the wait, I just want a quality game.

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noodles227

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Hmm I dont see why any adult gamer would care about a game delay. There are too many good games to play today, single and multiplayer. I'd actually say there are too many to realistically be able to play through unless a person literally just plays video games all day and nothing else.

So ill be waiting just fine. I still have a lot of fun playing MCC.

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SkyHighGam3r

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You can't have a showpiece for an SSD if you're building the game to run off an HDD as well. We won't have anything truly next-gen until we drop HDD's entirely. Tired of this marketing BS. Until that point all we have is 'prettier' games.

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Blade_Runner_07

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If it was anybody but Bonnie Ross I would have peace of mind over this, but despite her Hall of Fame induction for fuckall I still dont know what she does as far as the development of a Halo game goes.

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ecurl143

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And Cyberpunks launch debacle had absolutely nothing to do with this decision of course...

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sladakrobot

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Edited By sladakrobot

@ecurl143: Of course coz your theory isnt backed up with the time line of 343i decision to delay the game and CDPR releasing poor old gen versions of CP...the decision for Halos delay fell way before even CDPR sent first review copies of CP to selected reviewers.

There is no connection between them games regarding Halos delay.

Why CDPR didnt delayed CP one more time is strange after they saw how fans reacted to Halos gameplay trailer.

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SkyHighGam3r

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@sladakrobot: To that effect, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they just outright cancel the Xbox One version of Infinite. It's gotta be an uphill battle making it for that turd of a console.

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sladakrobot

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@skyhighgam3r: rumors say it that this could actually be the case

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Talon16

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@sladakrobot: if they are working on a complete graphics and texture overhaul this could very well be what happens.

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mogan

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mogan  Moderator

After Cyberpunk, I figure Halo's delay is looking a little more like the right thing to do.

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sladakrobot

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@mogan: I agree.

After the CP debacle,imagine how hard Halo could fell after a such launch. The delay was absolute right thing to do.
However,how MS acted months before the first gameplay vid,was horrid.

Here it is only to thank to critical fans and even haters for MS delaying Halo.
Afterall,i think we all want a good Halo

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BeachBum

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@mogan: Let's hope so.

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BeachBum

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Edited By BeachBum

I've said the delay will be worth it to my boss, wife, gf, and kid. How come I never get a pass?

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Blade_Runner_07

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@beachbum: because you almost never delay and actually deliver when you ship.

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mogan

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mogan  Moderator

@beachbum: Well, I think I know why the girlfriend and wife aren't cutting you slack.

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Blackchild1101

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I’m looking forward to latest batch of Craig memes

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Spoochy

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I hope they make chief feel heavy and tank-like as they did in the first trailer. I'm very excited for this game and don't care about the wait. I love the anticipation

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Spartan_418

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Ok with the delay but only if it feels content-complete enough out of the gate. Don't do what 5 did and launch with too few maps and modes, no Forge, no Firefight or equivalent, etc, while furiously reassuring us that the other half of the game is coming later

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Blade_Runner_07

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@Spartan_418: Right. Would it kill them to say this is the fullest Halo to date. It should be. Five years development, and a whole extra year to polish.

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GamerBum

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Edited By GamerBum

@Blade_Runner_07:

People seem to conveniently forget that 343i built a game engine in that time as well. Smh.

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Blade_Runner_07

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@gamerbum: True. Maybe they really need this extra year. I'm just happy they have the time to make it the best they can.

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Brandsome

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We just got a textbook example of how delays don't mean shit if the developer isn't managed well; we'll see what happens I guess

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BeachBum

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We'll see, but I doubt it. Won't matter one way or the other since most will blindly preorder.

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Blade_Runner_07

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@beachbum: Well maybe not. If by pre-order you mean subscribe to GamePass then yeah, but we may be surprised at how low the Day 1 sales of Infinite ate despite record number players.

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santinegrete

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It has to.

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