Ever since the first footage of the game was shown off, rumors surrounding a battle royale mode in Halo Infinite have caused a stir among the series' fan community. Despite 343 Industries shooting down the idea it would create a battle royale in late 2020, speculation and rumors alongside a handful of leaks have caused fans to continue believing some sort of Halo battle royale is coming. If the game launches without a battle royale, it would send a message to plenty of other studios who may be considering entry into the genre: there's good reason to stay away.
On one hand, it makes sense why Halo Infinite would want to include a battle royale mode, as the genre is extremely popular and the title looks like it might be one of the biggest games of the year. The two paired together seem like a perfect match, but the dangers of entering the battle royale space might outweigh the potential benefits. Thus, 343 Industries is smart to really consider its options before diving headfirst into a space that might spell disaster.
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Entering the Over-Saturated Land of Battle Royales
While Halo is one of the most iconic franchises in gaming, it hasn't had an entry since the battle royale genre blew up. From 2017 onward, it felt like every shooter also launched with a battle royale mode. However, just because a franchise is popular doesn't mean its battle royale will be. Battlefield 5's battle royale was by no means a failure, but didn't see the highs that games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Apex Legends, or Fortnite have seen. It's for this reason that 343 Industries is likely willing to lean away from going the battle royale route in favor of other options.
What's more, there are essentially three main battle royale games that are at the top of the genre and would be hard to compete against. Warzone, Fortnite, and Apex Legends have all proven themselves to be masters of the genre with each subsequent update, and if Halo Infinite or any other game were to try and dethrone them, it likely wouldn't go well. Although some battle royale games have had time in the spotlight, like Spellbreak and Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, they weren't able to stay popular long enough to kick any of the big three out of their seats.
While major franchises like Halo or Battlefield might be able to break through and become the next big battle royale game, the odds are stacked against newcomers, so it makes sense why games like Halo Infinite and Battlefield 2042 might insist on not including the game mode. After all, as they're both from iconic franchises, it might make sense for them to pave their own ways and attempt to make the next big thing instead of going with what's already been done.
Exploring Other Game Modes
As games like Among Us have proven, battle royales don't have to be the most popular game mode from here on out. There are already different modes the Halo series has made popular, so it seems like 343 would want to make its own mode the next big thing. Modes like Grifball, Infection, and so many more have already proven to be popular in past games before the advent of Twitch and other streaming services. Hopefully, the studio and all others can explore other types of game modes instead of trying to get a piece of the already over-saturated battle royale pie.
Halo Infinite will launch on December 8, 2021 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.