There's plenty to be excited about when it comes to the release of Halo Infinite. The game's year-long delay from 2020 into 2021 has made the hype leading up to its December 8 release date something of a slow burn. As its launch draws closer and closer, things are starting to reach a boiling point, but not everything known about the game has received universal praise.
Unfortunately, 343 Industries has confirmed something of a laundry list of features that won't be included in the game at launch, and some that won't be making their way to the game post-launch, either. Based on the first multiplayer technical preview for Halo Infinite, the game has a lot going for it gameplay-wise, but it remains to be seen if that will be able carry the title if it's missing some core Halo staples.
RELATED: Why A Halo 5 PC Port May Never Happen
Missing at Launch: Campaign Co-Op
It was a pretty big deal when Halo 5: Guardians was released without campaign co-op features. Co-op is integral to the DNA of the Halo series, so 343 Industries promised that Halo Infinite would be bringing back the feature once more. Unfortunately, the studio recently revealed that, while co-op would be returning to the series somewhere down the line, it won't be included at launch. Instead, it will be patched in for a later update estimated to be around the launch of Season 2 of the game's multiplayer, which should be sometime in early 2022.
This really didn't go over well with fans, as it seemed like 343 understood that it missed the mark with Halo 5's lack of co-op and that the studio knew it should be an important part of Halo Infinite's design. While it won't be completely missing from the game in the future, the fact that it'll be missing at launch is something of a major red flag for fans looking forward to Halo Infinite.
Missing at Launch: Forge Mode
Announced at the same time as the lack of co-op, Forge mode won't be in Halo Infinite on day one, either. Forge allows players to create their own maps and game modes and, like co-op, is a major reason why players pick up subsequent games in the franchise in the first place. Without having Forge, there won't be any community-made content in Halo Infinite at launch, which will feel weird for a lot of diehard Halo fans.
What's more, 343 doesn't have an exact date as to when fans can expect Forge to be coming to the game, but they estimate it should be patched in with Season 3 of the multiplayer following campaign co-op in Season 2. Halo: The Master Chief Collection might be able to scratch that Forge mode itch for a lot of fans as it continues adding more and more community mod support, but the fact that Forge won't be available to fans when the new game launches feels like a one-two punch when paired with the lack of co-op.
Missing at Launch: Multiplayer Assassinations
Introduced in Halo: Reach, assassinations were a flashy way of taking down Covenant in the campaign and other players in the multiplayer scene. However, they won't be returning for Halo Infinite's launch. 343 Industries explained that competitive Halo players don't use assassinations, as the animation takes up much more time than a simple melee attack, which is part of the reason why they're being omitted from launch. 343 believes that they're just too slow for the fast-paced multiplayer experience that it's trying to make, but the developer did say that they will be added to the game in future updates. This didn't go over well, as assassinations and their interesting animations have become something of a fan-favorite feature in recent years. As such, their omission from launch feels like yet another thing that 343 isn't getting right in the eyes of some fans.
RELATED: Why Games Like Halo Infinite May Be Veering Away From Battle Royale Modes
Missing Entirely: Player-Specific Armor Color
The Halo franchise has come a long way in terms of customization for the player's spartan in multiplayer. The series started by allowing players to simply change the color of their spartan's armor, but now, players can change just about everything on their character from helmets to wristguards. Previous Halo entries have had pretty deep customization options when it comes to color, but the recent Halo Infinite multiplayer technical preview confirmed that players wouldn't be able to specifically color their spartan.
Now, players only have the ability to choose from a set number of customized colors and patterns, meaning that there are no truly unique color options for players to express themselves with. While this detail might be minute, it seems like an odd omission as Halo: The Master Chief Collection offers a seemingly endless number of options for players to express themselves with. 343 hasn't said anything specific about color customization in the future, but based on the battle pass model Halo Infinite is following, it seems like the old days of customization are gone.
Missing Entirely: Playable Elites
When players first took control of the Arbiter in Halo 2, fans understood that elites were going to be playing a much larger part in the Halo story than they did in the previous game. This remained true for several entries, as elites were playable in many different multiplayer modes, but unfortunately, the option disappeared when 343 took over the franchise with Halo 4. Halo 4 and 5 removed the ability to play as elites in the games' multiplayer modes, and the studio is continuing that trend by not allowing players to use them in Halo Infinite either.
The studio said that it's focused on telling a spartan story in both the game's campaign and multiplayer, and that allowing players to be able to choose elites as playable characters in Halo Infinite would go directly against that storytelling choice. While other missing launch features might be coming at later times, it seems like 343 Industries is staying pretty steady on not bringing playable elites back to the franchise.
Halo Infinite releases on December 8 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE: Halo Infinite: Commander Laurette Agryna's Backstory Explained