While fans of the Halo universe eagerly await the release of Halo Infinite, the esports scene has also been preparing for the return of the Master Chief. A Twitter announcement from a Microsoft representative suggests that players will be playing the long-awaited next entry of the Halo saga.
Halo Infinite was originally slated to be an Xbox Series launch title and would have hit store shelves in November of 2020. After an 8-minute gameplay trailer that many players saw as a disappointment, a couple delays pushed the release back to early 2021, and then to Fall 2021. Microsoft and developer 343 Industries seem to be confident in the release, however, as the first Halo Infinite esports event has reportedly been scheduled for late 2021.
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Halo has enjoyed an esports community since 2014 when it launched as part of the notorious Master Chief Collection. Despite the rocky launch, the Halo Championship Series continued hosting tournaments every year. On April 2, 2021, the Halo Esports Lead at 343 Industries, Tashi, announced via Twitter that the 2021 Halo Infinite tournament was not only scheduled, but the venue has been booked and Esports Engine would be operating the event. Tashi also promised more details to come this summer.
This news comes as a huge relief not only to esports fans, but to all Halo players. Rumors of another delay have been circulating, and while these specific Halo Infinite delay rumors have been debunked, they left many fans feeling uneasy about the promised release window. The announcement of a massive esports event shows that Microsoft and 343 Industries have confidence that Halo Infinite will release this Fall, as promised.
Halo Infinite has been described as a “spiritual reboot” of the franchise expanding and redefining the Halo formula while retaining what made the series popular from the beginning. 343 has discussed some of the ways it hopes to recapture the glory days of Halo, including a semi-open world design and free-to-play multiplayer at launch.
At the same time, some players are nervous that Halo Infinite will be rushed to launch by November 15, which will be the 20-year anniversary of Halo. After the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 last year, the industry has started to look at game delays as a sign that the developers are taking their time to get it right. As the flagship series for Microsoft and Xbox, players have high hopes and even higher expectations for Halo Infinite.
Halo Infinite is expected to release in Fall 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series.