Halo Infinite‘s Final Major Update Arrives This Fall as Growth Shifts to New Projects
Redmond, WA – 343 Industries, now rebranded as Halo Studios, will deliver a final major update to Halo infinite this fall before shifting its focus to “multiple Halo titles in development,” Microsoft announced today. The move comes amid restructuring within Xbox, including layoffs impacting the Halo team, and follows a challenging period for halo Infinite as its 2021 launch.
The decision marks a significant departure from the original vision for Halo Infinite,which was conceived as a continually evolving “platform” for the franchise over the next decade.In July 2020, then-Halo Infinite Studio Head Chris lee told IGN, “We want Infinite to grow over time, versus going to those numbered titles and having all that segmentation that we had before… It’s really about creating Halo Infinite as the start of the next 10 years for Halo and then building that as we go wiht our fans and community.” Despite improvements through continued updates, Halo Infinite struggled to fully realize its potential, experiencing a dramatic drop in player numbers following launch due to concerns over content, progression, and monetization.
The shift in focus arrives as Microsoft prepares to revisit the franchise’s roots with Halo: The Master Chief Collection‘s upcoming “Halo: Campaign Evolved” update. However, even this project has faced scrutiny, with one key member of the original Halo development team at Bungie voicing concerns regarding changes made to the classic experience.
The future of the Halo franchise now rests on these “multiple Halo titles in development,” though details remain scarce. This transition follows 343 Industries’ name change to Halo Studios and multiple rounds of layoffs at Xbox. A previously planned battle royale mode for Halo Infinite was also scrapped,further signaling a change in direction for the franchise.
