Halo Infinite Campaign release date leaked? (Dec 8)

[Jroc]

Halo 2 was supposed to have 4 player co-op, 3 more campaign levels, and Forge. All had to be cut to meet the release date.

Halo 3 had 75% of its planned Forge features cut and sold later as DLC.

The only reason these games seemed "complete" is because you never got to peak behind the curtain until years afterwards. There's a huge amount of transparency and communication with game developers today and it leads people to erroneously assume that there was some "golden age" of game dev where a game wasn't released until it was "ready", which is complete bullshit. Gamedev has always largely been a play it by ear undertaking.

I am just tired of this endless hand wringing. We've played the game at this point. It plays great. We've seen the basic structure of the campaign and it looks fun, even if the demo from a year ago didn't have the best graphics, it's clear they know what they're doing when it comes to map design and mission structure. Are people expecting them to show like an hour long campaign demo before release or something? I honestly don't think anything will satisfy some people.

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None of those games had regressions though. Once Bungie added a feature it was never taken away in subsequent releases. Halo 2 dropped Race Mode, but other than that I can't think of much.

Infinite will be the first game in the franchise without coop at launch, and the first game since Halo 3 to not have Forge at launch.

 

[Scottoest]

December 8th works for me. Give 'em as much time as humanly possible to polish.

Honestly I'd be fine with another delay until co-op was ready - just put the MP out and call it a "beta" until then - but as long as the shipping product is polished and relatively bug-free, I'll be happy.

 

[Gunny T Highway]

Halo 2 was supposed to have 4 player co-op, 3 more campaign levels, and Forge. All had to be cut to meet the release date.

Halo 3 had 75% of its planned Forge features cut and sold later as DLC.

The only reason these games seemed "complete" is because you never got to peak behind the curtain until years afterwards. There's a huge amount of transparency and communication with game developers today and it leads people to erroneously assume that there was some "golden age" of game dev where a game wasn't released until it was "ready", which is complete bullshit. Gamedev has always largely been a play it by ear undertaking.

I am just tired of this endless hand wringing. We've played the game at this point. It plays great. We've seen the basic structure of the campaign and it looks fun, even if the demo from a year ago didn't have the best graphics, it's clear they know what they're doing when it comes to map design and mission structure. Are people expecting them to show like an hour long campaign demo before release or something? I honestly don't think anything will satisfy some people.

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Even with this knowledge people would still complain. You just can't win with some people.

 

[Mr.Deadshot]

I am just tired of this endless hand wringing. We've played the game at this point. It plays great. We've seen the basic structure of the campaign and it looks fun, even if the demo from a year ago didn't have the best graphics, it's clear they know what they're doing when it comes to map design and mission structure.

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I don't know how you come to that conclusion with limited material shown. There is still enough reason to be sceptical about the campaign. And no one expects a 1 hours walk through. But something like 10 to 15 minutes showing the structure of the open world part and a mission would be a good start. Similar to what Sony is doing for most Of their releases. Or what they do for Deathloop and Dying Light 2.

 

[Xwing]

but I haven't seen anything of THIS magnitude from a Halo game.

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the first game since Halo 3 to not have Forge at launch.

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I guess neither of you played Halo 5 or Halo MCC? Halo Infinite will be launching in a much better state than either of those games at the very least.

 

[Femme Man]

This means we won't get Forge until June 2022, possibly later. Man lmao

 

[Kevin360]

Also, this... I'm gonna be broke...

 

[tapedeck]

Also, this... I'm gonna be broke...

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I just want to know when the Elite 3 is coming.

 

[Mad_Rhetoric]

I'm ready lets gooooo

 

[zma1013]

Poor 343 bugfixing during Christmas though :(

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Eh nobody gets to play Xbox on Christmas anyway. They get DDoS every year it seems like.

 

[Scottoest]

I just want to know when the Elite 3 is coming.

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Me too, if they can demonstrate that they've fixed the frequent mechanical issues people have encountered with the last two.

I loved my Series 1... until the rubber grips came off. And my Series 2... until the bumpers stopped consistently registering button presses.

Not good for the price.

 

[DanielG123]

I guess neither of you played Halo 5 or Halo MCC? Halo Infinite will be launching in a much better state than either of those games at the very least.

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Halo 5 didn't even have BTB at launch. It had Warzone, but for those who just wanted a "pure" big map Halo experience, that didn't come until later, along with Forge.

 

[tapedeck]

Me too, if they can demonstrate that they've fixed the frequent mechanical issues people have encountered with the last two.

I loved my Series 1... until the rubber grips came off. And my Series 2... until the bumpers stopped consistently registering button presses.

Not good for the price.

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Yeah these are the exact reasons why I have yet to buy an Elite and just stuck with the standard controllers. Hopefully MS is well aware of the issues and it won't be a problem for the 3.

 

[Tappin Brews]

Gotta admit, this doesn't inspire a ton of confidence in a game that has seemed to have a very shaky development. Obviously still excited and hopefully, but yeah....

 

[wingkongex]

Also, this... I'm gonna be broke...

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Oh shit.

 

[Theorry]

Gotta admit, this doesn't inspire a ton of confidence in a game that has seemed to have a very shaky development. Obviously still excited and hopefully, but yeah....

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Because of a date?

 

[Milennia]

I read that tweet and held off buying the forza controller lmao

There is no bigger sucker for Halo controls

 

[MasterYoshi]

That's a holiday ass date if there ever was

 

[jelly]

Also, this... I'm gonna be broke...

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It would be nice if they made a new better Elite controller instead.

 

[Tappin Brews]

Also, this... I'm gonna be broke...

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No we're talking!
:rubs_hands

 

[Tappin Brews]

Because of a date?

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Yeah? ANd like I said, in addition to this late date

 

[Theorry]

Yeah?

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Oke. Not sure how a date says that and what is wrong with december. Guess thats the date they think they can release it.

 

[GamerDude]

God fucking damn it. I can't get that week off.

Took so goddamn long I couldn't get it off. I am unhappy. Very.

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Don't be be mad. A whole week off just for Halo is not worth it anyway.

 

[Deleted member 93062]

I feel like people are blowing December date out of proportion... Game Pass favors big games to be at least a month apart. Putting Forza/Halo a week or two apart is a really bad idea. I went with the flow and said November 19th but always found out too close to Forza. They aren't missing much from Black Friday, consoles are already selling out, its a Game Pass game, and Xbox gamers favor digital games. Not to mention, physical stores aren't even that big of a deal for BF anymore, its mostly online shopping, people can just preorder the game online if they're doing a shopping spree.

 

[Tappin Brews]

Oke. Not sure how a date says that and what is wrong with december. Guess thats the date they think they can release it.

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Sure. If you ignore everything else about it's developmental trajectory.

 

[Theorry]

Sure. If you ignore everything else about it's developmental trajectory.

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I really dont follow how december is bad. Isnt that better then them releasing in november just to get it out before black friday?

 

[Outrun]

I don't know how you come to that conclusion with limited material shown. There is still enough reason to be sceptical about the campaign. And no one expects a 1 hours walk through. But something like 10 to 15 minutes showing the structure of the open world part and a mission would be a good start. Similar to what Sony is doing for most Of their releases. Or what they do for Deathloop and Dying Light 2.

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Everyone is coming to conclusions with the limited material shown....

 

[Outrun]

I really dont follow how december is bad. Isnt that better then them releasing in november just to get it out before black friday.

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From a business perspective December makes sense, considering the heavy release schedule of November.

Some on here, however, are using the December release date as proof of doom.

 

[Theorry]

From a business perspective December makes sense, considering the heavy release schedule of November.

Some on here, however, are using the December release date as proof of doom.

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They using Elden Ring in january also for doom? :D

 

[bsigg]

So, that puts campaign co-op in March and Forge in June assuming Season 1 starts on December 8th.

 

[Rumenapp]

Make a bundle with this and Horizon 5 and see it fly off the shelves.

 

[Theorry]

So, that puts campaign co-op in March and Forge in June assuming Season 1 starts on December 8th.

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If it all works out.

 

[Tappin Brews]

I really dont follow how december is bad. Isnt that better then them releasing in november just to get it out before black friday?

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It wouldn't be ready by November. It went from "Fall 2021" to "Holiday 2021" after going from "2020" to "2021". December is literally the last month of the year. They need all the time they can get and clearly are coming in hot without a further delay outside of 2021.

Agree or not, I don't think this is a difficult position to see.

 

[Theorry]

It wouldn't be ready by November. It went from "Fall 2021" to "Holiday 2021" after going from "2020" to "2021". December is literally the last month of the year. They need all the time they can get and clearly are coming in hot without a further delay outside of 2021.

Agree or not, I don't think this is a difficult position to see.

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Sure. Just dont see the "confidence" connection. Its i guess ready in december.

 

[UraMallas]

Don't be be mad. A whole week off just for Halo is not worth it anyway.

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I mean. Maybe for you? For me it would be.

 

[Kibbles]

If December 8 really is the date, they should just drop multiplayer early, and delay the Campaign to March so as to spend the extra time polishing and integrating cut features.

They'll have missed Black Friday, a significant part of the Christmas rush, awards season, and will presumably still be whipping their team through the holiday period.

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Agreed

 

[hwalker84]

It would be nice if they made a new better Elite controller instead.

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Facts!! I have 2 Elite 2's since I barely play on PC anymore (Only Halo Wars 2 really since it never got a One X update). Moving back to play on my hardly used Elite feels like a whole new controller than the one I use almost daily. Triggers are already a lot looser and I'm starting to have some right analog drift.

 

[professor_t]

Would it be that much of a disaster to delay the game again? I don't think MS needs it with FH5 releasing this fall as a showpiece game and several 3rd party titles that will pack a serious punch (e.g., COD, Battlefield). Plus, gamepass is giving folks a ton of stuff to play, and I don't expect that to abate.

I know it probably sounds crazy, but in relation to the competition I think FH5 + big 3rd party titles + a huge gamepass library probably is competitive with what Sony and Nintendo are offering, and Halo can't really afford to take yet another hit to its reputation.

 

[Precious Tritium]

Oke. Not sure how a date says that and what is wrong with december. Guess thats the date they think they can release it.

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If I had to guess why it's concerning, if that's the date it's pretty much the last week you would ever want to release on before the holidays. And just based on what happens every year December is obviously not as ideal as November for releases.

So that could just be when it's ready but it also could be a sign it needs even more time but it "can't" be delayed again, so it's getting the latest possible 2021 date.

 

[TooBusyLookinGud]

It's worrying because the last time a big game got pushed and pushed again until the very last minute before christmas, it turned into a huge fiasco. Of course, different story, but still.

Also, we were told the game was only going to be delayed for polish. A lot of people first thought that it meant a Spring/summer 2021 release, but as it goes it keeps being further out. They seem to be waiting for the very last minute, just so that they stay true to their promise of a holiday 2021 release. With content missing like coop, I feel like it's just useless to fight for such a release date, launching smoothly with a bigger package sometimes in february would be better. They just should be honest about the entire process.

I want Halo to be great. I want Halo asap. It's my favorite franchise in gaming, but with what we've seen, what we hear, we should be worried.

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Them trying to get this out in December screams "Cyberpunk 2077", like you've missed 20th anniversary month, you've missed Black Friday, you've missed the cutoff for the Game Awards and you're still trying to get this game out this year? Just delay it at this point, honestly.

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Gotta admit, this doesn't inspire a ton of confidence in a game that has seemed to have a very shaky development. Obviously still excited and hopefully, but yeah....

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I have no idea how a date can draw such wild conclusions.

It's a "We are happy with our product so we are going to release it." if anything, it should give you confidence in the game. Any other time, people would praise a company for taking time to get the game where they want it to be.

 

[Bigmac]

I have no idea how a date can draw such wild conclusions.

It's a "We are happy with our product so we are going to release it." if anything, it should give you confidence in the game. Any other time, people would praise a company for taking time to get the game where they want it to be.

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Agreed, I don't understand how a final release date worries people. Cyberpunk is a different story in that it was pushed to December after VERY worrying last-minute delays. Big games have released in the past and been hugely successful, Smash Bros Ultimate and Xenoblade 2 are recent examples. If they really truly wanted this game out by Black Friday they'd make it happen, it's a difference of just a handful of days.

 

[DailyCalmSpirit]

I have no idea how a date can draw such wild conclusions.

It's a "We are happy with our product so we are going to release it." if anything, it should give you confidence in the game.

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Nothing says "confidence" like "after a very publicly messy development, we're ok with releasing parts of the game in December to meet this arbitrary 'Holiday 2021' release date, when there's absolutely no reason to other than the PR hit of another delay."

Agreed, I don't understand how a final release date worries people. Cyberpunk is a different story in that it was pushed to December after VERY worrying last-minute delays. Big games have released in the past and been hugely successful, Smash Bros Ultimate and Xenoblade 2 are recent examples. If they really truly wanted this game out by Black Friday they'd make it happen, it's a difference of just a handful of days.

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Did those games also go through the development hell that this game has? Were parts of the game that people were excited for cut for time? Simply saying other games had successful December launches means nothing unless the circumstances were even remotely similar.

 

[VorpalNonsense]

as a big fat halo nerd i am sad they are missing the 20th anniversary date
but ultimately that date has no bearing on business and dec 8th is fine

 

[nekkid]

Nothing says "confidence" like "after a very publicly messy development, we're ok with releasing parts of the game in December to meet this arbitrary 'Holiday 2021' release date, when there's absolutely no reason to other than the PR hit of another delay."

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That's a bit of a twist of what's happening, come on. They're hardly releasing "parts" - it's the vast vast bulk of the game, with some "parts" coming later. I'm particularly cautious because things are clearly anything but smooth behind the scenes, but let's not pretend they're releasing less than half the game.

Now, if they decide to move the campaign back and just release MP this year - yeah you'd definitely have a point then.

 

[EvilBoris]

as a big fat halo nerd i am sad they are missing the 20th anniversary date
but ultimately that date has no bearing on business and dec 8th is fine

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It's the 8th Halo Game and 8 looks like the symbol for infinite.
Nov 8 was too close to COD, so we've got Dec 8th instead.

That's my logic for a whole marketing campaign anyway.
Incoming #infiniteday social media blitz .

 

[Bigmac]

Nothing says "confidence" like "after a very publicly messy development, we're ok with releasing parts of the game in December to meet this arbitrary 'Holiday 2021' release date, when there's absolutely no reason to other than the PR hit of another delay."



Did those games also go through the development hell that this game has? Were parts of the game that people were excited for cut for time? Simply saying other games had successful December launches means nothing unless the circumstances were even remotely similar.

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No idea, Nintendo doesn't disclose that info. I was simply saying other games have had successful launches in the argument that December isn't a death knell or shouldn't be a worrying sign for a game's state. I was responding to the fact that people think a December release instead of a November/ pre black Friday date is a worrying sign. I agree that the game could and maybe should be delayed to fit those other features and release as a complete package.

 

[Cranster]

It's worrying because the last time a big game got pushed and pushed again until the very last minute before christmas, it turned into a huge fiasco. Of course, different story, but still.

Also, we were told the game was only going to be delayed for polish. A lot of people first thought that it meant a Spring/summer 2021 release, but as it goes it keeps being further out. They seem to be waiting for the very last minute, just so that they stay true to their promise of a holiday 2021 release. With content missing like coop, I feel like it's just useless to fight for such a release date, launching smoothly with a bigger package sometimes in february would be better. They just should be honest about the entire process.

I want Halo to be great. I want Halo asap. It's my favorite franchise in gaming, but with what we've seen, what we hear, we should be worried.

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Cyberpunk was delayed after it went GOLD. In addition they didn't show any real gameplay footage for it during live events. 343i have not only shown real gameplay, we actually got to play it aswell.

 

[Falchion]

Wonder when the campaign coop will drop.

 

[Cranster]

Did those games also go through the development hell that this game has? Were parts of the game that people were excited for cut for time? Simply saying other games had successful December launches means nothing unless the circumstances were even remotely similar.

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Not a December release but have you ever heard of Halo 2? That game had a nightmare development.

 

[Kibbles]

Cyberpunk was delayed after it went GOLD. In addition they didn't show any real gameplay footage for it during live events. 343i have not only shown real gameplay, we actually got to play it aswell.

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It's obviously the campaign people are worried about