Halo Infinite Delay Pushes Its Release Date Into Fall

We have a better idea of when the Halo Infinite release date will fall. Ironically, it will be in fall! Specifically, 343 announced a Fall 2021 release window as part of its 343 Day events on December 8, 2020. Creative Director Joseph Staten noted at the Halo Waypoint website that the debut was pushed back so people could “recharge over the holidays” and have “more time to do things right.” This comes after a general delay into 2021.

The Halo Waypoint update included a number of Halo Infinite details from different 343 staff members. Director of Art Management Neill Harrison said the team will be working on things like “indirect lighting, material response, foliage and tree rendering, clouds, level-of-detail transitions, and character fidelity” following July 2020 campaign demo feedback. Graphics Development Manager Ani Shastry said that already 343 worked on “global illumination, ambient occlusion, shadows, volumetric lighting, sky, and atmosphere.” Lead Progression

Designer Chris Blohm also addressed the question of how paid customization items will be addressed in the game. As a reminder, people won’t have to pay to play its multiplayer segments. However, there will be some paid elements.

Here’s Blohm’s detailed statement:

Yes, being free-to-play does mean that there will be some premium cosmetics, but players will still obtain tons of customization content through things like playing campaign, challenges, skill, special events, legacy rewards (such as the Halo 5 SR 152 reward), the progression system, and more.

We will always provide value for pure engagement and simply playing the game. We believe that providing value isn’t exclusive to monetary transactions, it’s also about making sure you’re properly rewarded for the time you’re investing into the game. Players that play for free will be able unlock items across a multitude of different customization types to allow them to represent themselves in-game.

The Halo Infinite release date shifted to Fall 2021. When it does debut, it will appear on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.