“Halo Infinite”, an upcoming first-person shooter game that was supposed to be released around December 2020, has been announced that it will be delayed until 2021 due to citing complications that were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This long-awaited game, which had its first trailer released at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in 2018 at Los Angeles, has added another year of waiting to its fans.

On YouTube, “Halo” posted an eight-minute premiere demo of “Halo Infinite”. Just in two weeks, this video was able to get five million views. So, why was this upcoming first-person shooter game being delayed till 2021? What has COVID-19 done to affect the release of the game?

“We have made the difficult decision to shift our release to 2021 to ensure the team has adequate time to deliver a Halo game experience that meets our vision.” said Chris Lee, the studio head, stating that he wants him and 343 Industries to be certain about the game’s development and structure. 

He also says, “The decision to shift our release is the result of multiple factors that have contributed to development challenges, including the ongoing COVID-related impacts affecting us all this year. I want to acknowledge the hard work from our team at 343 Industries, who have remained committed to making a great game and finding solutions to development challenges. However, it is not sustainable for the well-being of our team or the overall success of the game to ship it this holiday.” This statement is shows the concern with the health and well-being of those who are working to get “Halo Infinite” finished.

With the game delayed, this brings up more expectations for when the game gets released next year. “We know this will be disappointing to many of you and we all share in that sentiment. The passion and support the community has shown over the years has been incredible and inspiring. We wanted nothing more than to play our game with the community this holiday. The extra time will let us finish the critical work necessary to deliver the most ambitious Halo game ever at the quality we know our fans expect. Thank you for your support and understanding.” said Chris Lee.

With “Halo 5: Guardians” already stated to be the “Halo” game that was rushed in the making before “Halo Infinite”, 343 Industries have decided to develop “Halo Infinite” with lots of time and patience. Thus, that would be the reason for the game being released way later after the last game. This gained more positive comments from the community about not rushing the game creation.

(Username) ArcaTech commented, “That’s good. Take your time, let people work at a sustainable pace, and release something good when it’s actually ready.” And (Username) Escafablio has also commented, “This is what fans asked for. They wanted more time and care put into the game, and that’s exactly what 343 is doing.”

The exact date in 2021 for the release of “Halo Infinite” has still yet to be announced. In the meantime, the postponement of this game has affected and continues to affect those who were looking forward to playing this game. At least we were clarified with why “Halo Infinite” was delayed in the first place; COVID-19 and to make more improvements on the game.