A new update from the Australian Classification Board has apparently confirmed that Halo: Infinite is coming out later this year. The developers and Xbox have insisted over and over that it is, but given how many delays have hit games so far this year, it’s probably smart to be wary. However, this new rating seems to at least be hinting that Microsoft and 343 Industries will be announcing a release date soon.
The Classification Board gave the game an M rating for “violence, online interactivity, and in-game purchases.” There doesn’t seem to be any other questionable content based on the Board’s rating system. Halo Infinite does not have a firm release date yet, despite the projected release date of Holiday 2021 getting closer and closer. The reason the classification appears to presage a release date is that Forza Horizon 5, which has a release date of November 9, got a rating last week. By the principle of the classification beinggiven a set amount of time before the launch, Halo Infinite would launch shortly after FH5.
There have been a number of new details released on Halo Infinite in the last month or so, which lends further credence to the idea that it’s not only close-ish to launch, but that Microsoft is coming up to a release date announcement. The likely time for an announcement is the upcoming Xbox Gamescom event, which is on August 24.
343 Industries recently released an early technical preview for the game, giving players a taste of what they can expect when the game eventually does release. One of the features that was shown in the preview was the bot gameplay, which will populate online matches in lieu of other players — and, despite the way it appeared, 343 has confirmed they were not teabagging the players despite it appearing that way.