It’s sadly becoming a recurring “thread” that video games aren’t released as complete packages by some developers. Don’t get us wrong! Some developers do what gamers expect them to, release full games at launch and then add DLC or update the content later. That’s totally acceptable. But from 2020 to 2022 alone, multiple games across all three major publishers left gamers unsatisfied because they were buggy, unrefined, and missing key features promised at launch. One such title was Halo Infinite. It launched in November 2021, and 13 months later, is now basically a complete game. Yet it’s still one that fans have a lukewarm feeling about.
The initial problem with the title was that it was released “in parts.” The multiplayer was free-to-play, a great lure to gamers to showcase what the game could be like. However, the campaign mode was to be paid for, and many didn’t like the story they got. Then, other modes that were standard for the franchise like the Co-Op Campaign, Forge Mode, and more, were delayed until 2022 or were straight-up canceled in regard to the co-op. That says nothing of the multiplayer seasons, which at times took up to six months to get new content.
Yet on the Waypoint sight for the title, 343 Industries is trying to paint everything as “good,” and it is a bit questionable why they’re going on such a path. They did note that there were “challenges and opportunities” involved with the last 13 months of development, but:
“Yet, your energy and engagement has driven us. We’ve changed the way that we develop and even the way we’re organised. Needless to say, we’re committed to making Halo Infinite better with every single update!”
While that sounds promising, you arguably shouldn’t hear anything different from a developer after a troubled launch. So what are they supposed to do, make it worse?
Furthermore, while it’s known that the game sold well enough if you look at how many players are on it concurrently right now among PC and Xbox, it’s not as popular as they’re making it sound.
So is there anything that can be done to save the game? Absolutely! Recently, we’ve seen how games like Cyberpunk 2077 or No Man’s Sky have rebounded from terrible launches and now can be considered must-play games. So if 343 Industries can work things out, then maybe the franchise’s fans will return to the title.
Source: Halo Waypoint
