Microsoft and 343 have made two announcements today that will impact fans in positive and negative ways for the next-generation Xbox. Halo Infinite is being pushed to 2021 but the series X will arrive in November.

We had heard previously from Microsoft that the series X would arrive during the fall and now we know it hits store shelves in November although we don’t know the exact date. But the bigger news, as many already assumed that November would be the launch month, is that Halo Infinite has been delayed.

Citing COVID-19, Infinite will now be released in 2021 with their statement below:

Today I want to share an important Halo Infinite development update with the community. 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.

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.

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.

Here’s the thing, a few weeks back I reported that a source familiar with the plans of Halo said that multiplayer would not be shipping this fall but 343 came out and said that I was wrong about that portion of the game being delayed. As it turns out, the entire game has been delayed and my information was accurate.

Tagged with Halo, Halo Infinite, Xbox Series X