Microsoft's Popular FPS Slowly Retires. Priority Shiffts to New Projects
Halo Infinite will no longer get consecutive seasons. Instead, the game's development will take place in smaller Operations. This is due to the fact that 343 Industries studio is increasingly focusing on new projects.
Halo Infinite is slowly being put in the back seat. The creators informed about new priorities that forced the team to halt the development of the game.
- Season 5, released last October will be the final one. There will be a delegated number of developers responsible for game updates, but the bulk of the team will focus on other tasks.
- This year, the new content for Halo Infinite will take form of the so-called Operations, available every 4-6 weeks. Each Operation will bring new rewards that are unlocked through gameplay.
- The first of them will start on January 30th. In addition to new character appearance options, one new map will be introduced and Forge, the mode allowing the creating of custom levels and game modes will receive upgrades and additions.
It's worth adding that Forge turned out to be quite popular in Halo Infinite community, delivering notable fresh content regularly, both for multiplayer, as well as lone players. With this, even halted official support shouldn't make the fans complain about the lack of new content.
Halo Infinite will therefore not be completely abandoned and, at least this year, it can count on further, although slower, development. Employees of 343 Industries studio admit, however, that they are already working on new projects and more and more team resources will be allocated to them. It is practically certain that the next installment of Halo is among them.
Let us recall - last year there were numerous layoffs at 343 Industries. There were even rumors that the team had been taken off the Halo series, but this turned out to be not true. In June 2023, the then head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, stated that although the studio would continue to develop the brand, it was possible that there may be reinforcements incoming, e.g. from the developers from the acquired Activision Blizzard holding.
However, Microsoft does not intend to impose the project on them and such an initiative must come from the people employed there. We do know that the Certain Affinity team, founded in 2006 by former Bungie employees, will take part in the production of the next Halo. The studio previously collaborated with 343 Industries on Halo Infinite, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Let's remind that Halo Infinite debuted in 2021 on PC and Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles. The multiplayer mode is also available in a free-to-play model.
