UPDATE: The community manager at 343 Industries, Brian Jarrard, has come forward on Twitter to dismiss rumors that Halo Infinite will ship without multiplayer. Jarrard didn't provide any further insight into the game's multiplayer offering, but this is great news for fans of the Halo franchise.

Original Story: A new report on Halo Infinite suggests that the game's multiplayer won't be present at launch, and the single-player campaign will ship on its own in the Fall. Halo Infinite is the biggest release for Microsoft this coming holiday season and is widely viewed as one of the primary draws to Xbox Series X.

It's not just consumers who are positioning Halo Infinite as something that's crucial to the reception of Microsoft's next-gen console, either. Halo Infinite's gameplay demo reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase this July was the centerpiece of the presentation, eating up around ten minutes of airtime. Fans have also been intrigued by description of the game moving forward, as interviews following that showcase positioned it in a fascinating light. Halo Infinite is a spiritual reboot according to its game director and while that doesn't necessarily explain everything fans want to know, it's at least a nod to the fact that the development team is prioritizing some of the game's most iconic and beloved features.

Related: Halo Infinite Compared To PS4 Graphics Doesn't Look Great For Xbox

Unfortunately, another popular element of the game might not be present at all when it launches. According to a YouTube video from industry reporter Brad Sams (shared by popular industry analyst Nibel on Twitter), Halo Infinite is being described by one source as a title that won't have multiplayer shipping with its single-player campaign when it releases this fall. Microsoft has yet to address the video, but the fact that a Halo game could launch without multiplayer is a complete shock to consumers - the series is so well-known for its online multiplayer experiences that its almost unthinkable there will be a time in Halo Infinite's life-cycle where that won't be a part of gameplay.

For what it's worth, Sams is stating that he's only heard that information from one source, but that's already one too many for fans of Halo and the potential for Halo Infinite multiplayer to eat away hours of their free time. There is a caveat here: the Steam page for Halo Infinite lists "Online PvP" as a feature with no caveats about potential availability of that element. For now, there's no confirmation on Halo Infinite multiplayer's status one way or the other - though it was odd when that element wasn't present during the gameplay demo at all.

If it's true, though, and Halo Infinite multiplayer won't be part of the title at launch, it's a major blow to that game's potential sales and reception. While Halo Infinite's campaign looked good in terms of gameplay, that's not exactly what the series is known for, and having one of its biggest draws absent on release is a recipe for disaster. The notion that Halo Infinite multiplayer might be unfinished - and that the game might not be as far along in development as fans hoped based on its unfavorable graphics comparisons - could have some merit too. For now, fans of Master Chief will have to wait until official word comes from 343 Industries or Microsoft.

Next: Halo Infinite Marks Start of Next 10 Years of the Franchise

Halo Infinite will release during holiday season 2020 for Xbox Series X and PC.

Source: Brad Sams (via Nibel)