343 Industries confirms reports that Halo Infinite is getting help from two series veterans for the push to the finish line. It has been a rough month for everything Halo related. Due to the global pandemic and other factors, 343 had to announce that the former Xbox Series X launch title would not be releasing alongside the console this November. Instead, Halo Infinite will launch on Xbox One and Xbox Series X in 2021. This leaves Microsoft without a marquee title for the next generation this holiday, putting it at a disadvantage in the hearts and minds of gaming enthusiasts and other day-one purchasers.
However, Halo Infinite seemingly had problems long before the delay. The initial gameplay showing for the title evoked a sense of confusion instead of wonder, with graphics that many thought outdated for a supposed technological leap forward. With visible pop-in and other awkward aspects, the biggest positive out of the whole showing was the debut of Halo meme character Craig The Brute. It was certainly not the first impression 343 wanted to leave fans with, and their reaction likely pushed the Xbox team toward delaying the project.
As first reported by Bloomberg and then confirmed on Halo Waypoint, two Halo veterans will be joining the team for the home stretch of Halo Infinite's development. Fans of the original Halo trilogy will immediately recognize Joseph Staten, the man who defined the universe of the original games through its cutscenes while working at Bungie. Staten was often seen in the developer's ViDocs and even wrote Halo: Contact Harvest, a well-received novel that depicts Sgt. Johnson's early battles. He last worked at Bungie in the lead up to the original Destiny, where he was the writer and design director for the game before leaving the company. In the years since, he's been working at Microsoft Game Studios in a producer role, launching titles like ReCore, Crackdown 3, and this week's Tell Me Why.
At 343, Staten will serve as the project lead for Halo Infinite. In 343's own words, the Bungie veteran will "be focused on supporting the campaign team’s existing, talented, creative leaders and ensuring they have everything they need to create an awesome Halo game." Given his experience and tremendous influence on the Halo series, it's hard not to see Staten's return to the helm as a great sign for the future of Halo Infinite. As for the other addition, current 343 publishing head Pierre Hintze will move on from his role relaunching the Master Chief Collection to become the project lead for Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer experience. Considering the immense improvements seen in that game in the last twelve months, it seems like a sensible move.
There's no doubt that Halo Infinite still needs some work, but it's also been in development for a long time now. Adding new project leads at a time like this doesn't mean that the team is starting over from scratch, but it implies that Halo's launch is still a long way out. In any case, Staten's return may just win back some of those hearts and minds left dejected by the game's original reveal. Many Halo veterans will celebrate the return of a Bungie original to the team, if only because he's one of the people most responsible for the expansive lore of the universe that keeps players coming back sequel after sequel.
Source: Bloomberg, Halo Waypoint