Microsoft finally has a release date for Halo Infinite, which is set to launch in 2021. The game was originally set to launch during the 2020 holiday season, around the release of the Xbox Series X/S, but Halo Infinite was delayed into 2021 following a negative response to its initial showing, and fans questioned whether it would launch in 2021, especially following production issues caused by the pandemic.

The version of Halo Infinite that fans receive when it's released won't be the complete package, as it has been confirmed that it won't contain co-op campaign or the Forge mode at launch. What Halo Infinite will have a launch is the single-player campaign and the multiplayer mode, the latter of which will be free-to-play. The co-op and Forge mode will be added in future updates, but they don't have a release window as of yet. 343 Industries is prioritizing different aspects of Halo Infinite, in order to ensure that it hits its release date.

Related: Why Halo Infinite Wasn't Shown During Xbox's Gamescom Stream

There was a lot of speculation about the release date of Halo Infinite, with some believing that it was going to be delayed again. A leak earlier today claimed that Halo Infinite was going to launch on December 8, following an update on the Microsoft Store. 343 Industries and Microsoft didn't even need to waste time responding, as the actual release date was given a few hours later.

Halo Infinite's Release Date

Halo Infinite Cover

It turned out that the leak was correct. 343 Industries confirmed during the Gamescom 2021 Opening Night Live show that Halo Infinite was indeed launching on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on December 8, 2021. A video of the 343 Industries Halo Infinite event can be seen on the official Gamespot YouTube channel. This means the Xbox line has the huge holiday exclusive that it lost during the Xbox Series X/S launch, which just happened to be announced on the day that Horizon Forbidden West was delayed on PS4 and PS5. Halo Infinite can be pre-ordered now and it will also be available on Xbox Game Pass on day one.

The decision to delay Halo Infinite turned out to be the correct one. The response to the game's recent technical preview was positive, and bigger previews are planned before the game is released. A botched launch in 2020 would not only have damaged the Halo brand but would have hurt the Xbox Series X/S launch, especially at a time when it didn't have many games to show off the power of the hardware. Halo Infinite might be launching with missing features, but the single-player campaign and multiplayer modes are what a lot of fans are looking for on day one, and that's what they'll be able to experience in December.

Next: Halo Infinite Leak Shows The Game's Main Menu

Halo Infinite will be available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on December 8. 2021.

Source: Gamescom 2021 via Gamespot/YouTube