Summary
It is no secret thatHalo Infinitehas had a bit of a rough life, but 343 Industries has continued trekking along with new content. The game’s fourth season is well underway with a brand-new battle pass, new maps, a new mode, and multiple new features. While active players will likely have some fun with this, it has also done little to get other players excited aboutHalo Infiniteagain. The players continue to drop, the content is just not there, andHalo Infinite’s days may be numbered.
Halo Infinitehad a strong launch, but its post-launch support has never really been there. 343 Industries seems to hop from one controversy to the next, and the seasonal structure leaves much to be desired. What could have been an easy win for Microsoft has turned out very disappointing. Even some of the active players have begun turning their backs on the game, and that means its last days may be on the horizon. While the studio has not announced anything yet, it may soon be time for Microsoft to finally pull the plug on this troubled live-service title.
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Halo Infinite’s Days Were Numbered From the Start
There was a lot riding onHalo Infiniteas the release date neared, and the initial launch seemed very promising. This was supposed to mark the grand return of theHalofranchise afterHalo 5: Guardiansproved divisive with the fanbase. The gameplay was rock solid, the campaign was a lot of fun, and players everywhere seemed to think thatHalomultiplayer was back.Halo Infinitefelt like what fans had been wanting for years, but things quickly changed once they realized 343 Industries may not have been ready to run a live-service title.
WhileHalo Infinite’s multiplayer was a ton of fun to play, the content was just not there.Halo Infinite’s battle passand cosmetic system were weirdly structured, various fan-favorite modes were missing, and there were loads of matchmaking and performance issues. The free-to-play aspect of the multiplayer helped prop up the player numbers a little, but these issues distracted from the fast-paced gameplay the studio had perfected. As season one continued on, things only got worse.
Halo Infinite’s season onelacked substantial content, and the season would end up running for around six months with nothing exciting being added during its entire run. The second season would introduce some new cosmetics and modes, but it felt rather empty after six months of nothing. Seasons three and four would continue this trend, and the cancelation of the campaign co-op made things even worse. This lack of content would cause players to leave the game in droves, and 343 Industries has not given them a reason to come back.
Live-service games need quality content to survive, andHalo Infinitehas not gotten a meaningful amount of it. The seasons have barely added anything to the game and some fan complaints have yet to be answered. While the gameplay may still be a lot of fun, that is not enough to keep players coming back for more.Halo Infinitehas lost around 98% of its playerbase on Steamalone, and Xbox is likely similar.
Halo Infiniteis currently in its fourth season with a fifth one launching sometime in October. There is a strong chance that the upcoming season will follow the lead of its predecessors, and that could be the final straw for the remaining players. The studio is allegedly looking into the future ofHalo, which means thatHalo Infinitelikely has an end date. It was supposed to be the foundation for the next 10 years ofHalo, but at this rate, it may not even make it to five.
Halo Infiniteis available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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