Halo fans continue to wait for several major feature additions to Halo Infinite, months after the game's launch in late 2021. It's a frustrating situation for all parties, including 343 Industries, as an initial positive response to Halo Infinite's campaign has been drowned in frustrations over the game's monetization, live service support, and the absence of Forge and online co-op. On Thursday, 343 plans to reveal a roadmap for Halo Infinite's near future, but ahead of 343's announcements it seems there's confirmation more bad news is coming, too.
A post on Twitter from Halo community director Brian Jarrard implied that Halo Infinite's co-op campaign support may be arriving later than expected. Jarrard's message was not, by any means, explicit confirmation of a delay. But his message wasn't necessarily subtle, either. The message was in response to a Halo fan joking about the Halo community's reaction if co-op did get delayed. Jarrard explained that release targets for features are a "stake in the ground at the time but of course subject to change."
Following up that clear hint that Halo Infinite's co-op release window may have been "subject to change," Jarrard then points to tomorrow's roadmap update for Halo Infinite's development for more information. The roadmap, says Jarrard, will have more information regarding what Halo Infinite players can expect in the next few months.
For the time being, co-op for Halo Infinite remains without a release date. There were theories that co-op could be released as part of the arrival of Halo Infinite's next season, believed to arrive around November. If Jarrard's hints are correct, co-op may not arrive until well into 2023 when another Halo Infinite season comes.
If a delay does come through, Halo Infinite fans are likely to have mixed feelings. 343 Industries felt comfortable offering Halo fans an early look at co-op in July and followed that up with a test flight for the game mode. To go from a relatively wide-release test flight and public showcase to a potential delay indicates that there may be significant issues with the game mode.
A potential delay to Halo Infinite's co-op mode would be just the latest frustrating issue to crop up with Halo Infinite. Once touted as the biggest Halo release in the franchise's history, a title with a 10-year plan, a massive post-launch content schedule, and cross-media promotion in the works, Halo Infinite has dealt with delays, cut features, and controversy alongside turmoil within 343 itself. Halo fans, nevertheless, will look toward tomorrow's Halo Infinite roadmap reveal for a sign that the game's future is brightening.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.