Halo has always been a paramount factor in driving the sales of Microsoft's Xbox consoles in the beginning, and 343 Industries' upcoming Halo Infinite is no different. Originally planned to launch alongside Xbox Series X/S, Halo Infinite had to be delayed for a multitude of reasons for a duration of one full year.
Thankfully, Halo Infinite made a grand return with a new gameplay reveal trailer at Microsoft's Xbox & Bethesda E3 2021 showcase. New details seem to suggest that the first season for Halo Infinite's multiplayer would be titled "Heroes of the Reach." It might certainly seem a minuscule thematic detail to some, but it might carry a lot more meaning than what meets the eye.
The Importance Of Reach In Halo
The planet Reach serves as a major point of interest during multiple games in the original Halo trilogy. Often regarded as the birthplace of the SPARTANs, Reach has a lot going for it. As seen in Bungie's swansong title Halo: Reach, the Covenant forces devastated the planet in the search of a Forerunner artifact buried deep within the planet's core.
Halo: Reach tells the tragic story of the Noble Team as they try to fend off Covenant forces as humanity's last line of defense. Cortana, a character intriguingly missing in Halo Infinite, was also handed to Noble Team on the very same planet right before she is plugged into the Pillar of Autumn and kick-starts the events of Halo: Combat Evolved.
Setting Up A Halo Universe
Keeping the name of the first season in line with what is essentially the start of Master Chief and Cortana's story might be hinting at setting up a Halo universe within Halo Infinite. From what's known and a bit of far-sighted speculation, it would appear that this might entail re-telling of the Master Chief saga from the point of a player-created SPARTAN.
While it wouldn't certainly be as expansive as Bungie's Destiny, there are some potential opportunities to capitalize on within this space. Creative Director Joseph Staten has also stated something similar with regards to the game's multiplayer component, "At the center of our plans is a goal to deeply root your multiplayer character in the larger Halo universe and give them a vital, active role in the Halo story moving forward."
While this might seem far-fetched to some, since Halo isn't known for telling expansive stories with its multiplayer component, it isn't so unlikely as Halo Infinite is rumored to be the most expensive video game ever made. Given that the time gap between Halo 5 and Halo Infinite is the longest in the series, it makes sense to keep the game alive by means of expanding its multiplayer offerings over a long duration of time.
It also helps that 343 Industries is doing a great job at alleviating many of the issues that crop up with battle passes and FOMO, using a few clever design choices, which should help keep players engaged across longer durations without being predatory with its monetization.
Halo Infinite releases on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X in 2021.
Source: Halo Waypoint Blog