The date is November, 2021. Halo Infinite was supposed to be released one year before, alongside the release of the new generation of Xbox consoles, but the pandemic changed Microsoft’s plans.
343 Industries had already faced multiple difficulties during the 5-year development stage (2015 to 2020), and they needed one more year to make the game even better.
Almost two years later, in 2023, it is clear that 343i overpromised and underdelivered.
But is Halo Infinite dead in 2023? Or is the game just not meant to please everyone?
We at Gaming Power Up are avid Halo players, so let’s analyze what’s happening to the latest entry of the Halo franchise as of now with facts.
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What’s the Status of Halo Infinite in 2023?
In January, 2023, Microsoft announced that they would be laying off 10,000 employers due to an unprecedented economic slowdown in the company.
According to Bloomberg, 343 Industries, the study in charge of the Halo Franchise, was especially affected by this decision.
Halo Infinite already had a couple of problems during its first year. For instance, the Halo Infinite Split Screen feature for the campaign was completely scratched, and gamers had to wait for almost a year to play the campaign co-op online with their friends.
On top of that, many different iconic game modes, such as Forge, were unavailable until the Winter Update, which took place in November, 2022.
Then, on January 21, 2023, the official Halo Twitter Account (@halo) posted a photo where they say that “Halo and Master Chief are not going anywhere and 343i will continue creating awesome moments in the Halo Universe” … but how true is this in reality?
What Does the Halo Community Think About Halo Infinite in 2023?
If you search online, there’s a general consensus of players that say that Halo Infinite is indeed dead.
Perhaps this happens out of frustration with the current status of the game, or maybe they really got tired of the many errors that this Xbox Flagship faces.
We all remember that iconic Halo 3 image that showed over 1,000,000 people playing at the same time, and although those days are gone, it is still important to see what people think.
Halo Is Dead.. Isn’t It?
In order to determine whether Halo is dead in 2023 or not, let’s first take a look at what people think:
- Redditors have a general consensus: de-sync, matchmaking issues, and the lack of new game modes have killed Halo Infinite’s hype in its entirety.
- Users on official Halo Way Point forums debate the reasons behind the death of Halo Infinite, assuming that the game is, indeed, finished.
- Some big online publishers, such as GameCentral from Metro UK, are cruder towards their thoughts on the game: Halo Infinite is dead and 343i killed it – that’s the main headline that clearly shows us their opinions.
It is hard to believe that a successful franchise such as Halo can die.
In fact, Halo Infinite was the most-played Halo game within its first month, with over 20 million Halo fans experiencing the new Master Chief adventure.
Sadly, constant problems in the game have led to this moment: the community believes that Halo infinite is dead, and reviving it will be difficult.
Gaming Power Up’s Twitter Poll: Is Halo Infinite Dead in 2023?
In order to conduct more in-detail and accurate research, we at Gaming Power Up decided to ask the community what they think about Halo Infinite as of now on our official Twitter account (@GamingPowerUp1). The results were the following:
- 44.4% of gamers believe that Halo Infinite is not dead at all: the game still has a big fan base and things to “live for.”
- 22.2% of gamers think that Halo is neither dead nor alive – perhaps Master Chief is in purgatory!
- 33.3% of gamers firmly believe that Halo Infinite is dead and there is no way to bring it back to life.
So, Is Halo a Dead Game?
If there’s something that we all can agree on is that Halo Infinite is not as popular as it used to be a few years ago, but times change, and so does our interest in things.
There are firm reasons to believe that Halo Infinite is not dead in 2023, such as the new Forge Mode, and the amazingly good Custom Web Browser.
Besides, the Halo Infinite Season 3 is set to be released by March, 2023, so the team is clearly still working on the game.
The following statistics and research support the fact that Halo Infinite is still breathing.
1. Halo Infinite eSports Statistics in 2023
The Halo Championship Series had an amazing year in 2022. There were two HCS events with prize pools of over $350,000 and more than 1,5 million hours watched.
The HCS Major Kansas City 2022 took place back in May, 2022, and had over 100,000 peak viewers.
It is true that drops and rewards for watching the stream were given by 343i (check what to do if Halo Infinite Drops Are Not Showing Up here), but the competitive scene was more alive than ever, even during the last months of the year.
Now, HCS Year 2 is being prepared by 343 Industries, and it looks like new maps, modes, weapons, and formats will be introduced to make the competitive scene even more interesting.
2. How Many People Are Playing Halo Infinite in 2023? Steam Charts
According to SteamCharts, Halo Infinite experienced an amazing peak of 256,619 players during the first month after the game was released.
Sadly, the graphic shows a major drop from December 2021 to its lowest point in October, 2022 with less than 4,500 weekly players.
On the other hand, between December 2022 and January 2023, an average of 7,000 players log into Halo Infinite through Steam weekly.
But Halo Infinite is not only available through Steam: Xbox GamePass and PC GamePass players play the game as well.
3. Most-Played Xbox Exclusive Games in 2023
According to TrueAchievement’s chart of most-played Xbox Games in 2022, Halo Infinite is the fourth most-played game on both Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles.
Besides, the game is listed as one of the most-played Xbox exclusives since its release.
It is clear that when it comes to FPS action, Xbox players know that Halo infinite can deliver.
Will There Be Halo After Halo Infinite?
Yes, there will be more Halo after Halo Infinite. 343i and Microsoft made a clear statement: layoffs will not affect the course of Halo.
New seasons, weapons, maps, game modes, and perhaps spin-offs will be released in the near future.
Now, although there are many negative things that have affected Halo over the years, only time will tell if 343i is capable of making things right or not.
We, at Gaming Power Up, have hope, but then again, this uncertainty will be decided by the next steps taken by the studios.
Gaming Summary: Is Halo Infinite Dead or Alive?
Is the glass half full or half empty? Is Halo Infinite dead or alive? We believe it depends on your point of view.
If we compare Halo Infinite to the glorious days of Halo 3 and Halo 2 where literally millions of gamers enjoyed playing with their friends, then yes, Halo Infinite might be dead.
But comparison is the thief of joy. The truth is that there’s still something worthy of Halo Infinite out there, and if the studios make the right decision, Halo can “revive” sooner than later.
Do you believe that Halo Infinite is dead or alive? Shoot us an email to learn your opinion!
FAQ
Is Halo Infinite Split Screen?
Halo Infinite is split screen only on multiplayer modes. Sadly there’s no local Halo Infinite Co-Op campaign, which is one of the reasons why people believe the game is now dead.
Is Halo Infinite Worth It?
We believe that every minute of Halo Infinite you play is totally worth it. Check out our Halo Infinite Under 8 Hours guide if you are thinking about beating the new Master Chief Story on Zeta Halo.