Halo Infinite was supposed to headline the launch lineup for the Xbox Series X/S, but Microsoft delayed the game to 2021 due in part to the impact of COVID-19 and working from home. It’s a big loss for the console’s launch, as it would have marked the first time since the original Halo in 2001 that a Halo title was released day-and-date with new Xbox hardware.
But in a statement to The New York Times, Xbox spokesperson Cindy Walker downplayed the Halo Infinite delay. Walker said Microsoft of course would have wanted to have Halo Infinite ready for the Series X/S launch, but despite the delay, Walker remains confident that there will be enough games available at launch to encourage people to buy in.
“Having Halo at our launch would have been tremendous,” but “we are not reliant on massive exclusive titles to drive console adoption,” Walker said. “Our players will have thousands of games from four generations of Xbox available to play on launch day.”