Halo Infinite December release date leaks via Microsoft listing

By Matt Brown
published

Halo Infinite looks set to land a 2021 debut, according to a new store listing.

Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

What you need to know

  • Halo Infinite will release on December 8, 2021, according to a newly-updated Microsoft Store listing.
  • The leak provides long-anticipated clarity on Halo Infinite launch plans, with 343 Industries previously committing to "holiday 2021," following a previous delay in 2020.
  • The news implies Halo Infinite could resurface at Geoff Keighley's Opening Night Live show, slated for this Wednesday, as a part of Gamescom 2021.

Halo Infinite will launch on December 8, 2021, according to a new listing uncovered via the Microsoft Store. The listing provides long-anticipated clarity on release plans for the upcoming sci-fi shooter, previously confirmed for "holiday 2021."

Microsoft has repeatedly stressed plans to bring Halo Infinite to market in 2021, following a previous delay that pushed the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launch title into this year. Developer 343 Industries cited "multiple factors" alongside the announcement, but spotlighted challenges tied to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

While Halo Infinite resurfaced at E3 2021 this June, later followed by public multiplayer technical tests, developer 343 Industries has remained coy on timelines. While Call of Duty: Vanguard, Battlefield 2042, and other imminent shooters now have scheduled launch dates, availability has remained hazy on the next mainline Halo title.

The report comes via Aggiornamenti Lumia on Twitter, a reputable and proven source for leaks via the Microsoft Store. The timing is unusual, less than 24 hours after Microsoft hosted its own Gamescom 2021 conference, but implies a potential showing at Geoff Keighley's Gamescom Opening Night Live show on Wednesday afternoon.

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The upcoming mainline entry debuts on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles, plus Windows 10 PCs. Preorders start at $60 on all platforms, with day-one access granted to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Halo Infinite's multiplayer component will also be available as a standalone free-to-play title on all platforms.

However, Microsoft has scaled back the scope of Halo Infinite in a controversial move to hit this December. The cooperative campaign and the Forge level editor are no longer planned for launch, now expected to arrive later via a post-launch update.

Halo Infinite will launch with a new single-player story campaign, with the return of franchise icon, the Master Chief, on his latest adventure. The title adopts a new open-world setup spanning a virtual ringworld, including returning alien faction, the Banished. The title will also ship with a traditional multiplayer mode, including an expanded 24-player Big Team Battle mode and support for AI-controlled bots.

Halo InfiniteThe next adventure in the saga
Halo Infinite

A new ringworld awaits

Halo Infinite brings an expansive single-player campaign and a new multiplayer experience, now slated for December 2021.

Matt Brown
Matt Brown

Matt Brown was formerly a Windows Central's Senior Editor, Xbox & PC, at Future. Following over seven years of professional consumer technology and gaming coverage, he’s focused on the world of Microsoft's gaming efforts. You can follow him on Twitter @mattjbrown.

6 Comments
  • Delay until Co-op and Forge are ready. IMO. What's the harm in one more delay.
  • Agreed. At least until coop is ready
  • I disagree actually. I wanted to play this game with my brother. But for anyone that wants to play Co op, the game is essentially delayed. For the people that want to play solo, why make them wait?
  • Completely agreed. This is what typical (no I didn’t say all, don’t get your panties in a wad Kevin’s of the world) Halo players love. Experiencing the game through Coop campaign upon purchase is where it’s at. For all their talk about trying to be more like the original games they lost sight of what makes Halo enjoyable for so many apparently.
  • Even considering how disappointed I am as well, I can't agree with this. You basically shot yourself in the foot many times with this game and backed yourself into a 2021 release, even missing your own anniversary date by nearly a month. This makes it to the point to where they almost NEED to release the game just to prove they have a product. Also, if a large portion of the product is ready, get it to people. I think if they would have done the smart move and released the two sides of the game separately since one is F2P and it doesn't matter, this wouldn't even be an issue. The SP could then be delayed to whenever. But what do I know, I'm just a douchbag on the internet making a comment on a tech site.
  • Microsoft should sell the Xbox brand to Sony for a couple hundred dollars if they can't manage to deliver halo as a hololens exclusive experience that transports me to the ring and inject Cortana directly into my consciousness