Summary
For the longest time, the general release structure for theHalofranchise remained pretty much the same. Every few years, a newHalogame would drop, offering the complete package of a substantial single-player campaign and multiplayer mode. As Bungie grew more ambitious, thisHalorelease structure would start to gain a few more additions, ranging from the underrated Theater mode to the beloved Forge mode and, eventually, the wave-based Firefight mode. This structure worked flawlessly for years, with even343 Industries’Halo 4andHalo 5following suit. But then,Halo Infinitecame along.
Not quite the black sheep of the franchise but still a definite disappointment for fans,Halo Infinitechanged the series' decades-old release structure for the worse. And if the nextHaloentry followed the same approach, it would only be shooting itself in the foot.
The Next Halo Game Shouldn’t Follow in Infinite’s Live-Service Footsteps
Halo Infinite’s Structure Hasn’t Worked Too Well
WhenHalo Infiniteoriginally released, it did so in two separate waves. The first part ofHalo Infiniteto release was its multiplayer component, which launched in November 2021. Initially, this was met with a lot of praise and excitement from fans, with the multiplayer component being completely free-to-play and providing the perfect demo of what fans could expect gameplay-wise inHalo Infinite’s then-upcoming campaign, which released just a month later. However, the issues started to creep in when bothHalocomponents joined together.
Though bothHalo Infinite’s campaign and multiplayer were praised by critics and fans upon their initial release, it didn’t take long before people started to realize that both components were missing some pretty integral features - features that had been a staple of the franchise since its very beginning. On the campaign side, co-op was completely absent at launch, and the game’s story felt rushed and its open-world felt half-baked. On the multiplayer side of things,Halo Infinitehad a severe lack of modes and maps on launch, including beloved additional modes such asForge and Firefight.
343 Industries has spent over two years trying to fix bothHalo Infinite’s multiplayer and campaigncomponents simultaneously. This has felt like an absolute slog forHalofans, and undoubtedly, it’s felt even worse for the developers behind the scenes trying desperately to fix large swathes of the game as quickly as possible. It’s clear thatHalo Infinite’s structure could have been refined, and that’s a lesson 343 needs to take into its next entry.
The Next Halo Might Benefit From Fully Separate Multiplayer and Campaign Releases
Potentially,the nextHalogamemight be better off separating its multiplayer and campaign components entirely. While this might sound like blasphemy at first for long-timeHalofans, it could actually be much better for the franchise in the long run if 343 intends to continue using a live-service approach forHalo’s multiplayer. Hopefully, separating the two components would allow 343 to focus on each one at separate intervals, with a team dedicated to working solely on live-service content for the multiplayer, and a separate team dedicated to producing new campaign content.
TheCall of Dutyfranchise has adopted a similar approach to this, withCall of Duty: Warzonebeing its own separate entity from the yearlyCall of Dutyentry.
This approach might even pave the way for moreHalocampaign content than ever before. If 343 had a designated team working on single-player content, then the nextHalocould actually act as a sort of anthology series, delivering smaller-scale 5-hour campaigns focusing ondifferent areas of theHalouniverse. The campaign always used to be the biggest draw forHalo, and it would be satisfying to see it return in such a substantial way.
Halo Infinite
WHERE TO PLAY
When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic open-world adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring.With Network Campaign Co-Op and Mission Replay, you can relive your favorite moments, rediscover collectibles and explore the wonders of Zeta Halo on your own or with up to three other fireteam members.Experience Halo’s celebrated multiplayer reimagined and free-to-play! With over 70 maps in matchmaking, billions of customization configurations, and countless community Forge creations to experience, Halo Infinite is the franchise’s most expansive multiplayer offering to date.Enjoy an unprecedented variety of gameplay experiences, ranging from fast-paced intense ranked modes to whimsical mayhem in Custom Games, or even co-operative coordination in the wave-based survival mode Firefight: King of the Hill. Assemble your Fireteam and conquer every mode – Halo offers endless opportunities for teamwork, strategy, and unforgettable victories.
