From the moment the first Xbox was unveiled to the world,Halohas stood right alongside it. Originally conceived as an Apple Mac exclusive before Microsoft bought it,Halo: Combat Evolvedwas the original Xbox’s killer app, possibly more so than any other launch game in existence.Halomade peoplebuy an Xbox over a PlayStation 2 or GameCube, and that’s remained largely the same for the last few decades. ThoughHaloisn’t the only reason people bought an Xbox 360, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X, it’s a big factor, but unfortunately that’s starting to change.
So confident that it put it on the back of the Xbox Series X box,Halo Infinitewas meant to be the next evolution in the franchise, a big step forward that really showed the power of Xbox’s shiny new console. But in reality,Halo Infinitewasn’t the killer app Xbox needed it to be, and some serious damage has been done to the brand. 343 Industries has claimed that it’s still committed to theHalofranchise, but the next title it puts out is going to have more pressure on its shoulders than anyHalogame that’s come before it, and that’s saying a lot.
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The Pressure on the Next Halo’s Shoulders Could Be Too Much
It’s extremely well-known just how badlyHalo Infinitehas fumbled the bag. With a great multiplayer component that hearkened back to the series' golden age, and eventually a single-player campaign that took the franchise in a bold new direction,Halo Infinitehad the whole world at its feet when it first launched, but things soon went bad. Opting for a live-service approach to content,Halo Infinitelacked a lot of maps and modes at launch, with many franchise staples just not being present. And 343 Industries has taken its sweet time in bringing those to the game, delivering just four seasonal updates in a year and a half.
Despite its continued bad press and public reception,343 Industries remains confident that it can fixHalo Infinite, and there’s a lot of pressure on the team to follow through on that. But at the same time, many fans would prefer the slate to be just wiped clean, and for 343 Industries to start all over again with a newHalogame. Though if and when it comes to that, the nextHalogame is going to have more pressure on it than ever before, with fan expectations being at an all-time high.
When 343 Industries dropsthe nextHalogame, fans will expect it to be practically perfect right out of the gate, and in all honesty, it probably should be. While the live-service model can be great for developers who are capable of putting out consistent streams of content, 343 Industries doesn’t seem to be one of those developers, and now that fans know that they’re going to expect the nextHaloto meet certain criteria on launch day, including all the usual staple modes, maps, and features fans could originally expect of the series.
To add a whole other layer of pressure on top of that,Haloalso isn’t going to be Microsoft’s only huge FPS franchise soon. With the Activision-Blizzard acquisition almost complete,Xbox is about to ownCall of Duty. While there’s always been a bit of a soft rivalry betweenHaloandCall of Duty, they’ve mostly stayed out of each other’s way, but with both now living under the same roof, that pressure to be the better sibling might end up being too much for 343 Industries and theHalofranchise.
Halo Infiniteis available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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