Halo has been one of Xbox's most popular first-party franchises since the first game was launched back in 2001. The first-person shooter series has since spawned six mainline entries, alongside several spin-offs. The latest entry, Halo Infinite, was originally intended to be released as a launch title for the Xbox Series X|S consoles in late 2020, but was delayed a year, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The game's free-to-play multiplayer was eventually released on Nov. 15, 2021, and its campaign, available on Xbox Game Pass, dropped a few weeks later on Dec. 8.
Unfortunately, the game was still incomplete with a lack of maps and game modes for the multiplayer, plus several problems with its battle pass. Two key features that had made previous games so successful (campaign co-op and forge) were also missing, and as of 343 Industries' latest update in April 2022, still do not have concrete release dates. Infinite's gameplay is stellar and a return to form for the franchise, but the incomplete nature of the game has players dropping off. Ultimately, 343 should've delayed Halo Infinite a second time to have ensured players remained engaged in the long term, despite the short-term disappointment it would have caused.
The incomplete nature of the game upon release wouldn't have been such a huge issue had 343 been ready with the rest of the content shortly thereafter. However, the developers have been forced to extend the multiplayer seasons to roughly six months, which is a very long time for a free-to-play service game to keep players engaged with limited additions. Season 2 is due to begin on May 3, which will add much-needed maps and game modes, but with players waiting half a year, many have already lost interest.
Had 343 chosen to delay the game again, players could have had these game modes shortly after release, when they were still invested and hooked on Infinite's incredibly fun gameplay. As a result, players would have stuck around longer with more to experience and enjoy. Similarly, the early battle pass issues that initially plagued the game could've been ironed out, preventing on-the-fence players from immediately bouncing off.
Given that the early part of 2022 was filled with huge releases such as Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, and Dying Light 2, Halo Infinite was up against some strong competition for players' time. Hence, those who grew bored by the FPS' limited content would have found themselves easily swayed towards something else. Delaying Infinite until after these games' February release dates would've not only helped 343 to have more content lined up sooner, but would also have prevented players from getting so easily distracted by these other games.
A further delay would also have meant that campaign co-op and forge would have been ready to drop at a far more opportune moment. As it stands, network campaign co-op has a late-August targeted release and an open-beta version of forge is targetting September. Split-screen co-op still does not have a release window.
The lateness of these additions has left fans very frustrated. Delaying the game a few more months would likely have disappointed fans, but in the long term, it would have kept them far happier as these key features would've been ready just a few months after release, rather than nearly a whole year. As such, players would likely have been invested enough in the gameplay to have remained engaged until these features became available.
Understandably, 343 was under immense pressure to release Infinite given its previous massive delay, but it's clear that it was a lot further from completed than anyone thought. Avoiding crunch and looking after the developers' health is incredibly important, so 343 can't be criticized for prioritizing these workplace standards. However, this again only further supports the fact that Infinite needed another delay to give the developers the time they needed to produce a game worthy of being one of Xbox's flagship titles.
343 was in a fortunate position in terms of the FPS market. Halo's main rivals, Call of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042 were already struggling before Infinite's launch. Unlike these games, Infinite's core gameplay is smooth and exciting. Given the others' failures, there would've been a huge audience of FPS gamers immediately drawn to Infinite.
Had the game been more complete on its launch date, as a delay would have allowed, this large group of fans would've stayed hooked for much longer, with little else acting as direct competition. Another delay might not have been received too well by impatient fans, but in the long run, the game would have been better served to have waited a few extra months. This would have ensured it kept its player base engaged with regular, meaningful content drops.