Halo Infinite Disc Reportedly Doesn’t Include the Complete Game

Reviews have gone live for the campaign in 343 Industries’ Halo Infinite, and thus far, they’ve been very positive. However, those looking to pick up the physical version for collection purposes should take note – it allegedly doesn’t include the complete game. Digital Foundry’s John Linneman reported the same on Twitter, saying, “My biggest complaint regarding Halo Infinite really is that the disc doesn’t contain a playable game.

“This’ll be the first Halo game you can’t really own as a standalone copy. This is not a good trend and I hope Microsoft reconsiders things like this.” In a follow-up tweet, he said that, “the complete game does not seem to be on the disc – which means it’s not possible to use the game without connecting to the update server. This is bad for long-term preservation, I feel. MOST games ship in good shape even without patches.”

It’s not too different from, say, Destiny 2 where the launch disc is completely different from the current state of the game (especially with all of the content that’s been vaulted so far). Halo Infinite is seemingly pursuing a similar model, acting as a platform for new content and multiplayer updates in the coming years. However, right out of the box, the campaign is essentially unplayable without first updating it.

How will those who can’t connect online fare? It remains to be seen but it is a worrying trend all the same. Halo Infinite is out on December 8th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out our review-in-progress for the multiplayer here.

My biggest complaint regarding Halo Infinite really is that the disc doesn't contain a playable game. This'll be the first Halo game you can't really own as a standalone copy. This is not a good trend and I hope MS reconsiders things like this.

— John Linneman @dark1x.bsky.social (@dark1x) December 6, 2021

Yes, kinda. The difference is that the complete game does not seem to be on the disc – which means it's not possible to use the game without connecting to the update server. This is bad for long-term preservation, I feel. MOST games ship in good shape even without patches.

— John Linneman @dark1x.bsky.social (@dark1x) December 6, 2021