Like many other developers over the past few weeks, including Rockstar Games and CD Projekt RED, 343 Industries has shifted to working from home due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The developer provided an update in its official blog, noting that it had actually made the transition two weeks ago. The team has since been “adapting and getting creative” to provide their best.
“As the situation began to take a turn for the worse in our area about two weeks ago, Microsoft and 343 leadership gave our studio guidance to work from home. Seeing as safety is the most important thing during a time like this, we took the advice and have been working from home ever since.
“It hasn’t been a vacation though, as every team is adapting and getting creative to make sure they can do their best from outside the studio. Both 343 and Microsoft’s leadership teams have been providing constant updates with how the COVID-19 situation is progressing, how our projects are progressing, and recommendations on how best to stay safe during these unprecedented times.”
343 Industries is currently working on bringing all of the titles from Halo: The Master Chief Collection to PC. It also has Halo Infinite, the next big sequel in the franchise, in the works for PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. What’s the current status of these projects? The developer stated, “We’re removing all the obstacles in our path and tracking well, but need to be mindful of our current limitations and understand that the coronavirus situation may get worse before it gets better. Rest assured that every single one of us is doing everything in our power to continue developing and delivering quality Halo experiences while we adjust to this new way of life.”
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary recently became available for owners of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on PC and continues to receive updates and patches. As for Halo Infinite, it’s currently slated to release in holiday 2020 with the Xbox Series X. Though there have been concerns about the next generation of consoles being delayed due to COVID-19, Microsoft and Sony have both committed to releasing their consoles in that time frame. Stay tuned for more updates on the development of Halo Infinite in the coming months, especially with Microsoft planning an Xbox digital event to replace its E3 presser.
