SkyBox Labs co-founder Shyang Kong says, “Over the last decade, we’ve had the pleasure to work on beloved games such as Halo Infinite, Minecraft, and Fallout 76. We remain committed to growing our presence in Canada, supporting our current and future partners, and co-developing more AAA games for some of the biggest game studios around the world.

“We have built a team of talented individuals who are passionate and creative, and by joining NetEase Games, we will also be able to accelerate our plans to pursue new creative opportunities, and enjoy access to world-class operational resources and the full breadth and depth of NetEase’s services so we can scale faster in Canada.”

Simon Zhu, NetEase Games president of global investment and partnerships, added, “We are thrilled to welcome SkyBox Labs to the NetEase Games family and are committed to creating an environment that allows them to thrive and operate independently as a game studio. We were impressed with their extensive experience in game development and are great admirers of their past work on some of the world’s leading franchises.

“We look forward to working with the SkyBox Labs co-founders and providing the resources needed to help them grow their presence in Canada as they continue to support top creators around the world in developing unforgettable gaming experiences for players.”

SkyBox Labs will retain staff and hire new employees in game development, production QA, design, art, and more. NetEase will support it, providing resources and “execution capabilities” for it to achieve a “faster scale” while maintaining the same level of quality.

SkyBox’s acquisition is NetEase’s latest, joining the likes of Quantic Dream (Detroit: Become Human, Star Wars Eclipse) and Grasshopper Manufacture (No More Heroes). It also invested in Rebel Wolves, a studio of former CD Projekt RED developers working on a new triple-A dark fantasy RPG. There’s also the establishment of Nagoshi Studio, with Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoishi in charge.

Could we see more acquisitions this year? Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months.

Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S is finally out but the next-gen launch is somewhat sobering without Halo Infinite. 343 Industries’ shooter was delayed to 2021 following a middling gameplay showcase. However, the project has been garnering concern due to the turnover of key developers like studio head Chris Lee (who still remains a Microsoft employee).

Xbox boss Phil Spencer isn’t concerned though and says that such turnover is a “healthy thing.” Speaking to GameSpot, he also noted that, “Sometimes what hits the press, or when certain things get announced internally, have actually happened months before. It’s not always accurate when these things line up – we did take the feedback coming out of the July showcase event seriously, both on the date and what people were expecting from the game.”

Spencer does state that there were several mistakes made with the timing of the reveal. “It was a miss on our part, on my part, to open our July showcase with Halo Infinite and then a couple of weeks later have to move the date. I don’t take the sentiment and the emotion of our fans and our customers lightly. We set an expectation that here, this is something you’re going to have at launch and then we have to change that expectation not too much after our showing – that’s a mistake.”

Despite Lee not being on the project any more, Spencer said he has “a lot of faith in Bonnie [Ross] and the team there having Joe [Staten] and Pierre [Hintze] join, which they did late in the summer – I feel good about where we are on that team. I don’t have any specific concern about 343. I actually think in the long run, turnover is a healthy thing because we want people who are really motivated by the things that they’re working on.”

Along with 343 Industries, Skybox Labs and Sperasoft, Certain Affinity was confirmed to have partnered for development. The studio is famous for developing DLC maps for past games and working on multiplayer for Halo 2: Anniversary. Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be going free to play so the additional support seems a given, though there are concerns regarding prices for the new coatings.

Halo Infinite is currently in development for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Reports state that it’s almost content complete and will more or less release in 2021. Stay tuned for more updates in the meantime.

343 Industries delayed Halo Infinite into 2021, causing it to miss the launch of the Xbox Series X/S. But the product tie-ins are very much in place, first with Monster Energy Drink and more recently with Oreos. While purchasing the latter is confirmed to provide the Monarch armor coating for multiplayer, the actual in-game value seems to be $5.

This is according to a tweet by Sean W, who attached an image of the product that states, “Here is your code to unlock your Halo Infinite in-game content. This code will unlock (1) Monarch Armor Coating valued at $5.” 343 Industries hasn’t responded to this but it did address the coatings system yesterday, noting that they could be unlocked through gameplay.

There will still be purchases but again, what will be included to earn in-game and available for real money has yet to be revealed. With Halo Infinite’s multiplayer being free to play, it’s unsurprising that 343 Industries is pursuing additional monetization. But for Halo fans used to seeing basic armor colors unlockable in-game, this may come as a shock.

Regardless, more information is still needed so stay tuned in the coming days.

Halo Infinite armor coatings confirmed $5 eachy
Bro get on these cookies only $2 you save $3 on purple ✅ pic.twitter.com/GmA5Yv0aha

— Sean Dubs (@seanmcdubs) October 27, 2020

343 Industries’ Halo Infinite was supposed to be the big flagship title that would launch with the Xbox Series X in November. However, due to requiring more polish, it’s been delayed to next year. The developer hasn’t offered any details on when in 2021 it will release but that’s because it’s yet to lock down the same itself.

According to community director Brian Jarrard on Twitter, “We haven’t locked on release date for Halo Infinite yet. Anything you see on a retail site is just placeholder / speculation.” This seems fairly obvious, even if rumors were spreading about its release date. But one could also assume this to mean that plenty of work is left to be done if 343 Industries isn’t sure of a release date yet.

Either way, it’ll be a while before we see any gameplay footage for Halo Infinite so sit tight. In the meantime, you can check out the first gameplay demo of the campaign here. The Xbox Series X is still launching on November 10th though, along with the Xbox Series S. The consoles will retail for $499 and $299 respectively.

PSA: We haven’t locked on release date for Halo Infinite yet. Anything you see on a retail site is just placeholder / speculation.

— Brian Jarrard (@ske7ch) September 24, 2020

Thus far, 343 Industries has confirmed that studios like Skybox Labs and Sperasoft are helping with the development of Halo Infinite. Add one more to the list with Certain Affinity, which recently announced that it’s been collaborating on the title since December 2019. The Halo faithful will recognize the studio for its work on multiplayer throughout the franchise, from DLC maps on Halo 2 to Halo 2: Anniversary’s multiplayer.

In fact, founder and president Max Hoberman previously worked on the Halo series as its multiplayer and online lead before Certain Affinity was formed in 2006. He stated that, “Halo Infinite has huge long-term ambitions, while also giving a respectful nod to the franchise’s past. This is an exciting combination. Given our own deep roots and long-time connections to the series, we couldn’t be more excited to help 343 realize this vision.”

Hoberman hasn’t confirmed whether Certain Affinity is working on multiplayer for the shooter. However, given its work with Bungie and 343 Industries over the past several years and the announcement of Halo Infinite’s multiplayer going free to play, it’s perhaps a no-brainer. After all, along with multiplayer maps and modes, it would certainly help when it comes to testing, bug fixes, quality of life features, anti-cheat and much more.

Halo Infinite is currently slated to release in 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC. 343 Industries recently denied rumors of it being postponed to 2022 and potentially dropping Xbox One support.

Throughout the years, I can’t help but wonder: What does 343 Industries want Halo to be? This sounds like a rhetorical question but after years of observing the studio, I’m genuinely curious. Does it want to do it’s own thing and break out from Bungie’s shadow? Does it want to tell a good Halo story that respects the lore? Does it want a fun multiplayer experience? Or does it want to break out from all story conventions, lore be damned? Does it want to make a games-as-a-service title, chasing the will-o’-the-wisp that is the “10 year plan”? Is it interested in competing with the very best games out there, innovating its own right, or is it simply content in skating by?

One thing that seems to be certain – the artists, programmers, QA testers, writers and level designers are people that love Halo. When 343 Industries was formed, it saw not only a few members of Bungie jumping over to join but the hiring of several community members. Even with the change in direction and the prospect of having to effectively start over with a series so rich in history, these people stuck with it because they love the IP. This especially applies to those who would join the company over the years.

However, when it comes to the leadership behind these games, I’m stuck wondering if they’re straddling a fine line between what’s best for business and what the fans, their own employees included, really want.

For those unaware, Halo Infinite‘s development is having problems. This is not some grand mystery to anyone who’s seen the campaign gameplay from the Xbox Games Showcase, much less heard about its delay into 2021. Even last year when creative director Tim Longo departed from 343 Industries, followed by his replacement, lead producer Mary Olsen, many believed there to be issues with development. A new report from Brad Sams on Thurrott has offered more insight, though there has been some rebuttals since then so keep that in mind.

In its earliest stages, development began back in 2015 with 343 Industries outlining what it referred to as Halo 6. The objective was to rebuild everything that made Halo what it was and 343 Industries went all out, developing the new Slipspace Engine and even planning for the release of the Xbox Series X. Keep in mind that the console wasn’t even announced back then. Suffice it to say that the studio already had its work cut out and after the backlash to Halo 5: Guardians, it had the monumental task of trying to do something new while returning to the spirit of Halo. Oh and they also need to conveniently wrap that whole Reclaimer Saga that began in Halo 4.

The problems apparently began in earnest before E3 2019 with the company outsourcing a “significant portion” of the game to third-party contractors. While this is a common trend in the industry, one source that spoke to Sams said that the outsourcing was “at a ratio higher than a typical studio undertakes during development” and had led to problems with cross-development collaboration. Several individuals are who are familiar with development at 343 Industries also described this collaboration as “challenging” and also mentioned “significant disagreements internally.” Soon enough, Tim Longo and then Mary Olsen would leave the studio later that year.

Another key factor that seems to be messing with development is the Halo TV series by ShowTime. Yes, the same Halo TV series with Steven Spielberg as executive producer that was announced as early as 2013 and who’s first season was ordered in 2018. Apparently, 343 management was prioritizing the TV series instead of focusing on Halo Infinite‘s development.

Let’s talk marketing. After the Halo Infinite demo was revealed, 343 Industries and Microsoft surged ahead with promoting the game. This included clarifying that this was indeed an older build and that the game is looking better every day. Throughout all this, we heard a myriad of things to describe the new Halo. “10 year plan,” “open world but not really,” “new experiences post-launch.” “Channeling old-school Halo” – all this and more, some worrying and others highlighting the game’s potential.

Shortly after the Xbox Games Showcase demo, a listing by Irish retailer Smyths Toys revealed that Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer would be free to play and run at 120 frames per second. Microsoft would confirm afterwards that Halo Infinite‘s multiplayer would indeed be free to play. When the game was delayed, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said there was a discussion to ship it in separate parts but that was nixed.

As it turns out, the discussion to ship the campaign and multiplayer separately started in late 2019 to early 2020, according to sources speaking with Sams. So while the final decision may have been made recently, this apparently issue came up a lot sooner. Slightly before this, Sams had reported on the multiplayer potentially being launched after the campaign, which 343 Industries denied before Spencer’s statement.

Regarding the announcement of multiplayer being free to play, the game’s marketing team was seemingly pushing ahead to keep hyping up the game, despite the engineering team asking for delays. In fact, the whole announcement of free to play multiplayer was made despite the engineering team knowing that a delay was inevitable. The news went out, fans got excited and then, of course, the game was delayed. Perhaps the most worrying part about the report is how Microsoft has invested “hundreds of millions of dollars into Halo Infinite” and looked for it to “elevate the Xbox Series X at launch.” Leave aside the fact that it will be missing out on a huge influx of sales when the next-gen consoles hit – the fact that so much has been reportedly invested into any title over a long period of development, whether the results are amazing or passable, is always a red flag.

Since the publishing of Sams’ report, community director Brian Jarrard commented on it, stating on Reddit that the report from July about multiplayer being delayed was “unsubstantiated” and “100 percent false” and that “no such plan or discussion had ever happened. Campaign was never going to ship without multiplayer, period.”

Jarrard further added that, “More recently, as it became clear that the project needed more time, part of that assessment did entail trying to see if perhaps just multiplayer could launch as planned but was deemed a non-starter. So even if that would’ve been the outcome, it’s the opposite of what was reported in late July. People can, and will, make up whatever stories they want but I have to draw the line at being personally implicated as being dishonest with the community. I may not always be allowed to say what I want to say (for example I’m probably not allowed to really get into a point by point response to this article), but I will always speak the truth.”

A representative for 343 Industries then refuted the part about management giving too much priority to the Halo TV series rather than Halo Infinite’s development. It stated to IGN that, “343 Industries has a devoted transmedia team that is working with Showtime on the creation and production of the Halo TV show. This group is separate from the Halo Infinite development team. These are two completely independent projects with dedicated teams and leadership that do not impact one another.” Ryan McCaffrey further added on Twitter that this made sense since as far as he knew, “Kiki [Wolfkill] is the only person really dealing with that at 343 (probably Frank too on the story side).”

You’re free to take Sams’ report with a grain of salt, though he leaked details for the Xbox Series X back when it was called Scarlett and even discussed a second, cheaper version of the console (that would later emerge as the Xbox Series S). He even reported on the next Halo game being called Halo Infinity before it’s official announcement at E3 2018. Some portions of the report could be wrong; others, like the heavy reliance on outsourcing and troubles with leadership remain unrefuted.

However, there’s one thing that’s undeniable – for as long as 343 Industries has been around, it’s seemingly floundered with what it wants Halo to. Halo 4 was a good but ultimately safe new start who’s multiplayer had a mixed reception. Halo 5: Guardians was hotly anticipated and launched with a story that the many Halo fans simply hated. Multiplayer was also more geared towards competitive arena gameplay, lacking features like Forge and even modes like Oddball and Firefight at launch. Instead, Warzone and its REQ Packs that could be purchased with real money were the name of the game. Halo 5: Guardians would see significant support in the multiplayer department but it never reached the heights of previous games. Let’s not forget about about Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which was utterly broken at launch and took several years to get to a working state.

This reports alludes to, among other things, a problem in vision. Even if that vision is the very best that 343 Industries can manage, it’s reportedly having trouble committing to it alone, as the over-reliance on outsourcing to third-party contractors indicates. Of course, there’s also the rumor, as told to Alanah Pearce by an unnamed source at 343 Industries, about the game being reworked and delayed due to the poor reception towards Halo 5: Guardians. If this delay hadn’t happened, then the story would continue as normal. That would help to explain Halo Infinite’s current state as part-spiritual successor, part-continuation to Halo 5 (but also serving as the platform for the launch of new stories).

Seeing these reports reminds me a bit of the issues that plagued BioWare’s Anthem. For years, the studio lacked a coherent vision for the game and only really committed to its looter shooter approach – not to mention actually began developing the current game – after the E3 2017 trailer. BioWare would also refute the extensive expose on the game’s flawed development, though I don’t think Halo Infinite’s development situation is nearly as bad (even if Sams’ report is taken on blind faith).

There will always be challenges that arise due to collaborating between so many different developers and contractors because lest we forget, Skybox Labs and Sperasoft are also helping in development. The impact of COVID-19 can’t be underestimated either – some studios have managed to adapt to working at home better while others have seen their games delayed by a significant margin.

However, even in the best of times, no amount of money, or new engine work, or hitting the reset button on story-telling, can make up for lacking a coherent vision. It’s what elevated great titles like Ghost of Tsushima and God of War – even if the former saw significant downgrades to its graphics, the vision remained intact and executed well. Even a game like Cyberpunk 2077, which has also had an extensive development cycle and several delays, looks better and better as time goes on, not only due to the work that CD Projekt RED’s employees have been putting in but because management’s vision for the game is clear.

At this point, 343 Industries would be trying to make this the best game possible. However, it’s also probably looking to get the job done, ensuring that Halo Infinite at least meets minimum viable product standards while improving it with more content down the line. Then there will be the challenges of releasing new single-player content while having to balance for a separate free to play multiplayer mode, which will doubtless require monetization and free updates along with maintenance and anti-cheat systems. And don’t discount battle royale being added to the game, despite the developer’s insistence that it’s not happening. Getting the game out the door is only the first step, for better or worse.

In the end, will the Xbox Series X be elevated? Will the Halo name still mean a damn, whether it’s to new players or longtime fans? Will the game even be fun to play? Was there anyone truly asking for Halo to be have a 10 year plan or open world elements? Multiplayer is a crap-shoot since part of the community wants it to evolve and embrace modern trends while the other part wants the classic Halo gameplay. You’re not going to satisfy everyone in that exchange. But story-wise, it seems the majority can agree on wanting a single-player campaign with a more conventionally-narrated story that doesn’t absolutely butcher years of established lore.

There are too many unknowns for a sequel of this magnitude, especially given everything we’ve seen thus far, and one can’t help but ask if that’s even normal. Then again, as hardcore fans who have endured with the series since the very beginning, development challenges, delays and tight deadlines are nothing new and neither is disappointment in what 343 Industries has ultimately churned out.

It’s hard to say how Halo Infinite will ultimately pan out. But one thing is for sure – the pressure is on, both publicly and behind the scenes, and thus far the developer has yet to impress with the results. A year’s worth of development time may be just what it needs for the long-term health of the series. It could also be an excuse to salvage what works and create a patchwork game that garners some return on Microsoft’s investment. Whatever the case may be, 343 Industries’ toughest trials are still to come.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The recent delay of 343 Industries’ Halo Infinite came as a surprise to pretty much everyone, especially considering it’s the launch title for Xbox Series X. The developer stated that various challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, had influenced the decision. On Gary Whitta’s recent episode of Animal Talking, which has since been removed from Twitch, Xbox boss Phil Spencer further discussed the delay.

“Let me start just by recognizing the fans and the fact that is is a bummer. It is disappointing to people, it’s disappointing to us. We were looking forward to the alignment of Halo Infinite and the Xbox Series X. In the end, I have to make the right decision. The strength of the Halo franchise — the health and ability of the team…are things tracking toward the quality of where you want the game?”

Interestingly, Spencer said there were talks with Bonnie Ross of 343 Industries and Xbox Game Studios’ Matt Booty on releasing the game in separate parts across different dates. However, Spencer said,  “It just didn’t feel, to all of us, like the Halo release that we would want.” After discussion among the leadership, with the final process taking some 24 hours to hash out, the delay was finally announced.

Spencer apologized to fans, stating that, “I never like to set up expectations and then not hit them but I also believe we’re making the right decision, in the long run, for both Xbox and Halo and our customers.” He didn’t comment on whether the demo from the Xbox Games Showcase, which garnered mixed reactions, played any part in the delay.

The Xbox Series X is still slated to release this November. In the meantime, Halo Infinite is currently planned to release in 2021 for Xbox Series X, PC and Xbox One. Its multiplayer, recently confirmed to be free to play and running at 120 frames per second, will receive more details in the coming months so stay tuned.

In a recent interview with IGN, Xbox boss Phil Spencer talked about how the console was still aiming for a 2020 launch. This is despite the COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the world. However, Spencer also noted that if the console was ready to launch, it wouldn’t be delayed because of a particular game. That includes 343 Industries’ Halo Infinite.

“I do think that if everything was there, for the software, the services, and the hardware, I don’t think I would hold it for any individual game. Obviously the one you think about is Halo, it’s iconic with the launch.

“Bonnie and the team are doing a really good job on Halo Infinite right now. They’re learning on the job just like we all are. I think we’ll go in eyes wide open on what we’re trying to get done, but I don’t think we would hold the launch of the overall platform on any individual game. I think we just have to be very transparent with people on where we are and how we’re trending.”

Halo Infinite is a launch title for Xbox Series X but it will also be coming to Xbox One and PC. It’s a spiritual reboot of sorts which aims to place the focus back on Master Chief. Utilizing the new Slipspace Engine, the shooter is being developed along with SkyBox Labs. There have been some high-profile departures from the development team last year, including lead producer Mary Olson, but there have been no issues reported or rumored at this point.

Of course, Halo Infinite may face issues due to the pandemic, which caused 343 Industries to shift towards working remotely like many other studios. Working remotely has affected the release of titles like Mojang’s Minecraft Dungeons and inXile’s Wasteland 3 have been affected, the former releasing in May while the latter has been delayed to August. We’ll see if Halo Infinite – and the Xbox Series X – can meet their holiday 2020 release window.

Microsoft has announced its line-up of ID@Box games that it will be presenting at the upcoming GDC 2019. Among the 30 titles confirmed are a few surprises though. Radical Fish Games’ CrossCode, previously confirmed to release for Nintendo Switch this year, is coming to Xbox One. It will also support Xbox One X Enhanced features.

Night School Studio (of Oxenfree fame) will also be releasing its next title Afterparty for Xbox One as well as PC. More interesting is the fact that Afterparty will also be available for Xbox Game Pass. Other titles included in the GDC 2019 line-up include Cat Quest 2, Door Kickers: Action Squad, Hunt: Showdown (coming to Xbox Game Preview in Spring), The Forgotten City, and Stela from SkyBox Labs (who are also co-developing Halo Infinite with 343 Industries).

The full line-up can be gleaned below, courtesy of Xbox Wire. Microsoft is also expected to announce some new information for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and DayZ at today’s Inside Xbox. Will the former be coming to PC as rumours suggest? Time will tell, so stay tuned for more details.

• Afterparty
• Beholder 2
• Boomerang Fu
• Buildings Have Feelings Too
• Cake Bash
• Cat Quest 2
• CrossCode
• Dead End Job
• Dead Static Drive
• Devil’s Hunt
• Door Kickers: Action Squad
• Family Man
• Hunt: Showdown
• HyperDot
• Lonely Mountains: Downhill
• Minion Masters
• Mowin’ & Throwin’
• Operencia: The Stolen Sun
• Raji: An Ancient Epic
• Silver Chains
• Sparklite
• StarCrossed
• Stela
• The Forgotten City
• The Sojourn
• Totem Teller
• UnderMine
• Unrailed!
• Void Bastards
• Xenosis: Alien Infection

343 Industries hasn’t really showcased much for Halo Infinite, its next big follow-up in the vaunted first-person shooter franchise. We know that it’s being co-developed along with Skybox Labs, and is being made on a new engine called SlipSpace. Beyond that, we’ve seen very little in terms of gameplay.

That being said, it seems that past comments made by Xbox marketing head Aaron Greenberg indeed point to the inclusion of games-as-a-service elements. A job listing from June 14th for an Online Experience Design Director at 343 Industries is looking for a candidate that has “a deep understanding of various business models found in both mobile and AAA games.”

Some of the things that the candidate will “oversee and provide vision” for include “Progression in- and out-of-game; microtransactions and integration of our business plan throughout the game; and, finally, social and engagement features that encourage players to return again and again with their friends.”

Of course, further down in the listing, the candidate’s responsibilities include designing and delivering “a AAA player investment experience that focuses on our fans and their desire to express their passion for our franchise (including but not limited to microtransactions)” and putting “the player first in all of their team’s designs.”

If nothing else, these requirements seem very similar to what 343 Industries did with Halo 5: Guardians. The developer had a steady stream of free DLC and updates, bolstered by its REQ System’s microtransactions. That same practice could return, but with smaller, more frequent updates in between larger content drops.

Of course, until Microsoft and 343 Industries provide more information, it’s hard to really say if this will be the case. What are your thoughts on Halo Infinite taking this route? Let us know in the comments.