Halo: Infinite has had a rough go of it. The game, which many Xbox fans were looking to as a launch title was delayed. It’s lost multiple high level developers on the game. And it’s demo at the Xbox games showcase wasn’t super well received. The news today from Bloomberg is that Chris Lee, Project Lead, is no longer working for 343 Industries. Lee had this to say about the departure.

I have stepped back from Infinite and I am looking at future opportunities. I believe in the team and am confident they will deliver a great game and now is a good time for me to step away.

This is a surprising decision from 343 and Lee. He’s been at the company since they were founded in 2008. He’s been the studio head since 2016. So throughout their rise at Microsoft, Lee has been there. The turmoil at 343 Industries hasn’t been limited to Chris Lee however. In August of 2019, they lost executive director Mary Olson. That same month they also lost Creative Director, Tim Longo. So Chris Lee was thought to have been the creative visionary and producer for Halo: Infinite.

So What’s Next For Halo: Infinite?

It remains to be seen who’s going to take up the mantle at 343 now, but Halo: Infinite is still on track for a 2021 release. We just don’t know when. The studio brought in Halo series veteran Joe Staten to do the single-player campaign and Pierre Hintze to run the multiplayer team. This was after the disastrous demo at the Xbox Games Showcase. While I thought that the game didn’t look that bad, lots of people didn’t agree with that sentiment.

It’s disappointing that the game was delayed away from the launch window for the Xbox Series X/S. While that disappointment is fair, the game was not in a state where it would have been anywhere close to a good game. So, taking more time to fix up the game instead of releasing it in parts or whatever their plan was, is better. I know I would have been more disappointed if the game sucked at launch than if we have to wait a bit.

What do you think about Halo: Infinite? Are you still excited for the game? What are you going to play when the Series X/S launches in a couple weeks?

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Source: Bloomberg