Xbox boss Phil Spencer laments Halo Infinite delay

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has discussed the high-profile delay of Halo Infinite.

343's upcoming first-person shooter was announced as coming out alongside the Xbox Series X and S last Christmas.

But a disastrous showing in July last year was followed in August by the announcement Halo Infinite would be delayed into 2021. It now launches over a year late, on 8th December.

"I don't like how we did it," Spencer admitted in a GQ profile. "I don't like that we showed the game, talked about it launching at the launch of the consoles. And then within a month we had moved it."

The delay of Halo Infinite left the Xbox Series X and S with a launch lineup of games severely lacking new titles from Microsoft.

In contrast, the PlayStation 5 launched with a raft of new first-party games, including the Demon's Souls remaster, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy A Big Adventure.

"We should have known before and just been honest with ourselves," Spencer continued. "We were there not out of deception, but more out of... hope. And I don't think hope is a great development strategy."

Microsoft has of course released new first-party games in the year following the release of the Xbox Series X and S, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator and Forza Horizon 5.

Looking to the future, Microsoft Game Studios has a number of in-development titles, such as Obsidian's The Outer Worlds 2, Undead Labs' State of Decay, and the upcoming slate from Bethesda, incuding Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6.

As for Halo Infinite, it looks like the delay did it the world of good, with promising showings for multiplayer in particular.

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