REACTION - Halo Infinite’s Winter Update is jam packed, but the cancellation of local co-op is incredibly short sighted

Flimsy ground.

By Jonathan Garrett
08/11/22

There is an inevitability to projects of all sizes needing to scale back their ambition out of necessity and self preservation. Good ideas remain good ideas, but eventually developers will hit a wall that determines what they can realistically deliver. That being said, there is a fair argument to be made that Halo Infinite simply shouldn’t have released when it did, especially given the pre release promises of features like split screen local co-op.

That famous quote from 343 studio head Bonnie Ross, where she referred to its absence in Halo 5: Guardians: “We will always have split screen going forward”. It makes its eventual cancellation after years of promises and assurances that bit tougher to swallow. Yes the new Forge looks extremely comprehensive, and the online campaign is welcome, but these are painfully overdue.

With a post launch release cadence that pales in comparison to previous titles in the series, there is an understandably potent erosion of trust in 343’s ability to deliver a feature complete Halo game. It is a deflating reality, and one that will hopefully encourage a shift in approach moving forward.