Very few people are playing Halo Infinite right now

However, Halo Infinite has navigated a tumultuous road since its launch. Initially slated as a launch title for the Xbox Series S/X, the game required more development time to fulfill its ambitious vision. The multiplayer component, presented as an open beta, finally hit the market on November 15, 2021, followed by the full release on December 8, 2021. In spite of the delayed release, the game received a largely positive reception from fans and critics, particularly for its multiplayer mode and campaign.

Unfortunately, that was it for the good that 343 did with Halo Infinite as the game has been on a slippery slope since.

The beauty of Halo is its ability to strike a balance between delivering a rich, single-player campaign involving the helmet-wearing lead known to everybody as Master Chief and an engaging, competitive multiplayer experience. Halo Infinite was a worthy successor, at least at first. Eventually, player concerns began to overshadow their initial enthusiasm. According to the community, many issues, including a perceived lack of meaningful new features and maps, were not addressed in the updates and subsequent seasons.

Several members of the Halo community attribute the drastic decline in the player base to the approach to live service gaming adopted by 343 Industries. Notably, extreme monetization practices have been highlighted as a potential deterrent for new players. The criticism also extends to the campaign mode, with some fans expressing dissatisfaction with the level of design compared to previous entries in the series.

Moreover, the absence of elements such as Forge, team slayer, and cooperative campaign modes have been a source of discontent for many players. Criticisms have also been directed at the game's leveling system, which often places emphasis on achieving arbitrary objectives instead of the main game objective.

Despite the issues, it's crucial to acknowledge the silver lining in this otherwise gloomy scenario. Some fans commend 343 for daring to venture into new territory with the campaign mode. Experimentation is a double-edged sword in the gaming industry; while it holds the potential for innovation and progression, it also risks alienating long-term fans. In Halo Infinite's case, the open-world format was an audacious step, albeit one that seems to have fallen short of expectations.

Nevertheless, the courage to experiment can't be dismissed. It might not have succeeded but the future of Halo could be better because of this.

However, 343 and Xbox shouldn't forget about this anytime soon. The gaming industry is full of games that fell flat when it came out and struggled to recover, but Halo Infinite's case is the exact opposite. Some fans argue that 343 should have just delayed the game to a much later date so that it would be released in a complete state instead of what it did.

The steep drop in the Steam player base doesn't necessarily spell doom for Halo Infinite but it's clear that 343 needs to do something. Unfortunately, the studio's recent struggles suggest that it might just let Halo Infinite hold on to life support until it's finished with its 10-year content plan or everyone stops playing the game, whichever comes first.

With Xbox's success no longer hinged on Halo and Gears of War - Starfield and Forza Motorsport are coming later this year to save the day - we're hoping 343 gets a chance to salvage its reputation with the next entry even if it takes them an entire console generation to get it right at launch.