Xbox chief Phil Spencer appeared on Gary Whitta’s Animal Talking talk show on Wednesday night following the announcement of Halo Infinite’s delay. He spoke a bit about the decision to delay the game on the show, which he said was “his call to make.”
Halo Infinite will no longer be released in November alongside Microsoft’s next-generation console, the Xbox Series X. A new release date was not immediately given — only that it’s now coming in 2021. He said the decision won’t impact other launch plans, however.
Spencer said Microsoft and 343 Industries starting talking about the decision “late last week” after going over certain options — like shipping parts of the game separately. Ultimately, however, Spencer said that just wasn’t the right fit for a game like Halo Infinite; a delay was the most fitting decision.
Microsoft announced Halo Infinite’s delay on Tuesday. Multiple factors were cited for the delay, according to the announcement — like “the ongoing COVID-related impacts.” Criticism had followed the game’s initial gameplay trailer; many players called it outdated or not “next-gen” enough.