Halo Infinite will have split-screen co-op at launch, reaffirms 343 Industries

Following the Xbox Games Showcase and our first look at Halo Infinite in action on Xbox Series X, there's been plenty of questions. Would, for example, Halo Infinite really feature split-screen co-op, given how large its new open spaces are?

GamesRadar sat in on a roundtable interview with developers from 343 Industries following the reveal, and studio head Chris Lee was emphatic in his confirmation: "We will have split-screen and we will have co-op when we launch Halo Infinite."

While Microsoft had teased that this feature would be returning in the past, it's great to hear that co-op support is coming back straight from the folks who are making it . It is, after all, such a huge part of the series' legacy. That's why it was so disappointing when Halo 5: Guardians axed couch co-op, ruining the time honored tradition of screaming at friends while pushing through whatever punishing difficulty combination we could create between Legendary mode and a fine selection of Skulls.

Still, even with online multiplayer being the focus of most games these days, it's fantastic to see 343 committing to bringing split-screen co-op back to Halo. That isn't the only thing coming back, mind. 343 has also confirmed that Master Chief will be the only protagonist – following the somewhat tepid response Halo 5 faced from the decision to have Chief share the spotlight with Agent Locke.

That isn't all we've learned today. We've also found out that the Halo Infinite open world includes a day/night cycle, upgrades, and more. There's still plenty more on Halo Infinite to come, with the game schedule to launch later this year for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Did you miss the Xbox Games Showcase? Check out every trailer revealed from it here.

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Josh West is Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 18 years of experience in both online and print journalism, and was awarded a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Josh has contributed to world-leading gaming, entertainment, tech, music, and comics brands, including games™, Edge, Retro Gamer, SFX, 3D Artist, Metal Hammer, and Newsarama. In addition, Josh has edited and written books for Hachette and Scholastic, and worked across the Future Games Show as an Assistant Producer. He specializes in video games and entertainment coverage, and has provided expert comment for outlets like the BBC and ITV. In his spare time, Josh likes to play FPS games and RPGs, practice the bass guitar, and reminisce about the film and TV sets he worked on as a child actor.