Halo Infinite delay pushes the former Xbox Series X launch title back to 2021

A Halo Infinite delay has been officially announced, meaning the game won't be out in time for the Xbox Series X launch over the holidays and will instead arrive in 2021.

Developer 343 Industries made the announcement in a post to its official Twitter account, explaining that it made the decision "to ensure the team has adequate time to deliver a Halo game experience that meets our vision."

"The decision to shift our release is the result of multiple factors that have contributed to development challenges, including the ongoing COVID-related impacts affecting us all this year," Halo Infinite studio head Chris Lee wrote in the update. "I want to acknowledge the hard work from our team at 343 Industries, who have remained committed to making a great game and finding solutions to development challenges. However, it is not sustainable for the well-being of our team or the overall success of the game to ship it this holiday."

Halo Infinite was first announced at E3 2018, and we got our first extended look at its single-player campaign at the Xbox Games Showcase event last month. Halo Infinite was positioned as one of the flagship titles for Microsoft's next-gen console, however it will also be playable on PC and Xbox One.

With Halo Infinite gone, Microsoft currently has no major first-party titles announced to arrive alongside Xbox Series X. That could still change in the months leading up to November, but we'll have to wait and see.

See what's on the way with our guide to upcoming Xbox Series X games.