Halo Infinite multiplayer will be missing fan-favorite assassinations at launch

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But 343 could return to the feature later on

Halo Infinite Multiplayer
(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

Halo Infinite apparently won't feature assassinations at launch.

As first reported by Daily Research Plot, the fan-favorite feature will be entirely absent from Halo Infinite when it launches later this year. In a recent livestream, Halo Infinite developer Tom French revealed that esports players primarily skip out using assassinations in favor of melee kills due to the decreased time that it takes to kill players through the latter method.

French explains that this is what led the development team behind Halo Infinite to ultimately drop assassinations from the game. Esports players prioritize melee kills because they're far quicker, allowing them to kill one player and immediately go back on the offensive, searching for another kill, instead of pausing for multiple seconds to deliver the finishing blow.

It's hard to really say how the absence of this feature will affect Halo Infinite at launch. However, French did add that the development team at 343 Industries would re-examine the feature for potential use later on down the line, after Halo Infinite launches, so there's still hope yet that the feature could arrive at some point after the launch window, potentially in 2022 or even later.

The Halo Infinite technical preview phase just wrapped up yesterday on August 2, but the developers might not be done with preview sessions just yet. One developer commented that they would aim to get out another technical preview session, focused around multiplayer PvP, before Halo Infinite launches at some point later this year. This isn't a promise, but it is a nice sign that the development team want to have another big preview phase for players to experience.

Head over to our feature on how Halo Infinite multiplayer makes one hell of a good first impression for more.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.