Reaction: After Cyberpunk 2077, Halo Infinite's Delay Feels Like A Relief

Cast your mind back to August, and you'll undoubtedly remember when 343 Industries dropped the bombshell that Halo Infinite would no longer be releasing alongside the Xbox Series X, and instead would be delayed until 2021 "to ensure the team has adequate time to deliver a Halo game experience that meets our vision.

At the time, it felt like the lowest point in a year that was otherwise full of excitement in the lead up to the release of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, but now that the consoles have arrived and we've had a few months to process the news, the decision seems wiser than ever - especially given the backlash surrounding Cyberpunk 2077.

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CD Projekt Red's ambitious and highly-anticipated new game was clearly released earlier than it should have been, and has therefore attracted a large amount of negative press, particularly in regards to its last-gen performance. And who knows? That could have been the fate of Halo Infinite had it launched as planned this past November.

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It's been well documented how poorly the original Xbox One launch was handled back in 2013, and Microsoft couldn't afford to make the same mistakes again with the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Ultimately, any negative press surrounding Halo Infinite would have been a massive blow to the brand at launch.

Here's what Xbox boss Phil Spencer had to say about the decision back in August:

"We're disappointed, we know it was something people were looking forward to this year, but we're also incredibly committed to deliver a great game and I think that's the most important thing."

“I’ll apologise to the fans, because I never like to set up expectations and then not hit them, but I also believe that we’re making the right decision in the long run, for both Xbox and Halo and our customers.”

Looking back now, the collective decision of 343 Industries and Phil Spencer's team - as difficult as it must have been to make - certainly appears to have been a sensible one, and while Cyberpunk 2077 will likely recover over time, we're hopeful the extra year will allow Halo Infinite to really fly out of the gate when it finally launches next Fall.

How do you feel about Halo Infinite's delay after the Cyberpunk 2077 fiasco? Tell us in the comments.