Halo Infinite exploded onto the gaming scene last November when 343 Industries decided to release its multiplayer for free and without warning. While this was an extremely positive start for Halo Infinite, since then many problems and issues have plagued the game and caused it to experience a steady decline in popularity.
These problems can generally be grouped into three different overarching problems: connection issues, continuous delays, and a disconnect between players and developers as shown by a Halo Infinite developer addressing community concerns and acknowledging that gamers are "simply out of patience." Over time the connection issues have received a lot of attention, but the delays and disconnect are continuing to be a problem for the game.
Because of these problems, currently Halo Infinite has fewer players on Steam than the Master Chief Collection, showing a steep decline since its initial multiplayer launch. However, this may not have been the fault of the developers alone. Recent rumors circulating around Twitter and Reddit seem to suggest that Halo Infinite's problems started with a massive shift during its development.
Reddit user lolwutsareddit and Twitter account @HaloHubGG both created posts about the rumors, which at first seemed to simply be suggestions that Halo Infinite started development as an Overwatch-esque hero shooter. However, both posts cite a specific Reddit post by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier that also suggests the same thing. While nothing can be confirmed as fact, the idea that the game may have experienced a massive shift potentially far into its development cycle does explain the delay of co-op in Halo Infinite as well as other issues.
In a word, considering these rumors as well as the recent Halo Infinite battle royale leaks, Halo Infinite's development, launch, and current state has been nothing short of tumultuous. Going over only the facts that have been confirmed shows an effective but early surprise launch for a game that was far from ready to hit the market. If these rumors about a hero shooter are confirmed to be true, it would give reasons for why the game felt to many to have been released much too soon.
While these rumors wouldn't excuse 343 and its developers from taking responsibility, it does give credence to the idea that the game was pushed out of the door long before it was truly ready. Unfortunately, this will do nothing to satisfy players, and until promised features are finally added and current problems are addressed, it seems as though Halo Infinite will continue to decline.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Reddit