Halo Infinite co-op play, an oft-requested feature by fans since its release, for both online modes and split-screen campaign has been delayed again. The news comes as part of a development update by 343 Industries on Halo Waypoint. Originally scheduled to arrive on May 3rd at the start of Halo Infinite’s Season 2, the co-op campaign is slated to arrive later in Season 2 while the release date for split-screen co-op is still unknown.
Why Halo Infinite Co-Op has been delayed
Joseph Staten, Head of Creative for Halo Infinite, explains in the lengthy blog post that the delay is due to the massive size of the game’s open world:
“…[T]he non-linear, wide-open sections of the Campaign present some big challenges for split-screen that have taken us more time to solve.”
Along with Halo Infinite’s co-op woes, the post also explains how 343 Industries addresses critical issues through an internal process called Hotlist, highlighting that players want some sort of score-based player progression system such as a “Spartan Career”. By providing players with a public version of the Hotlist, the developer hopes to provide transparency as to the time window for Halo Infinite’s upcoming features.
Additional details for Season 2, dubbed “Lone Wolves” for its focus on Lone Wolf Spartans who hunt, track, and improvise, “operating deep in enemy territory without resupply or support.” Along with balance changes and several new maps, Season 2 will come with new multiplayer modes including Last Spartan Standing, Land Grab, and a revamped version of King of the Hill.
Additionally, 343 Industries says that it is making “great progress” on Forge, a feature that has been central to Halo’s community creators. The developer hopes that the mode will be ready for Season 3.
In other news, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer lead Andrew Witts has left 343 Industries, and Microsoft has suspended sales of its new products and services in Russia due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
