The much-anticipated Xbox Series X launch title Halo Infinite has been delayed to 2021, but developer 343 Industries has confirmed that the game will appear next fall

On the Halo Waypoint blog, Joseph Staten, a veteran of Halo's Bungie days and now at 343 Industries, explained that Halo Infinite's delay was due to developers polishing the game and improving its graphics The latter was a point of contention after a Halo Infinite game video showcase revealed graphics that did not look "next-gen" and drew ridicule and irritation from "Halo" fans

Regarding the decision to delay the original 2020 release of "Halo Infinite," Staten said: "The debate boils down to one basic truth: we're not pushing the game to the next generation of consoles That was to push hard in the fall, give the team time to recharge during the vacations, and then return in January to finish the game at a healthy pace"

Staten added that "Halo Infinite" will be released "in the fall of 2020," but did not give an exact release date However, he added that "Halo Infinite" is "just the beginning of the adventure," and hinted at more "Halo" games to come

A graphical overhaul seems to be the biggest thing to expect from the next "Halo Infinite"

Waypoint's blog details that a lot of work has gone into making sure the art and graphics in "Halo Infinite" are close to the style of the older "Halo" games

"We basically had three requirements: all assets had to fit the gameplay needs, fit the aesthetic and legacy of "Halo," and lastly, look great," said 343 Industries Senior Concept Artist and art director at 343 Industries, Nicolas "Sparth" Bouvier

"Much of the feedback we received from the community was consistent with the work we were already doing and our own views on indirect lighting, material response, leaf and tree rendering, clouds, level of detail transitions, character fidelity, and more Still, the feedback was humbling and provided us with opportunities for further improvement

For those who were disappointed with the gameplay of "Halo Infinite" earlier this year, it all sounds promising The blog also mentions a low-fidelity screenshot of the now infamous Brute enemy, taken at the gameplay showcase and dubbed "Craig" by the Internet

"First of all, we can confirm that NPC facial animations were not fully implemented in that build All characters were modeled in neutral poses before blendshapes and animations were applied"

"So poor Craig was never meant to be seen in that state, which is not what was revealed during gameplay Craig's legend was created only later, when it came to light in a close-up freeze frame of one of his bad moments

"Further work was done on the fidelity of the material and more variations of the brute's face were added So, while we have come to love dear Craig, he has certainly undergone a significant transformation

Bouvier then added that more game character models are getting an overhaul, with many splashes added to the graphic representation of models, weapons, and environments

Aside from the visual overhaul, "Halo Infinite" will offer a lot of customization in the free-to-play multiplayer mode The emphasis is on keeping players engaged in a formulaic way, rather than dropping a lot of arbitrary events and collectibles

The most interesting element, however, is how Halo infinite will blend the traditional "30 seconds of fun" action bubble of the original Halo with the ability to choose to take on different tasks in different orders, giving the Halo franchise an open It appears to add a world element

"Everywhere I looked there was a choice 'Either we go off the Golden Path To raid the Banish war base guarding the valley's passes? Follow the forerunner sentinels into an unexpected cave Rescue a desperate marine in the middle of the mountainside Or do you continue to pull the threads of the main storyline, which feels simultaneously epic and intimate?

In short, the Xbox Series X launched without a "killer app," but that's not a bad thing; the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are not only very hard to find in stock, but check out our article on where to buy the Xbox Series X

But if you hold out until late next year, Microsoft's new consoles may be more readily available, and the game lineup, including a fairly compelling new entry in the "Halo" franchise, may be enhanced