The development of Halo Infinite, the latest title in the much beloved Halo series, has been a fairly rocky road for 343 Industries thus far, and the cancellation of a promised split-screen co-op mode for the game is the latest issue drawing the ire of fans on social media.
There had been hopes among these Halo heads that with the reveal of a fresh roadmap for Infinite to kick off September, things might finally start to go right for the highly anticipated FPS title.
Unfortunately, it looks like all this reveal has done is add another gripe to the long list of frustrations and problems many players have with the game.
Were you looking forward to playing some split-screen Halo Infinite?
Announced via a blog post and a YouTube video, which you can watch below, the new roadmap details the plans for the release of Forge Mode, which will launch on November 8 and allow players to create their own custom maps to share with the community.
However, the biggest story contained in this update for many fans was the news that the game won’t now be getting a split-screen multiplayer mode, with 343 having opted to shift its priorities towards other areas.
This explanation hasn’t gone down too well with a vast section of Halo players on both Twitter and forums like ResetEra, where user Mocha Joe cited an Xbox Wire post from around the time of E3 2019, in which 343 Industries Community Director Brian Jarrard suggested that “the long-awaited return of split-screen support to the series” would come via Infinite.
On the other hand, user Vico pointed out a 2017 quote from the current head of 343 Industries Bonnie Ross which suggested that the developer would react to fan unhappiness about the lack of split-screen in Halo 5 by making it a priority for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, other users outlined their disappointment in brutally honest terms, with Wolf saying: “I love how they used this game having (split-screen) as a major positive community marketing beat given how much people were upset that Halo 5 didn't have it... just to not have it anyway.”
Though, others inferred that 343 might well have had a practical reason to remove their focus from the mode, with user Xwing saying: “I have no doubt that their data shows barely anyone still plays split-screen co-op (I don't), but it's sad nonetheless.”
Also outlined in the Infinite roadmap were a number of details about the game’s upcoming Season 3, called Echoes Within, which is now set to get going in March 2023, following the Winter update containing the aforementioned Forge mode.
Make sure to follow us for more Halo updates as the arrival of the new content featured in the roadmap gets closer.