Xbox boss Phil Spencer laments Halo Infinite delay Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Xbox boss Phil Spencer laments Halo Infinite delay "We should have known before and just been honest with ourselves…" News by Wesley Yin-Poole Deputy Editorial Director Updated on 15 Nov 2021 39 comments Xbox boss Phil Spencer has discussed the high-profile delay of Halo Infinite. 343's upcoming first-person shooter was announced as coming out alongside the Xbox Series X and S last Christmas. But a disastrous showing in July last year was followed in August by the announcement Halo Infinite would be delayed into 2021. It now launches over a year late, on 8th December. Watch on YouTube "I don't like how we did it," Spencer admitted in a GQ profile. "I don't like that we showed the game, talked about it launching at the launch of the consoles. And then within a month we had moved it." The delay of Halo Infinite left the Xbox Series X and S with a launch lineup of games severely lacking new titles from Microsoft. In contrast, the PlayStation 5 launched with a raft of new first-party games, including the Demon's Souls remaster, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy A Big Adventure. "We should have known before and just been honest with ourselves," Spencer continued. "We were there not out of deception, but more out of... hope. And I don't think hope is a great development strategy." Watch on YouTube Microsoft has of course released new first-party games in the year following the release of the Xbox Series X and S, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator and Forza Horizon 5. Looking to the future, Microsoft Game Studios has a number of in-development titles, such as Obsidian's The Outer Worlds 2, Undead Labs' State of Decay, and the upcoming slate from Bethesda, incuding Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6. As for Halo Infinite, it looks like the delay did it the world of good, with promising showings for multiplayer in particular. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 13 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090: a new level in graphics performance The Digital Foundry video review - and how the new GPU champion delivers for 4K 120fps gaming. Feature Evercore Heroes wants to wind people up the right way "There's less rage at them, because they didn't end your fun." Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 4 Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store