Halo Infinite is suffering with development issues due to outsourcing of the project by 343 Industries, according to a new report.
A report from Thurrott has surfaced which reveals a “significant portion of the game” has supposedly been outsourced to third-party contractors, causing many issues even before the coronavirus pandemic hit. It is also said to be a reason behind the title’s recent delay to 2021.
With the developer working on a new engine, while also balancing it for the Xbox Series X and the Xbox One, the process of outsourcing is often usual. However, an anonymous source told the publication that “the outsourcing for Infinite was at a ratio higher than a typical studio undertakes during development which has caused significant headaches for cross-development collaboration”.
The outsourcing across the board is said to have been “rough, at best”, and the cause of many creative differences. Multiple disagreements are reportedly to have happened internally with Tim Longo, creative director for Halo Infinite, who left the company in August last year. Mary Olsen was appointed soon after, but left in October of the same year.
Another insider also revealed to Thurrott that “the production of the Halo TV series for ShowTime has been a significant distraction for 343 management” and often “taking their priority instead of focusing on making sure development progress is on the right path to reaching its targeted deadline.”
Recently, it was revealed that an idea was thrown around between 343 Industries founder, Bonnie Ross, and head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, to release Halo Infinite into parts instead of delaying the full game. The thought was said to have been quickly scrapped, however Thurrott‘s report suggests otherwise and that the idea “has persisted for about a year or so.”
Despite Halo Infinite’s delay, Microsoft has assured fans that the Xbox Series X will launch later this year. 343 Industries have said that the delay of Halo Infinite till 2021 will provide enough time to “finish the critical work necessary to deliver the most ambitious Halo game ever.”