Halo Infinite director reportedly leaves the project

It’s been a tough road for Halo fans recently, and it looks like the immediate future might be even tougher.

Halo Infinite director Chris Lee has left the project, according to a report from Jason Schreier.

Halo Infinite is slated to come out sometime in 2021, but even that vague time frame of 365 days is subject to sudden change. Originally expected to launch with the Xbox Series X, a poor gameplay trailer led to a delay so the game could be refined.

Lee isn’t the first high-profile 343 employee to leave Halo Infinite, however. Former creative director Tim Longo and lead producer Mary Olson left the Halo Infinite project in 2019.

To say things right now look a bit bleak for Halo Infinite is an understatement. The past main entries in the Halo franchise have been underwhelming on launch, from the multiplayer mess of Halo 4 to the bewildering campaign of Halo 5.

Halo Infinite needs to deliver in a big way. While the game itself is delayed, a good chunk of Xbox Series X sales were expected to come from the new entry in the Halo franchise. With Microsoft’s focus on Game Pass as opposed to exclusivity, it isn’t as big of a blow as originally thought. But a bad Halo Infinite experience could spell trouble for the Series X.