Despite the fact that Halo Infinite is mostly well-received, there are parts of the community that are quite upset. It has come to the point where the subreddit for Halo was shut down over the weekend. MeinMMO explains what is currently happening.
What is happening with Halo Infinite? Although Halo Infinite officially releases on December 8, the Free2Play multiplayer has been available as a beta since November 15 for free to everyone on Steam and Xbox.
Initially, the reactions were mostly good to enthusiastic, but there was also a lot of criticism regarding the structure of the Battle Pass and the general progression system.
- Players criticized that leveling up the Battle Pass is too time-consuming.
- Additionally, there aren’t enough rewards for players who do not want to spend money on the pass.
- For example, there is criticism regarding strange design decisions with the cosmetic items, such as the colors of the Spartan armors, which must be unlocked individually and can no longer be freely chosen.
- Players also have issues with cheaters and would like to deactivate the cross-play function.
The last straw was the revelation that some popular game modes are already in the game but are not yet available online in the multiplayer playlists. Overall, there seem to be 14 “hidden” modes that are not yet available online. (via PCGamer.com)
Especially in the subreddit, numerous fans expressed their anger and reportedly crossed the boundaries of acceptable behavior. Apparently, it got to the point where the forum had to be shut down over the past weekend.
Moderators impose “pause,” developer comments on death threats and critics
Why exactly was the subreddit closed? Apparently, there were not just simple criticisms of the game in recent days, but also death threats and doxxing. The latter describes when people illegally obtain and publicly disclose the victims’ data.
Consequently, personal data of Halo developers were apparently leaked, and calls for murder were made. This led to the relatively drastic step of shutting down the subreddit over the past weekend.
The moderators issued a statement that is no longer available. However, other sites like PCGamer.com or Kotaku.com have recorded the statements.
It was stated:
The amount of toxicity on the sub from both sides made it impossible for people to have civil discussions, which the mod team strives for, regardless of opinion. Some users on the sub were even responsible for doxxing and death threats. […] We have temporarily blocked the sub so that hopefully people can calm down a bit, and we can hit the reset button before the [official] launch. After all, this is a video game, and this level of malice is not justified.
via Kotaku.com
It was emphasized that they do not want to silence critics but that the manner of criticism has completely spiraled out of control. As of now (December 6), the subreddit is back online.
In a lengthy post, Community Director Brian “ske7ch” Jarrard also addressed the criticism and the threats. (via reddit)
This is what the Halo creators say: ske7ch is very clear and emotional in his post. He acknowledged the criticism of the modes and the Game Pass and stressed that he agrees with much of it and is also not satisfied with the current state.
First of all, I want to emphasize that I fully understand the frustrations that most are expressing and, in general, agree with them, even though I do not agree with the attacks and the way some are expressing these feelings. Call me a baiter, a liar, corporate mouthpiece, etc., as you will, but I have never lied to this community and I will never do so. And I am not saying that I or 343 are in any way a “victim” – that is just another narrative that some people want to apply here.
ske7ch via reddit
The team is working to improve the game and will do so as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, he asks for everyone to breathe and to respect the people behind the game:
Everyone has a right to their opinion. It is your prerogative to play or not play. I would rather have people be so passionate that they yell at us than someone who doesn’t care at all. But I simply ask people to breathe, understand that there are people behind this who are investing years of their lives in trying to create the best experiences they can, and not to jump to conclusions or assume that they have figured everything out.
ske7ch via reddit
However, there are still no exact updates regarding which changes the developers will make to appease the critics. However, several game modes have already been confirmed to be coming to the game soon.
These include modes like Slayer, SWAT, and other fan favorites.
Whether this will happen before the official release of Halo Infinite and its campaign remains to be seen. After all, some changes to the progression in the Battle Pass have already been made.
At least now there is more XP after matches.
But what do you think about the situation? Do you also have such problems with Halo Infinite? Or do you find the criticism exaggerated? What are your thoughts on the developers’ statement?
