Halo Infinite Split-Screen Co-Op Axed By 343

While 343 Industries came out of the gate hot with Halo Infinite to leave Call of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield: 2042 in the dust, it's since gone on to gain a reputation on a par with the latter - being something of a dumpster fire.

Since the troubled title's release in November last year, Halo Infinite has been caught in a quagmire of delays. If the main game being delayed by a year wasn't enough, what about the fact Forge and Campaign co-op were also shifted from their proposed release? Now, it's split-screen couch co-op that's been given the boot. This time though, it's permanent. 

Why Is Halo Infinite Split-Screen Co-Op Cancelled?

343 has given us a long-awaited update on the Winter Update, which is coming on November 8. In a lengthy developer video, 343 Head of Creative Joseph Staten said, "We have had to make the difficult decision not to ship campaign split-screen co-op," saying that these resources will be used elsewhere.

The disappointments don't end there. Although many might expect multiplayer Season 3 to launch when Season 2 ends on November 8, the team is instead showing us what it can do - releasing the equally hyped Forge in its beta form. We will be getting Campaign co-op (after numerous delays), but it's still a bummer that Halo Infinite split-screen co-op has once again been shown the door.

It's clear there are troubles over at 343, especially when it comes to co-op. Despite split-screen couch co-being the very core of most players' ambition to play since Combat Evolved, it just wasn't meant to be here. With another Halo presumably in the works further down the line, it will be interesting to see whether split-screen co-op will return or if it's been well and truly buried forever.

343 Lied To Us All

It's the ultimate middle finger to players, as this goes directly against what we were told in the equally disastrous aftermath of Halo 5: Guardians and its lack of split-screen co-op. In 2017, 343 chief Bonnie Ross told the DICE Summit crowd, "We will always have split-screen support going forward." Although she didn't clarify whether that would include co-operative and competitive modes, many assumed it would. 

Ross said that 343 walking back promises of Halo 5 split-screen was "incredibly painful for the community and for us," adding that it "eroded trust." Jump forward five years, and we're in the exact same position. We could just about cope with delaying Season 3 to next March to make room for Forge and co-op campaign, but with split-screen co-op taking a kill shot to the head, there are sure to be angry Spartans putting 343 in their crosshairs. Poor form guys, poor form.