Halo Infinite is Seriously Struggling to Fulfill Its Live Service Promise

gamerant.com:

Fans have been waiting for Halo Infinite since mid-2018, and at the end of 2021, it finally released. It took longer than expected due to a year-long delay out of 2020, but some early multiplayer tests and final campaign footage kept people excited. Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer released in November 2021, and the campaign followed in December. With a new pricing model and cross-play for Halo's prolific multiplayer suite, it seemed like the series revival that fans were waiting for.

However, the honeymoon period was short-lived. The campaign treated players well enough, but felt like a stepping stone on the way to its next major story arc. The fact that it's still missing Halo's iconic campaign co-op has not sat well with many fans. Yet that pales next to the controversy surrounding its multiplayer. Despite Halo Infinite's long lead-up to release, a mountain of issues were quickly raised about the free game, and 343 Industries has been slow to rectify them. While Halo Infinite was marketed as Halo's first attempt at a modern live-service game, the amount of service it still needs make its prospects look weaker.

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The biggest problems plaguing Halo Infinite's live-service model is that it hasn't been providing much. Major updates only come once or twice a month, and the seasons of themed content last much longer than those of other games. Season 1 is still ongoing more than three months after launch, with Season 2 not expected to begin until May. So far, 343 Industries has added traditional playlists and rotated through a few special events. Some work has also gone into improving the progression system, but neither the progression nor playlists have placated