Halo Infinite Update is Bad News for Local Co-Op Fans

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Ever since Halo: Combat Evolved launched in 2021, split-screen campaign co-op has been one of the most beloved features of Xbox's flagship franchise. Split-screen co-op remained a focal point for Halo up until the launch of Halo 5: Guardians, which abandoned the feature in a hugely controversial move. In the wake of Halo 5's mixed reaction, 343 and Microsoft have promised that future Halo installments will bring split-screen back. Unfortunately, it seems 343 has to go back on those promises, as Halo Infinite is abandoning its plans to add split-screen campaign co-op.

This was confirmed in a new developer update video by 343. In the video, it was confirmed that the Halo Infinite Forge mode and campaign co-op will both launch on November 8, but it was also confirmed that the campaign co-op would be online-only, with no split-screen option as was previously promised. 343 explained that this decision was made so the developers can focus on supporting Halo Infinite's live service elements, freeing up resources to address player feedback and work on updates.

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Needless to say, this is likely going to prove to be a controversial decision on the part of 343, especially since split-screen has been promised for the game for years. The good news is that Halo Infinite is readily available on Xbox Game Pass, so at least players won't have to buy multiple copies of the game to play online co-op, but it's still a disappointing development for fans of local co-op games.

Halo Infinite has had a rocky relationship with co-op, to say the least. The game was originally meant to be a launch title for the Xbox Series X console, but it was then delayed to 2021. When the game finally launched, it