Many industries are affected by the continued spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and that includes gaming. We’ve heard from both Sony and Microsoft regarding their status updates due to the total upheaval this virus has caused and now another company is opening up about their current status. 343 Industries has just provided a new update on what sort of impacts COVID has had on Halo: Infinite.
“This virus has been dominating the news and has worked its way into almost every aspect of our lives,” began the latest blog post over at HaloWaypoint. “We are not immune to this global pandemic and we’re fully aware of the danger it poses to us as individuals, as a team, and as part of the larger Seattle community.”
The situation has since escalated to a point that many are still having a hard time believing. That, unfortunately, has impacted a lot of jobs and productivity. The post continues saying, “As the situation began to take a turn for the worse in our area about two weeks ago, Microsoft and 343 leadership gave our studio guidance to work from home. Seeing as safety is the most important thing during a time like this, we took the advice and have been working from home ever since. It hasn’t been a vacation though, as every team is adapting and getting creative to make sure they can do their best from outside the studio. Both 343 and Microsoft’s leadership teams have been providing constant updates with how the COVID-19 situation is progressing, how our projects are progressing, and recommendations on how best to stay safe during these unprecedented times.”
But what does that mean exactly for the state of not only Halo: Infinite, but the continuation of the Master Chief Collection on Steam as well? They added, “We’re removing all the obstacles in our path and tracking well, but need to be mindful of our current limitations and understand that the coronavirus situation may get worse before it gets better. Rest assured that every single one of us is doing everything in our power to continue developing and delivering quality Halo experiences while we adjust to this new way of life.
“Beyond all of that though, please remember that this is bigger than games and bigger than Halo. Practice social distancing whenever possible (like the Blue Spartans above who are staying an Elephant’s length away from each other), wash your hands, and do your best to keep it clean. We’re all in this together.”
While everyone is doing what they can during these times, including temporary and not-so-temporary layoffs, it’s important to pay attention to what the CDC is saying, not our current leadership, and take all steps needed to be safe so we can get this pandemic under control.
As for Halo: Infinite, we don’t know when we’re going to be getting the new Master Chief adventure, but in the meantime you can check out our Halo: Infinite game hub here to learn more!
