‘Halo: The Master Chief Collection’ Multiplayer Patch Delayed
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Even the most ardent Halo fan would be forced to admit that the launch of Halo: The Master Chief Collection has not gone as expected.
has not gone as expected. Although the recent Halo anthology, formed of the first 4 games in the main series, has gathered plenty of praisefor its remastered and re-worked versions of the single player modes, the same cannot be said about the multiplayer. First-time players found multiplayer game modes plagued by matchmaking issues– not what was expected after a 20GB day-one download.
Developer 343 Industrieshas apologised for the problems players have contended with, and immediately promised that a fix was being actively worked on. Last week, an update was announced that would improve both online and single player performance, and a finite availability date was set for Wednesday 19 November. This was not soon enough to stop Microsoft from postponing the Halo Championship Series eSports league– and unfortunately, this is not the only delay due for the title.
343 Industries has announced that the 19 November update is now being pushed back. According to a post on Halo Waypoint, the update has been delayed until later in the week, as 343 needs to “allow for additional fixes, as well as the completion of the testing and certification process.” There is, as of yet, no fixed date for when the update will now launch.
The post also details what fixes are in store for owners of the Master Chief Collection . The update will include a variety of fixes for the compilation, including the now-infamous matchmaking performance issues. There will also be general UI and game stability improvements, as well as “game-specific issues in Halo: CE , Halo 2 , and Halo 2: Anniversary , and more.” 343 Industries also noted that the full patch notes will be posted later on in the week, in advance of the content update release. The developer signed off the post by thanking fans for their “continued patience.”
The kind of problems facing Halo: The Master Chief Collection seem to be endemic to video games across the board – not just for 343 Industries. There have been issues with many recent AAA releases, with the Halo anthology merely topping off a sad week for video gamesin disappointing style. Sonic Boom released with a list of bugs and glitches, Assassin’s Creed Unity launched with severe connectivity and framerate issuesand co-op crashes, and DriveClub buyers will now receive free DLC as compensationfor the game’s lacklustre launch.
All that remains is to see when the update finally releases, and just how 343 Industries and Microsoft respond to any further problems the game has. What was once seen as as must-have item and a much-lauded Xbox One exclusive has instead led to an embarrassing week for both companies. There must now be an even greater focus on making sure that for Halo 5 is watertight, particularly after claims that 343 Industries aim to make players feel like super soldiers.
Right now, most Halo players would simply settle for functioning multiplayer modes.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is now available on Xbox One.
Source: Halo Waypoint