xQc warns Halo Infinite devs not to make Overwatch mistake after launch hype
Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel has issued Halo Infinite devs 343 Industries and the franchise’s super-sized fanbase a warning: don’t fall into the same trap Blizzard and Overwatch players did in 2016 after their own successful release.
Halo Infinite ishere early after a shock releaseon Nov. 15.
The surprise debut, not unlike thesame-day Apex Legends arrivalin late February 2019, sparked excitement for Halo Infinite’s free multiplayer offeringacross the internet, and saw thousands of gamers — both Halo series loyalists and otherwise —download and playthe new 343 Industries release.
Halo players are alreadydeclaring it one of the most successful launchesof all time, especially when charted byactive players on launch day, but Twitch star xQc has warned it would be “dangerous” to read too much into those stats.
You only have to look back to 2016, he says, to see the Overwatch fanbase make a similar mistake that would eventually lead to the game’s whimpering demise.
The star Twitch streamer was, likelarge chunks of the gaming worldthis week, trying Halo Infinite on Nov. 17 when he was asked (or rather,told by Twitch fans) that the game’s hefty launch records were a “really good sign.”
xQc totally disagreed, however, warning Halo Infinite players and devs alike not to get caught up in early numbers, or risk not seeing the writing on the wall until it’s too late.
The worst thing to do, he said, is for 343 to bank on the stats.
“This is the same mistake as Overwatch,” he warned, speaking on the Blizzard title he competed in for three years. “[People keep saying] 200k at launch… so cool, Halo is huge! But it might not stay that way.
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“Let’s keep boasting these hype, announcement-driven analytics from one day or months, years,” he continued. “That’s a good idea, never gone wrong before.”
That’s not to say that launch day figures aren’t interesting, Lengyel suggested. The French-Canadian’s warning, however, is not to think that they mean anything other than Halo Infinite’s surprise release was a cool gaming moment, and that everyone was always going to try the new game.
If players keep saying everything is okay though, ignoring issues in-game and leaning on the original early player records to say people are still involved, the devs won’t fix any issues, and the game will “rot.”
“Jesus guys,” he said. “Don’t put stock in early analytics.”
“Overwatch did that, said “34 million” for years, but it was stagnating. “34 million!” they say, but on a good day 8k were watching, and not many more playing.”
Early Halo Infinite hype or not, xQc has been far from convinced by the game’s early release. The Twitch streamer was among the first to try the new title on launch day — and therefore included in the record-breaking numbers — but admitted he wasn’t going to play it much beyond opening week.
The biggest problem, the French-Canadian star claimed, is that Halo’s iconic gameplay. Established in years past, he believes it’s been left behind by modern gaming. Where once it was the groundbreaking title, now it feels “boring.”
“I think people have moved on from Halo,” he said about Infinite’s chances to stay popular. “It’s slow and outdated. It lacks serious pace in its gameplay.”
