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.

RELATED: Halo Infinite Yappening Event Announced for Next Week

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 was announced that Halo Infinite's campaign co-op and Forge modes would be pushed back. Those features have since been delayed again, but now it seems they're finally set to launch on November 8.

Delayed and removed game modes aren't the only controversies that have weighed Halo Infinite down. Halo Infinite's microtransactions, cosmetics, and progression have all proven to be hugely controversial as well, resulting in significant backlash from the community.

It will be interesting to see how the community reacts to the news that Halo Infinite split-screen co-op is dead. Some may very well be happy to trade split-screen in favor of Halo Infinite getting more frequent updates, but others may consider this another significant blow to the game's reputation.

Halo Infinite is out now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

MORE: No Halo Game Could Bring Back the Classic Xbox Days

Source: IGN