The Halo Infinite competitive scene has been in an anxious place following the launch of the multiplayer’s second season and the poor changes, some intended and some unintended, that it brought. Spartan, a pro player for eUnited, was recently fined for unprofessional criticism levied toward Halo developer 343 Industries following the launch, and Halo‘s Esports and Viewership Lead Tashi wrote a Twitter thread in response to the fine’s fallout.
In that thread, Tashi not only discussed how best to state critiques of Halo Infinite but also promised that “good news” would be on its way soon to quell some of the fears around the game’s future.
“Spartan’s fine: This has nothing to do with censoring criticism about the game, we have never levied a fine for simply criticizing the game,” Tashi discussed in his statement after social media had been abuzz with angry voices following the reveal that Spartan’s fine came to a hefty total of $,2500 from the HCS with an additional $750 levied by eUnited.
Related: HCS pro Spartan fined following remarks that Halo Infinite is ‘unplayable’
“This has to do with the manner in which the criticism was delivered. We know tensions are high, but we expect the league’s pros to keep a cool head. Tyler is a good dude, we were just hanging out at the KC Major last week watching some matches together and was so happy he was enjoying himself there. Let your voice be heard, we just ask that you keep it professional,” Tashi added.
Spartan responded to the statement with the typical heart-on-his-sleeve approach, refusing to back down from his original points but now delivering them in a more mature manner. “I appreciate you and the HCS team for everything you guys do and I have the utmost appreciation for being in the position I am. That being said, I am not sorry for anything I’ve said and stand by it. I want Halo to succeed and 343 needs to do better. I, and many others casual or competitive, are so damn passionate about this game and want it to succeed. Right now, we are being heavily let down,” he said.
Spartan’s response continued to emphasize how tired and deflated he and others felt with the current downward trend that Halo Infinite was experiencing, especially after a promising launch last year. Highlighting contradictions of transparency followed by unwanted nerfs and changes, as well as the seemingly hollow value of feedback, he still managed to end on a positive call to action, saying “enough is enough. Let’s take Halo to where it should’ve been a long time ago and push it even further.”
Tashi replied to Spartan, thanking him for his passion and his want to work with 343 to improve the game, but he also ultimately agreed with the pro player: Halo Infinite is not in a good place at the moment. “We as a studio lost some trust with S2 and we need to earn that back,” he said. “We’ve got good news to share real soon to start doing just that.”
What that good news may entail remains to be seen, whether that’s related to the esports and HCS sector of the title or a more general teaser for wider Halo Infinite news on its way. But with a disappointing seasonal launch and a six-month season ahead, any good news will be welcome for the professional and casual audiences hoping to see Halo Infinite bounce back to a healthy spot.
