For the first time since Halo Infinite’s launch, it was overtaken by The Master Chief Collection on Steam. Checking SteamDB’s 24-hour peak chart, MCC has beaten Infinite by a fair bit. Infinite has been bottoming out around 3,000 players, with a peak between 7,000 to 8,000 each day. The Master Chief Collection only recently topped out above 8,000, and has had much lower troughs, below 2,000 active players. Players seem to want more classic Halo action for now, compared to whatever it is that Halo Infinite is offering.
And before you start thinking we’re going to rant about a dead game, we’re not. The player difference is notable, but not a sign of a bigger problem necessarily. Sure, Infinite needs more long-term content to keep players. But it takes time to release that content. And the structure of a seasonal game like that can take natural dips in player counts better than more traditional shooters, in theory.
The Master Chief Collection is also currently on sale on Steam, so that probably has a little to do with it. But more likely is that recent updates to the collection have brought some players back. 343 just updated the MCC with a new set of gameplay mode options, notably FloodFight and campaign crossplay for Halo 3 & ODST. The new modes offer a twist on FireFight mode, bringing players plenty of action against the iconic Flood. And the addition of campaign cross-play is a wonderful inclusion for players looking to game with friends.
So when faced with this kind of internal competition, the slim pickings for Halo infinite just can’t measure up. 343 Industries has teased new content additions in season 2 that make the game much more varied and replayable, but some players don’t care. It would seem that some die-hard fans will stick with MCC, come hell or high water. The future for both games remains bright though, As long as the devs keep pumping in content, the playerbase should remain happy.
