It’s clear 343i knew the Campaign wasn’t going to be able to stand on its own with the multiplayer, Forge, and firefight modes stripped out. They’ve barely talked about it in a year.
They’ve obviously pinned their hopes on the multiplayer’s microtransactions to drive profitability. Unfortunately, the multiplayer imploded. Rampant connectivity issues, the worst online progression systems in the business, garbage customisation restrictions, and the least amount of content in franchise history meant that they have to basically redevelop the entire foundation of their game, in addition to trying to provide a live service.
Added to this is the TV Show also disappointing. Cyberpunk Edgerunners shows the insane impact a quality show can have in keeping people invested in your game. The Halo TV was a PR disaster; Googling it shows an endless stream of fans who just straight up shit on it, and rightfully so: it’s not a good show, let alone a good Halo adaptation.
The campaign disappointed, game missed the console launch, the multiplayer was DOA, and the TV drove away paying fans instead of creating new ones. Add on top that 343i is Microsoft’s largest - and most expensive - development studio, and I can’t see how anyone could have possibly thought Halo Infinite made money. Heads are rolling for a reason: the amount of money 343i burned must be un-Godly.