Halo Infinite developers have provided an update on the beloved Craig in a recent blog post, promising the “deadpan” brute will be getting a full makeover before the game drops in fall 2021.
With the announcement of an official Halo Infinite release window came a very lengthy blog post (opens in new tab) about visual fidelity, multiplayer, customization, and more – but you’re here for the Craig news. And we will provide.
When Halo Infinite releases next year, Craig won’t look the way we remember him – that’s because “facial animations on NPCs [were] not fully implemented in that build” that we saw during the Xbox Games Showcase, according to director of art management Neill Harrison.
As we previously reported, the team embraced the meme that spread like wildfire after Craig’s lifeless visage appeared on-screen, even donning Craig t-shirts at the Microsoft office. However, Craig was “never intended to be seen in that condition which is not something that was evident during gameplay,” insist Harrison. “It was only later, in the close-up freeze frame of his one bad moment, where it came to light and the legend of Craig was born.” If you’ve ever accidentally taken a picture with your front-facing camera on, you can relate.
“There’s been further work done on the material fidelity and more variety added for Brute faces, we’re also working to add some hairdos and beards which was something we hadn’t gotten to in July. So, whilst we have come to love our dear old Craig, he’s certainly undergoing a significant makeover,” Harrison says. Yes, the brutes are getting beards.
Halo Infinite is just one of the upcoming Xbox Series X games we can’t wait to play.