Microsoft Delays Halo: Spartan Strike Due to Master Chief Collection's Issues

The ongoing issues for Xbox One game Halo: The Master Chief Collection are now affecting developer 343 Industries' release schedule for its other projects. Today, 343 announced that it has delayed top-down shooter Halo: Spartan Strike to 2015. Previously, the game was expected to arrive December 12.

"While we're excited about this all-new Halo experience, our commitment to resolving the current matchmaking issues in Halo: The Master Chief Collection remains the top priority," 343 said in a statement. "As a result, we have decided to move the release of Halo: Spartan Strike to early 2015."

Spartan Strike, a spiritual successor to 2013's Halo: Spartan Assault, was announced in October. It's a top-down, twin-stick shooter for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and Steam. The game is set during the events of Halo 2, and does not include any microtransactions.

The latest patch for The Master Chief Collection was released this week, and aims to improve overall matchmaking times, though it doesn't fix the game's uneven teams issues. For more, check out GameSpot's The Master Chief Collection review.

It remains to be seen if The Master Chief Collection's matchmaking issues will have any impact on Halo 5: Guardians, which launches later this month on Xbox One through a beta.