Meet Xbox’s new mascot: Craig, the flat-faced brute from Halo Infinite.
On Friday, Xbox head Phil Spencer made the joke in reference to an internet meme that’s been lampooning the graphics for the next Halo game.
“Our new official Xbox mascot :-) Love the community and their ability to just take something fun and run with it,” Spencer said in a tweet after a user asked for his take on the “Craig” meme.
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The meme’s origin goes back to last week’s Xbox showcase. During the event, Microsoft debuted gameplay footage for Halo Infinite, which will arrive on the Xbox One and the company’s next-generation console, the Xbox Series X.
Naturally, gamers were expecting some top-notch graphics. However, the footage left some disappointed, who cited certain low-detail visuals. To illustrate their point, users on social media began circulating the image above, which shows an enemy grunt carrying a blank expression, even as he’s about to die.
The image set off some debate over whether Halo Infinite can meet the hype when it releases later this holiday season. But at the same time, a meme was born. After the Xbox showcase, images of the gray-faced brute began circulating with the Craig name, prompting users to craft more jokes and even take pity on the enemy character.
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Staffers at Halo Infinite’s developer 343 Industries also got in the fun. “I now really want to know more about Craig. What’s he up to? How has his time on the ring been? When he’s not getting smacked in the face what does he do for fun?” tweeted Halo community director Brian Jarrard.
Xbox head Phil Spencer apparently appreciates the meme too. Ironically, we’re hoping Craig’s deadpan expression remains in the game, despite the criticism of Halo Infinite's graphics. But in the meantime, developer 343 Industries has been trying to explain its approach to the game’s visuals.
“In many ways we are in agreement here —we do have work to do to address some of these areas and raise the level of fidelity and overall presentation for the final game,” the studio said yesterday. “The build used to run the campaign demo was work-in-progress from several weeks ago with a variety of graphical elements and game systems still being finished and polished.”
However, 343 Industries added that it’s focused on making the game look like a classic Halo game. “This translates to a more vibrant palette, ‘cleaner’ models and objects with less ‘noise,’ though it doesn’t mean less detail,” the studio said.
On Friday, Microsoft also confirmed that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will be free-to-play. The company plans on sharing more details later.
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