A deleted mid-credits cutscene for Halo Infinite has seemingly been unearthed by dataminers – and fans are trying to work out what it could mean for the future of the story (if anything).
As shared on YouTube, Gamecheat13 posted the cutscene, which was seemingly meant to play out after the end of the game's single-player campaign, but before the post-credits scene that made it into the final version.
While the deleted scene may no longer be a part of Halo Infinite's future story plans, this could potentially be considered a spoiler. Proceed with caution!
Deleted #HaloInfinite mid-credits cutscene has been uncovered! 👀 What are your thoughts about this?
— Quest Status (@QuestStatus) December 30, 2021
(Via: Alpha Archive on Youtube https://t.co/ohVpnG8hCS) pic.twitter.com/RiszTdUi7J
During the short clip, the cinematic shows pilot Fernando Esparza asleep at the helm of the Pelican before being swiftly awakened by an incoming signal. Upon hearing the call to action, a stunned-looking Esparza calls in Master Chief to share the discovery. "Chief," says the pilot, "you're not going to believe this."
Following the announcement the incoming signal sounds the words, "UNSC Tag detected. Designation, friend." We're never shown what it is they're looking at. It currently isn't clear as to why the mid-credits scene would have been removed from the end of Halo Infinite.
Despite the removal, it hasn't stopped fans theorizing who might have been on the other end of the allied UNSC vessel. Hopeful members of the community discussing theories in the video's comments section raised a number of potential fan favorites that they'd like to see back in the fold.
"I really want to see the arbiter back in action again," said Marshmello Games in the YouTube comments section, while another theorized that the transmission could be originating from a pretty well-known Phoenix-class support vessel. "Imagine it was intended to be the Spirit of Fire," said Nathan Austen. "I've been itching to see Red Team and Chief fight together." Other guesses include Spartans like Jameson Locke, or even your own multiplayer character to be used in the delayed co-op campaign.
While it isn't clear yet as to whether 343 intends to follow up on the cut footage, the final release of Halo Infinite does come with its own certified canon post-credit scene that looks to show where the franchise might be heading in the future. While we won't spoil what takes place in the scene for anyone who hasn't reached that stage of the game yet, those hoping to watch the cinematic for themselves can do so in the video below:
For more on Halo Infinite, make sure to check out his piece detailing how the game's lead narrative designer has left 343 to join Riot Games.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.