Twitch star Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek has recently taken to Twitter to voice his concerns on aim assist in Halo Infinite. Following a troubled beta launch, Shroud’s opinion has divided the community at large.
The PC and console war will never die and the flames have only been further stoked by the increased use of cross-play in multiplayer games – with each side believing the other has a few advantages.
Not long after the Halo Championship Series announced they’d be using cross-play, concerns about fairness in competition have naturally appeared.
Allowing integration between PC and Xbox players, worries of aim assist affecting professional competition have been taking over Twitter, with a few noticeable names chiming in.
Is cross-play a problem for Halo Infinite?
Like most FPS titles, the Halo franchise has always enjoyed an ardent PC fanbase. It’s no secret cross-play has many social benefits. As new console players dive into the series via next-gen, the skill ceiling continues to increase too. Trying Halo initially back in 2019, Shroud’s lightning-fast dexterity has destroyed PC gamers time and time again.
Whilst aim assist allows many accessibility benefits, its place in the competitive scene is controversial at best. Quake and COD enthusiast Matt Kelly broke down the negatives of aim assist in Halo Infinite on Twitter. Offering a simple response, Shroud simply quoted the thread with a “yes” before adding an additional reply.
“Very well written,” the former Counter-Strike pro added. “My two favorite words on the matter is always “competitive integrity.”
Very well written, my two favorite words on the matter is always "competitive integrity".
— Michael Grzesiek (@shroud) July 31, 2021
Specializing in the effects of video game aiming, Kelly is adamant that mouse and keyboard players will suffer as a result of the recent cross-play announcement. Offering players an advantage over raw input, controller players seemingly have the upper hand on their PC rivals.
Dear @PlayXDefiant (cc:@PixelsofMark)
AIM ASSIST IN PROFESSIONAL ESPORTS – A THREAD:
Halo Infinite’s cross-input esports announcement is not a win for many players today. Announcements are always exciting, but this is one not worth celebrating if you’re a M&K competitor. (1/20)
— MattKelly (@MattKellyFPS) July 30, 2021
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Should there be separate leagues?
The cross-play announcement is part of an evolving “ecosystem”. It’s core goal is to foster a welcoming environment across the community. Claiming no preferred side in the debate, the devs are trying to be inclusive from day one. However, their good intentions haven’t been received as intended.
One disgruntled fan on Twitter proposed there should be separate leagues.
I don't get why they don't just have a controller league and a M&K league separately?! Why force them to play against each other?! I don't know a single controller player who wants to play M&K players and I don't know a single M&K player who wants to play controller players lmao
— ⬆️Risen (@UprisenCRA) July 31, 2021
It’s likely that the devs want to follow their contemporaries, by bringing the community together. In a bid to show goodwill, Ubisoft’s Mark Rubin responded to Kelly regarding the issue about competitive play in Tom Clancy’s XDefiant.
Hey Matt, thank you for the detail and passion you put into this post. We aren't yet ready to talk about our plans on the competitive scene but we will eventually. That being said I can say that we have every intention of doing what's best for the players.
— Mark Rubin (@PixelsofMark) July 30, 2021
With XDefiant set to launch later this year, it remains to be seen if they’ll follow in the footsteps of Halo.
As for Halo, well, it’s going to be a hot topic for a while yet.
