Halo Infinite is a curious case. It was touted to be one of Microsoft's biggest exclusive IP drops in a long time. The new campaign, as well as the shadow-dropped multiplayer, took advantage of lackluster performances by Call of Duty: Vanguard and Battlefield 2042 to capture the FPS market. However, the sheer lack of multiplayer content, coupled with constant delays to Forge and other game modes, saw the player base shrink into oblivion. However, it now appears that even a future Halo entry has hit its first hurdle.Back in December last year, we reported that Microsoft had applied for a trademark for 'Halo: The Endless'. While it's still uncertain whether this is a DLC, new game, or something else entirely, at the end of the Infinite campaign, a much larger threat was hinted at, which was said to be "worse than the Flood". However, this trademark is reportedly being opposed by Paris-based indie developer, Amplitude Studios.As spotted by Twitter handle HaloHub, the trademark filing website shows the status of Halo: The Endless trademark as 'Opposed'. Amplitude has presumably opposed the trademark as it feels Microsoft's application may infringe upon with its own upcoming title, Endless Dungeon. It seems that Amplitude really likes the term 'endless' as its previous games include Endless Space, Endless Legend, Dungeon of the Endless, and Endless Space 2. Or, maybe Amplitude wants to distance itself from the Halo brand, which is currently going through a tough time.
There are many ways the trademark filing can go from here. As of now, Amplitude is waiting for Microsoft's defense for the application. Perhaps the defense will be strong enough to overturn Amplitude's opposition, or they could come to some sort of settlement. The worst case scenario for Microsoft will be having to rebrand the product, resulting in another delay – and that's the last thing that the Halo IP needs.
343 Industries has a lot to deal with at the moment, with the primary concern being the dwindling player count. Unfortunately, the studio will have to deal with this without Halo Infinite's multiplayer director, Tom French, who departed from the company after 12 years.