Even before Halo Infinite’s release in December 2021, fans have been asking around about their favorite brute, whom they lovingly nicknamed Craig.
It seems many weren’t too pleased with his character design, and they were quite vocal about it – and Microsoft knows. You gotta hand it to him, though, he has come a long way since his Halo Infinite demo reveal in 2020.
By the time 343 Industries remembered to make this change, however, it was too late. Craig the Brute had become a widely-known meme in the community of fans eagerly awaiting Halo Infinite’s release. He changed Halo Infinite’s graphics for the better, though, as we’ll find out later.
Who is Craig from Halo Infinite?
Craig the Brute is just your average brute doing his job, appearing in the demo trailer for Halo Infinite at the Xbox Games Showcase event in July 2020. Back then, he was nothing and nobody (and he still kind of is, as fans actually gave him the name – the devs didn’t think he was that important). However, today we know him as Halo Infinite’s biggest meme and savior.
In the trailer, we see him jump out of a drop pod and battle the player character, the Master Chief, along with another brute. After a short battle scene, Master Chief takes off the brute’s helmet to reveal Craig underneath. Then, he kills him with a melee attack. A short and grim end for a beloved character, if you ask us.
Why did Craig become the Halo Infinite meme?
Craig first became Halo Infinite’s meme because of his appearance. After appearing in trailers, fans immediately took to social media to comment their thoughts on the enemy design. Needless to say, they thought it was a joke.
To be honest, we can see why. It’s not exactly up to par with something you’d expect of these fearsome enemies. Compared to earlier renditions of the brutes, their Halo Infinite design was a bit lackluster.
I mean, even the devs conceded that they weren’t too happy with how they came out. Lucky for us, the Craig the Brute we know from these memes was just a demo version. In the end, we had on our hands a good-looking, handsome brute.
The Xbox Mascot
Of course, following the freshly baked Halo Infinite meme, fans took to different media to spread the wildfire. They used every piece of media available, from Reddit’s Craig memes to YouTube creators’ tributes to Halo’s Craig. No one was spared. Not even Phil Spencer, the vice-president of Gaming at Microsoft and the head of the Xbox brand.
In a joking tweet, user XcloudTimdog asked Phil Spencer what he thought about Craig the Brute. It seems that Spencer himself is also familiar with this side of the community. Evidently, it only took three minutes for XcloudTimdog to receive a response from the head of the Xbox brand himself.
In the tweet, he responds in a positive tone, calling Craig the Brute their “new official Xbox mascot”, complete with a friendly little smiley face. He even comments on and praises fans’ ability to “take something fun and run with it”, in his words.
How Craig the Brute saved Halo Infinite Graphics
It’s no secret that Craig the Brute is, quite possibly, the reason Halo Infinite graphics are the way they are now. In Scott Dyck’s, character and combat director’s, words, Craig the Brute “represented some content and systems that were not ready for prime time in that demo”.
We think it’s safe to say that includes the game’s graphics, which fans also criticized. Apparently, Craig’s popularity and the game’s delay allowed devs some time to finish up their work on the game and give all Halo Craigs a better future.
If that’s the case, we’re also glad to see the memes about our precious Xbox mascot gain popularity. Of course, it also gives fans something to laugh about when they’re not playing the game.
Craig the Brute – New Look
Fortunately, the devs didn’t let this injustice done to Craig the Brute slide. They quelled every Craig meme out there by giving him a fresh new look. It includes a new fit, badass new hair, and some sick face paint. Needless to say, Craig the Brute is now a strapping young lad, ready to die to the Master Chief’s melee attacks once again.
