Let’s get this straight:
- 343 thought it would be a good idea to release Halo Infinite with essentially just 3 playlists
- 343 thought it would be a good idea to take beloved classic game modes and only offer them during timed events to sell more microtransactions
- 343 justifies this by saying they thought there would be a risk of dividing the player base among too many playlists at launch when they have the largest player base
- 343 now claims it takes weeks to add new playlists like social slayer
- 343 has only stated that a couple new lists are coming (no news on infection, doubles, multi team, snipers, grifball, permanent Fiesta, action sack, etc…)
- Nobody at 343 thought it would be worthwhile to get a match composer in the game at launch or even in the launch window, despite this being one of the best received features in MCC
This series of decisions and responses is absolutely unacceptable.
It demonstrates major lapses in judgment about the Halo franchise and how the community likes to play it; there is just no world where the Halo community would receive a game well with only 3 playlists, and anyone who has played Halo at any point since 2004 would have known this immediately.
It demonstrates 343’s most significant ongoing problem: they refuse to admit when they are wrong. It would be really easy for them to say “oops, we goofed, we’ll work on it and do better”. But no, they don’t do that, because it would admit they erred. So what do they do instead? They ask us to understand how hard it is and how much time it takes to add basic playlists liks social slayer. They ask us to appreciate that they just wanted to get a product out the door at all, implying we should just be grateful for it. Honk. Honk. 
343, you have a great Halo game here, maybe a game that could be the best game in the series. Please, please, please stop acting as your own worst enemy by making decisions the community tells you are obviously wrong. This isn’t like the sprint debate where the community is genuinely divided. This is basic, obvious stuff where the community is nearly unanimous in opinion that you made some really bad decisions. Get the old expected playlists in and do it ASAP, and then get a match composer in for social shortly after that.
Oh, and while we’re at it, listen to your players on the other three major areas of complaint as well… improve the progression/challenge system, overhaul the customization model to be less scummy and predatory, and turn player collision back on.