Craig the Brute

"Craig the Brute" is an Internet meme that originated from a 2020 gameplay demo of Halo Infinite, a video game developed by 343 Industries. It stemmed from a segment in the gameplay demo where the player used a melee attack on a Banished Jiralhanae, resulting in an expressionless face appearing on screen for a few frames. The Jiralhanae was nicknamed "Craig" by the Internet and quickly became a wide-spread Internet meme, being used as a criticism for the game's graphics and has been referenced several times by 343 Industries. The meme was considered a possible factor for the game’s delay from 2020 to 2021 and was immortalized as an Easter egg within the final game's campaign.

A screenshot from the July 2020 demo of Halo Infinite, showing the player using a melee attack on an enemy that would come to be known as Craig.

Origins

In July 2020, an eight minute gameplay demo of Halo Infinite, originally planned to release in late 2020 as a launch title for Xbox Series X and Series S, was showcased by Microsoft.[1][2] At one point in the footage, a group of pods dropped down in front of the protagonist Master Chief, revealing two Banished Jiralhanae. Following a gunfight, a melee attack was performed on one of the enemies, resulting in its face being focused on screen for a few frames. The face of this enemy gained notoriety for a lackluster and pale expression, and the frame was spread across the Internet rapidly. This specific enemy was nicknamed "Craig" by fans.[3][4][5]

Reception

The Jiralhanae nicknamed Craig was quickly adopted by the Internet and became a popular meme within days of the livestream due to its lack of expression and ugliness, with the Jiralhanae being used as a demonstration to criticize the games lackluster graphics.[6][7] A fan mod for Fallout 4 was released in August 2020 that allowed players to play as Craig.[8] The design of Craig was referred to as looking like it was "dropped in from a Halo game released 10 years ago" by Patrick Klepek of Vice.[9] Shortly after the memes creation, Bryan Jarrard of 343 Industries requested fans send him as many Craig memes as possible.[10] In December 2020, Neill Harrison of 343 Industries clarified that the expressionless look of Craig was caused by facial animations not being fully implemented into the demo, and clarified that the design of the Brutes would be receiving a new design.[11]

Phil Spencer, CEO of Xbox, jokingly referred to Craig as the "new official Xbox mascot",[12] and stated that Craig's expressionless face was used on several T-shirts worn by employees.[13] In 2020, Halo Infinite was delayed to 2021, and the Craig meme (used to represent the games graphics as a whole) was considered a possible factor for the games delay.[14][15] In a development update on the game in October 2021, an update on the design of the in game Jiralhanae enemies was opened with "how’s Craig doing?", with 343 Industries stating that the team had a "love-hate relationship with Craig."[16][17] A gameplay trailer showcased later that month showcased the new Jiralhanae design shown in the development update, which several journalists referred to as Craig receiving a makeover.[18][10] Craig was referenced in the final games campaign several times as Easter eggs,[19] with one showing Craig on the cover of an in-game vinyl depicted as a rock artist.[20][9][6]

References
  1. "What's actually going on with Halo Infinite's graphics?". Eurogamer.net. 2020-07-25. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  2. Madsen, Hayes (2020-07-27). "Halo Infinite Backlash & Graphics Complaints Explained". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  3. Maher, Cian (2020-07-26). "The internet loves Craig the Brute". VG247. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  4. "'Craig' From Halo Infinite is the New Xbox Mascot, Jokes Xbox Chief". PCMAG. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  5. "Give A Warm Welcome To Craig, Halo Infinite's 343-Approved Brute Meme". GameSpot. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  6. "Craig Brute meme immortalized in Halo Infinite campaign easter egg". Shacknews. 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  7. fairfax, zackerie (2020-07-25). "Halo Infinite's Unamused Brute Has Become An Online Sensation". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  8. "Craig the Halo Infinite Brute is now playable thanks to Fallout 4 mod". PCGamesN. 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  9. Klepek, Patrick (2021-11-19). "Craig Meme Making Fun of 'Halo Infinite' Is Now Apparently Canon". Vice. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  10. "Halo Infinite's Craig, Once A Laughingstock, Now Looks Better Than Ever". Kotaku. 2021-10-25. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  11. "Halo Infinite's Craig Is Getting A New Face, Unfortunately". GameSpot. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  12. Maher, Cian (2020-08-02). "Craig the Jiralhanae is the "official Xbox mascot," says Phil Spencer". VG247. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  13. Alyssa Mercante (2020-11-11). "Halo Infinite Craig meme is now a t-shirt worn by Microsoft employees". gamesradar. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  14. Warren, Tom (2020-08-11). "Microsoft delays Halo Infinite to 2021". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  15. Dornbush, Jonathon (2020-08-11). "Halo Infinite Delayed to 2021". IGN. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  16. "Inside Infinite – October 2021". halowaypoint.com. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  17. McWhertor, Michael (2021-10-29). "Halo Infinite's 'Craig' is doing just fine now". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  18. Parrish, Ash (2021-10-25). "Halo Infinite's infamous Craig gets a glow-up in latest campaign trailer". The Verge. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  19. Young, Patrick (2021-12-09). "Halo Infinite Has Rock Shaped Like Craig the Brute". Game Rant. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  20. Carpenter, Nicole (2021-11-22). "Halo Infinite leans into the 'Craig' memes that contributed to the game's delay". Polygon. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
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