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'Halo Wars 2' release date, news: Sequel out February 2017; beta goes live

Jackie Villegas June 15, 2016 01:45 AM EST

A scene from the upcoming video game \"Halo Wars 2\" | 343 Industries/Halo

During Microsoft's Xbox Media Briefing at E3 2016 on Monday, June 13, 343 Industries Studio Head Dan Ayoub announced that "Halo Wars 2" will be available on Feb. 21, 2017.

"Halo Wars 2" is the long-awaited sequel to the popular real-time strategy video game "Halo Wars," which was released back in 2009. The second installment is said to offer a different take on the original's traditional first-person combat. In "Halo Wars 2," players have an aerial view from which they can control human and alien forces in real-time battles.

In the new trailer for "Halo Wars 2," which was released during E3, humans are shown battling "the Banished," an all-new race of aliens with a general who looks very much like a disfigured gorilla.

While the hotly anticipated sequel to "Halo Wars" won't hit store shelves until next year, fans of the "Halo" series can get a taste of its combat as early as now. Aside from revealing the "Halo Wars 2" release date, Microsoft also announced an online "Halo Wars 2" Multiplayer Beta that will run from June 13 to 20 and can be downloaded and played now on Xbox One.

According to IGN, last week, a page on the Xbox Games Store leaked the "Halo Wars 2" beta dates.

Meanwhile, the 13GB Multiplayer Beta download will allow Xbox One users to take a stab at "Halo Wars 2" in multiplayer mode with up to six players. The beta went live right after Microsoft's keynote at E3 2016 ended.

"Halo Wars 2" was first unveiled at Gamescom in 2015. It was developed by Halo head studio 343 Industries with the help of The Creative Assembly, the same studio behind the "Total War" PC franchise.

When the game drops in February, it will initially be available only for Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One. Through Xbox Play Anywhere, both the Windows 10 and Xbox One versions of the game will be included in a single digital purchase.

When it goes on sale, "Halo Wars 2" will come in a premium edition featuring a remastered version of the original "Halo Wars."

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