Halo Wars: Definitive Edition launches on Windows 10, Xbox One and Steam

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is now available (opens in new tab) as a standalone release on the Windows Store, Xbox Store, and Steam. Originally, Halo Wars: Definitive Edition was only available for anyone who purchased the Ultimate Edition of Halo Wars 2.

Halo Wars itself was originally released in 2009 as the first RTS game in the Halo franchise. The Definitive Edition revamps the experience with remastered graphics, new achievements, and all of the DLC created for the original release. The story itself takes place introduced new characters to the Halo universe, some of whom would later return in Halo Wars 2.

Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is a Play Anywhere title on Windows 10 and Xbox One, meaning you can buy it once and play on both platforms. Keep in mind that the Steam release won't be open to cross-play with the Windows Store and Xbox versions, keeping multiplayer partially segmented. Still, if you're down for grabbing Halo Wars: Definitive Edition, it can be had for a cool $20 at each store now.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

14 Comments
  • Sweet I might get this rather than forking out for HW2, to see how I like it
  • I don't understand the reason behind the inability to cross play between steam and windows store edition. Can somebody tell please if this is artificially created or are there real technical reasons behind this fun brake. If so which? Thanks
  • The Windows Store version is only available for Windows 10. Windows 10 includes Xbox Live integration for multiplayer support.  The Steam version is available for Windows 7 & 8. These do not include Xbox Live integration, so they rely on Steam's multiplayer framework.  It'd be a matter of getting Valve's (Steam's) multiplayer backend to talk to Microsoft's multiplayer backend. 
  • Xbox Live =|= Steam
  • Probably Steam doesn't have and doesn't want to bother implementing APIs for cross-platform multiplayer with the Windoes Store.
  • The fact that they launch this and other games on steam tells me that they, again, don't trust their own store. Same story as with Windows Phone.
  • What a load of absolute horsesht, get over yourself
  • That's the kind of answer I expect from the people on this site.
  • And yours is the exact ignorant comment i expect from people on this site. Oh Microsoft released an old game on multiple platforms? Clearly they hate us all and want everyone to die.
  • Yep. They always set themselves up for failure. No PC gamers are going to invest in the Windows 10 Store if they keep gifting away their exclusive IP--literally the only reason why Steam gamers would consider using the Store instead--to their biggest competitor. It sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy where, even if new exclusives launch in the Store, Steam gamers will just say "meh, I'll just wait till they release it on Steam, like they always do", thereby creating a self-fulfiling prophesy. Microsoft has no patience for long-term strategies. If they did, Windows Phone would be crawling towards double digit global market share right now instead of dropping below one. It's vexing.
  • Or they want to sell it to Windows 7 and 8 users. The marketshare of those versions may be shrinking, but the userbase is still huge. Why not sell to those users?
  • It's not that they don't trust the Windows Store, it's that gamers also use W7 and W8.1.
  • The steam release won't help the Halo Wars community on Win10. I still think that this is a bad move from Microsoft.
  • Okay, and? The Windows 10 Halo Wars community can buy the store version.