Halo Wars: Definitive Edition launching on Steam and the Windows Store on April 20

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is finally set for a standalone release. After initially only being available to anyone who purchased the Ultimate Edition of Halo Wars 2, the remastered Halo Wars: Definitive Edition will launch on its own on Steam, Windows 10, and Xbox One on April 20.

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The original Halo Wars launched in 2009 as the first RTS game in the halo franchise. The revamped Definitive Edition includes enhanced graphics, new achievements, and all of the DLC created for the original. Given the Definitive Edition saw a fairly limited release at the end of 2016, this should let more people catch up with the story before jumping into Halo Wars 2.

There's no word on pricing, but we should know more fairly soon with the game's full release just days away. And if you're having trouble deciding where to buy the game, keep in mind that the Steam version won't be open to cross-play with the Windows Store versions, keeping multiplayer segmented.

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. 

19 Comments
  • Great!... but why the last sentence???, we need more players not less, same case as CoD IW.
  • This, it doesn't make me want to buy the Windows Store version if I can't play with my friends which is a big pain as I would love to support the Windows Store.
  • An advantage that Steam has is it's available on Windows 7 and 8 as well, which is still a huge potential market for them to sell to. I don't know if the Xbox Live backend is available on Windows 7 and 8, so the Steam version is using Steam's multiplayer backend instead of the Xbox Live backend that the Windows Store version will use. 
  • I've often wondered. Why doesn't MSFT release all of its Xbox & Xbox 360 titles to windows 10 store. (I'm talking about the games they have direct control over). There are a ton of those old games we'll love to play (again) especially at its reduced price on a computer or laptop while waiting at an airport, train station or during lunch break when the boss isn't looking.
  • Agreed
  • Well, mostly because a PC port costs money and in most cases they don't expect the effort to be worth it financially. And your stance that it should be cheaper sure doesn't change their interest in doing so.
  • Halo Wars 2 will probably be the last game I ever bought in the windows store. Without cross-play the Windows version of Halo Wars DE is dead. Can't wait to see Halo Wars 2 on Steam too. Thanks MS, thanks for caring for those who support you.
  • Halo Wars DE will also be in the Windows Store, and that version will support cross play with Xbox. 
  • so cross-play between PC and Xbox is ok for HW1 but not for HW2?
  • I think in that case, they don't want controller users to mix with mouse and keyboard users since mouse and keyboard users will have an advantage over those with a controller. I may have misspoken, and Halo Wars DE won't do cross play for this reason. 
  • well they need to get m/kb on the console.  If they think RTS with a controller will suceed, they are more delusional than i thought
  • Exactly this ^^ Microsoft has been promissing KB/M support on the Xbox One for years now and we are still waiting, what the hell is taking so long with a simple feature like that thats been enabled by 3rd party adaptors for years already.  
  • Glad I held off buying the Win10 version; Will be definitely buying the Steam version; shame its not comming out on GOG, as that would be even better then Steam; But Microsoft needs to seriously consider enabling cross-play or they will not benefit from the influx of Steam players and the Windows Store version will die with lack of players numbers for multiplayer.  
  • Yeah shame not being on GOG
  • Around the time of Windows 8 releasing, I had this idea that Microsoft should work with Valve to make Steam the official app and game platform for Windows. It might sound strange, but if MS isn't making much money on the Store, does it make sense to continue sinking money into building a platform like that? Might as well strike a deal with Valve and get the games and help them expand into apps as the face of the new Windows.
  • Microsoft, once again undermining their own platform. They need to stop thinking short-term and start thinking long-term: releasing games on Steam is counterproductive and hurts the Windows Store's chances of ever being a success. It creates a self-fulfilling prophesy where they'll continue releasing their games for Steam, the Windows 10 Store will never take off. Steam is their competitor, not their friend.
  • I partly agree; but it is no surprise that Microsoft does not care much about their own platforms, just look at all the superior Microsoft apps and services on iOS and Android compared to the limited and often bugged Windows Phone versions. With the failure that is Windows 10 Mobile, it is safe to say the Windows Store is all but dead just as the whole UWP; as without Mobile, 99% of desktop users just use web versions of popular services and win32 software instead on Win10 store alternatives. All you have to do is look at the stats of how many millions of people are using Win10 desktop while just a tiny percentage of that ever even opens the Win Store app. The big selling point was cross platform apps, but without Microsoft being present in the Mobile space that whole strategy is a complete and utter failure. Thats why you see apps being pulled from WP8.1 but none of them are being re-developed for UWP and Win10.  
  • No cross play with Steam version makes no sense.. There may be technical reasons, fine, but as a consumer I don't care.. Microsoft has touted cross-play for PC/ console and has fallen way short in these early days.. Now we can't get cross-play for their OWN game on a SINGLE platform??.. If anything, this just hurts the credibility of the company/store and hurts the players.. For example, I love Halo Wars 2 and can easily find games within seconds on console but it takes sometimes forever to get a Blitz match on PC.. Cross-play for PC/console solves this problem but if you want to use the kb/m advantage as an excuse fine (despite the fact that having no one to play against is much worse Imo) but now you can potentially add Steam players to the mix and you STILL segregate the online players?!.. Unacceptable.. This coming from a hardcore fan: do better with your Windows Store online multiplayer strategy if want gamers to take your Store/Service seriously..
  • Good, hopefully they'll put more of their games on steam...