Sorry, Halo Wars fans – the series looks dead, at least for now.
Halo guardian 343 had previously said that his focus on The Master Chief Collection meant he had no plans to return to Halo Wars 2, the real-time strategy game developed by Creative Assembly released in 2017.
But now that all of the MCC titles are on the PC, some wondered if 343 would update Halo Wars 2 with new content again. The news, unfortunately, is that Halo Wars 2 is over.
In addition, there are no current plans to launch a Halo Wars 3 – or any new game in the series.
“It’s not always easy to be open and transparent – especially when we hope it’s not an answer the community wants to hear – but we want to give you a straight answer: 343 Industries has no plans for new Halo Wars 2 work including content updates , balance patches, bringing the title to other platforms or a new game in the series, “wrote 343 community manager John Junyszek in a post on Halo Waypoint.
“We will, however, continue to monitor the game and ensure that everything is working as expected.”
Junyszek emphasized the use of the word “currently”. Perhaps at some point in the future Halo Wars will return – but don’t hold your breath.
“As of today, there is no plan for the development team to re-engage with Halo Wars 2 and we’re not working on a new game in the series right now. But specifically, we’ll never say never, because, well, who knows what the future can bring. “
In short: there is no work going on in Halo Wars. Steam’s dream of Halo Wars 2 is over.
The natural question to ask is why?
“It really comes down to the realities of finite time, resources and focus for the studio,” said Junyszek.
“The 343 Publishing team has no shortage of ideas and inspiration to look for in the MCC and a lot of ongoing work to support the Halo franchise. In the meantime, most of the studio is incredibly focused on work for the launch of Halo Infinite (and you too you may have heard, ‘launching is just the beginning’).
“Given the broader impact initiatives that the studio is already committed to, unfortunately we are unable to devote the time and attention we would need to provide additional updates and content for the Halo Wars franchise.”
Halo Wars 2 was released almost four years ago, and its last balance patch was released in August 2020. It will be considered the last.
“Halo Wars 2 expanded the Halo Universe, introduced us to new characters and experiences and inspired the future of the franchise with its classic art style and the introduction of The Banished,” concluded Junyszek.
“Thanks again to everyone in the Halo Wars community for their support and we look forward to facing the Banished together again this fall in Halo Infinite.”