‘Halo Wars 2’ Open Beta Hitting Next Week, First Screenshots Leaked

Microsoft’s plans for a surprise Halo Wars 2 open beta announcement for the Xbox One during its E3 2016 media briefing next week appears to have been spoiled. Information for the beta and screenshots of the real-time strategy game leaked Friday straight from the console.

A Halo Wars 2 open beta listing was discovered in the Xbox Store housed on the console through much the same way backwards compatibility titles leaked earlier this year. Images of the listing were posted to the Halo Reddit forum, where it’s been confirmed the Halo Wars 2 multiplayer beta will start on Monday, June 13 and run a week through the following Monday, June 20. There is no mention of a potential release date for the game, but it is expected to be released in the fall of 2016.

The leaked artwork and screenshots reveal the return of units from the original Halo Wars release plus some new units for both the UNSC and Covenant. Certain vehicles, in particular, stand out as having never been seen before in the mix of Warthogs, Scorpions, Hornets, Vultures, Wraiths, and Ghosts.

The game was first announced during a Gamescom media briefing in August 2015. Halo Wars 2 was revealed as an Xbox One and Windows 10 PC real-time strategy title, but there’s been no confirmation yet the open beta will be available for Windows 10 PC owners.

Last year’s reveal of Halo Wars 2 points to the sequel picking up where the original left off, with the crew of The Spirit of Fire battling Covenant forces. This time, those forces are led by a Brute commander, the Covenant race that has largely been absent since Halo 3.

The original Halo Wars was developed by Ensemble Studios and was a big test in making a real-time strategy title work successfully on a console. The studio was eventually closed by Microsoft for various reason, but fans have begged for a sequel over the last seven years.

Creative Assembly, best known for the Total War series of RTS titles, has picked up the reins for the sequel and is developing the game in partnership with Sega, the studio’s owner, and 343 Industries, the lore keepers of all things Halo.

“An exciting new strategy game packed with fast-paced action, massive battles and an all-new Halo story, Halo Wars 2 is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in fall 2016,” Microsoft announced at the time. “Developed by Creative Assembly, a SEGA company and the creators of the popular Total War series, in partnership with 343 Industries, Halo Wars 2 is the sequel to the game that redefined real-time strategy on consoles.”

The 2016 Xbox E3 media briefing is scheduled for Monday, June 13 at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT. It can be viewed via Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Spike TV, and the Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Microsoft is expected to push integration between both the Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs during the press conference. Cross-play between the two platforms is coming this year for titles like Rocket League and more.

Additionally, Halo 5 is bringing its Forge tools to the PC later this year, where designers will be able to create their own maps and modes that can be shared with others on console and PC. The full game is not coming, but this is likely a test bed for 343 Industries to bring future entries in the Halo franchise to both platforms. A similar situation can be seen with Forza Motorsport 6 and the Apex spin-off release for Windows 10.

What do you think of the Halo Wars 2 open multiplayer beta? Sound off in the comments below.

[Image via Reddit/Xbox Store]