343 is done with Halo Wars 2, no current plan for a Halo Wars 3
Arbiter of truth.
Sorry, Halo Wars fans - the series looks dead, at least for now.
Halo custodian 343 had previously said its focus on The Master Chief Collection meant it had no plans to return to Halo Wars 2, the Creative Assembly-developed real-time strategy game released in 2017.
But now all the MCC titles are on PC, some had wondered whether 343 would return to updating Halo Wars 2 with new content. The news, sadly, is that Halo Wars 2 is done.
Not only that, there are no current plans to release a Halo Wars 3 - or any new game in the series.
"It's not always easy to be open and transparent - particularly when we expect it's not an answer the community wants to hear - but we want to give it to you straight: 343 Industries has no current plans for further Halo Wars 2 work including content updates, balance patches, bringing the title to other platforms, or a new game in the series," 343 community manager John Junyszek wrote in a post on Halo Waypoint.
"We will, however, continue to monitor the game and ensure everything is working as expected."
Junyszek did stress 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 aren't working on a new game in the series at this time. But, we're specifically never going to say never because, well, who knows what the future may bring."
In short: there is no work happening on Halo Wars. The Halo Wars 2 Steam dream is over.
The natural question to ask is why?
"It really boils down to the realities of finite time, resources, and focus for the studio," Junyszek said.
"The 343 Publishing team has no shortage of ideas and inspiration to pursue for MCC and plenty of ongoing work to support the Halo franchise. Meanwhile, the majority of the studio is incredibly focused working towards Halo Infinite's launch (and you may have also heard, 'launch is only the beginning').
"Given the broader impact initiatives the studio is already committed to, we unfortunately can't devote the time and attention we'd need to deliver additional updates and content for the Halo Wars franchise."
Halo Wars 2 launched nearly four years ago, and its last balance patch was released in August 2020. It will go down as its 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," Junyszek concluded.
"Thank you again to everyone in the Halo Wars community for your support and we look forward to facing The Banished together again this Fall in Halo Infinite."