Early Access & Known Issues
Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is being released as an Early Access game beginning December 20, 2016. While the game is a complete experience, we are considering this initial availability Early Access, as there are some tweaks and improvements that will be made to the game as we support Halo Wars: Definitive Edition over the coming months.
Being an Early Access title means that we need to acknowledge a handful of issues that we are looking at improving in the near future:
On PC, the first time you run the game, there can be a delay of approximately a minute before the game launches. On subsequent launches, the game will launch normally.
We are looking to improve the multiplayer game flow and messaging in the future. This means you move to the most appropriate screens as you step through the process of starting/joining a multiplayer match.
In multiplayer, you need to click the Search button at the bottom of the screen when searching for a match, click the Ready button when you have joined a match and are ready to start the game, and click the Publish button when creating a new multiplayer match. Clicking these buttons will allow you to proceed with the game.
In some cases, voice chat defaults to all, even if youre on opposing teams. In a 1v1 game situation you may want to mute your microphone to avoid inadvertently giving strategic insights to your opponent. On team games, depending on the platform, you may want to use Party Chat instead. This obviously isnt ideal and is something the team will address going forward.
If your computer hardware is lower end, please go to the Options menu and turn down the game settings to optimally enjoy the game.