In a move that’ll likely hurt initial sales numbers, Microsoft has decided that Halo Wars 2‘s PC version will not be available physically in the U.S. Although THQ Nordic was initially supposed to provide the physical copies, it seems like those copies will only be available overseas. Microsoft hasn’t provided their reasoning behind the decision, but it would seem Microsoft is the one that made the choice.
In a post on Halo Waypoint, 343 Industries’ Community Manager Brian Jarrard said:
Earlier this month, you may have heard that we were partnering with our friends at THQ Nordic for worldwide availability of a physical retail version of Halo Wars 2 for Windows 10 PC. Since then, our retail plans have shifted and Microsoft has made the decision to focus the release of the physical retail version to Europe only. THQ Nordic is a great partner and they are working with us to ensure this transition remains smooth for our customers.
Halo Wars 2 for Windows 10 PC will remain available worldwide, digitally, via the Windows Store. We apologize to any customers affected by the change in our retail plans, and thank everyone for the continued support as we look forward to the release of Halo Wars 2 for Xbox One and Windows 10 PC on Feb. 21, 2017.
Although the physical copies of the PC version will NOT be available in the U.S, the Xbox One version will still be available in both physical and digital formats. It remains to be seen what caused this decision, but hopefully all interested players get their chance to play it and don’t miss out simply because of this decision. Another silver lining is that Halo Wars 2 is a part of the Xbox Play Anywhere system where you buy one copy of a game (either on Xbox One or PC) and you get another copy on the other side for free. It may not be the ideal set-up, but two copies for the price of one is a worthy consolation prize.
Are you going to pick up Halo Wars 2? Is this a deal-breaker for you PC players? Did you play the recent open beta? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to check out the RGM Forums as well!
