Halo Wars 2 physical releases canceled in North America

THQ Nordic announced in January that it had struck a deal with Microsoft to release a swanky boxed edition of the upcoming Halo Wars 2. Two of them, actually: a standard release and an "Ultimate" edition, with the season pass and the "enhanced" Halo Wars: Definitive Edition included. But it recently came to light that the plan has changed somewhat, and that North American gamers won't be able to get their hands on them unless they order from overseas.

"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," developer 343 Industries said in a message posted to the Halo Waypoint.

"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."

No reason for the cancellation of the North American release of the Halo Wars 2 boxes was given. It's no secret that physical editions are more common in Europe than North America, but it seems like a strange move to make so close to the game's release on February 21. The announcement was actually made earlier this month, but that's still awfully close to launch, especially for anyone looking forward to the arrival of their preorder.

Thanks, IGN.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.