Halo Wars 2 "campaign cutscene" trailer revealed

The Halo Wars 2 “campaign cutscene” video that made its debut over the weekend at RTX doesn't show off any new gameplay, but it does a nice job of setting the table for an all-new RTS throwdown between humanity and a gang of angry aliens.

The human side of the conflict is represented by the crew of the Spirit of Fire, which has been awakened after nearly 30 years of cryosleep. Alas, they are welcomed back not by their UNSC brethren, but by the Banished, a sort of post-Covenant splinter group that isn't too happy with the way the universe is shaping up. And as usual, nobody seems all that terribly interested in talking it out.

Halo Wars 2 is set for release on February 21, 2017, and there will be a pre-release beta, although not for awhile yet. For now, you can see the Windows 10 version of the game in action courtesy of Dan Ayoub's presentation at the PC Gaming Show at E3.

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.