RecommendedSteam player
Good game. Now port the Halo series to Steam please. Thanks. EDIT: MARCH 12TH, 2019 THEY DID ITShow moreShow less
1.3 hours at review2,496 people found this helpful
Halo Wars: Definitive Edition
Halo Wars: Definitive Edition puts large Halo armies under your command in a real-time strategy campaign, with online battles also available on Steam. At $4.99 from 
Microsoft Store, the site's tracked low makes this a timely option for players who want both solo campaign play and multiplayer. Steam reviews show 92% positive from 8,693 reviews, and the Steam PC version has full controller support.
Network play is Steam-exclusive, so it does not connect with Windows Store versions. Interface support includes multiple languages, which can help make the campaign and battles easier to follow. For this Steam PC offer, Traditional Chinese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Czech, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, and Russian are the confirmed interface languages, and full controller support is listed.
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Price History
Past 36 months · Updated dailyHistorical Low~ $4.992023-09Current Low Across Stores~ $4.99Microsoft StoreAt its historical low now
Prices cover Steam and 39 authorized stores; only legitimate offers are counted. The chart shows weekly market-wide lows and Steam's official price across the past 36 months.
01About Halo Wars: Definitive Edition
Command large Halo armies in this real-time strategy game, set early in the Covenant–UNSC war. The Steam PC edition offers a campaign and online multiplayer, with network play exclusive to Steam and no cross-play with Windows Store versions. Steam player reviews: 92% positive from 8,693 reviews. Supported interface languages: Traditional Chinese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Czech, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, and Russian. Released: April 20, 2017.
Credits
Composer
Stephen Rippy
Developer
Ensemble Studios · Behaviour Interactive · 343 Industries
Publisher
Xbox Game Studios
Lowest recorded in 36 months
$4.992023-09-21 · SteamBase game · same records as the chart above; USD history, not a regional Steam low.Language support
| Language | Interface | Subtitles | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | Yes | Yes | — |
| English | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| French | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Show 9 more languages
| Language | Interface | Subtitles | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| German | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Spanish | Yes | Yes | — |
| Czech | Yes | Yes | — |
| Hungarian | Yes | Yes | — |
| Japanese | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Korean | Yes | Yes | — |
| Polish | Yes | Yes | — |
| Russian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Steam PC edition data · 2026-10-19
02Before you buy
Campaign and online play
The Steam PC edition includes a campaign and online multiplayer. Its network play is exclusive to Steam and does not support cross-play with Windows Store versions.
Language and controls
Steam lists interface support for English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and both Chinese variants. Full controller support is listed.
03Frequently asked questions
What kind of game is it?
It is a real-time strategy game in which you control Halo armies during the Covenant–UNSC war.
Does the Steam PC edition include multiplayer?
Yes. It includes online multiplayer; network play is Steam-exclusive, without cross-play with Windows Store versions.
Who developed the game?
The listed developers are Ensemble Studios, Behaviour Interactive, and 343 Industries.
Popular Steam reviews
Native-language selection · 10 reviewsSelected helpful reviews in this language show both recommendations and criticisms. This selection does not represent the overall positive rating; opinions reflect the version reviewed.
Not recommendedSteam player
TLDR: If you played the original and liked it, you will love this. If you're a PC gamer looking for your next RTS then RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. Full version: I missed this when it was on the free play weekend, but have been curious about this title for a long time, and I picked it up during a sale. I played it for a bit, and then looked at the steam reviews to see if anyone else was thinking the same thing; how the hell did this get such high review scores? I'll tell you. 1. Nostalgia for the console version. 2. Reviews that are hoping enough positive reviews for this lead to the rest of the Halo series being ported to PC. People who remember the console version or this game as thier first RTS seem to be enjoying this immensely: It plays like a simplified version of Dawn Of War, except with horrific controls, a ridiculously close zoomed in view, and a giant unscalable UI. If you're a PC player looking for your next RTS then skip this one IMMEDIATELY. This has nothing going for it outside the Halo license, which is admittedly used well. Asides from the graphics, this is a direct console port of a very old game, not a "brought up to date" PC version. If they'd fixed the horrible controls (such as not being able to click on a base that is only half on the screen, you have to scroll till the base practically fills the screen before you can select it), horrible pathfinding, gigantic unscalable UI, and the uber zoomed in view, this could have made a really great light RTS. (Yes, I know about alt-mousewheel and the zoom mod). I'm pretty sure if all the reviews that say "thumbs up, now port the other halo games" were removed from the scoring, this game would score more like 67%, which is closer to what it actually is. Update, July 2022 Oh god, is this on sale again? time for more Jester awards and salty comments from fanbois who's are butthurt I don't like the same game as them :steamhappy: Yeah, I know, Halo got ported. 2.3 hours was more than enough to tell this was a dirty console peasant implementation of a so-called "RTS". If you liked the console version, have at it, otherwise avoid it like the plague.Show moreShow less
2.3 hours at review845 people found this helpful
RecommendedSteam player
See here's the thing, you keep bringing Halo games to Steam, I keep buyin' em. You make money, I have fun. We both get what we want. Easy as that. Sounds like a good deal to me.Show moreShow less
3.3 hours at review1,657 people found this helpful
Not recommendedSteam player
*sigh*... I want to like this game... but there are just so many things wrong with it that were done right in games that are more than a decade older than this one. Unit pathfinding is incredibly stupid. They won't move out of each other's way on their own, requiring you to micromanage unit movement (to the level of moving a single tank out of the way so that infantry can move forward). Sometimes the units can't even figure out a path around stationary objects on their own, requiring you to tell them to walk around the object manually. Further, the units can't be told to stay put. When a group is attacked, the nearest units move toward the attacker automatically - separating themselves from the group, making them vulnerable. Squishy infantry will walk away from their heavy armor and get picked off. More detailed issues too. Having infantry in groups isn't a new concept, and it was handled pretty well in Star Wars: Empire at War (for instance). If a 5-man unit was reduced to 2 soldiers it would automatically combine with other reduced units to form new 5-man groups, and reduce the population count so you could bring in reinforcements to replace the losses. This is important because the population cap is ridiculously low in Halo Wars. I assume this is because the unit pathfinding is so terrible, and instead of improving it they decided to keep the unit counts low so it wouldn't be impossible to manage. For some reason, acquiring a second base doesn't increase your population cap. This... doesn't make sense in any way, unless the cap is restricted for technical reasons (i.e. these developers are lazy). Bottom line, this isn't a good RTS. C&C Red Alert (published in 1996, 22 years ago) handled units better. Compared to Red Alert 2, Age of Empires II, Starcraft, Rise of Nations, Dark Age of Camelot... This is amateur hour. I once wasted some time playing Army Men: RTS (2002) and that had smarter unit control. If you want a decent sci-fi RTS with similar playstyle to Halo Wars, try Star Wars Empire at War. If you want a good RTS, try anything published by Westwood Studios (before they were bought by EA). *Edit* A lot of folks have responded with comments to the effect of "The controls are limited because this is a console game ported to PC." I get that, and it is excusable. The limited controls are not my primary complaint against this game. The biggest problem is that unit pathfinding is stupid stupid stupid. I should not have to manually guide troops around stationary obstructions, they should absolutely be able to figure out how to get around a rock on their own. I should not have to manually tell infantry to move aside so that a tank can pass through where they're standing, they absolutely should do that automatically. And again, this sort of basic unit pathfinding was handled properly in games from the 90s. If you're going to try to tell me that the XBox 360 couldn't handle that... try again.Show moreShow less
2.3 hours at review442 people found this helpful
RecommendedSteam player
port the Halo series to Steam please. Thanks.Show moreShow less
4.9 hours at review1,104 people found this helpful
Not recommendedSteam player
Wait! I actually really do like this game! As an RTS, its really simple and fun to construct and play. The campaign is great, the models\music are great, and the game is overall a 9\10-BUT- it came out a VERY long time ago. The problem with that, is the majority of multiplayer doesn't exist anymore. The game has very low solo player replay value and because of the way the multiplayer works in 2019, I can't recommend anyone buy it anymore D: Its not a slight on the games quality, so much as telling people not to drop 20$ on a game that, in 2019, is so limited when they're are alternatives, such as Age of Empires: Definitive Edition, with much more stable multiplayer communities.Show moreShow less
4.8 hours at review123 people found this helpful
RecommendedSteam player
Anyone from Microsoft reading this please bring more Halo games to steam, I am willing to pay AAA title release prices for them just let me play on PC I beg. Also this is a good game buy it now.Show moreShow less
1.5 hours at review920 people found this helpful
Not recommendedSteam player
Ok, honest review. A decent game, at best. I got it on sale for $9.99, during the Black Friday sale, so no harm, no foul. Pros: Cool (decent) game, perpetuates the HALO story (although no Master Chief). Cool graphics, sounds , and some decent units (not many). Cons: NOT a traditional RTS game. The control scheme is all wrong. You cannot scroll the camera in or out, therfore you cannot adequately see the battefiled. You cannot "Attack move," rather you have to individually click on targets to attack. You could park your units next to some enemy units (like buildings) and they will do nothing. In other words, you have to manually attack. You cannot change your unit's "posture." Meaning, you cannot command "Aggressively attack, stand ground, or hold fire." If left alone, your units will chase after the enemy if engaged until one is dead. Available units get boring really fast. Also, there is almost no way to repair your units, except this stupid healing ray from the ship (which costs 350 supply per use!, and doesn't do a good job!!) Infantry units are terrible, and DO NOT heal at all, unless you research the exhorbatantly expensive medic. You cannot build your base the way you want. You are confined to a tiny area centered on your stronghold, and can only build in available slots, up to six I believe. Build your structures, conduct a few upgrades, crank out a few units, and that's it. No real strategy. Simply wash, rinse and repeat, every level. Fans of HALO will most likely enjoy the game, others will not. This game had the potential for greatness, if it adhered to something similar to Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance mechanics and gameplay, but it did not. As I stated, honest review. It was a decent game, but I'm so glad I only paid $9.99.Show moreShow less
11.2 hours at review67 people found this helpful
RecommendedSteam player
Previously On Halo: Spartan Strike.. We need halo CE, halo 2 and halo 3 on steam ! And everyone will say "YES MY FRIEND, YES !" Now, on Halo Wars Definitive Edition THANKS GOD!!! YOU DID IT, YOU ADDED ANOTHER HALO GAME ON STEAM <3<3 But, one more favor please my friends, read this : We need halo CE, halo 2 and halo 3 on steam ! And everyone will say "YES MY FRIEND, YES !" Let's gooooooooooo!Show moreShow less
9.2 hours at review579 people found this helpful
Not recommendedSteam player
No attack move, and units do less damage while moving, meaning you need to always tell them to stop when encountering enemies. Weird, clunky controls that are meant for gamepads, not KB/M. Playing on controller is still just as bad if not worse, so don't expect improvement from that. Huge interface meant for TVs, not widescreen computer displays, looks very ugly and offputting. A big reason why this game has a positive review score on Steam is because of people who bought and played the game on console many years ago, and didn't have anything better. Later they buy it on Steam to drop a nostalgia-fueled positive review that doesn't reflect the standards of RTS on PC at all. Therefore, be warned that the score is partially misleading. It could be an OK game if someone wants something extremely simple, but even then there are better RTS for it so I can't recommend this one.Show moreShow less
1.1 hours at review55 people found this helpful
Source: original Steam user reviews. Helpful votes are an archived snapshot, not live data. Last collected: 08/15/2026.