Halo Wars DLC confirmed titled “Strategic options”

Microsoft has published its news release about the upcoming Halo Wars DLC “Strategic options” . The DLC has been worked on in part by Ensemble Studios and part by Robot Entertainment. Ensemble’s ex Lead Designer Graeme Devine has previously stated that the DLC was nearly finished at the time of shipping.

“The main thing is that DLC was built into the game design from the very beginning so we’ve actually been working on DLC all along, It was never the plan to finish the game THEN start work on the DLC”- Graeme Devine

Robot has been working diligently since the release of the game to make balance patches, bug fixes and complete the testing of the upcoming DLC. Both a title update (a forced download) and the DLC will be made available soon.

No details on the pricing of the DLC of yet, nor an official date has been set but expect to find out very soon. The official press release from Microsoft follows:

——————-

Strategic Options Add-on for Halo Wars

Published April 21, 2009

Halo Wars™, the best selling real-time strategy game on any current generation console, mixes up the battlefield like never before with the Strategic Options Game Add-on Pack, available in the coming weeks exclusively on Xbox 360®.

Build the stronger army in Tug of War.

Strategic Options ushers in the next wave of battle for Halo Wars with three new game modes which dramatically change the multiplayer experience and challenge you to rethink your battle tactics.

Defeat waves of enemies in Reinforcement.

• Keepaway Mode: This is the Halo Wars adaptation of “Capture the Flag.” Teams battle it out to capture a free-roaming Forerunner Sentinel to score points before the other team. Capture three sentinels to claim victory.
• Tug of War Mode: This mode is all about having a stronger army than your opponent. Defeating enemies is essential, but success is determined by a combination of the army, buildings, and resources left standing in the end.
• Reinforcement Mode: All active battle units are provided in successive waves. Adapt to their tactics and use the ever-changing set of units to outwit and outlast the enemy.

Capture the Forerunner in Keepaway.

Strategic Options also adds four new Achievements worth a total of 100 points:

• One and Done: Score the winning point in a game of Keepaway against Legendary A.I.’s
• Pull Hard, Pull Deep: Win and never trail in a Tug of War game
• Freak on a Streak: Gain at least 15 population from a single wave in a Reinforcement game
• Living Loving Bug: Obtain a Scarab during a Reinforcement game

Haven’t tried Halo Wars yet? A free demo is also available on Marketplace. The full-featured demo includes two levels of the Campaign mode, plus a one-on-one Skirmish battle between the USNC and Covenant.

Halo Wars
Set in the iconic Halo universe, Halo Wars predates the original first-person shooter Halo. Experience the early battles between the UNSC and Covenant, the far-reaching conflict that has been diligently followed by the masses in the blockbuster Halo series.