'Halo Wars 2' release date news: 'Halo Wars: Definitive Edition' now available for those who pre-ordered upcoming sequel

"Halo Wars" players will have to wait for two more months before getting their hands on the real-time strategy video game's upcoming sequel. However, that doesn't mean that they have to spend the holiday season without sharpening their skills and preparing for its release. Players who pre-ordered "Halo Wars 2" get to enjoy early access to "Halo Wars: Definitive Edition."

The enhanced version of "Halo Wars" can only be accessed by pre-ordering the Ultimate Edition of "Halo Wars 2." This version, available for both PC and Xbox One, also includes a season pass which will give players access to all future downloadable content for the forthcoming sequel.

"If you don't receive your code today, don't worry! Codes are rolling out through the coming weeks but anyone who pre-ordered by December 14 should receive one today, so keep an eye out," said Dan Ayoub, 343 head of Strategy Games Development, earlier this week.

Meanwhile, in an interview Stevivor, with 343 Industries head Bonnie Ross said that "Halo Wars 2" signifies their renewed commitment to the PC platform as well as players of the RTS franchise.

"We want to be really deliberate, and that's actually why we lead with 'Halo Wars 2,'" he said.

The studio head also said that they wanted to correct the mistakes of the original title. 343 and Creative Studios have taken over the development of the sequel from Ensemble Studios. The former released "Halo Wars" in 2009 exclusively for the Xbox 360 console. At the time it was released, it sadly overlooked the PC players.

"We felt that it was paying back to the fans that we wanted this in the first place, and it's the right first 'Halo' game," Ross said regarding the release of "Halo Wars: Definitive Edition."

"Halo Wars 2" will be launched on Feb. 21, 2017 for the Xbox One and Microsoft Windows PC. It will be released as an Xbox Play Anywhere title which means players will only have to purchase the game once but will be able to play on both platforms. Game progress will also be saved on the cloud to ensure a seamless transition.