Halo Wars 2 will feature a robust, story-driven campaign and plenty of multiplayer action. While we’re not talking about the game’s story (or where it takes place in the Halo timeline) just yet, we are very excited about the way it contributes to the expanding Halo universe, and we look forward to sharing more in the future.

The last time we saw the crew of the UNSC Spirit of Fire in Halo Wars, they were settling in for a long cryosleep on their way home, knowing that with a little luck, they’d make it back to civilized space in one piece. Nearly 30 years later, they’re awakened to a new threat to the Halo universe and find themselves as the one thing standing between hope and annihilation. Halo Wars 2 will take you back to the Ark, introduce new heroes and villains, and deliver a new multiplayer mode that has the potential to push the real-time strategy genre forward.

Beyond the terrain and the world in which Halo Wars 2 takes place, its compliment of heroes and villains helps broaden the world. And because the UNSC Spirit of Fire and its crew are essentially in a place out of time, having been asleep for 28 years, they’ve missed all of the recent events that the Master Chief was a part of. This creates a unique setting for new players to the series, as they will be learning about the state of the universe alongside the crew of the Fire.

All Units, Local Units! Get ready to experience a brand new way to play RTS because the Halo Wars 2 Blitz Multiplayer Beta officially launches today on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC! The Blitz multiplayer beta is open to anyone on Windows 10 PC and for Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox One, and runs from today until Jan. 30.

Blitz offers a unique twist on Halo Wars 2 gameplay by replacing the traditional real-time strategy (RTS) aspects of resource collection, base building and tech tree planning with a streamlined way to build your armies and jump straight into the action.

Unlike a traditional RTS match, your entire army and Leader Powers are selected and built before a Blitz match even begins. Players will select a Leader and build a deck of 12 cards, with each card representing a type of unit or Leader Power. All units and Powers have an energy cost associated; finding the right balance of cheap and weak vs. expensive and high-tech units is all part of the deeper strategy. There are also Leader-specific cards; for instance, Captain Cutter is all about providing orbital support from the UNSC Spirit of Fire (Archer Missiles!) while UNSC Logistics AI Isabel can confuse opponents with AI holograms. In team matches, players will also want to figure out ways to synergize decks for maximum impact.

For fans new to RTS, Blitz takes players straight into battle while RTS veterans will find opportunity for deeper strategy through deck building, army composition and counterplay. The beta is Player vs. Player only, but Blitz will also include a Player vs. Environment mode – Blitz Firefight – at launch.