The Making of Halo Wars — Ensemble, Bungie & the Road to Definitive Edition

Halo is a first-person shooter franchise, so how did a real-time strategy game end up carrying the name? Below is a written version of our video on how Halo Wars came to be, from the Age of Empires developers who built it to the Definitive Edition that finally put it on PC. Use the headings as a map, or watch the embed above for the full story. If you want to keep exploring the original game after this, our Halo Wars hub has the full unit, tech, and leader reference.

A Halo game that isn't a shooter

Most Halo games follow the Master Chief or a group of Spartans fighting the Covenant to save humanity. Halo Wars follows a new crew, the Spirit of Fire, and shares almost nothing with the main series from a gameplay perspective. It still sold millions of copies, built a hardcore fanbase of its own, and eventually earned a sequel. So how did something this different get made in the first place?

Ensemble Studios

Start with the developer. Ensemble Studios was founded in 1995 as an independent company and acquired by Microsoft in 2001. Its first game, Age of Empires, launched on PC in 1997 and became an instant hit that helped define the RTS genre.

• 2004: Before Halo Wars existed, Ensemble built a prototype that used a console gamepad, aiming to prove an RTS could be both fun and functional without a mouse and keyboard.
• The pivot: After Microsoft saw the demonstration, the project was steered toward the Halo universe.
• 2006: Halo Wars is officially announced.

That controller-first starting point is the reason the game feels the way it does. We dig into it in Halo Wars 1: The Ultimate Design for Console RTS.

Where was Bungie?

At the time, Bungie simply didn't have the manpower or resources to take on a Halo strategy game, so the project went to Ensemble. Bungie still helped with assets and with keeping the game accurate to the Halo universe, but the studio wasn't thrilled about the concept. The video notes Bungie reportedly resented the idea, with one quote calling it "whoring out the franchise."

From build-anywhere to base slots

Halo Wars was originally designed so players could build wherever they pleased, and footage of that early alpha still floats around on YouTube. The alpha went out internally to other Microsoft studios for testing, Bungie included, and the feedback pointed to serious flaws in unit balance. Changes had to be made.

Somewhere along the way, Ensemble moved to the structure every player knows now: bases with a fixed number of building slots. Those slots hold the pieces of your economy and army, including:

• Vehicle depots for your ground vehicles
• Barracks for infantry
• Supply pads for your income
• Armories for upgrades

Why there was no PC version

RTS games have almost exclusively lived on PC, so a console-exclusive strategy game felt strange to a lot of Halo fans. Ensemble's answer was that Halo Wars was a console game and they wanted all of their effort on the console experience. In a 2008 interview, one of the lead developers said they would rather put that effort into Halo Wars 2 than into a PC port.

A lot changed after that interview. Ensemble never got to make Halo Wars 2. Current Halo developer 343 Industries did, with help from Creative Assembly, the team best known for the Total War series.

Demo, release, and the end of Ensemble

• February 5, 2009: The public demo launches and sets a record for the most downloads in a single day, helping drive sales after launch.
• March 3, 2009: Halo Wars releases and goes on to sell millions of copies.
• Before launch: Microsoft announces the closure of Ensemble Studios, so Halo Wars ends up being the studio's final game.
• After Ensemble: Former staff helped form Robot Entertainment, New Toy Inc., and Bonfire Studios.
• Robot Entertainment: Maintained the game after release until February 2010, when Microsoft took over. Robot also built the DLC, which added a map pack and a few new game modes.

A hardcore fanbase and the Definitive Edition

Halo Wars never matched the sales of the main Halo entries, but its community stuck around. It became backwards compatible on Xbox One in April 2016, and fans kept asking for a sequel. The logistics looked rough: Bungie no longer made Halo games, Ensemble was closed, there was a new Xbox on the market, and a different studio was in charge of Halo.

Then, out of nowhere, Microsoft announced not only a sequel but a remaster of the original. Halo Wars: Definitive Edition arrived in late 2016 on Xbox One and PC, which meant that after seven years, players could finally experience the original on PC. It runs at 60 frames per second with improved graphics and performance, and it's part of the Xbox Play Anywhere program.

Our take at the time, and one many fans shared, was disappointment that the Definitive Edition launched without a formal matchmaking system. It was closer to a glorified custom games mode for multiplayer. Even so, with a remaster and a proper sequel, new players and old fans could both dive back into the campaign and the wider Halo lore. Curious how the sequel came together? Watch The Making of Halo Wars 2, or read our Halo Wars 2 review after 1,000 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Who made the original Halo Wars?

Ensemble Studios developed Halo Wars. The studio was founded in 1995, acquired by Microsoft in 2001, and best known for Age of Empires. Bungie helped with assets and lore accuracy, but the game was built by Ensemble.

Why did Halo Wars never come to PC in 2009?

Ensemble wanted every ounce of effort on the console experience. Halo Wars was designed around the Xbox 360 controller, and the team preferred to spend time on a sequel rather than port the first game to PC. The PC release finally came with Halo Wars: Definitive Edition in late 2016.

What happened to Ensemble Studios after Halo Wars?

Microsoft announced the closure of Ensemble Studios before Halo Wars shipped. Former staff helped found new studios including Robot Entertainment, New Toy Inc., and Bonfire Studios. Robot Entertainment maintained Halo Wars and built its downloadable content until Microsoft took over in February 2010.

Who made Halo Wars 2?

Halo Wars 2 was developed by 343 Industries together with Creative Assembly, the studio best known for the Total War series.

Leave a comment on the video with your favorite Halo Wars memory. For more on the original game, read The Heroes of Halo Wars or follow our Legendary co-op campaign walkthrough.

— Team Respawn (The Making of Halo Wars on YouTube)