Twin-stick shooter Halo: Spartan Strike announced for Windows devices and Steam

With Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo 5: Guardians both coming to Xbox One only, Microsoft and 343 Industries are looking for new ways to bring the Halo experience to players on other platforms.

Introducing Halo: Spartan Strike, a top-down, twin-stick shooter that acts as a spiritual successor to last year's Halo: Spartan Assault. According to IGN, it is set during the events of Halo 2 and features "a wealth of improvements over Spartan Assault." For starters, microtransactions have been removed. Achievements, rewards in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, 25 weekly challenges, leaderboards, and more are all planned.

Halo: Spartan Strike is set to release on December 12 — about a month after Halo: The Master Chief Collection hits Xbox One — for Windows platforms (desktop, Surface tablet, and Windows Phone). It'll be priced at $5.99; however, buying the game on one Windows platform will get you the other versions as well. Spartan Strike will also be available on Steam, where it will be sold separately for $5.99.