Editing Halo Wars 2 Open Beta

{{Title|''Halo Wars 2 Open Beta''}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
[[File:HW2 Beta Start menu.png|thumb|250px|right|The Start menu of the Beta]]

The '''''Halo Wars 2 Open Beta''''' is a phase of the development of ''[[Halo Wars 2]]'', developed by Creative Assembly and published by [[Microsoft Studios]]. It was publicly announced at E3 2016. The beta ran from [[2016|June 13 to June 23, 2016]].<ref name="E31">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjN1eWhzPeA '''YouTube:''' ''- Halo Wars 2 Official E3 Trailer'']</ref>

==Overview==
The beta opened on June 13, 2016. Players could enter it by going to the Xbox store and downloading it for free. The Beta was only available on Xbox One as the developers could not make the PC version ready for a beta release in time, leading to them doing a second beta for the PC later on.<ref>[http://news.xbox.com/2016/06/13/halo-wars-2-coming-xbox-one-pc-2017-xbox-one-beta-available-now/ '''Xbox News''' ''Halo Wars Beta Available now'']</ref>

===Timetable===
*'''June 13 to June 16:''' [[Domination]] was available on [[Ricochet (level)|Ricochet]]. Domination is the classic RTS gameplay from ''Halo Wars'', now with all-new units, leaders, special abilities, and the amazing depth of ''Halo Wars 2''. Players will build their bases and armies, and battle for control of the map and supremacy on the Ark.
*'''June 17 to June 23:''' [[Deathmatch]] was available on [[Veteran]]. In Deathmatch, players will plan and build a base and army – but instead of fighting for map control, they'll fight until only one player remains standing.

==Included features==
The beta test featured a taste of the features from the final multiplayer experience. The features were:

{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-5|title-1=Leaders|
*[[James Cutter]]
*[[Atriox]]

|title-2=UNSC Units and Buildings|
*[[Firebase]]
**Combat Center
**Command Center
**[[Marines]]
**[[Jackrabbit]]
***Gunrabbit

*1-slot Minibase
*2-slot Minibase

*[[UNSC Armory|Armory]]
**Fortify I, II, III
**Adv. Logistics I, II, III
**Combat Reinforcements I
**[[Jerome-092]]

*[[UNSC Barracks|Barracks]]
**Infantry I, II, III
**[[Hellbringers]]
**[[Cyclops]]
**[[Sniper]]

*[[UNSC Garage|Garage]]
**Vehicle I, II, II
**[[M12 Chaingun Warthog|Warthog]]
***[[M12G1 Gauss Warthog|Gauss Warthog]]
**[[M9 Wolverine|Wolverine]]
**[[Kodiak]]
**[[M808B Scorpion|Scorpion]]
***Canister Shell

*[[UNSC Airpad|Airpad]]
**Air I, II, III
**[[AV-14 Hornet|Hornet]]
**[[Nightingale]]
**[[AC-220 Vulture|Vulture]]

*Leader Power Units
**[[ODST]]

*[[UNSC Supply Pad|Supply Pad]]
**Heavy Supply Pad

*[[UNSC Generator|Generator]]
**Advanced Generator

*Towers
**[[Tower Emplacement]]
**[[Watchtower]]
**[[Siege Turret]]

|title-3=Banished Units and Buildings|
*[[Banished outpost]]
**Stronghold
**Citadel
**Fortress
**[[Grunt]] Squad
**[[Barug'qel Workshop Chopper]]

*1-slot Minibase
*2-slot Minibase

*[[War council]]
**Fortify I, II, III
**Adv. Logistics I, II, III
**Combat Reinforcements I
**[[Jiralhanae Warlord|Warlord]]

*[[Raid camp]]
**Infantry I, II, III
**[[Suicide Grunts]]
**[[Hunters]]
**[[Sangheili Ranger|Elite Rangers]]
**[[Jump Pack Brutes]]

*[[Foundry (building)|Foundry]]
**Vehicle I, II, III
**[[Eklon'Dal Workshop Marauder]]
**[[Reaver]]
**[[Barukaza Workshop Locust]]
**[[Eklon'Dal Workshop Wraith]]

*[[Apex (building)|Apex]]
**Air I, II, III
**[[Engineer]]
**[[Banshee]]
**[[Klavbrig Workshop Shroud]]
**[[Gydrozka Workshop Blisterback]]

*[[Harvester (building)|Harvester]]
**Augmented Harvester

*[[Power extractor]]
**Augmented Extractor

*[[Turret (Banished)|Turret]]
**[[Sensor Tower]]
**[[Shield Generator]]

|title-4=Native Units and Buildings|
*[[Domination Point]]
**[[Aggressor Sentinel]]
*[[Garrison]]
*[[Power node]]

|title-5=Maps|
*[[Ricochet (level)|Ricochet]] (June 13–16)
*[[Veteran]] (June 17–20)

|title-6=Gametypes|
*[[Domination]] (June 13–16)
*[[Deathmatch]] (June 17–20)

|title-7=Playlists|
*Halo Wars 2 Beta
}}

==Non-playable units or items==
During the beta. The following units or items were only visible or usable during building, or leader power, animations.
===UNSC===
*[[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|Drop pod]]: Drops ODST with leader power.
*[[D81-LRT Condor|Condor]]:Drops off a UNSC Firebase
*[[D77-TC Pelican|Pelican]]: Drops off UNSC buildings and is usable with a leader power.
*Pelican Gunship
*[[D82-EST Darter|Darter]]: If a supply pad is on the field, Darters will take Supplies to it.

===Banished===
*[[Kmiro'sish-pattern Lich|Lich]]: Drops of a Banished Outpost
*[[Dextro Xur-pattern Spirit|Spirit]]: Drops off Banished buildings and is usable to transport troops.
*Spirit Gunship

==Differences==
===General===
*When it comes to leader powers, the leader powers was a tree-base system where the player is granted 3 leader power points at the start and 3 again when the progress, this system was later changed to a wheel-base system and the player is now granted a single leader every time.
*Many units had different visual projectiles.
*Every unit and buildings had a red, small hp bar with no segments.

===Leader powers===
====UNSC====
*UNSC Raid I: In the beta, the infantry units capturing power points and also making the infantry mov faster were two separate leader powers. There was a leader power absent from the launch titled "Adrenaline" that was in charge of making the infantry moving fast.
*Close Air Support: Only just a visual difference, when the Pelican Gunships arrive they turn all their wings 90 degrees down.

====Banished====
*Eradication: The leader power can friendly fire.

===Infantry===
====UNSC====
*The Marines had an extra Assault Rifle member in their unit, when fully upgraded the unit had 6 total marines (5 Assault Rifle marines and a rocket launcher Marine).

====Banished====
*The Jumpback Brute had an extra member.
*The Hunters' upgrade had a fuel rod gun icon in them.
*The Warlord had a separate model that was later turned into the Chosen. 

==Trivia==
The development name for this beta was Legdrop.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:HW2B_Thank_you.png|Screen that you get when you first access the beta.
File:HW2B Settings 1.png|Settings screen Controller.
File:HW2B Settings Controller 1.png|Settings Controls 1.
File:HW2B_Settings_Controller_2.png|Settings Controls 2.
File:HW2B_Settings_2.png|Settings screen tutorial video.
File:HW2B Find Match Playlist.png|Find Match: Playlist info (June 13–16).
File:HW2B Find Match leader select Cutter.png|Find Match: Cutter leader info.
File:HW2B Find Match leader Atriox.png|Find Match: Atriox leader info.
File:HW2B_Ricochet_Loading_Screen.png|Ricochet Loading screen (June 13–16).
File:HW2B Pause Screen.png|In-game Pause Screen
File:HW2B Ingame control screen 1.png|In-game Controls screen 1.
File:HW2B Ingame control screen 2.png|In-game Controls screen 2.
File:HW2B Cutter Command tree.png|In-game Cutter Command tree.
File:HW2B Atriox Command tree.png|In-game Atriox Command tree.
File:HW2B defeat screen.png|In-game defeat screen.
File:HW2B Post game lobby Defeat.png|In-game post game lobby domination (June 13–16).
File:HW2B Pre-order screen.png|Pre-order screen.
File:HW2B - Deathmatch playlist.png|Main menu: Deathmatch playlist (June 17–20).
File:HW2B - Veteran loading screen.png|Veteran loading screen (June 17–20).
File:HW2B-Stats.jpg|Stats from the beta
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

==See also==
*''[[Halo Wars 2]]''
{{Halo Testing}}
[[Category:Halo Wars 2]]