"Game-Breaking" Bug Causes Halo Wars 2 DLC Delay

Microsoft had planned to launch the next Halo Wars 2 DLC leader, Colony, this week--but that didn't happen. In Microsoft's latest weekly blog post today, developer 343 Industries said "a few lingering pesky bugs" contributed to a situation that meant that Colony would need to be delayed.

"As much as we hate to let down players and fall through on a promise, holding the DLC to make sure these issues get addressed is the right, albeit painful, call to make," the studio said.

343 went on to say that the bug in question was of the "game-breaking" variety. Here is how 343 summed up the serious-sounding issue:

"Initially the real show-stopper had to do with the new Skitterer units, which are basically little symbiotes that can be attached to any friendly unit that acts as a mini self-targeting turret and healer. During a final test pass, the team found something disturbing--it turned out that once an attached Skitterer started firing on a target, it could continue doing with so with zero regard to range or line of sight," the studio said.

"Imagine equipping a few fast moving Banshees with Skitterers, flying up to your opponent’s base and taking a few quick shots, and then retreating across the map as your friendly Skitterers continue to fire away at their target from miles away. Some may call that awesome but alas it's also a cheap exploit that would immediately result in some really bad game experiences and whole lot of salt from players on the receiving end."

The good news for Halo Wars 2 fans is that Colony is now "on track" to launch sometime next week. In addition to the new leader, the Colony DLC adds two more achievements to unlock. These are:

• Hunter/Hunted - User Hunter Captain's Taunt ability 50 times
• Turrets Everywhere - Attach 50 Skitterers to squads

You can read the full blog post from 343 Industries to learn more.