Microsoft announced today a domestic release date of February 26 for Halo Wars. The Xbox 360 realtime strategy title will carry a price of 7,140 yen.

Halo Wars presents a new take on one of the world's most popular first person shooter franchises. Taking place 20 years prior to the events of the main series, the game tells the story of humankind's early fight with the Covenant aliens. Players control armies in large-scale combat scenarios, using a control scheme that promises to make what's normally thought of as a PC genre effortless for console players. The game is being developed by Ensemble Studios.

Joining the standard version of the game will be a limited edition. Titled Halo Wars Limited Edition, this version will include the following items:

Halo Wars Genesis

A graphic novel from Phil Noto, Graeme Devine and Eric Nylund detailing the first military campaign against the invading Covenant alien race. This bonus item will be in English.

Leader Cards

Six special cards that are helpful during multiplayer play. As with the Genesis graphic novel, these cards will be in English.

Spirit of Fire Patch

A rubber patch that, in the game, is given exclusively to Spirit of Fire crew members.

Halo Wars add-on content

Download code for special version of the Convenant "Wraith" machine.

New Halo 3 multiplayer maps

Download codes for Assembly, Orbital, and Sandbox, three maps that are scheduled to be included as part of 2009's Mythic Map pack.

Pricing for this version, which will see just one print run, is set at 7,700 yen.

The Japanese version of Halo Wars will trail the North American version by a few weeks. There, both the standard and limited edition versions will be released on February 1, 2009.