More specifically, the game will begin rolling out at retailers worldwide on September 14, with its Japanese release following the next day a.k.a. September 15, 2010. Packing both single-player and multiplayer components, the Xbox 360-exclusive prequel takes place before the other Halo games, telling the tale of Noble Squad and their failed efforts to save the titular planet Reach. The game will be available in three different editions--Standard ($59.99), Limited ($79.99) and Legendary ($149.99).

Alongside the release date, some multiplayer beta statistics were revealed:

More than 2.7 million "Halo" fans helped make entertainment history this month by participating in the "Halo: Reach" multiplayer beta on Xbox LIVE, making it the largest console video game beta test on record and more than triple the size of the "Halo 3" beta. Players completed more than 13 million online games and logged over 16 million hours of online gameplay, amounting to over 1,826 years of total play time in just over a two-week period. The data and user feedback gathered from the beta will help Bungie and Microsoft further refine the game and deliver a blockbuster experience that fans have come to expect from the "Halo" franchise.