Confirmed from San Diego Comic Con by 343 Industries during their Halo panel, Halo Spartan Assault will launch today (July 18th) at 4pm PST.

Available only for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, “Halo: Spartan Assault” is a new top-down action shooter that brings a “Halo” video game to touch-based devices for the first time in franchise history. Developed by 343 Industries in conjunction with Vanguard Games, “Halo: Spartan Assault” provides an accessible, pick-up-and-play experience for fans and newcomers alike.

However, a report on Polygon says that Halo: Spartan Assault will be exclusive to the Verizon Wireless service in the US until August 16th. 1GB of RAM is necessary to run the game on Windows Phone 8, while another version is due to release later this year that will support 512MB Windows Phone 8 devices.

Halo Spartan Assault features:

• Original “Halo” gameplay. An action-packed, single-player campaign spanning 25 missions in battles never before experienced in the Halo Universe, all played from a top-down camera view
• New and immersive storyline. An original story set between the events of “Halo 3” and “Halo 4,” experience a new war with the Covenant, the first missions of the Spartan Ops program and the rise of Commander Sarah Palmer, all with best-in-class graphics and audio
• Built for simplicity. A unique fusion of touch and console-like controls for easy pick-up-and-play gaming, with the added flexibility of keyboard and mouse controls on Windows 8 PCs and tablets
• Integration with “Halo 4.” Earn experience points (XP), all-new Achievements, and unlock emblems for your “Halo 4” Spartan career, with additional integration features available after launch
• Nonstop competitive fun. Compete against friends in Leaderboards or hone your skills against an onslaught of Weekly Challenges while collecting more than 40 in-game Achievements and Medals
• In-app purchases. Grind to earn upgrades or speed up your training by purchasing credits for boosts, unique weapons or armor abilities
• Only on Windows. Available only on Windows 8 PCs and tablets and Windows Phone 8 devices.

I’ll keep updating as the news rolls out.

– Chief