'Halo: Reach' out on September 14

Bungie has confirmed that Halo: Reach will be released around the world on September 14 exclusively for the Xbox 360.

The third-person shooter acts as a prequel to the long-running series, which has sold over 34 million copies over the past 10 years.

Halo: Reach follows the story of a squad of Spartan soldiers, known as the Noble Team, who are humanity's last line of defence against the Covenant.

Speaking about the game, Microsoft Studio's corporate vice president Phil Spencer said: "Halo: Reach is the culmination of a decade of Halo, a franchise that has become a global entertainment and pop-culture touchstone.

"Just as Halo: Combat Evolved catalysed the success of the original Xbox to define a decade of entertainment, Halo: Reach will push the boundaries for what's possible in video games and help make 2010 the biggest year in Xbox history."

Around 2.7m players took part in the Halo: Reach beta from May 3 to May 20, triple the number who signed up to the beta for Halo 3.

Players completed over 13m Halo: Reach matches during the beta period and logged in excess of 16m hours online.

Bungie and Microsoft intend to use all feedback gathered from the beta to "further refine" the game ahead of its September release date.

Halo: Reach will be available in standard, limited and legendary editions at participating retailers, priced at £49.99, £59.99 and £99.99 respectively. The legendary edition includes a 10-inch-tall, hand-painted Noble Team statue created by McFarlane Toys.

Click here to read our preview of the Halo: Reach multiplayer.