Even though PC gaming has seen a resurgence over the past few years thanks to services like Steam and the accessibility of marketplaces for indie developers, there are still countless series' that gamers relentlessly fight to see on the platform. Without a doubt one of the most sought-after is the Halo franchise which saw its first two iterations appearing on PC as well as the recent Halo: Spartan Assault which made its way onto Windows 8-enabled devices.

For gamers who have avoided making the jump to the newest Windows OS, there's still a light at the end of the tunnel though. Spartan Assault will soon be marking the series' first foray onto Steam with an April 4, 2014 release. While some might take this as renewed hope that the Halo franchise could soon find itself as a PC platform regular, fate does not seem to be on Master Chief's side.

Speaking with Gamespot, a representative from Microsoft stated that there are "no further Halo releases on Steam planned at this time." This is sure to put a damper on the excitement - no matter how short-lived - of finally seeing the franchise on Valve's venerable service. While Steam is hardly the only PC-based marketplace, Halo's uncertain future on it could definitely hurt its chances of making further appearances on PC.

This could very well change with the rumored release of Windows 9 and possible use of Cortana's voice for Microsoft's Siri clone that is believed to be part of the operating system though. It's no surprise that the platform's recent return to power could be the inspiring factor for Microsoft's "renewed focus" in PC gaming, so what better way to generate buzz than to offer gamers a chance to step back into the Chief's shoes from the comfort of their office chair?

With E3 approaching quickly, it won't be long before gamers have some solid information regarding the series' next steps. Between a Halo 2 remake and another series title before the end of the year, it's quickly turning into a very good year to be a Halo fan. Only time will tell what this year holds for Master Chief, but it's hard to deny the excitement that 343 Industries is capable of generating.

Do you think that Spartan Assault is just the beginning of Halo's return to PC gaming? Could the loss of console-exclusivity mean an increase in revenue due to a wider user-base?

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Halo: Spartan Assault is prepared to drop on Steam for PC on April 4, 2014 and is currently available on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows Phone and PC.

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Source: Gamespot