Hail to the Master Chief! 'Halo 2' is Coming to an Xbox Near You is the press release with the official announcement of plans for a sequel to Bungie's Xbox shooter. The announcement, which springs forth from "the X02 North America event," says the game should be on shelves for the 2003 holiday season. While progress on the PC and Mac ports of the original Xbox is now underway, the release mentions no plans for any ports of the sequel. Halo Truth and Reconciliation has posted the first screenshots from the game and an update from Bungie's Matt Soell on the announcement. Here's how the project is described in the press release:

"Halo 2," a sci-fi action/first-person shooter game, is a full sequel to the best-selling original and will continue the story of the Master Chief, a genetically enhanced supersoldier who is the only man that has successfully defied the Covenant, a coalition of alien races on a murderous march toward Earth. "Halo 2" surpasses its predecessor both in graphical beauty and combat intensity. The Master Chief and his marine allies return to battle the full complement of Covenant forces, as well as new enemies who have not yet revealed themselves. "Halo 2" also expands the Master Chief's already substantial arsenal with powerful new weapons, many pried from the twitching claws of defeated enemies, as well as more than twice as many drivable vehicles for exploring vast landscapes or speeding into battle. In addition to its epic single-player campaign, "Halo 2" will be playable online through Xbox Live.