Halo: Reach will fall on September 14, worldwide, Microsoft informs today.

The announcement is a fairly dry one, though the mandatory executive quote does see the game pushing “the boundaries for what’s possible in video games”. The bit’s from Microsoft Game Studios corporate VP Phil Spencer who also reiterates the company’s plans to have Xbox’s best year yet. “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,” he says.

An update on the now-ended multiplayer beta is given as well: over 2.7 million participants was the final count. It’s not quite that 3 million that community director Brian Jarrard was hoping for, but the largest console beta test ever nonetheless; the 13 million matches, 16 million hours of gameplay and 1,826 years of total play time will assist Bungie in ‘further refining’ the game in these final development months.