Microsoft and Halo Studios have just announced Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved powered by Unreal Engine 5, the classic 2001 game released at launch on Xbox. I’ve already played a tiny demo, so be sure to check out my first impressions, but here we’ll cover everything we’re doing that we don’t know yet about a 2026 release for Halo – which will be the first since 2021’s Halo Infinite.
Did you say “remake”?
Yes, I asked Halo Studios point-blank if it was a remake or remaster, and executive producer Damon Conn said, “It’s a modernized remake – a rebuilt version of the classic story that started it all.”
Since Microsoft has released a lot of games on other platforms, does this mean that Halo will come to PlayStation 5?
Yes, Halo: Campaign Evolved will be released on Xbox Series X|S, PC and PS5. And yes, I have clarified with Halo Studios that the PS5 version will be released daily along with the Xbox and PC versions.
Is it weirder than Sonic games appearing on Nintendo consoles?
It’s at least on the same level of weirdness, yes.
Is Halo Studios adding any improvements to PS5 Pro?
I asked this question and game director Greg Hermann didn’t say much, only telling me, “It’s safe to say that the game will be tuned for target devices.”
Okay, so when will Halo: Campaign Evolved be released?
For now, Halo Studios will only say “2026,” but it seems highly likely that it will release close to Combat Evolved’s 25th anniversary, which falls on November 16, 2026. In other words, fall 2026 seems like a unthreatening bet.
Has the campaign evolved? Does this mean there is no multiplayer?
Rather. There is a cooperative campaign for two players in split screen or for up to four players online. Cross-platform play is supported.
Wait, cross-platform play? Does this mean I can play co-op with a friend using PS5 while I’m on Xbox or PC?
Yes.
Stop thinking about multiplayer. What do you mean by “sort of” in multiplayer?
Does this clear the way for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo Infinite to be ported to PS5 so that PlayStation players can get hooked on the series?
We’ll have to check this again. Conn said: “There’s an opportunity for us to grow our fanbase. We’re bringing the most players ever to Halo. So that growth is what we’re really interested in. And that paves the way for future stories and Halo.” So… maybe?
Will Campaign Evolved be a full-price game?
I asked but received no answer. Personally, $50 seems about right without a proper multiplayer mode, but Microsoft I’ve already tried raise the price of its own games to $80 this year, so I’m probably naively hopeful about $50. At least there’s modern single-player content here, though.
Did you just say “new single-player content”?
Yes! I didn’t get any details beyond a very basic description: Campaign Evolved will feature three prequel missions centered around Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson. I asked if these missions would be available out of the box or if they would have to be unlocked, perhaps after completing the campaign. Halo Studios had no answers for me.
Are there any changes to the gameplay?
Yes, lots of little ones actually. Vehicles are now destructible and can be captured, as has been the case in every subsequent Halo game since Combat Evolved. You can now also pick up and wield any weapon that enemies can, which means you’ll have access to the Energy Sword, among other things, in this campaign. The Warthog now has four seats (the extra one is in the back, as if you were riding on a pickup truck’s tailgate down) and you can pilot a Wraith tank. I haven’t seen any of the The Silent Cartographer mission I played, but Halo Studios claims to have implemented Flood enemy dismemberment. The team also told me that “the level design has been carefully updated” to alleviate the shortcomings. They probably meant the Library, but didn’t specify. Additionally, all videos have been completely reworked, with a modern mocap and freshly recorded dialogue from Steve Downes (Master Chief) and Jen Taylor (Cortana).
Any other updates?
One more noteworthy one: Skulls! Halo Studios is adding Skulls to Campaign Evolved, and lots of them. Apparently the most Skulls in Halo history, with the total number being “dozens”.
Does it still feel like Halo in Unreal Engine 5?
From my tiny experience, yes. See my preview for more on this topic.
We’ll have much more information about Halo: Campaign Evolved as development progresses, so stay tuned! In the meantime, be sure to check out our weekly Xbox show, Unlockedfor a longer discussion about everything that’s happening in the world of Xbox.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive previews editor and host of IGN’s weekly shows on Xbox, Podcast unlockedas well as our monthly interview program, IGN without filter. It’s from North Jersey, so it’s a “Taylor ham,” not a “pork roll.” Chat with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
