Halo: Campaign Evolved is a full Unreal Engine 5 remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved campaign, developed by Halo Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios.
It launches tomorrow, July 28, 2026, at 8 AM PDT (11 AM EDT) on Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), and PlayStation 5.
It is a day-one title on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Early access for Premium and Collector’s Edition owners began on July 23.
Core Experience
This is a campaign-only remake (no competitive multiplayer/PvP). It rebuilds the original 10 missions with modern visuals, enhanced cinematics (new motion-capture and returning voice actors), refined controls and combat, and updated sound design/soundtrack.
Key modernizations and additions include:
- Expanded arsenal with 9 extra weapons from later Halo games (Energy Sword, Battle Rifle, Needle Rifle, Brute Plasma Rifle, and others appear for the first time in these missions).
- Improved vehicle handling — you can now hijack enemy vehicles (including the Wraith) and fit four Spartans in a Warthog.
- Enhanced mobility and targeting.
- More gameplay-modifying Skulls than any previous Halo campaign.
- Campaign Remix mode that randomizes enemies, weapons, visibility effects, and other elements for replayability.
- A free Silver Anniversary armor and Assault Rifle style for all players.
Operation: METEORITE (New Prequel Content)
All editions include three brand-new missions set in 2551, roughly one year before the events of Combat Evolved. You play as Master Chief alongside Sergeant Avery Johnson.
They infiltrate the Covenant agricultural/research ship Triumph of Tolerance (orbiting the glassed human colony of Promise) to recover data that could lead to High Charity.
The story involves Sacristan warriors, liberating UNSC marines, bizarre experiments by the San’Shyuum Minister of Harmony, and new enemy types (including Brute Berserkers). Space combat elements appear as well.
The missions (Boarding Action, The Most Dangerous Game, and Heavy Burden) can be played independently of the main campaign and were developed with input from Halo novelist Troy Denning.
A companion digital short story (Halo: Hungry Buzzards) by Denning is included in higher editions.
Co-op and Cross-Platform Features
- Up to 4-player online co-op with full cross-play across Xbox, PC (Steam/Microsoft Store), and PlayStation 5.
- Cross-progression (saves, Skulls, progress, and unlocks sync via a linked Microsoft account — required on all platforms, including PS5).
- 2-player local split-screen on Xbox Series X|S and PS5 (not available on PC).
- Online co-op generally requires the relevant platform subscription (Game Pass or PlayStation Plus), but local split-screen does not.
Editions and Pricing
Standard $49.99
Full game (original 10 missions + Operation: METEORITE) + Foundry Armory Pack (pre-order cosmetics)
Premium (Digital)
$69.99
Everything in Standard + up to 5 days early access + Alpha Halo Armory Pack (5 armor + 6 weapon skins) + Digital Story & Art Collection (artbook, Hungry Buzzards short story, digital manual)
Collector’s
$199.99
Everything in Premium + 12-inch Master Chief statue (Dark Horse), LED Cortana data chip replica, Steelbook, 3 concept art prints, physical reimagined manual, physical disc (console versions)
A $20 Premium Upgrade is available for Game Pass players or Standard owners who want the extra content and early access.
The Collector’s Edition has been reported as sold out or low stock in some places.
PC System Requirements (SSD required, ~100 GB)
- Low (1080p/60 FPS): Ryzen 5 3600 / i7-10700K + RTX 2060 Super / RX 6600 / Arc A580, 16 GB RAM, 8 GB VRAM
- Medium (1440p/60 FPS): Ryzen 7 5700X / i5-12600K + RTX 3070 / RX 7600, 16 GB RAM
- High/Recommended (4K/60 FPS): Ryzen 7 7700 / i7-12700K + RTX 3080 Ti / RX 9070, 32 GB RAM
- Ultra (4K/60 FPS): Ryzen 9 7900X / i9-13900K + RTX 4080, 32 GB RAM, 16 GB VRAM
Supports uncapped framerate, DLSS/FSR/XeSS, Reflex/Anti-Lag, etc.
Early Reception
Early access and review scores have been generally positive to mixed (OpenCritic around 83).
Critics praise the stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals, faithful yet modernized gunplay and sandbox feel, and strong value as both a nostalgia trip and newcomer entry point (especially on PlayStation).
Some note the new missions as solid but not transformative, the lack of multiplayer as a limitation for the price, and occasional technical hiccups during early access (including login/server issues on Steam).
Many view it as a strong foundation for future Halo projects under the new engine and studio direction.
Overall, it aims to be the definitive way to experience the original Halo campaign in 2026 while adding meaningful new content and modern quality-of-life features.
