Halo: Campaign Evolved: Launch Date, PS5 Debut, Trailer and Gameplay
The next installment in the Halo series has been announced: Another remake of the original 2001 game is on the way. Halo: Campaign Evolved is a remake of the critically acclaimed sci-fi shooter, focusing exclusively on the campaign, and is slated for release in 2026. And this time, it won’t be exclusive to Xbox.
When is Halo: Campaign Evolved coming out?
Halo: Campaign Evolved is scheduled for release in 2026, but a more specific date has not yet been announced. 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the Halo series, making it a very special year.
Preorder
Pre-orders for Halo: Campaign Evolved are not currently available, and Microsoft has not yet announced a price for the game.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Trailer and Gameplay
The first trailer for Halo: Campaign Evolved premiered at the Halo World Championships in October 2025, offering a first look at the revamped graphics and gameplay mechanics. In addition to the announcement trailer and first gameplay footage, there’s another video below offering a behind-the-scenes look.
Halo: Campaign Evolved – Platforms
Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming to Xbox Series X, Series S and PC, but that’s not all. Microsoft is bringing the game to PlayStation for the first time, and fans of the Sony console won’t have to wait long. Halo: Campaign Evolved will be released in 2026, simultaneously with the other versions on the PS5. There have been rumors about a Halo version for the Switch 2, but Microsoft has not yet made an official announcement.
Game Pass
Like all first-party Microsoft titles, Halo: Campaign Evolved will be available on Xbox Game Pass.
New Weapons and Prequel Missions
The remake of Halo: CE offers nine new weapons, including the energy sword, which was equipped by enemies in the original version but not available to the player. The new missions are prequel missions featuring Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson in a brand-new story arc that takes place before the events of the established story.
Another important new feature is that players can hijack enemy vehicles and pilot the Wraith—this wasn’t possible in the original version of the game and was only introduced in Halo 2.
Players can also look forward to a “Campaign Remix” feature, which allows them to tackle any mission with different modifiers, known as Skulls. These modifiers alter the gameplay experience, for example, by randomizing weapons and enemies.
In the social realm, the Halo: CE remake offers a two-player split-screen co-op mode on consoles (not available on PC) or a four-player online co-op mode. Crossplay and game progress are synchronized between console and PC.
Sprinting: In a potentially controversial change, the Halo: CE remake now also features sprinting – a function that was absent in previous Halo games. The absence of sprinting is a defining characteristic of the older Halo games and is appreciated by many players. Others, however, may be excited to be able to sprint and thus bring the game up to modern standards. Sprinting can be disabled if needed.
“Reborn” Graphics
Halo Studios promises a host of updates and improvements for the classic game. The company states that “every element” of the original has been optimized for the remake.
“Fight your way through the original missions, reimagined with improved level design, updated cutscenes, and optimized pathfinding. The refined gameplay delivers a fast-paced experience without sacrificing the charm, excitement, or heroism of the original,” reads the game description.
Halo Studios promises that the game environments have been “reborn with completely new graphics, cutscenes, and animations.” The soundtrack has also been reworked, and Halo Studios promises “even greater immersion.” The main voice actors, including presumably Steve Downes (Master Chief) and Jen Taylor (Cortana), are back and have recorded new dialogue for the remake.
Unreal Engine 5
After Halo: Infinite was developed using the in-house Slipspace engine, the developers at Halo Studios switched to Unreal Engine 5 for future Halo titles, including Halo: Campaign Evolved. This was largely well-received, as the old engine contained outdated code that complicated development. The switch to Unreal Engine 5 also had a positive impact on recruitment, as Epic’s engine is one of the most widely used in the video game industry.
Not everyone is thrilled with the changes.
While Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto is enthusiastic about Halo: Campaign Evolved and said the game is close to his heart, another developer of the original version has some reservations. Jaime Griesemer criticized some of the changes.
Griesemer criticized the scene in the trailer where the Warthog vehicle runs over obstacles that were meant to prevent players from simply running over the hunters. “If you can just push the crates out of the way, it ruins the encounters,” Griesemer said. “But the worst part? They put trees in the landing area of the WooHoo jump. Ridiculous.”
AI
Microsoft is investing heavily in artificial intelligence technologies and systems. Many therefore wondered whether the company used AI or generative AI for Halo: Campaign Evolved. Microsoft has neither confirmed nor denied this, but stated that its employees were not required to use generative AI for Halo: Campaign Evolved. “There is no requirement to use generative AI in our game development, and that also applies to Halo: Campaign Evolved,” Microsoft said.
Executive Producer Damon Conn and Game Director Greg Hermann spoke about the development of Halo: Campaign Evolved. When asked whether Halo Studios uses AI in any form, be it for retouching assets or rebuilding environments, Conn explained that while AI can streamline workflows, games are ultimately developed by humans.
“I want to make this very clear: Humans are creative. Humans develop games. AI can improve workflows. It can do things for the game,” Conn said. “But I want to emphasize very clearly that humans are the ones who create the game. If there’s an opportunity to streamline a workflow or something like that, we’ll definitely look into it. It really should add value to game development.”
Damon Conn, Executive Producer
Hermann agreed with Conn’s view, saying that AI, like other tools developers use in game development—such as Photoshop or Unity—is essentially the same. It’s the brush that helps the artist paint. She can support the implementation, but the creative inspiration lies with the people.
“It’s a tool in the toolbox. I might be getting a bit sidetracked here, but it sometimes gets very difficult when we see how deeply AI is being integrated into our tools. We use Photoshop. There’s the generative fill, for example. The transitions can get a bit blurry. I want to reiterate what Damon said: It’s really about the creative spark that comes from people and improving the overall workflow.”
Greg Hermann, Game Director
No Multiplayer
As mentioned earlier, Halo: Campaign Evolved offers online and local co-op modes. The campaign does not include a multiplayer mode. There is no direct multiplayer mode. Those who wish to play multiplayer can launch Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which offers multiplayer support for various titles, including Halo: Combat Evolved. However, the game is not available for PlayStation.
Not the first remake and perhaps not the last.
Microsoft released a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved for the Xbox 360 in 2011, titled Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. The game featured improved graphics and online multiplayer support for one-on-one battles. Players could also switch between the old and new graphics with the press of a button.
The game is included in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a collection of six Halo games, in addition to the anniversary edition of the first Halo game. The game bundle includes Halo: Campaign Evolved as well as Halo 2: Anniversary with campaign and multiplayer mode. According to a leaker, Halo 2 and Halo 3 will also receive remakes in the future that will only include the campaigns.
Not the only new Halo game
Besides Halo: Campaign Evolved, Microsoft is rumored to be working on a new Halo game with live service functionality. Microsoft has previously announced several new Halo games in development, so it’s likely only a matter of time before Microsoft officially announces the successor to Halo: Infinite. This game, released in 2021, was not the success Microsoft had hoped for, and the developer, Halo Studios, underwent a major restructuring after its release.
