Halo: Campaign Evolved may be the most important Xbox Game Studios release of 2026. When executive producer Damon Conn says that this "is an opportunity to pave the way for the future of Halo" he isn't being hyperbolic. "We're building a game in Unreal Engine 5, on a platform that we've never supported, while offering more ways for players to play with each other than ever before. We're excited to reignite the spark that started it all," he says, "but we don't take it lightly."
Halo: Campaign Evolved is pitched as a "faithful and modernized remake" of Master Chief's most iconic adventure, "and a celebration of Combat Evolved" ahead of its incoming 25th anniversary. Creative director Max Szlagor stresses that Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) "has been careful to craft the game in such a way that it stays true to the original's tone, atmosphere, feel, and emotional impact" as it grapples with the complexities of recapturing Chief's bounding momentum in a new game engine.
A New Dawn
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Recapturing the classic Halo feel is key, because the future of the franchise is inextricably tied to UE5. The studio announced that it was hard at work on multiple projects back in October 2024, with a focus on crafting "the next generation of Halo with Unreal Engine" following the discontinuation of support for both Halo Infinite and the proprietary Slipstream engine.
I recently had the opportunity to play through a short section of the rebuilt, still iconic Silent Cartographer mission. Call it an amuse-bouche ahead of release later this year, a chance to reconnect with the floaty jumps, thunderous melee, chattering MA5B assault rifles, and bouncy Warthog rides that helped define the original adventure. Movement and momentum, combat and physics land in a way that feels as fresh as it does nostalgic. "It's important for us to be authentic to the feel, to the things people loved," says Szlagor.
Despite a focus on careful restoration, Halo Studios isn't afraid of making appropriate amendments to modernize Combat Evolved. "We were able to implement some changes that just kind of make sense," says Conn. "Like adding the ability to pick up and use the energy sword, Fuel Rod cannon, and Sentinel Beam Gun. You can also pilot the Wraith tank. These were all things you couldn't do in Combat Evolved."
Szlagor says that "being authentic to the material that's there" is a guiding principle, although Halo Studios is considering more foundational changes as it "rebuilds every mission, every encounter, and every cinematic" from scratch. "Another opportunity we have is to address player feedback, and look for ways to improve wayfinding and the diversity of encounters," says the creative director, alluding to the idea that a new generation of players needn't languish in The Library like so many of us had to 25 years ago.
If Halo Studios gets Campaign Evolved right, it should go some way to quelling lingering fears about whether this franchise can find a path forward on UE5. The introduction of brand new content should also demonstrate how strong a handle the studio has on the core ethos of the franchise – a key consideration as we wonder where the next mainline installment may take Chief and Cortana in the future, following the divisive response to Halo Infinite.
"We are also designing three brand new story missions focused on Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson," says Szlagor. "They take place before the events of Combat Evolved, and it'll be the kind of mission that Chief and Johnson would have gone on during that time period – featuring new environments, enemies, characters, and weapons." While Szlagor won't be drawn on more details, he does confirm that this special Campaign Evolved adventure "takes place before the events of Reach."
Whether you're here to indulge in some nostalgia, play the first new Halo campaign missions in five years, or dive into Installation 04 for the first time, you'll do it with a larger playerbase than ever before. Halo: Campaign Evolved marks the series debut on PlayStation, and it's undoubtedly the biggest first-party franchise to land outside of the Xbox ecosystem so far – joining Forza Horizon 5 and Gears of War: Reloaded, which arrived on PS5 last year.
"We are also designing three brand new story missions focused on Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson"
Max Szlagor, creative director
"We hope to bring along the series veterans who have been with us for the past 25 years and have them play with an entirely new generation," says Conn, who confirms that four-player online co-op with full crossplay is supported. "There are people who have never been exposed to Halo. Maybe they've always been on Sony products, switched consoles at a certain point, or just missed it at the time. We want to bring players back together."
"Halo is best played when we have a large, healthy community," says Szlagor. "We see this as a way to grow, expand, and reconnect the Halo community." Conn adds: "We want to honor the Halo legacy on PlayStation, and we're paving the way to expand our Halo universe – that's how we see it. And it's not a small thing. We don't and we won't take it lightly. We definitely feel the weight of it."
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