After years of fans asking for a true remake of the original Halo, the wait is nearly over. Halo: Campaign Evolved launches July 28, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC - and it is shaping up to be one of the biggest releases of the summer. Built in Unreal Engine 5 and developed by Halo Studios, this is not just a remaster: it is a ground-up rebuild of the campaign that started it all.
What Is Halo: Campaign Evolved?
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a full remake of the story portion of Halo: Combat Evolved, the 2001 launch title that put the Xbox on the map and defined first-person shooters for a generation. The original game's competitive multiplayer is not included, but the trade-off is a deeply expanded campaign experience rebuilt from scratch with modern technology.
The remake features redesigned and entirely new levels, updated mechanics pulled from later Halo games, and a narrative expanded to better connect with the broader Halo universe. Think of it less as a coat of paint and more as a reinterpretation - the same story, told with more tools than Bungie had back in 2001.
The game does not include the original's competitive multiplayer, focusing entirely on the campaign and co-op experience.
New Story Content: Operation METEORITE
Every edition of Halo: Campaign Evolved includes Operation: METEORITE, a brand-new three-mission story arc that takes place a year before the events of Combat Evolved. Featuring Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson, the operation sends players behind enemy lines aboard a Covenant research vessel in a clandestine UNSC mission.
This is new canon - not a retread of existing material - and positions Campaign Evolved as something more than nostalgia bait. Fans who have played every Halo game will find genuine new story content here.
Co-op and Early Access Details
Halo: Campaign Evolved supports four-player online cooperative multiplayer and two-player split-screen on consoles. For fans who have been playing Halo campaigns with friends since the original Xbox days, that split-screen support is a big deal and something the Master Chief Collection could not always guarantee.
Early Access begins July 23 at 8 AM PDT for players who pick up the Digital Premium Edition, giving a five-day head start before the July 28 wide release. The Premium Edition also includes six weapon skins, five cosmetics from the Alpha Halo Armory Pack, a digital artbook, and the short story Halo: Hungry Buzzards.
Platforms, Price, and Game Pass
Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. The game is available day one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass - a significant moment given that this is a major Halo title also launching on PlayStation 5 at $49.99.
Lower-tier Game Pass plans (Standard and Premium) will receive the game within a year of launch.
The decision to release on PS5 alongside Xbox continues Microsoft's ongoing multiplatform strategy, and Campaign Evolved is one of the most high-profile titles to follow that approach so far.