Halo is arguably Microsoft and Xbox's crown jewel. This is because, once upon a time, the property was one of the most powerful gaming franchises in the industry. Combat Evolved revolutionized first-person shooters, and paved the way for its sequel, Halo 2, to become a cultural phenomenon upon its release in 2004. Things continued going well for Master Chief with Halo 3 and Halo 4. Unfortunately, the franchise's popularity wavered with the release of 2015's Halo 5: Guardians. Its somewhat tepid reception showed cracks in a property that had previously been bullet-proof, and things continued to go downhill six years later with Halo: Infinite.
Though arguably better received than its predecessor, Infinite failed to reignite the Halo fandom to the heights it had enjoyed years prior. Still, despite this, Halo remained Microsoft's flagship property. As such, for a long time, the idea of Master Chief being allowed to make his way into a PlayStation system seemed impossible. It was just something that couldn't be done. Yet, things slowly changed for Microsoft, and it began to look increasingly likely that PlayStation would be given a piece of the Halo pie. Now, that's finally happened, because after 24 years, Halo is coming to the PlayStation 5 with a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved.
The remake, titled Halo: Campaign Evolved, was announced by Halo Studios on Friday, October 24, at the Halo World Championship. The game will be released on Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 5, PC and Steam. It will also be a day-one arrival on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, and will support Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere. A trailer for the remake was shown during the announcement (posted below), showcasing its new graphics, voice acting and level design. A demo was also made available to some, including IGN's Ryan McCaffrey.
Speaking to Game Director Greg Hermann, IGN asked if Campaign Evolved would see any enhancements for the PS5 Pro version. Hermann replied: "It's safe to say that it will be tuned for the target devices." This isn't the first time that Xbox-exclusive games have made their way to PlayStation—it happened with Gears of War, for example. However, Halo is perhaps Microsoft's biggest exclusive, making the move a big shift for the gaming industry.
What We Can Expect From Halo: Campaign Evolved
Talking to Xbox Wire, Campaign Evolved Executive Producer Damon Conn stated that remaking Combat Evolved was done with the intention to give fans an easy entry point into the Halo franchise:
"We wanted to start where it all began, with the original campaign that defined Halo. Starting here means people that have never played the game before will be able to understand the story from the very beginning, and that can help us chart a course forward with new 'Halo' stories. Focusing on the campaign experience means we can concentrate fully on really capturing the atmosphere, tone—the emotional impact of what made the first campaign so special and iconic."
Per Xbox Wire, Campaign Evolved was developed with the intention to carefully adapt Combat Evolved's classic feel and structure for modern gaming sensibilities. The game's development is described as having been steered by the drive to make Campaign Evolved feel like the Halo fans have known for years. According to IGN, Campaign Evolved will also add to the Halo lore by featuring a prequel campaign comprised of three missions focusing on Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson.
Improving The Halo Experience
Adapting Combat Evolved for modern gamers has meant Halo Studios focused on improving what is arguably one of the franchise's most dreaded levels: Combat Evolved's seventh chapter, "The Library" (*he shudders, as he types the name). Campaign Evolved's Creative Director Max Szlagor stated his team was aware of the desire to improve certain parts of Combat Evolved, which led them to make some much-needed changes to "The Library":
"We learned from 'Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary' that there was still an appetite for things like better wayfinding, navigation, and diversity in enemy encounters. In 'The Library,' specifically, which features several Flood encounters, we wanted to reevaluate the pacing and enhance the environmental storytelling. We've added new lines to Guilty Spark, which guide players through the level, and there's new dialogue that gives more insight into the narrative as it plays out. [...] We're not changing the stories, it's about refining and adding context to this moment, and other levels like it, so players can stay on track."
There are several improvements fans can look forward to in Campaign Evolved. The remake, developed in Unreal Engine 5—as opposed to Halo Infinite's Slipspace Engine—features 4K graphics, re-recorded voice lines and remastered music. In good news for longtime fans of the series, Steve Downes and Jen Taylor are returning as Master Chief and Cortana, respectively.
Gameplay-wise, players will also be given the opportunity to use nine weapons from the Halo universe that were unavailable in Combat Evolved, such as the Needle Rifle, the Energy Sword and the Battle Rifle. Honoring the Halo roots, Campaign Evolved is putting a big emphasis on the multiplayer experience. The game will support up to four-player online co-op, platform cross-play, and will feature two-player splitscreen on consoles.
No exact release date was given, but Halo: Campaign Evolved is scheduled to come out sometime in 2026.
What do you think about PlayStation getting a Halo remake? Are you happy about it, or do you think the franchise should have remained an Xbox exclusive? Leave your thoughts below!