Master Chief Is Back โ And This Time He's Coming to PlayStation
After 25 years as an Xbox exclusive, Halo is going multiplatform. Halo: Campaign Evolved launches July 28, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC simultaneously โ marking the first time any mainline Halo campaign has ever been available on a Sony console on day one.
Developed by Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) entirely in Unreal Engine 5, Campaign Evolved is a ground-up remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved from 2001. This is not a remaster. Everything has been rebuilt from scratch โ levels, cinematics, audio, and gameplay systems โ while remaining faithful to the story that launched one of gaming's most iconic franchises.
What's New in Campaign Evolved
The remake includes all 10 original missions from Combat Evolved, completely rebuilt with high-definition visuals, remastered audio, and updated cinematics featuring re-recorded dialogue from the original voice cast.
But the biggest addition is Operation: METEORITE โ a brand new three-mission story arc set one year before the events of the original game. These prequel missions follow Master Chief and Sergeant Avery Johnson as they infiltrate a Covenant agricultural ship holding orbit above a glassed human colony. The missions introduce new enemy types, new locations, and space combat sequences that were never part of the original game.
New Weapons and Vehicles
Combat Evolved's original arsenal has been expanded significantly. Nine additional weapons from across the Halo series appear in the campaign for the first time, including the Energy Sword, Battle Rifle, Needle Rifle, and Brute Plasma Rifle.
Vehicles have also been upgraded. Players can now hijack enemy vehicles for the first time in a Combat Evolved setting, and the iconic Warthog has gained an additional rear seat โ meaning all four players in a co-op session can ride together.
Four-Player Co-op on All Platforms
One of the most anticipated features is the addition of four-player online co-op with full cross-platform play and shared progression between Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5. Consoles also support two-player split-screen locally.
This directly addresses one of the longest-standing complaints about Halo: Infinite, which launched without co-op and spent years patching it in. Campaign Evolved ships with full co-op on day one.
Campaign Remix Mode
A new Campaign Remix mode allows players to replay any mission with randomized conditions โ different enemies, weapons, visibility effects, and the most Skulls of any Halo campaign. Skulls are gameplay modifiers that change enemy behavior, player attributes, and environmental conditions.
Pricing and Editions
The Standard Edition is priced at $49.99 โ notably lower than the current $70-80 AAA standard โ making it accessible for both longtime fans and newcomers. The Premium Edition at $59.99-$69.99 includes five days of early access starting July 23, plus armor and weapon skin bundles.
A Collector's Edition priced at $199.99 is available exclusively through Halo Waypoint.
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can play Campaign Evolved at no additional cost from launch day.
The Xbox Multiplatform Pivot
The release on PlayStation is not a minor footnote. Halo: Combat Evolved was literally the reason millions of people bought the original Xbox in 2001. Microsoft is now willingly putting that game โ remade and expanded โ on a competitor's platform on day one.
This follows a broader strategic shift at Microsoft that has seen Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, and other formerly exclusive titles arrive on PlayStation. The goal, as Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has indicated, is reach over exclusivity โ more players across more platforms rather than hardware lock-in.
What's Next
Early access for Premium Edition owners begins July 23. The global launch is July 28, 2026 at 8 AM PDT across all platforms. Pre-orders are live now on Xbox, Steam, and PlayStation storefronts.
With 25 years of franchise history behind it and a simultaneous PS5 launch ahead of it, Halo: Campaign Evolved is one of the most significant gaming releases of the year.
