- Halo’s First Cross-Platform Leap: In a historic move, Microsoft is bringing its flagship franchise to PlayStation for the first time. The newly announced “Halo: Campaign Evolved” – a full remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved campaign – will launch in 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC (including Steam), and PlayStation 5, with day-one availability on Game Pass [1] [2]. Xbox president Matt Booty framed the decision as part of a broader strategy: “We are all seeking to meet people where they are… Our biggest competition isn’t another console. We are competing more and more with everything from TikTok to movies” [3].
- Ambitious Remake, Not a Simple Remaster: Dubbed an “ambitious remake,” Halo: Campaign Evolved is being rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5 to modernize the 2001 classic’s look and feel [4]. The game will feature stunning 4K graphics, all-new art and animations, plus remastered music and re-recorded voice acting – all while preserving the core gameplay that defined the original. “It’s not just a makeover, it’s a rebirth,” the studio said, emphasizing that everything from Halo’s golden grasslands to its Flood-infested corridors has been painstakingly reconstructed to recapture and enhance the atmosphere of the original [5]. Developers describe the project as blending 25 years of community feedback with cutting-edge tech to deliver a cinematic yet faithful experience [6].
- New Content & Features: This remake isn’t strictly old material – brand-new content is being added. Players can expect three new prequel missions set before the events of Combat Evolved, exploring never-before-told stories with fresh environments and enemies [7] [8]. Gameplay is also expanded with nine additional weapons drawn from later Halo titles – for example, the Energy Sword, Battle Rifle, and Needle Rifle (which were absent or unplayable in the 2001 game) can now be picked up and used [9] [10]. Classic Halo sandbox staples are being modernized too: vehicular hijacking (like piloting a Covenant Wraith tank) will be possible in the campaign for the first time [11]. The remake will even include the largest array of difficulty-modifying Skulls ever in a Halo campaign, giving hardcore fans plenty of ways to tweak the experience [12].
- Co-Op Returns – Split-Screen and Cross-Play: Campaign Evolved is squarely focused on cooperative play. The entire campaign supports up to four-player co-op, with online cross-play uniting Xbox, PC, and PS5 players in one fireteam [13]. Notably, local split-screen co-op is back – a feature long beloved by Halo fans that had been omitted in recent installments [14]. (The developers admitted fan feedback was “loud” on bringing back split-screen, calling it a “non-negotiable” feature for the remake [15].) On the flip side, there will be no competitive multiplayer modes included – this project is a remake of the story campaign only, not a replacement for Halo Infinite’s online multiplayer [16].
- 25th Anniversary & A “New Era” for Halo: The timing of the release is significant – 2026 marks Halo’s 25th anniversary, and the team at newly rebranded Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) views Campaign Evolved as “a rally point for the future of the franchise” [17]. “We talk about this as another era for Halo,” said Halo Studio’s GM Elizabeth Van Wyck, suggesting the remake is a launching pad for Halo’s next chapter [18]. By revisiting the game that started it all, the developers had “no better place to start building this new generation of Halo,” added executive producer Damon Conn [19]. The remake’s new content and quality-of-life updates explicitly address decades of fan feedback – from fixing notoriously confusing levels (yes, The Library will have better pacing and navigation [20]) to adding features modern players expect (even the hotly debated “sprint” ability can be toggled on or off at player choice) [21] [22]. The goal, as community director Brian Jarrard explained, is to honor nostalgia while “thinking about things that would be appealing to a new generation of fans” [23].
- Microsoft’s Shift From Exclusives: Halo’s jump to PlayStation is the clearest sign yet of Microsoft’s evolving strategy. Once fiercely protected as an Xbox-only property, Halo now follows other formerly exclusive Microsoft titles making their way to rival platforms. In the past year, games like Forza Horizon, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and even a Gears of War remaster (“Gears of War: Reloaded”) have been announced for PlayStation 5 as well [24]. Allowing the Master Chief on a Sony console was almost unthinkable in years past – Halo has long been described as “Microsoft’s crown jewel” franchise [25] – but the industry has shifted. With Xbox game streaming on the rise and a massive Activision-Blizzard acquisition under its belt, Microsoft appears less concerned with selling consoles and more focused on expanding its software ecosystem. “The console war is truly over — Halo is finally coming to PS5,” quipped one tech outlet, noting how the once bitter Xbox vs. PlayStation rivalry has given way to a more platform-agnostic approach [26]. Microsoft is effectively conceding that reaching the widest audience (across console, PC, cloud, and now PlayStation) may matter more than strict exclusivity – especially as Xbox Game Pass, not hardware sales alone, drives its gaming business.
- Fan Excitement and Cautious Optimism: The announcement, made during the Halo World Championship event in Seattle, drew roaring applause – including from surprised PlayStation gamers who have never had a chance to play a Halo campaign on their console. Industry analysts call the move “unprecedented” and a potential boon for Halo’s player base. Longtime fans are excited to see beloved characters like Master Chief and Cortana in ultra-modern fidelity, but some are also anxious: will this remake live up to the original’s legendary status? Halo Studios insists it will. “Given that Halo: Campaign Evolved is a remake, it is critical that we deliver gameplay that is 100% authentically Halo at its core,” stressed game director Greg Hermann [27]. The team took care not to “mess with what makes Halo feel like Halo,” Jarrard said, even as they enhance it [28] [29]. Early hands-on demos appear promising – attendees at the championship were allowed to play test slices of the remake, and initial impressions cite the graphics and gunplay as both “familiar and fresh”.
- Quote from the Developers: “We’ve rebuilt the environments; we have three new missions… more skulls and collectibles than ever before; it’s a chance to go back to it. We can reignite the spark and bring in new players,” executive producer Damon Conn told Entertainment Weekly [30] [31]. The ethos, according to Halo’s creators, is to bridge generations – recapturing the magic that defined the original Xbox era while making Halo relevant and accessible in 2025 and beyond. “At its heart, Halo is about connection,” Conn said [32] – whether that’s connecting split-screen buddies on a couch or now connecting Xbox and PlayStation communities together in the same game.
A New Journey Begins in 2026
With Halo: Campaign Evolved slated for a 2026 release (no exact date yet), the countdown has begun for what is shaping up to be one of the next year’s biggest gaming events. The Master Chief’s arrival on PlayStation will mark a turning point in gaming history, symbolizing how much the industry has changed since he first crash-landed on that mysterious ringworld in 2001. For Microsoft, it’s an opportunity to “reignite the fire” of its most iconic series [33] by inviting an entirely new audience along for the ride. For veteran Halo fans, it’s a chance to relive – and reshape – a classic. And for PlayStation gamers who’ve watched Halo from afar for two decades, it’s a welcome (if surreal) invitation to finally “finish the fight” on their console of choice.
As 343’s Halo team (now Halo Studios) confidently puts it, Campaign Evolved isn’t about replacing the original Combat Evolved, but standing proudly alongside it [34]. Halo helped define console gaming twenty years ago, and now, in a time when consoles themselves matter less than the games, Master Chief is gearing up to define what cross-platform gaming can look like. The Halo ring’s circle is expanding – and in 2026, fans across the spectrum will unite under its arc for an adventure that feels both timeless and brand new [35] [36].
Sources:
- Danielle Partis, Xbox Wire – “Halo: Campaign Evolved – Answering the Big Questions About This Ambitious Remake”, Oct. 24, 2025 [37] [38].
- Halo Waypoint News – “Introducing Halo: Campaign Evolved”, Oct. 24, 2025 (official announcement) [39] [40].
- Trisha K. Andrada, IBTimes UK – “‘Halo: Campaign Evolved’ Is Coming to PS5 and Xbox in 2026 — Here’s What to Expect”, Oct. 25, 2025 [41] [42].
- Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly – “Halo team talks new Combat Evolved remake, crossing over to PS5, and 25 years of player feedback”, Oct. 24, 2025 [43] [44].
- Kellen Browning, The New York Times – “With Halo: Campaign Evolved, Microsoft Brings Prized Xbox Game to PlayStation”, Oct. 24, 2025 [45] [46].
- Paul Thurrott, Thurrott.com – “Yes, Microsoft is Bringing Halo to PlayStation 5”, Oct. 24, 2025 [47] [48].
References
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