Halo 1 Remake 'Halo: Campaign Evolved' Comes to PS5, Xbox & PC in 2026

Halo: Campaign Evolved, a faithful remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, launches in 2026. Discover how this reimagining enhances the original campaign and what awaits fans.

Halo: Campaign Evolved Announced During Halo World Championship 2025

Releasing in 2026

Halo: Campaign Evolved (Halo: CE) is a modernized yet faithful remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign, unveiled by Halo Studios at the Halo World Championship 2025. The game is set to release in 2026.

Players will revisit iconic missions rebuilt with refined level design, updated cinematics, and improved navigation to maintain momentum. The original sense of wonder, tension, and heroism remains intact, now delivered with smoother pacing and heightened polish.

The game features a full visual and audio overhaul—iconic locations reimagined with modern visuals, cinematic sequences, and animations. A remastered soundtrack, enhanced sound design for deeper immersion, and fresh voice recordings from the original cast complete the experience.

Combat feels instantly recognizable but sharper, with players able to sprint, aim, and engage with greater precision. Nine additional iconic weapons from the series, including the Energy Sword, offer new tactical options in every encounter.

Three new prequel missions introduce players to an original story arc set before Halo: Combat Evolved, featuring fresh environments, gameplay mechanics, characters, and enemies.

The full campaign supports solo play or cooperative gameplay: 2-player split-screen on console or 4-player online co-op with crossplay and shared progression between console and PC.

Vehicles return with renewed chaos—players can drive, hijack, and unleash havoc like never before. For the first time in Halo: CE, you can steal enemy vehicles and pilot a fully drivable Wraith, adding fresh mayhem to classic Warthog rides.

To ensure lasting replayability, the game includes a campaign remix mode that lets players revisit any mission and customize their experience with the most extensive collection of gameplay-altering “Skulls” ever seen in a Halo campaign—randomizing weapons, enemies, and environments for endless variety.

Modernizing Classic Halo

Xbox Wire interviewed members of Halo Studios about the remake’s development. Executive Producer Damon Conn said the team aimed to make this the “ideal entry point” for new players to experience the Halo universe.

He added, “We wanted to begin at the very start—with the original campaign that defined Halo. Starting here lets newcomers understand the story from the ground up, paving the way for future Halo narratives.”

While aiming to welcome fresh eyes, Conn stressed that Halo: CE preserves the classic Halo spirit—not replacing it. Creative Director Max Szalgor explained how they rebuilt the game for today’s standards.

“Since this is a remake, we’ve had the opportunity to carefully reconstruct nearly every level and encounter with higher fidelity. As we built the technology, we reevaluated every element as we revisited it in the original game,” Szalgor said.

With Halo: CE now supporting up to four players, the team scaled the experience—using The Library as a prime example. He added, “For The Library, with its multiple Flood encounters, we rethought pacing and deepened environmental storytelling. We added new lines for Guilty Spark to guide players and expanded dialogue to enrich the unfolding narrative.”

Beyond new content, Halo: CE is built on Unreal Engine 5 while preserving the original game’s foundational code. Game Director Greg Hermann said this approach ensures Halo’s soul endures as it adapts to modern systems.

Above all, the team recognized the vital role of the Halo community. “Halo: Campaign Evolved doesn’t replace the original—it offers a modern experience that stands proudly beside it. When new players start the game for the first time, it must capture that indescribable feeling of picking up Halo for the first time on the original Xbox 25 years ago,” Szalgor said.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is set to release in 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

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