Halo: Campaign Evolved drops July 28, 2026 on PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S — day one on Xbox Game Pass. Developed by Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) and published by Xbox Game Studios, it's a full remake of the 2001 Halo: Combat Evolved, the FPS that defined the original Xbox and set the template for console shooters for a generation.
Release date and platforms
The game releases simultaneously on PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on July 28, 2026. It is available through Steam, PlayStation Network, and the Xbox Store. The standalone price is $49.99. Xbox Game Pass members get it day one at no additional cost.
The release date was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2026 on June 7, 2026.
What is Halo: Campaign Evolved?
Halo Studios — the name 343 Industries formally adopted — is handling development under Xbox Game Studios publishing. This is not a remaster with updated textures; it's described as a modernized remake, meaning the underlying game has been rebuilt while keeping the original story and sandbox combat intact.
The biggest additions are expanded co-op options and a set of brand-new prequel missions. The prequels explore the events leading up to where Halo: Combat Evolved begins — the fall of Reach, the Pillar of Autumn's desperate jump into the unknown — giving players context that the original 2001 campaign assumed you'd gotten from the novel.
Gameplay and story
The core story follows Master Chief and the AI Cortana after their ship crash-lands on a massive ring-shaped artificial world called Halo. They have to rally surviving marines, fight off the Covenant — a hostile alien alliance — and figure out what Halo actually is before either side can weaponize it. The original campaign's open, sandbox-driven combat is preserved; the remake's value is in how it delivers that experience with modern visuals and the new story content around the edges.
Expanded co-op is the other headline feature. The exact shape of that expansion hasn't been detailed yet, but it goes beyond the two-player split-screen of the original.
Is Halo: Campaign Evolved on Xbox Game Pass?
Yes — day one. If you have an active Game Pass subscription, you can play at no additional cost on July 28. PS Plus availability has not been announced.
Announcement timeline
- June 7, 2026: Release date revealed at Xbox Games Showcase 2026
More details on the prequel missions and co-op specifics are expected before July 28 — we'll update this page as they become available.