For nearly 25 years, Master Chief has been an Xbox icon. Now he is doing something once unthinkable. He is showing up on PlayStation. Halo: Campaign Evolved is a ground-up remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved. It launches July 28 on PlayStation 5, Xbox and PC. In fact, it is the first Halo game ever to release on a PlayStation console.
What is Halo: Campaign Evolved?
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a from-the-ground-up remake of the 2001 game that started the whole franchise. Halo Studios built it, the team formerly known as 343 Industries. Xbox Game Studios publishes it. It arrives July 28, 2026 on PlayStation 5, including PS5 Pro. Xbox Series X and S and PC via Steam get it too. Premium Edition buyers get early access from July 23. On top of that, it is on Xbox Game Pass day one. The Standard Edition costs $49.99, and the Premium Edition costs $69.99. And yes, the headline is real. This is the first Halo ever on PlayStation, ending a 25-year run of Xbox exclusivity. You can wishlist it now on Steam.
The story
The remake faithfully retells the original Halo campaign. Master Chief and the survivors of a UNSC ship crash-land on a mysterious alien ringworld called Halo. There they battle the alien coalition known as the Covenant. Slowly, they uncover the ring’s terrifying secret, the parasitic Flood. This version also adds three brand-new prequel missions. That set, called Operation Meteorite, features the fan-favorite Sergeant Johnson. As a result, it expands the story beyond what the 2001 original told.
Gameplay
The campaign now spans 13 missions. That means the classic lineup redesigned, plus the three new prequels. For the first time in Combat Evolved, there is full four-player online co-op. It also has crossplay, cross-progression and two-player local split-screen on consoles. Meanwhile, nine extra weapons from later Halo games join the sandbox, including the Energy Sword and Battle Rifle. There are also modern touches like vehicle hijacking and a four-seat Warthog. You can even toggle off the sprint if you want the classic feel. On top of that, collectors can hunt down 42 Skulls. Some are playful new modifiers, such as a third-person view and a floor-is-lava mode.
Graphics and presentation
Halo Studios rebuilt the whole game in Unreal Engine 5. That is a major move off the series’ old in-house engine. As a result, you get high-definition visuals and rebuilt cinematics with fresh motion capture and voice work. There is also a remastered version of the iconic soundtrack from original composers Marty O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori. In fact, reports note that the team preserved some original code. That keeps the classic physics and enemy behavior feeling just right.
Why Halo: Campaign Evolved is worth watching
Two things make this special: the nostalgia of a full remake, and the historic move onto PlayStation. As a result, this remake is one of July’s biggest releases. Perhaps you grew up with Combat Evolved. Or perhaps you never touched a Halo game because you were a PlayStation player. Either way, this is the moment to jump in. It launches July 28 on PlayStation 5, Xbox and PC, and it is on Xbox Game Pass day one. In addition, the Half-Life 3 delay rumor is another big shooter story.
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