"Halo: Campaign Evolved" 2026 as a Combat Remake for Playstation 5
One of the first Xbox's key exclusive titles comes to Sony after 25 years. Graphics revamped, multiplayer restricted.
The revamped Master Chief, here still without a Dualshock controller.
(Image: Sony)
Next year, a title from the Halo series will be released for a Playstation for the first time under the name "Halo: Campaign Evolved". Originally released in 2001 as "Halo: Combat Evolved" (German: "Halo: Fight for the Future") for the first Xbox, the sci-fi shooter has since been an exclusive brand of Microsoft, with six main installments and several re-releases. Now, a comprehensive remake is being developed, focusing on the campaign of "Combat Evolved".
In 2026, it will be released not only for Windows and Xbox Series but also for the Playstation 5, as Sony announced in its Playstation blog. With the port of the Halo campaign to Playstation, Microsoft is giving up another piece of its exclusivity; PC Gamer even writes: "Xbox is finally giving up in the console war." Indeed, "Combat Evolved" was one of the most important titles for Microsoft. To secure it at the launch of the first Xbox, Microsoft even bought the development studio Bungie. However, Bungie now belongs to Sony.
Including Prequel and Original Voice Actors
For Playstation players, however, corporate politics may not matter much. They will not only get a Halo title for the first time but also a polished and expanded game. As the developers of "Campaign Evolved" explain in a YouTube video, they have access to the original storyboards and other digital assets such as cutscenes, animation data, and source code. They intend to recreate the campaign faithfully based on Unreal Engine 5. Three bonus missions will tell the backstory of the first Halo's plot. The original voice actors will re-record the game.
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Not only this story revolving around the character "Master Chief" made "Combat Evolved" a million-seller for the Xbox from 2001 onwards, but also its multiplayer function. Unlike other consoles of the sixth generation, such as the Playstation 2, Microsoft had also planned networked multiplayer matches with multiple consoles. Up to four Xboxes with four players each, i.e., 16 participants simultaneously, could be connected via LAN. And even with one console, there were co-op modes with split-screen for up to four players.
Couch Co-op, but No Full Multiplayer
This "Couch Co-op" will also be offered for the campaign in "Campaign Evolved," but only for two players on one Playstation with split-screen; two more can join via the internet. However, a full competitive multiplayer mode will not be available for now. Sony has not yet announced whether it will be released later, possibly as a paid option. However, the Playstation Halo is intended to be just the beginning of further developments in the Halo universe, as can be seen from the blog post and the video.
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For "Combat Evolved," "Campaign Evolved" is likely to be a remake, not just a remaster. A first revision was already released in 2011, initially for the Xbox 360, and from 2019 also for Windows PCs, as part of "Halo: The Master Chief Collection." In this version, players can seamlessly switch between the original and polished graphics in the game. However, cutscenes and other content, such as audio, were not revised. Sony has not yet provided a more precise release date than "2026" for "Campaign Evolved."
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