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Rather than create a new Halo game, Microsoft will resurrect and modernize the original.
On Friday, the company’s Xbox team announced it’s preparing a “full remake of the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign.” It will be available on the Xbox Series S/X and PC, but also the PlayStation 5 as part of Microsoft’s controversial strategy to go beyond console exclusives.
For the upcoming title, dubbed Halo: Campaign Evolved, Microsoft’s Halo Studios will tap Epic Games’ cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5 to improve the original, which dates back to 2001.
The company’s reveal video shows off the results: Main character Master Chief, the sci-fi environments, enemies, and gameplay have all been overhauled with modern graphics, including realistic lighting and shadow effects.
(Credit: Xbox)
The game will also run 4K visuals while retaining the core gameplay from the original, according to Microsoft. Still, Halo Studios plans new improvements and additions, including three new bonus campaign missions, the option to wield nine more weapons from the Halo series, and the ability to sprint, although that can be disabled. Expect certain missions to be improved, too.
(Credit: Xbox)
In addition, the game is expanding on the original two-player co-op mode, doubling it to “four players in online co-op across Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5.”
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Why a remake? Halo Studios Executive Producer Damon Conn explained that it’s designed to pave the way for a new entry. “We wanted to start where it all began, with the original campaign that defined Halo,” Conn said. “Starting here means people that have never played the game before will be able to understand the story from the very beginning, and that can help us chart a course forward with new Halo stories.”
Microsoft adds the game will arrive on day one for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, which recently got a price hike. In a statement, Sony’s PlayStation team said Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming to the PS5 in 2026. “We’ll have more to share in the months ahead, but for now, you can wishlist today,” it says.
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I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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