Halo: Campaign Evolved launches July 28 on PS5, Xbox, and PC — with a brand-new prequel arc

Halo is coming to PlayStation — and that alone makes this remake worth paying attention to. Halo: Campaign Evolved, a rebuilt version of the 2001 Bungie shooter that defined the original Xbox, launches July 28, 2026 on Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam and Microsoft Store), cloud, and, for the first time in the franchise's 25-year history, PlayStation 5. It's also available day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, per Xbox Wire.

The PS5 moment

Microsoft's decision to put Halo on Sony hardware is a deliberate strategy shift. According to Wikipedia, Xbox head Matt Booty cited platform-agnostic player distribution as the rationale — in plain terms, Microsoft wants Halo to reach players wherever they already own a console, not just the one they bought to play Halo. It's the clearest sign yet that the company is betting on Game Pass subscriptions and franchise reach over hardware exclusivity.

The game is also built in Unreal Engine 5, dropping the proprietary Slipspace Engine used in Halo Infinite. That technical shift makes multi-platform development significantly simpler going forward.

What's new

The core campaign is the same ring-based sci-fi shooter it always was, but Campaign Evolved adds remastered visuals, updated cinematics, and nine weapons pulled from later entries in the series. Multiplayer is out; four-player online co-op is in.

The headlining addition is Operation: METEORITE — a three-mission prequel arc set one year before the events of the original game. Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson infiltrate a Covenant vessel and face escalating resistance. Every edition of the game includes these missions at no extra cost.

Pricing and editions

The Standard Edition is priced at $49.99. A Premium Edition runs $69.99, and a Collector's Edition is $199.99. Premium and Collector's buyers get five days of early access starting July 23. Cross-play and cross-progression work across all platforms, so a save started on Xbox carries over to PC or PS5.

For Game Pass subscribers, the day-one inclusion makes this a straightforward download — no purchase required.