From the winding, glowing corridors of complex Covenant structures to the wide, verdant plains of the Halo ring itself, the campaign levels of Halo: Combat Evolved are where many of us started our XBOX journey almost 25 years ago. While it never gets old jumping in as the Chief and blasting through these familiar spaces for yet another run, Halo: Campaign Evolved offers so much more than that.
Set against a stunning backdrop fuelled by Unreal Engine 5, with brand-new story missions, new Skulls that introduce brilliant and bizarre gameplay modifiers, and the option to bring up to four players into the fully co-operative Campaign, this isn’t just Halo at its very best, it’s also bringing us fresh ideas. After spending some time playing the game ourselves, here are some things to look out for as Halo: Campaign Evolved heads into Early Access today for Premium Edition players.
Operation: METEORITE – A Whole New Adventure
One of the most substantial additions to Halo: Campaign Evolved, Operation: METEORITE brings three brand-new bonus missions to the story, with an arc that takes place roughly a year ahead of the main campaign itself.
While we don’t want to spoil too much, we can say that following the Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson through this additional story beat adds delightful context to the events leading up to the first mission of Halo: Campaign Evolved,and it makes running into the Sergeant at the start of the story we know feel all the more impactful as you work to save his Marines. It’s truly a treat to explore an entirely new adventure with Chief and one of his most formidable allies – and of course, there are Skulls and Terminals to be found hidden in here too.
Four Player Campaign That Scales with Your Squad
For the first time ever, the story of Halo: Campaign Evolvedcan be experienced with up to four-players online, with cross-platform play supported. While these spaces were originally designed to accommodate up to two Chiefs playing together in co-op, this remake has been thoughtfully rebuilt with double the players in mind. Weapon spawns stack with the number of players, ensuring a balanced and plentiful arsenal for everyone in the game. Levels have received adjustments to ensure players can move seamlessly through spaces, and the new selection of usable vehicles means every Chief can traverse wide open spaces with ease. In the level ‘Assault on the Control Room,’ for example, players can operate Ghosts, Wraiths, and of course, the Scorpion tank. No one has to walk, unless you destroy your ride, intentionally or unintentionally.
New Skulls, Old Skulls
As soon as I’d hopped out of the Cryo chamber at the start of mission one, ‘The Pillar of Autumn,’ there’s but one thing to do – I pulled a 180 and sprinted (with the brand-new sprint button, no less) to the back of the room, only to find that the Skull that I’ve know how to find since 2001 just… wasn’t there. For Halo: Campaign Evolved, Halo Studios has completely repositioned the original locations of the Skulls – relics that can be collected and used to add modifiers to your game that alter the mechanics, environment, enemy spawns, and much more.
Not only that, the team has also introduced brand-new Skulls to find alongside all your old favorites, offering fresh modifiers to discover. It’s a small change, but one that encourages you to explore this well-trodden ground and all its hidden spaces in a whole new way. Getting to relive the original fun of finding the Skulls all over again is a real treat for long-time fans. Oh, and one of the new Skulls introduces an optional third-person mode to Halo: Campaign Evolved, so be sure to keep an eye out for it.
Campaign Remix Switches Up Your Play
Collecting any three Skulls in Halo: Campaign Evolvedgrants access to Campaign Remix – a new mode that lets you replay completed missions with a significant twist.
Remix automatically unlocks three additional Skulls that are enabled by default every time you boot up a mission in this mode – Adaptation, Reload, and Armistice. Adaptation randomizes the enemy types that appear across a level, Reload similarly randomizes weapon placement, and Armistice ensures that every type of enemy will fight together as allies against you, their true villain. The three modifiers acting in unison adds a delightful randomness to each playthrough, and the addition of nine weapons from other titles in the Halo franchise creates an extra layer of fun, while not feeling out of place. And, of course, you can add any number of otherSkulls you might have found, to push that chaos even further. Campaign Remix also introduces two new visual effects that can be added to a mission; Nightvision and Spore Visibility. The former adds a permanent green nightvision effect to Chief’s view, with enemies and points of interest outlined in a neon green light. It’s a cool addition for a more strategic approach, and feels good in those Covenant structures shrouded in darkness.
The latter introduces an even more intense modifier, a thick, translucent layer cloud of fog and Flood spores across the environment, reducing visibility and distorting objects in your immediate vision. My first thought was to add this effect over ‘The Library’ – the level that sees Chief face off against waves of horrible Flood enemies, transforming a mission from a familiar haunt into an unrecognizable horror as tiny Flood creatures spewed indiscriminately from the dusky clouds. Playing like this completely captures the essence and the terror that the original space built, but it feels sharper, smarter and more realistic than ever before.
Even in open spaces – like ‘Halo’, the game’s second level – sprawling fields and open sky are blanketed with a murky smog that adds a whole new energy to a playthrough and everything you do within it – manoeuvring vehicles (or dodging them), trying to take down Banshees through the fog, or even working out what’s coming towards you based on lights piercing the curtain makes every decision feel a little heavier, in the best possible way.
Halo: Campaign Evolved launches globally on July 28, 2026, with early access beginning today for Premium Edition owners (you still have time to pre-order and start playing today). It will be available for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, cloud, and included with Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere. Also available on Steam and PlayStation 5. The game supports cross-play and cross-progression across XBOX Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam, and PlayStation 5.
Halo: Campaign Evolved – Premium Edition
☆☆☆☆☆1311
★★★★★
$69.99
Get it now
Pre-order the Premium Edition and get up to 5 days early access and the Foundry Armory Pack, featuring legendary looks for the Master Chief’s iconic Mark V Mjolnir armor.
PRE-ORDER INCLUDES:
• Up to 5 days early access, beginning July 23, 2026
• Classic 2001 Mark V Armor skin
• Classic 2001 Assault Rifle skin
• Gilded Onyx Armor style
• Gilded Onyx Assault Rifle style
PREMIUM EDITION INCLUDES:
• Halo: Campaign Evolved game
• Alpha Halo Armory Pack, featuring 5 Master Chief Armor skins & 6 weapon skins
• Art of Halo: Campaign Evolved Digital Artbook
• Halo: Hungry Buzzards Digital Short Story
• Digital Game Manual
EXPERIENCE WHERE THE LEGEND BEGINS
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a faithful yet modernized remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign. Experience the original story rebuilt with high-definition visuals, updated cinematics, refined controls, plus a brand-new three-mission adventure featuring the Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson. A broader arsenal of weapons, vehicles, enemies, and gameplay-modifying “Skulls” – optional modifiers that change combat in fun and challenging ways – add fresh tactics and endless replayability.
Play it your way: solo, in 2-player split-screen co-op (console only), or up to 4-player online co-op with full crossplay and cross-progression support.* Whether you’re discovering Halo for the first time or returning to the ring after 25 years, Halo: Campaign Evolved delivers an adventure that feels both timeless and brand new.
DISCOVER THE RINGWORLD:
After crash landing on a mysterious ringworld known as Halo, the Master Chief is tasked with helping the remaining humans survive against overwhelming Covenant forces. Alongside his AI companion Cortana, he uncovers Halo’s dark secrets and fights to avert the annihilation of all life in the galaxy.
THE COMPLETE CAMPAIGN, REBUILT:
Battle through the original missions, remade with high-def visuals, updated cinematics, and refined level design.
CINEMATICS AND AUDIO OVERHAULED:
All-new visuals and animations, plus a remastered soundtrack and fully rebuilt sound design for deeper immersion.
COMBAT AND WEAPONS EXPANDED:
Classic Halo combat feels sharper than ever, now with 9 additional iconic weapons from across the series to add to your arsenal.
THREE NEW MISSIONS:
Play as the Master Chief alongside Sgt. Johnson in Operation: Meteorite, a standalone combat operation featuring new environments, gameplay, and enemies.
PLAY SOLO OR WITH FRIENDS:
2-player split-screen (console only) or 4-player online co-op, with crossplay and cross-progression across console and PC.
DRIVE, HIJACK, WREAK HAVOC:
Halo’s iconic vehicles return with more ways to create unforgettable chaos. For the first time in Halo: CE, hijack enemy vehicles and pilot a fully drivable Wraith tank.
ENDLESS REPLAYABILITY:
Remix every mission with optional “Skull” modifiers that add variety and challenge with randomized weapons, enemies, and environments.
