Xbox and the creators of Halo have announced an exciting and ambitious project: a full remake of the beloved game, Halo: Combat Evolved. This highly anticipated release, titled Halo: Campaign Evolved, is set to debut next year, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the iconic franchise.

The remake aims to focus primarily on enhancing the game’s story mode, offering both long-time fans and new players a fresh yet familiar experience. For many, including myself, memories of first playing the original Halo evoke a sense of nostalgia, and this remake promises to rekindle that magic.

In a statement, Conn emphasized that this project goes beyond a simple remaster. Instead, it is a complete reimagining, crafted to modernize the 2001 classic while staying true to its original tone and atmosphere. “We’ve totally ground up, looked at, re-evaluated, and retouched every asset,” Conn explained. “We have re-recorded new voice work from the principal cast, rebuilt cinematics, and incorporated new motion capture. It’s really a ground-up rework, unlike our previous endeavor with Halo Anniversary.”

This comprehensive approach ensures that Halo: Campaign Evolved will not only pay homage to its roots but also bring the game to life in a way that resonates with today’s gaming audience.

“We’ve totally ground up, looked at, re-evaluated, and retouched every asset, re-recorded new voice work from the principal cast, rebuilt cinematics, new motion capture — it’s really kind of a ground-up thing versus what we had done previously with Halo Anniversary,” Conn said. 

The developers stressed that the remake isn’t intended to replace the original game, but to stand alongside it.

“The goal of remaking this original, iconic first episode of the franchise was not to replace the original. The original is a masterpiece, and what we’re doing is making something that can stand up next to that masterpiece again,” he said.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is set to introduce a range of quality of life improvements, including the return of splitscreen co-op alongside four-player online co-op with cross-play and cross progression across all platforms.

This marks the first time Master Chief’s story will appear on a PlayStation console.

Conn said the move to PlayStation represents a major step for the series. 

“We’re coming out to PlayStation for the first time. It’s a fantastic opportunity to introduce a whole new set of fans to Master Chief’s story and allow them to have the same kind of experience and joy that gamers have had on Xbox for the past 25 years,” he told 9news.com.au.

Hermann said the studio is also working closely with Sony to explore DualSense features, though specifics are still being finalised. 

“They came over and gave us a lot of food for thought when it came to the things their controllers do, and we’re still working through those specifics,” he said.

While this release focuses on the campaign, Halo Studios confirmed that discussions around multiplayer will come later. 

Herman said the goal of the remake is to unite veterans and newcomers alike. 

“Come back, experience the Halo ring for the first time — again. It recognises you’ve been there before, but it really is an entirely fresh take,” he said.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is set to release in 2026 across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.