Halo: Campaign Evolved early access is live now on Xbox and PS5

Early access for Halo: Campaign Evolved went live today, Thursday 23 July, at 4:00 p.m. BST — kicking off a five-day head start for Premium Edition and Collector's Edition owners on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC, ahead of the game's full global launch on Tuesday 28 July 2026.

The 4:00 p.m. BST start time, confirmed by Pure Xbox, corresponds to 8:00 a.m. PDT. Players do not need to have pre-ordered before today: anyone who purchases either the Premium or Collector's Edition before 28 July qualifies for immediate early access.

What exactly is Halo: Campaign Evolved?

This is not a remaster. Halo: Campaign Evolved is a ground-up remake of the original 2001 Halo: Combat Evolved, built from scratch in Unreal Engine 5 by Halo Studios — the Redmond-based team that rebranded from 343 Industries in 2024. The shift away from 343's proprietary Slipspace Engine, used for Halo Infinite, was confirmed at the same time as the rebrand, with Campaign Evolved serving as the first game to come out of that transition.

The distinction from the earlier 2011 release matters. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was a lighter visual remaster laid over the original engine. Campaign Evolved is a full re-engineering: new lighting, redesigned geometry, reworked encounters, and modern movement mechanics — sprint, clamber — introduced in later Halo entries.

On top of the rebuilt original campaign, every edition includes Operation: METEORITE, a brand-new three-mission story arc set a year before the events of the first game. It follows Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson on a clandestine UNSC operation aboard a Covenant research vessel. The new missions are included with the Standard Edition; they are not a premium exclusive.

The remake also adds nine additional weapons from across the Halo series, the ability to hijack enemy vehicles, and a drivable Wraith — alongside more gameplay-modifying Skulls than any previous entry in the series.

Platforms and availability

The full launch on 28 July covers Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam. This is the first time any mainline Halo campaign has appeared on PlayStation, according to Halo Waypoint. Crossplay is supported across all three platforms — PS5 players will need to create a Microsoft account and sign in with an Xbox Gamertag to join cross-platform fireteams.

Xbox players benefit from Play Anywhere support, meaning progression and saves carry between Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S at no additional cost. There is no native Xbox One version; UK players still on the last-generation console can only access the game via Xbox Cloud Gaming, which requires a stable broadband connection.

Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers receive the game as a day-one release on 28 July at no additional cost. A base Game Pass subscription alone does not include early access and does not unlock it before the 28th.

Co-op: split-screen is back

The campaign supports four-player online co-op with full cross-platform play and shared progression. Locally, two-player split-screen is available on both Xbox Series X|S and PS5 — a feature absent from Halo for a considerable stretch of the franchise's history. No Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus subscription is required for two-player split-screen, though expanding to a three- or four-player networked session across multiple consoles or PCs brings additional requirements into play.

As Halo Waypoint states:

"For the first time in Halo history, Halo: Campaign Evolved allows players to seamlessly squad up with friends playing on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 in both online and networked co-op for up to four players."

Editions and pricing

• Digital Standard Edition — £49.99: Includes the game and pre-order DLC. Available on disc and digitally.
• Digital Premium Edition — £69.99: Adds five days of early access. Standard Edition owners can upgrade digitally for £20.
• Collector's Edition — £189.99 (sold out): Physical release including a Steelbook case, an exclusive Master Chief statue, a physical disc and a Premium Edition Upgrade voucher code. Halo Studios confirmed the sell-out on 8 June 2026.

Pre-ordering any edition before 28 July unlocks the Foundry Armory Pack, a customisation bundle of armour and weapon skins for use in the campaign.

How we got here

Halo: Campaign Evolved was publicly dated at the Xbox Games Showcase on 7 June 2026, where the New Missions Trailer premiered. The release date was also confirmed during Summer Game Fest. Halo Studios game director Greg Hermann and principal producer Kinkey Wu have spoken publicly about the move from 343's Slipspace Engine to Unreal Engine 5, framing Campaign Evolved as the studio's fresh start after Halo Infinite's troubled post-launch period.

The full global launch is Tuesday 28 July 2026. For everyone else, that is when the Halo comeback truly begins.