Halo: Campaign Evolved devs say its first-ever PS5 release of Xbox's flagship is a chance to grow its community — "We don't and we won't take it lightly"

Ever since Microsoft's legendary sci-fi FPS series Halo first debuted on the original Xbox console nearly 25 years ago, the shooter has never been released on any platform other than Xbox and PC. In 2026, though, that's changing with the launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved — an Unreal Engine 5 remake of that original game — on PS5 as well as the aforementioned systems.

It's no exaggeration to say this will be a landmark release for Microsoft and Xbox, given that Halo has been its flagship console exclusive for nearly all of the latter's history. For the team at Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries), though, it's viewed as an opportunity to grow Halo as a franchise, and a chance to connect and reconnect both new and veteran players.

"We hope to bring along the series veterans who have been with us for the past 25 years and have them play with an entirely new generation," executive producer Damon Conn told GamesRadar+. "There are people who have never been exposed to Halo. Maybe they've always been on Sony products, switched consoles at a certain point, or just missed it at the time. We want to bring players back together."

"We see this as a way to grow, expand, and reconnect the Halo community. We want to honor the Halo legacy on PlayStation, and we're paving the way to expand our Halo universe — that's how we see it," he added, before acknowledging that "it's not a small thing. We don't and we won't take it lightly. We definitely feel the weight of it."

Indeed, bringing Halo to PS5 in any form is a bold, controversial move that some argue devalues Xbox as a brand. But creative director Max Szlagor asserts that "Halo is best played when we have a large, healthy community," and the decision makes sense when viewed as part of Microsoft's broader initiative to make Xbox games multiplatform when it makes sense. The multiplayer titles Forza Horizon 5 and Sea of Thieves have both been incredibly successful on PS5, and Grounded has been, too.

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Notably, Conn confirmed that Halo: Campaign Evolved will feature full crossplay 4-player co-op between platforms to take full advantage of the title's multiplatform availability. On top of that, it'll also have some noteworthy gameplay changes and additions compared to the original 2001 game, such as usable Energy Swords, Fuel Rod Guns, Sentinel Beams, and Covenant Wraith tanks, along with new weapons and the (toggleable) ability to sprint.

Conn says these "just kind of make sense," though Halo Studios is also taking a far bigger step by adding three new levels focused on Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson. These will act as a prologue of sorts, taking place before the events of Combat Evolved and even Halo: Reach, with "new environments, enemies, characters, and weapons."

Despite the additions, though, the devs promise Campaign Evolved will ultimately be a "faithful and modernized remake," and "a celebration of Combat Evolved." Szlagor explains that the team "has been careful to craft the game in such a way that it stays true to the original's tone, atmosphere, feel, and emotional impact." That's reassuring, though some remain skeptical after 2011's Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary remaster controversially altered many aspects of the game's art direction.

For Halo Studios, the remake is "an opportunity to pave the way for the future of Halo," as all future games will be built on Unreal Engine 5 as well. "We're building a game in Unreal Engine 5, on a platform that we've never supported, while offering more ways for players to play with each other than ever before. We're excited to reignite the spark that started it all," Conn explained.

That suggests we could see future Halo experiences come to PlayStation, too, which wouldn't surprise me if Campaign Evolved performs well on PS5; the chances of it doing so are high, given the franchise's pedigree and the fact it's never been on Sony's consoles before. Whenever it comes out later this year, though, playing it through Xbox Game Pass will only be possible on Xbox and PC.

Are you looking forward to playing Halo: Campaign Evolved later this year? Are you happy to see Halo come to PlayStation, or do you think Microsoft and Xbox are making a huge mistake by bringing it there? Let me know in the comments.

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