Slipspace Drive

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

343 Industries assumed control over the Halo franchise following the release of Bungie's Halo: Reach in 2010, debuting with the remastered Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (2011) for Xbox 360 before developing new mainline entries through Halo 4 in 2012. The development team restructured and rebranded to Halo Studios in 2024, simultaneously pivoting production of the series away from the proprietary Slipspace Engine used for Infinite towards Unreal Engine 5, and beginning work on Campaign Evolved as the inaugural game utilizing such technology as a means of introducing the series to new players in anticipation of a multiplatform release, a first for the franchise. The game was teased in 2024 before being officially announced the following year. Campaign Evolved received generally positive reviews from critics, who noted that it brought welcome updates and additions to the original campaign, but did not drastically reimagine it.

In Their Own Story

In addition to the original game's ten missions, Campaign Evolved includes three new missions set one year before events of the game, during a campaign led by Master Chief and UNSC Sgt. Avery Johnson known as 'Operation METEORITE.' The game excludes the competitive multiplayer included with the original Combat Evolved, but still supports cooperative multiplayer throughout the story, with all platforms featuring online play with up to four players, including full cross-platform play and cross-progression, as well as the option for local two-player split-screen gameplay for the console versions. Both controllers must each be signed-in to an account profile to play split-screen co-op.

Reader's Guide

Campaign Evolved adds a further nine weapons beyond the full selection available from the original Combat Evolved, including the Covenant energy sword, Sub-Machine Gun, Battle Rifle, Fuel Rod Cannon, Sentinel Beam, Beam Rifle, Brute Plasma Rifle and Brute Spiker from Halo 2 and Halo 3, as well as the Needle Rifle from Reach. As introduced in Halo 2 and subsequently incorporated into Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (2011), the game features collectible Skulls that modify gameplay conditions by either debilitating player proficiencies or initiating absurd effects, such as a weapon randomizer or the classic 'Grunt Birthday Party' Skull which triggers an explosion of celebratory confetti upon landing a headshot on a grunt. Examples of Skulls new to Campaign Evolved include the 'Perspective' modifier, which enables the game to be played in third-person, and 'The Floor is Lava', which forces the player to take damage every time they contact the ground during a mission. 42 total Skulls are available to obtain across the game, with 26 of them returning from prior Halo titles.

Did You Know?

• Campaign Evolved was released on July 28, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.
• The game commemorates the 25th anniversary of both the Halo franchise and the Xbox platform.
• Halo Studios rebranded from 343 Industries in October 2024, simultaneously pivoting to Unreal Engine 5.
• Campaign Evolved includes three new missions set one year before the original game, called 'Operation METEORITE.'
• The game features 42 total Skulls, the highest number present in any Halo campaign to date.