Halo: Campaign Evolved arrives July 28th

Jay Peters

is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.

As part of its Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday, Microsoft revealed new details about Halo: Campaign Evolved, the upcoming remake of Halo: Combat Evolved’s campaign mode. The remake will debut on Xbox Series S / X, PC, and PS5 on July 28th.

Today’s mission trailer includes a first look at Operation: Meteorite, a new three-mission story arc in Halo: Campaign Evolved. It takes place a year before the events of the first game, and features Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson.

Microsoft announced Campaign Evolved last year, calling it a “modern evolution” of the original story. The game is built in Unreal Engine 5 and features “stunning new 4K visuals, updated animations, remastered music, and re-recorded voice lines.” There are also three brand-new “prequel” missions. Halo Studios is adding a few weapons from later titles to the game, like the energy sword and the battle rifle. And you’ll also be able to play two-player local split-screen co-op and up to four-player co-op online.

My colleague Tom Warren got to play a demo of Campaign Evolved, and while he said that it “looks and feels distinctively Halo,” he noted, “I realized there’s a lot going on in Campaign Evolved beyond its Unreal Engine 5-powered visuals.”

Microsoft is starting preorders for Halo: Campaign Evolved today, with a $69.99 premium edition providing early access to the game on July 23rd. There’s even a $199.99 collector’s edition that includes a 12-inch “Dark Horse” Master Chief statue, a light up LED Cortana chip, and more.

Halo: Campaign Evolved will debut on Xbox Series S / X, PC, and PS5 on July 28th.

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Jay Peters