Halo’s Original Game Is Getting a Full UE5 Remake — and It’s Coming to PlayStation for the First Time

Halo Studios is remaking the original Halo: Combat Evolved as Halo: Campaign Evolved. The game is being rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5, will launch in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, and aims to modernize the classic while preserving the original tone and pacing.

1. Halo comes to PlayStation
2. What is new in Campaign Evolved
3. Engine switch and development
4. Gameplay feel and physics
5. Release details and features

Halo comes to PlayStation

For the first time, Halo will appear on PlayStation. Consequently, Xbox Game Studios and Halo Studios view the first game as the natural place to introduce the series to a new platform and new players. As Damon Conn, executive producer of Halo: Campaign Evolved, put it: “We have a really important milestone ahead of us, the 25th anniversary of Halo. And again, what better place to start our journey for new players and for veterans alike.”

Conn also said, “[It’s the] largest audience that will ever have played a game at the same time with this first story that started at all.” In short, releasing the first Halo on PlayStation is the headline reason for this remake.

What is new in Campaign Evolved

The remake is built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. It will not launch with a dedicated multiplayer component, but it will support co-op—two players on the couch or up to four players online. Also, the remake includes an optional sprint mechanic and three brand-new missions. Furthermore, key voice lines are being re-recorded for this version.

“Every asset has been touched or modified or reviewed in some way as we brought it forward,” game director Greg Hermann added, noting that Campaign Evolved will also feature re-recorded voice lines from key actors like Master Chief’s Steve Downes and Cortana’s Jen Taylor.

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Engine switch and development

Halo Studios moved development to Unreal Engine 5 after years using the Slipspace Engine. According to the studio, Slipspace required them to act as both an engine shop and a game studio at once, which slowed development. The studio said switching to Unreal lets them focus more on making games and less on engine maintenance.

The studio referenced its public announcement about the rebrand and engine move; more background on that change is available on this Xbox Wire post announcing the studio’s 2024 rebrand.

Gameplay feel and physics

Halo Studios says it is balancing preservation and modernization. Creative director Max Szlagor explained their approach: “We’re really looking at, How do we preserve the feel of the gameplay? The way you play through the game? … And then also, What do you naturally do when you pick up that controller in terms of how you play this game?”

He added that sprint is optional: “The sprint is available for you there if you want it. You can disable it if you don’t. But we’re thinking about it in the context of … what organically fits together in terms of modern Halo player expectations, and how you play this game originally, and then thinking about it — ensuring that the pacing, the encounters, and the objectives all work within the framework of what we’re doing.”

Some community members worried that moving to Unreal would change the series’ feel. For example, some fans voiced concerns, and others catastrophized the change online.

Hermann acknowledged trade-offs. He said, “The original Halo: CE physics system was entirely custom and it was not something that the Halo engines had really passed down. We mostly relied on Havok [a popular physics engine] or Havok-based physics. So some of those behaviors are really very challenging to replicate.” He added, “Exactly how that will manifest? I’m not entirely sure, in the final product, for some of those. I do actually really look forward to seeing how the speedrunners engage …because I think we’ll all find out a whole lot more about the game we built when that happens.”

Release details and features

Concrete release info so far:

• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X.
• Year: 2026.
• Engine: Unreal Engine 5.
• Multiplayer: No dedicated multiplayer at launch; supports local two-player co-op and up to four-player online co-op.
• New content: Three new missions, optional sprint, re-recorded voice lines.

Hermann also framed the engine change as a strategic shift: “The goal of moving to Unreal for us is to allow us to focus a whole lot more on the process of making games.” In other words, the remake is both a standalone product and a step toward streamlining future Halo development.