The original Halo is finally making its way to PlayStation consoles, effectively derailing a so-called console war that’s raged for over two decades. As surprise-announced by Halo Studios, the iconic series is making its way to PlayStation for the first time ever with the release of Campaign Evolved, a ground-up, modernised version of the original Halo campaign.
This is one of the last major dams to break in the console war, with Master Chief’s status as an Xbox icon now tempered by his cross-platform arrival. While we’ve been heading towards this cross-pollination of formerly exclusive titles for quite some time – in fact, PlayStation contributed heavily to the process by releasing many of its major exclusive titles on PC from 2020 onwards – the arrival of Halo on PlayStation is still a surprise.
For over two decades, Master Chief has served as the primary mascot of Xbox gaming, leader of one of the last remaining exclusive franchises on the console. Now, his watch has ended, and PlayStation players will finally be invited to experience Halo for themselves.
Halo arrives on PlayStation – quick links
Why is Halo coming to PlayStation now, of all times?
Despite the sudden arrival of Master Chief on PlayStation consoles being a relative surprise, there was speculation this would eventuate in future – as Xbox owner Microsoft has, in recent times, hinted at a move away from the Xbox as a standalone console.
Its recent ‘This Is An Xbox’ marketing campaign aimed to highlight that Xbox games can be played anywhere via the cloud, including PCs and handheld devices. As it turns out, the arrival of Halo on PlayStation also implies it’s an Xbox, in a roundabout way.
For years now, Microsoft has downplayed the importance of home consoles as dedicated gaming devices, as well as downplaying the role of exclusives. Just a few days prior to the announcement of Campaign Evolved, Xbox president Sarah Bond told Mashable that gamers had moved on from exclusives, and that an open ecosystem better included every gamer.
‘We’re really seeing people evolve way past that,’ Bond said. ‘The biggest games in the world are available everywhere. You look at Call of Duty, you look at Minecraft, you look at Fortnite, you look at Roblox, that’s actually what’s really driving community in gaming. That’s where people gather. They have experiences. And the idea of locking it to one store or one device is antiquated for most people. You want to be able to play with your friends anywhere regardless of what they’re on.’
Many prominent leaders in the games industry have expressed a similar belief, that exclusivity ultimately reduces the market for games, reducing sales potential, while also leaving some gamers off-sided by this choice.
This belief is likely what’s driving the launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved on PlayStation, as well as recent PlayStation launches on PC. The more platforms a game is playable on, the more sales potential it has. In the modern era, with the need for higher and more consistent sales overall, game studios need to rethink exclusivity, as a means to reach a wider audience.
A recent Bloomberg report, penned by Jason Schreier, also indicated Microsoft’s push to release games on all consoles may be inspired by an alleged management-led directive to hit 30% profit margins within the Xbox division. It’s believed this number – which Schreier noted was ‘far higher than the industry average’ – is causing a rethink of Xbox’s business strategy, including its approach to exclusives.
So, what is Halo: Campaign Evolved?
Whatever the reason, it does appear PlayStation fans are fairly raucous about the development. Halo is a franchise that’s long escaped keen players on other consoles, and in Halo: Campaign Evolved, there’s plenty to look forward to.
As announced, this is a ground-up remake of the original Halo campaign, including two-player couch co-op, and four-player online crossplay.
‘We’re going back to where it all began – the legendary campaign from Halo: Combat Evolved,’ Brian Jarrard, Community Director of Halo Studios said via the PlayStation Blog.
‘This is the story that first introduced players to the Master Chief, a super-soldier leading humanity’s fight for survival, and Cortana, the AI who became his closest ally. It’s where we met the Covenant, an alien alliance waging war against humanity, and uncovered the mystery of the Halo ring – an ancient megastructure holding secrets that could change the fate of the galaxy.’
‘For some of you, it’ll be a chance to revisit a classic in a completely new light. For others, it’ll be the very first time setting foot on the ring and discovering what makes Halo unforgettable.’
Halo: Campaign Evolved – First Trailer
As noted by Jarrard, the game has been rebuilt for modern audiences, with every mission being enhanced through ‘high-definition visuals and all-new cinematics’ accompanied by ‘smoother controls and movement, as well as improved wayfinding and combat flow.’ The game’s soundtrack has also been remastered, with a focus on more immersive sound design.
For many, this will be the first taste of Halo, so Campaign Evolved has been designed with all the modern bells and whistles in mind. For returning players, it should also improve on the adventure (even more so than the Halo: The Master Chief Collection release) in a way that encourages a nostalgia-infused replay.
Those keen to get their hands on Halo: Campaign Evolved will need to stay patient. As announced, the game is set to launch in 2026.
