25 years after the release of Halo: Combat Evolved, the very first game in the shooter series, an elaborate remake is set to be released in Unreal Engine 5. Here’s what you need to know about it.
The first Halo, subtitled Combat Evolved, has been around for over 20 years. When it was released in 2001, the shooter impressed with its sleek graphics, cool shootouts, and a sophisticated sci-fi story.
Of course, the game no longer seems quite as fresh today. That’s why, in 2026, fifteen years after the first re-release, a remake is set to arrive in Unreal Engine 5, developed by Halo Studios. Our colleagues at GamePro were given the opportunity to take a detailed look at Halo: Campaign Evolved and even play it. We’ll summarize the most important points here.
What is Halo: Campaign Evolved?
A remake of the first Halo campaign in Unreal Engine 5 will be released next year under the name Campaign Evolved. The game will be available for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and, for the first time, PlayStation 5. With high-resolution textures and models, modern lighting technology, and a more detailed game world, the new edition far surpasses the original:
But Campaign Evolved not only revamps the graphics, it also incorporates further technical and gameplay innovations into the shooter:
- Sprint function and modern aiming function
- Nine weapons from later parts of the series
- Energy swords, anti-aircraft guns, guardian beams, and even Wraith tanks can be used
- Three new campaign missions that serve as a prequel
- Completely reworked sound, newly recorded dialogues
- Adjustments to pathfinding and level design
Online co-op mode for up to four players
Halo Combat Evolved (2026) 
Halo Combat Evolved (2001) However, some things remain the same. The old engine still runs under the sleek Unreal Engine interface and is responsible for physics calculations and animations, among other things. In the demo version that our colleague Tobi played, however, there were still some technical issues that are typical for the Unreal Engine. Among other things, there were pop-up textures and very unstable lighting.
However, Halo: Campaign Evolved is still quite a while away from release, and no exact date has been set yet. It remains to be seen whether the developers will be able to release a technically polished game. This would be an important signal, as Halo plans to use Unreal Engine 5 for several new titles. You can read more about this above.
