Halo Studios posted the launch trailer for Halo: Campaign Evolved, the from-the-ground-up remake of Halo: Combat Evolved. Watch the Chief hype first. Then the release and feature details the clip does not pause to explain.
What the trailer shows
It is Chief back on the ring with modern lighting, bigger set pieces, and the “this is where Halo started” energy. The pitch is simple: the original campaign, rebuilt, ready for launch week.
What the trailer does not tell you
You can play it already if you bought Premium. Early access started July 23 for Digital Premium and Collector’s buyers. The full global launch is July 28, 2026. The trailer is a launch-week commercial. The calendar is the real news.
This is not Xbox-only. Campaign Evolved is on Xbox Series X|S, PC (including Steam), and PlayStation 5, with cross-play and cross-progression. Halo’s first campaign on PlayStation is the platform story the trailer treats as normal. It is not normal. It is the biggest distribution change in the franchise’s history.
Four-player co-op was rebuilt for this remake. Online co-op goes up to four Masters Chief with cross-play. Console still gets two-player split-screen. Levels and weapon spawns were adjusted so four people are not fighting over one pistol spawn like it is 2001.
There are three brand-new missions. Operation: Meteorite is a separate three-mission arc with Chief and Sergeant Johnson, set about a year before the main campaign. That is new story, not a coat of paint on The Silent Cartographer.
Skulls and Remix are the replay machines. Classic Skulls were moved. New ones were added, including an optional third-person Skull. Collect any three and you unlock Campaign Remix, which randomizes enemies and weapons and can turn familiar missions into chaos runs. Xbox Wire also notes vehicle hijacking and a drivable Wraith in CE for the first time.