In a new video, he claims to have confirmed the new gameplay loop. More importantly, it will “almost certainly” be revealed at Halo Fest 2026, which runs from December 12th to 13th. Ekur reportedly has a live service model, and Halo Studios has seemingly been working on it since 2023, which is apparently longer than Campaign Evolved after Certain Affinity crafted the initial prototype.

But will it be a standalone title or packaged with the next mainline Halo? This is still reportedly unknown, probably because we’ve heard very little about the unofficial Halo 7 in general, aside from the fact it’s using Unreal Engine 5, like all other current projects.

Time will tell, and plans could change – after all, look at all the twists and turns that Tatanka went through. In the meantime, Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on July 28th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Recent gameplay has looked good, but you shouldn’t expect anything in terms of new content, even for something like Theater Mode.

This wouldn’t be the first time Project Ekur has changed directions. According to the leaker, it was originally being developed as a battle royale game under the codename Tatanka. This got cancelled when Halo Studios decided to transition its development efforts to Unreal Engine 5. At the time, this transition involved giving Certain Affinity the task of creating prototypes to see whether the assets made for the Slipspace and Blam engines used for Halo Infinite could be imported over into Unreal Engine 5, and to see whether the resulting game could maintain the “feel” of Halo.

Citing sources, Rebs Gaming claims that these goals were originally accomplished in June 2023, with prototypes of Project Ekur being developed that involved AI opponents. This led to the exploration of a Halo-based extraction shooter. Among the concepts explored was the idea of players teaming up with AI squad members to explore a large map and scavenge for resources, often taking on other teams of players and their AI squads. While there were still some elements of the extraction shooter genre in this concept, the studio was reportedly going for something more in line with Halo 5: Guardians’ Warzone game mode.

While Halo Studios hasn’t officially confirmed the development of Project Ekur so far, such a game being made wouldn’t be too surprising, since the next big entry in the franchise is going to be the campaign and co-op-only title Halo: Campaign Evolved. A remake of the original Halo, the game will not feature any competitive game modes. Rather, Halo Studios has decided to focus strictly on single-player and co-op content. To that end, an accompanying game that focuses purely on PvP could be seen as a smart idea, since the Halo franchise as a whole is also beloved for its multiplayer.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on July 28th. This will mark the first time that a Halo game is playable on a PlayStation console since the franchise’s inception all the way back in 2001.

Executive producer Damon Conn and creative director Max Szlagor have previously spoken about how Halo Studios wants to honor the entire franchise and its fans, while also bringing it to a new generation of gamers.

“We hope to bring along the series veterans who have been with us for the past 25 years and have them play with an entirely new generation,” said Conn. “There are people who have never been exposed to Halo. Maybe they’ve always been on Sony products, switched consoles at a certain point, or just missed it at the time. We want to bring players back together.”

While you wait for Halo: Campaign Evolved, check out the 10 major differences between it and the original Halo: Combat Evolved.

Unfortunately, no. “We love the Mark IV armor too, so we understand the desire to wear it everywhere, but it will only be available in the 3 new bonus missions,” it said on Halo Waypoint. Furthermore, regardless of whatever customizations your version of Master Chief is sporting, they won’t appear in cutscenes. This is to “ensure that the narrative remains as faithful to the original game as possible.”

And in case you were wondering, the M99 Stanchion, a special rifle used by Sgt Johnson in the Prologue missions, won’t be usable. It won’t show up in Campaign Remix either, which offers randomized weapons, different enemy placements, and so on. “Sgt Johnson’s Stanchion, which was featured in our new missions trailer, is his personal weapon and not one he likes to share. As such, it will not be featured outside his personal use in the prequel missions.”

It’s not all bad news though. The famous backpack reload glitch from the original hasn’t been recreated, but you can enable a similar kind of behavior with the Stowed Reload Skull, causing weapons stowed on Chief’s back to reload.

LASO, the infamous challenge undertaken by campaign runners throughout the series, also returns. However, it’s more akin to The Master Chief Collection, meaning not all Skulls but still “extremely challenging.” More details will follow before Halo: Campaign Evolved’s launch on July 28th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, so stay tuned.

In an extensive Q&A on Halo Waypoint, the developer said, “The Blind Skull, which hides your HUD UI, weapons, and hands from view, combined with the Acrophobia Skull, which allows you to fly, should be able to provide some incredible screenshot opportunities, but there are no current plans for a Photo Mode or Theater Mode in Halo: Campaign Evolved.”

“Current” plans could mean something changes down the line. But at present, the development team isn’t looking to add any more content post-launch, be it story DLC, more Skulls, customization options or even Firefight. “Halo: Campaign Evolved is meant to focus on remaking the original campaign of Halo: Combat Evolved and providing three fun, new prequel missions. There are no plans to expand the game into a live service with continued content or feature additions.”

And no, there won’t be a demo either. While this has never really been a thing for the franchise, pre- and post-Bungie, Halo Studios’ objective seems pretty clear: “If you’re excited and want to get your hands on the game as soon as possible, you can pre-order the Premium Edition and get up to 5 days of early access beginning July 23, 2026!” Long story short, if you want to play early, then prepare to pay.

For what it’s worth, though, the Premium Edition costs $70 and also offers other bonuses like additional skins and the digital story and art collection. Those not keen on advanced access can fork over $50 for the Standard Edition, which is pretty reasonable. As for the lack of Theater Mode and plans to support the title after launch, well, we’ll let you be the judge.

Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on July 28th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. It will also be available on day one for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

Originally, Halo Waypoint claimed that both players would require a PlayStation Plus account. This drew considerable ire due to the utter lack of games with local co-op that have such requirements. Thankfully, the official Halo Twitter clarified that neither account would need PS Plus.

That said, they’ll still need to be linked to Microsoft accounts. Also, if you’re playing online co-op – which is the only way to accommodate four players – then PlayStation Plus is a must, as with other paid online titles.

Other than this hiccup (and others), Halo: Campaign Evolved looks set to launch on July 28th for Xbox Series X/S and PC alongside PS5. It will feature the same campaign as the 2001 classic but with three new Prologue missions starring Chief and Sgt. Johnson.

You can also modify a playthrough with 42 different Skulls and enable Campaign Remix for randomized weapons, different enemy placements and more. Head here for some recent extended gameplay of Assault on the Control Room, showcasing the remake’s performance ahead of release.

Take the UK PlayStation Store, for example, where the game’s Standard Edition is currently the most pre-ordered across the board, while the Premium Edition is in the top five. In the US, the Premium Edition is the seventh most pre-ordered title, though the Standard Edition has a ways to go, not even ranking in the top ten. This may be due to advanced access to the campaign, which starts on July 23rd.

France and Germany tell similar stories, with the former showing a lot of interest in the Premium Edition while the latter has been quite kind to the base game. With all this success for a title that hasn’t even released yet, we can’t help but wonder if things could improve on the Gears of War front, and whether The Coalition is going to rethink its decision about not making PlayStation a priority for its upcoming prequel.

Halo: Campaign Evolved is surely proving to be demonstrable evidence of an approach that takes a measured view of platform exclusivity, after all. We’ll have to wait and see how things shake out when it launches on July 28th worldwide for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The Skulls are a fascinating bunch, with three of them hidden on each of the game’s levels. They’re essentially modifiers that can let you tweak things to your liking, ranging from those that give you infinite ammo to others that let you play a very interesting version of “The Floor is Lava”. There are 42 of them in total, and we can only imagine what things might look like if you have them all active at once. We imagine most of you are going to pick a few favorites and run with them once you roll the credits on the campaign.

Campaign Remix is another great addition, immediately giving you a lot of replay value if you can’t get enough of the game. It alters enemy behaviour, adds randomized weapons, and even switches up enemy placements to make each run through a level feel fresh every time. Combining them with a few Skulls could make things even better if you’re looking for a more varied experience.

Of course, the option to bring up to three of your buddies along might be the star of the show, with online co-op and two-player local splitscreen options working well with cross-platform support across all available platforms. Check out the trailer below with none other than Sergeant Johnson explaining it all in his trademark style.

That translates to a whopping 28 minutes of new first-person gameplay. Besides showcasing Master Chief driving a Scorpion Tank alongside the UNSC Marines and clearing house, we also get to see some extensive Wraith gameplay. It won’t be anything surprising for those who played later titles, but this marks a notable first for the original campaign.

Otherwise, the sheer attention to detail and visual splendor is something to behold, whether it’s the weapon shots’ lighting in darker areas or glass realistically breaking under enemies. Performance also seems to be holding up pretty well, which is good news this close to launch.

And fortunately, you won’t have to wait much longer to experience Halo: Campaign Evolved, as it’s available on July 28th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. In the meantime, you can check out a cinematic trailer with gameplay captured on PS5 Pro or the three new Prologue missions, which are new to the remake.

Thanks to a new Skull called “Perspective,” you can now experience classic missions from a completely new point of view. Some pre-release gameplay from The Silent Cartographer mission looks pretty solid, and even if Sprint proves divisive, it’s nice seeing the animations from this new perspective. Other touches, like the glowing hue around Chief’s armor with an overshield, are also nice.

This should also address a criticism that modern Halo titles have faced for a while – the inability to see the different armor sets due to the first-person nature of gameplay. While Campaign Evolved doesn’t have an in-game store, you can unlock new skins for Chief to wear, and thanks to third-person, you can finally admire them in all their glory.

It launches on July 28th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC for $49.99. Premium Edition owners get five days of advanced access and the Alpha Armory Pack, which includes five skins, including one comprised entirely of Needler shards.

It also offers a look at several new features absent from the original Halo: Combat Evolved (or CE Anniversary). Notice Master Chief hijacking a Ghost from a Covenant foe? This was introduced in Halo 2 but is now part of the remake. You can also spot the SMG, a weapon that would be introduced in the sequel.

Of course, Halo: Campaign Evolved breaks the established canon in other ways, allowing Chief to use Energy Swords, sprint, and even pilot a Wraith tank. You can also experience it with up to three other players for the first time courtesy of online co-op, though there’s sadly no competitive PvP.

Halo: Campaign Evolved launches on July 28th for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PS5. Those who purchase the Premium or Collector’s Edition will receive five days of advanced access. You also get a digital art book, Halo: Hungry Buzzards by Troy Denning, the Alpha Halo Armory Pack, and a manual based on the original game.