Halo Studios announced Halo: Campaign Evolved will launch globally on July 28, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC at a price of $49.99 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Players on all platforms must have a Microsoft account and an Xbox Gamertag to play, regardless of device [1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 3, 9]. "Just as you do today for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo Infinite to ensure smooth cross-platform progression, to play Halo: Campaign Evolved you will need a Microsoft account and Xbox Gamertag, regardless of the platform(s) you play on," Halo Studios stated [1].
On Xbox Series X|S, split-screen co-op requires the second player to sign in with a unique Microsoft account, while online co-op requires an active Xbox Game Pass subscription [1, 6, 8]. On PC via Steam, linking a Microsoft account is mandatory to play [1, 6, 8]. Detailed PC hardware recommendations call for a 4K capable GPU such as Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 9070 and at least 100 GB SSD storage [5]. Early access for PC premium edition opens July 23 [5].
An official Q&A initially stated that PS5 local split-screen co-op would require both players to have active PlayStation Plus subscriptions linked to Microsoft accounts [1, 2, 6, 8, 3]. John Junyszek, Senior Community Manager at Halo Studios, said, "If you’re playing split-screen on PlayStation 5, both accounts will need to have PlayStation Plus and be linked to a Microsoft account. Having these active PlayStation Plus subscriptions will also provide access to online co-op play" [2].
However, on June 20, Halo Studios issued a correction clarifying local split-screen play on PS5 only needs linked PSN accounts and Microsoft accounts; PS Plus is required only for online multiplayer co-op [7, 9]. "We previously incorrectly stated that local split-screen co-op requires PS Plus memberships. In fact, local split-screen only requires each player to have a PSN account and linking to Microsoft accounts. PS Plus is only needed for online co-op," the studio explained [7]. This updated policy contrasts with early reports and caused some confusion [8]. One Twitter user criticized the account linking and DRM requirements, saying, "Next Halo has forced DOUBLE ONLINE DRM even for couch co-op. We used to just take our saves with us on a thumb drive, but they don't even allow that anymore" [8].
Linking PSN and Microsoft accounts on PS5 also enables cross-platform progression and trophy synchronization, according to Halo Studios, though this is considered a medium-confidence detail [7, 9]. Halo: Campaign Evolved is not designed as a games-as-a-service title and will not receive post-launch downloadable content; however, three new prequel missions will launch alongside the base game [4].
The next major milestone is early access for the PC premium edition on July 23, ahead of the full global release across all platforms on July 28 [5, 1, 2, 3, 4].
