Summary
- The rumored Halo: Combat Evolved remake may be further along than initially thought, with a potential release as early as 2026.
- Halo Studios' transition to Unreal Engine 5 may benefit future projects, allowing for more frequent releases.
- Fans can expect updates and new content for Halo Infinite, with a possible official reveal of the Combat Evolved remake as soon as next year.
The rumored remake of the first title in Xbox's esteemed sci-fi first-person shooter franchise, Halo: Combat Evolved, may be farther along in development than initially anticipated when rumors of the project first began cropping up earlier this year. Recently, Halo developer 343 Industries underwent a monumental change, renaming itself to Halo Studios, and announcing that its future projects will be developed using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5 instead of its own in-house Slipspace engine that powers Halo Infinite. This news came a few months after the first reports of a Halo: Combat Evolved remake.
Widely considered the most important game in Xbox's 23-year history, Halo: Combat Evolved kickstarted what would become one of the most essential first-person shooter franchises in the industry throughout the original Xbox and Xbox 360 generations. The game received a remaster in the form of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary ten years later, which was also included in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the 2014 anthology that also introduced Halo 2 Anniversary. Despite Halo Infinite's solid launch in 2021, post-launch support underwhelmed the community, though Halo Studios has made vast improvements since.
It seems fans looking to return to the glory days of Halo won't have to wait as long as initially thought for the rumored Halo: Combat Evolved remake to arrive. On a recent episode of the XboxEra Podcast, known insider Shpeshal_Nick talked about Halo Studios' ground-up remake of the original Halo, saying it's coming sooner than the initial rumors made it seem. He went on to clarify that he doesn't believe it's a 2025 game, insinuating the remake could be out sometime in 2026, though this is all just speculation.
Halo: Combat Evolved Remake May Be Closer Than Anticipated
It makes sense that Halo Studios would be further along in the Halo remake's development, considering it's been nearly three whole years since Halo Infinite was released; the studio likely had this new project in the works alongside its ongoing Halo Infinite support. While it's unknown exactly when Halo Studios moved to Unreal Engine, it wouldn't be surprising to learn that the rumored Combat Evolved remake is being built with it. The shift to Unreal also means Halo Studios won't need to worry about its own reportedly troublesome Slipspace engine anymore, and will likely free the studio up to release smaller titles more frequently, like remakes, or experiences like Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach, in between the larger mainline entries.
Halo Studios is continuing to add updates and new content to Halo Infinite, namely its limited time Operation: Halloween event, which is currently underway. Halo Infinite also has a third-person mode planned to arrive later this year. As for the Halo: Combat Evolved remake, while Shpeshal_Nick doesn't believe it to be a 2025 release, that doesn't mean it won't receive an official reveal sometime next year, so Halo fans should stay tuned in to Halo Studios.
- Released
- November 15, 2001
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bungie
- Publisher(s)
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Engine
- Blam Engine
- Franchise
- Halo
WHERE TO PLAY
Bent on Humankind's extermination, powerful fellowship of alien races known as the Covenant is wiping out Earth's fledgling interstellar empire. You and the other surviving defenders of a devastated colony-world make a desperate attempt to lure the alien fleet away from Earth. Shot down and marooned on the ancient ring-world Halo, you begin a guerilla-war against the Covenant. Fight for humanity against an alien onslaught as you race to uncover the mysteries of Halo.
You are the last of your kind. Bred for combat, built for war, you are master of any weapon, pilot of any vehicle... And fear no enemy.
• Attack on all fronts—on foot or with a powerful array of assault vehicles.
• Seamless, hyper-real indoor and outdoor environments.
• Intense multi-player team battles: 4-player split-screen or multi-player system link play.
• Unleash destruction with incredible human and alien weapons.
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox (Original), Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- How Long To Beat
- 10 Hours
