A remaster for Halo: Combat Evolved is reportedly set to arrive in 2026, following a tease by Xbox bigwig Phil Spencer during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 that next year will see “the return of a classic that’s been with us since the beginning.”
Xbox celebrates its 25th anniversary next year, having first arrived on the scene back in late 2001 alongside the Nintendo GameCube. Spencer revealed that a number of major franchises will receive new instalments in 2026, including Fable, Forza, and Gears of War. However, it’s been claimed by The Verge’s Tom Warren that the reference to the “classic” mentioned by Spencer is a remaster of Halo: Combat Evolved.
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A remaster of Halo: Combat Evolved has been rumoured for some time now, and is also reportedly set to arrive on the PS5 when it sees the light of day. Back in June last year, The Verge stated that Master Chief’s first adventure was being considered for Sony’s console, and in January 2025 it was claimed by leaker NateTheHate that Halo: The Master Chief Collection is heading to PS5.
With Microsoft now bringing many of its exclusives to other formats, including Gears of War: Reloaded in August and the previously-launched Forza Horizon 5, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Sea of Thieves, there’s every chance that Halo could be next. Nothing official has been revealed yet, however, so keep that in mind.
Halo: Combat Evolved launched alongside the Xbox in 2001 and was remastered for Xbox One as part of 2014’s Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
[Source – Tom Warren on X via IGN]