Status: Confirmed. Early access for Halo: Campaign Evolved unlocks on July 23, 2026 at 8:00 AM PDT / 11:00 AM EDT, giving Premium Edition and Collector’s Edition owners up to five days of head start before the standard July 28 release. The unlock happens at the same moment worldwide.
Quick answer: Buy or pre-order the Premium Edition ($69.99) or Collector’s Edition, then launch the game after 8:00 AM PDT on July 23, 2026. If you own only the Standard Edition or play through Game Pass, you start on July 28, 2026 at the same time of day.
Release time: July 23, 2026 at 8:00 AM PDT (11:00 AM EDT)
Early access start time by region
The remake uses a single global unlock, so everyone gets in at the same instant. That means the clock time you see depends only on your local zone. Use the table below to find your exact early access start.
| Region | Early access start |
|---|---|
| US West (PDT) | July 23 – 8:00 AM |
| US Central (CDT) | July 23 – 10:00 AM |
| US East (EDT) | July 23 – 11:00 AM |
| Brazil (BRT) | July 23 – 12:00 PM |
| UK (BST) | July 23 – 4:00 PM |
| Germany / France (CEST) | July 23 – 5:00 PM |
| Turkey (TRT) | July 23 – 6:00 PM |
| UAE (GST) | July 23 – 7:00 PM |
| India (IST) | July 23 – 8:30 PM |
| China / Singapore | July 23 – 11:00 PM |
| Japan / South Korea | July 24 – 12:00 AM |
| Australia (AEST) | July 24 – 1:00 AM |
| New Zealand (NZST) | July 24 – 3:00 AM |
How to unlock early access
Early access is tied to the edition you own, not to any region trick. Because the game unlocks globally at 8:00 AM PDT, switching your console to a New Zealand account will not let you play sooner.
Note: The Standard Edition, including access through Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, does not include early access. Those players start at full launch on July 28.
Standard launch time on July 28
The full release lands on July 28, 2026 at 8:00 AM PDT / 11:00 AM EDT, again as a simultaneous worldwide unlock. Standard buyers and Game Pass players come in at this point. The local times mirror the early access table exactly, five days later.
| Region | Full launch |
|---|---|
| US West (PDT) | July 28 – 8:00 AM |
| US East (EDT) | July 28 – 11:00 AM |
| UK (BST) | July 28 – 4:00 PM |
| Germany / France (CEST) | July 28 – 5:00 PM |
| India (IST) | July 28 – 8:30 PM |
| China / Singapore | July 28 – 11:00 PM |
| Japan / South Korea | July 29 – 12:00 AM |
| Australia (AEST) | July 29 – 1:00 AM |
| New Zealand (NZST) | July 29 – 3:00 AM |
Platforms and Game Pass
Halo: Campaign Evolved is the first mainline Halo game to launch on PlayStation. It arrives day one on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam, and PlayStation 5. It is included with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass at launch, and Xbox Play Anywhere covers console and PC for digital buyers. Cross-play and cross-progression work across Xbox, Windows PC, Steam, and PS5.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full release | July 28, 2026 |
| Early access | July 23, 2026 (Premium and Collector’s Edition) |
| Platforms | Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam |
| Game Pass | Included at launch (Ultimate and PC) |
| Developer / Publisher | Halo Studios / Xbox Game Studios |
Editions and what early access buyers get
Three editions are available. Every pre-order includes the Foundry Armory Pack, which adds a Classic 2001 Mark V Armor skin, a Classic 2001 Assault Rifle skin, and Gilded Onyx styles for both. That pre-order offer requires an order placed by July 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM local time.
| Edition | Price | Key extras |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $49.99 | Base game, Foundry Armory Pack (pre-order). No early access. |
| Premium | $69.99 | Up to 5 days early access, Alpha Halo Armory Pack, digital artbook, short story, game manual |
| Collector’s | $199.99 | Up to 5 days early access, 12-inch Master Chief statue, LED Cortana chip, Steelbook, art prints, physical manual |
The Premium Edition’s Alpha Halo Armory Pack includes five Master Chief armor skins and six weapon skins, alongside the digital art collection and short story. That gives early access players cosmetic extras on top of the five-day head start.
What you play at launch
Halo: Campaign Evolved rebuilds the original Halo: Combat Evolved campaign in Unreal Engine 5 with high-definition visuals, updated cinematics, a remastered soundtrack, and refined controls. The story stays intact, so you still crash-land on the ring, work with Cortana, and push back the Covenant.
The new addition is Operation: Meteorite, a three-mission prequel arc set one year before the original game. You play as Master Chief alongside Sgt. Johnson during a UNSC operation aboard a Covenant research vessel, facing new enemies like the Brute Berserker and taking the fight into space. Nine extra series weapons join the arsenal, you can hijack vehicles for the first time in Combat Evolved, and a drivable Wraith tank is now in play. The full campaign supports solo play or up to four-player online co-op with crossplay and shared progression from day one. This release is campaign only, with no competitive multiplayer at launch.
