Halo: Campaign Evolved – Release Notes (Early Access)

Published July 23, 2026

Download size: 70 GB or less

Overview

Welcome to early access for Halo: Campaign Evolved, a modern remake of Halo: Combat Evolved. This release includes enhanced visuals, updated systems, and new gameplay features while preserving the original campaign experience.  

Use this article as your starting point for key release information, including purchase and installation steps, device preparation and platform-specific setup guidance, gameplay and account resources, and support options for in-game, platform, and storefront-related concerns.

How to Play

Halo: Campaign Evolved is available for purchase as a physical edition through select retailers worldwide, and as a digital download from supported storefronts.

  • Learn about available editions, and where to purchase in our Halo Campaign Evolved Editions guide. This guide also includes information on inclusions and available upgrades for Game Pass owners.
  • Step-by-step purchase and download instructions are available for XBOX, PlayStation®, and PC in our Installing & Uninstalling guide. This guide also includes instructions for Game Pass owners on XBOX and PC.

Troubleshooting & Assistance

Prepare Your Device for Halo: Campaign Evolved

Before launching, review the following resources to ensure the best experience: 

PC Players

Console Players

GETTING STARTED 

Account Linking & Setup

For instructions on linking your PlayStation™Network account or Steam account and resources for creating an XBOX account, visit our Account linking & Unlinking guide.

Gameplay Systems and Features  

New and returning players can use the following resources to learn more about specific features, modes, and gameplay systems:

Encountering Issues

If you encounter an error in-game or in the menus of Halo: Campaign Evolved, please refer to Error Codes & Messages in Halo: Campaign Evolved.  

This resource provides detailed descriptions of many common error messages and codes, along with troubleshooting steps and potential resolutions.

For issues you are unable to resolve on your own, submit a Halo Support Ticket.

KNOWN ISSUES

The following list contains some of the high-impact known issues for the Early Access release of Halo: Campaign Evolved:

Global 

  • Cinematics may occasionally stutter during playback if the display refresh rate is not an even multiple of 30 Hz. 
    • Workaround: If possible, set your display refresh rate to a multiple of 30 Hz (such as 60 Hz, 120 Hz, or 240hz), turn on Game Mode on your TV if available, or turn off Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), as it may contribute to cinematic stuttering on some setups. 
  • Audio and video may become out of sync, and the cinematic can briefly freeze, if the game is paused and then resumed during a cinematic. 
  • Navigation markers do not progress until everyone in the Fireteam passes them. 
  • After the first generator in Two Betrayals, players will be unable to progress if they destroy the banshee. 
  • While playing The Truth and Reconciliation, you may hear brief popping or stuttering of audio during gameplay.  

XBOX 

  • Suspending the game during a cinematic may cause the last frame shown before suspension to remain on screen and overlap subsequent cinematics for the rest of the playthrough. 
    • If this occurs, fully restart your console to restore cinematics to normal.  

PC 

  • Launching Halo: Campaign Evolved directly from the HaloCampaignEvolved.exe file in the Steam installation folder may cause the game to launch without connecting to Steam. When this occurs, you may be unable to sign in, experience severe performance issues, or encounter a game freeze that requires the application to be closed through Task Manager. 
    • Workaround: Launch Halo: Campaign Evolved directly from the Steam library within the Steam app itself. 
  • AMD graphics cards using driver versions 26.6.2 or 26.6.4 will likely crash when skipping the introduction cinematic in the mission The Maw while FSR is turned on. Watching the cinematic to completion can reduce the likelihood of a crash.  
    • Workaround: Change your upscaling technique to DLSS, XeSS, or TSR, turn on Frame Generation while using FSR, or roll back to driver version 26.6.1.
  • AMD graphics cards may crash when using high refresh rate displays if VSync is turned on and the maximum frame rate is set to 30.  
    • Workaround: Raise the maximum frame rate limit, or disable VSync. 
  • Players using the Low upscaling quality option for DLSS upscaling may notice visual grain, haze, or oversized lens flares when using Low graphics quality settings. 
  • NVIDIA RTX 5000-series graphics cards may crash on missions Keyes and The Maw when using driver versions 610.47, 610.62, and 610.74. 
    • Workaround: Update your NVIDIA driver to 610.82, or rollback to 596.49. 
  • Turning on XeSS Frame Generation while an in-game maximum frame rate limit is set can cause the game to become visually frozen, with only occasional frame updates. 
    • Workaround: Use FSR or DLSS with Frame Generation instead of XeSS, turn off Frame Generation when using XeSS, or remove the in-game maximum frame rate limit. 
  • Using Frame Generation with XeSS upscaling may cause graphical issues and limit frame rates during cinematics. 
    • Workaround: Use Frame Generation with DLSS or FSR, or disable Frame Generation while using XeSS.

If you experience an issue not listed here, report it through Halo Support using our Game Issue Report Form.

Additional Notes

  • Player feedback is critical. Report issues through Halo Support using our Game Issue Report Form.
  • If you experience problems with your XBOX console or Game Pass, XBOX Support can help you.
  • If you have problems with your account, Microsoft or XBOX purchases, Microsoft Support can help you.
  • If you have problems on PlayStation®5 that are not in-game issues, please contact PlayStation®Support.
  • If you experience a problem in Steam that is not an in-game issue, please contact Steam Support. 

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