Xbox Chief Phil Spencer Hints at 'Return' of Halo 5a5l6c Combat Evolved Next Year

Spencer said Xbox fans will see the "return of a classic that’s been with us since the beginning" in 2026. m5m11

Written by Manas Mitul | Updated: 9 June 2025 20:35 IST

Xbox Chief Phil Spencer Hints at 'Return' of Halo: Combat Evolved Next Year

Photo Credit: Microsoft 504b19

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary launched in 2011

Highlights

Xbox Game Showcase took place on June 8
Halo Studios is working on multiple Halo games in Unreal Engine 5
Halo Infinite released on PC and Xbox consoles in 2021

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A remaster of Halo: Combat Evolved is in the works at Microsoft, Phil Spencer, CEO of the company's gaming division, suggested at Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday. Spencer didn't mention the game by name, but said it would mark the “return of a classic”. The project will arrive next year when Xbox celebrates its 25th anniversary. Last year, Microsoft confirmed Multiple Halo games were in development in Unreal Engine 5.

Halo Could Return in 2026 921w

Xbox.

“Looking ahead, next year marks 25 years of Xbox. It's a big milestone for the platform and franchises that you helped build and make popular. We couldn't have done this without everyone who's been with us on this journey,” Spencer said at the showcase.

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“As we think about bringing a new generation of players to these iconic franchises, I'm excited to share that players will get to celebrate 25 years of Xbox with a new Fable, the next Forza, Gears of War: E-Day, and the return of a classic that's been with us since the beginning.”

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer took the stage at Xbox Games Showcase
Photo Credit: Microsoft

That last bit, while not explicitly mentioned, clearly refers to Halo. Halo: Combat Evolved launched on the original Xbox in 2001 and redefined the first-person shooter genre. The game became a system seller and has been Xbox's biggest franchise “since the beginning”, as Spencer put it.

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It thus seems likely that Xbox Games Showcase.

Bear in mind, the game has already been remastered in 2011 with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, which marked 10 years of the original. The remastered version was later bundled with Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Last year, PC and Xbox consoles in 2021.

The remastered Halo: Combat Evolved could also land on rival consoles like the Nintendo Switch 2. Microsoft pivoted to launching its exclusive games on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch platforms last year, with several first-party games coming to PS5 in 2024 and 2025. Spencer, too, has refused to rule out any Xbox franchises from being released on other platforms.

“I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say ‘thou must not,'” he told Bloomberg last year, but said it was too early to make a decision on the next version of Halo.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary 2d6j6g

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Genre Shooter

Platform Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC: Windows

Modes Single-player, Multiplayer

Series Halo

PEGI Rating 16+

Xbox Chief Phil Spencer Hints at 'Return' of Halo: Combat Evolved Next Year

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Manas Mitul

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In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More