Halo: Campaign Evolved launches this month on July 28 – or as early as July 23 if you pre-order the Premium Edition to get up to 5 days of Early Access! To help make sure you’ve got all the information you may need about the game, we’re back with another Q&A to answer some the top questions we’ve seen you ask online. If you missed our last one, be sure to check it out our June Community Q&A here on Waypoint.
We mean to continue this series, so please keep sending your asks our way!
Q: If I buy Halo: Campaign Evolved at a retail store, will there be a disc in the box? A: Yes! Buying the XBOX or PlayStation version of Halo: Campaign Evolved at your local retailer will result in getting the physical game case and disc so that you have tangible items to add to your collection.
Q: Will there be a Machinima mode? A: Yes, Halo: Campaign Evolved will have a Machinima mode! With Machinima mode, you will be able to pop out a freecam, lower your weapons, and even control your Spartan while in freecam mode. Machinima mode is available to all players just by using input combos, and does not need to be unlocked by finding a Skull. If you’re looking to create great content, you can leverage Machinima mode, in combination with the Acrophobia & Blind Skulls, and even various personal settings such as disabling your HUD UI, to capture unique videos and screenshots.
Q: Can I drop my weapon for teammates without needing to swap it for a gun on the ground? A: Yes! This functionality, which was first implemented in Halo Infinite, is back and we are happy to have it in Halo: Campaign Evolved as well. If you have two weapons, feel free to drop one of them for your friend anytime you want! Q: Has Campaign AI gotten improvements since the preview with creators? A: Yes! The XBOX Showcase media and creator preview demo earlier this month was a pre-release build tailored to specific timing and scope needs. Over the last few weeks, the development team has been polishing and improving elements of the game, including enemy AI behaviors. Q: Is LASO truly ALL skulls or just a subset? When will we find out the final details? A: We touched on this in our June Q&A, but we wanted to expand on this a bit more. For Halo: Campaign Evolved, this way to play and its corresponding Achievement will be a curated assortment of skulls, not all 42 of them. With so many skulls, some of which directly contradict each other or trivialize the experience (Acrophobia flying past all the encounters!), it just wouldn’t work to literally utilize ALL of them. So, this is technically more like “LAASO” (Legendary Almost All Skulls On), and the team has selected skulls that maintain the spirit of this challenge. We’ll share more details and show it in action during a live stream before launch! Q: Will the Difficulty Modifier settings be usable for Achievements, such as LASO? A: It depends. While most simpler Achievements can still be earned with Difficulty Modifiers enabled, the Achievements that are meant to be more challenging – such as LASO – will not be unlocked if anyone in your Fireteam is playing with these on. We’ve updated our Achievements & Trophies blog here on Waypoint to include this information on a per-Achievement basis! Q: How will we obtain the Foundry Armory Pack pre-order skins? A: At participating retailers, eligible purchases include a redemption code printed on your receipt, which can be redeemed through the XBOX or PlayStation Store. For those who purchased a physical Collector’s Edition, the Foundry Armory Pack code will be included inside the Steelbook to redeem at the XBOX, PlayStation, or Steam digital stores. If you pre-order digitally before 7:59 AM PDT on July 28, 2026, you will automatically receive the Foundry Armory Pack upon install.Q: If we have Early Access with the Premium Edition, are we allowed to stream it on Twitch? A: Of course! Players who have purchased the Premium Edition or Collector’s Edition will be able to play – and stream – up to five days before general launch on July 28. All our timings will happen at the same time globally, so everyone can jump into the game at the exact same moment. To help make sure you can be ready to go, here are the exact timings:
Early Access begins July 23 at 8 AM PDT (July 24 in Japan and select Asia-Pacific markets).
Halo: Campaign Evolved launches globally on July 28, 2026 at 8 AM PDT (July 29 in Japan and select Asia-Pacific markets).
Q: Will Halo: Campaign Evolved be playable on handheld devices? A: Yes! Halo: Campaign Evolved will have the highest ratings for handheld devices:
Windows Handheld: Handheld Optimized (highest rating)
Steam Deck: Verified (highest rating)
Q: Is there friendly fire when playing co-op? A: You get to choose! In Halo: Campaign Evolved, players will have the option to enable or disable friendly fire. When running a co-op session with friends, this setting will be determined by the Fireteam leader.Q: Are the physics fun? A: Yes! The Halo: Campaign Evolved team retained the original fun physics behaviors that make up the “Halo feel.” A few Halo creators previewed the game in June, and many tried fun physics tricks – like crate and vehicle launches to achieve new heights.
And, as you can see in the videos above, pairing these launches with Difficulty Modifiers and fun Skulls like Boom, Cowbell, and Bandana can lead to some outrageous outcomes.
We are excited to continue sharing more information over the next few weeks, and we can’t wait to launch Halo: Campaign Evolved on July 28. To learn even more about the game, be sure to check out these videos and articles:
Pre-order the Digital Premium Edition of Halo: Campaign Evolved and get the Foundry Armor Pack and up to 5 days early-access play starting July 23, 2026.