2026 is the 25th anniversary of Xbox, which means it's also 25 years since the original Halo: Combat Evolved landed and completely changed the landscape of FPS gaming forever. Fortunately, Xbox has some big plans for Halo this year, with multiple new releases to mark the occasion.
Obviously, the star of 2026 will be Halo: Campaign Evolved, the brand-new remake of the original game that's coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one and even releasing on PlayStation 5, which still feels bizarre to me. There's no release date for that just yet, but I'd imagine it'll arrive at some point in November, given November 15, 2001, is the day Halo originally launched. But that's not all Halo fans can expect.
If you're craving a new Halo story, Halo: Parasite's Wake is officially confirmed for a 2026 release. As is fitting for the 25th anniversary, this new novel from writer Tim Lebbon is set during the events of Combat Evolved, and tells the horrifying story of the Flood outbreak on Installation 04, as seen from the perspective of the UNSC Marines.
Here's the official synopsis, to get you in the mood:
2552. As the planet Reach falls...
