Microsoft is doubling down on nostalgia. According to gaming insider Rebs Gaming, Halo Studios has plans to remake not just Halo: Combat Evolved, but the entire original Bungie trilogy. That means full remakes of Halo 2 and Halo 3 are reportedly in development, following the same blueprint as the recently announced Halo: Campaign Evolved. If true, this represents one of the most ambitious remake projects in gaming history, bringing three legendary shooters into the modern era with Unreal Engine 5.
What We Know So Far
Rebs Gaming, a reliable source who accurately leaked details about Halo: Campaign Evolved before its official announcement, dropped this bombshell on December 17, 2025. According to the report, information came directly from a former Halo Studios developer, with additional corroboration from other sources who had previously been accurate about Campaign Evolved details. The original rumor started circulating through the HaloLeaks Twitter account, but Rebs Gaming’s sources have now backed it up.
The remakes will reportedly follow the same format as Campaign Evolved. That means campaign-only experiences without competitive multiplayer, built in Unreal Engine 5, and featuring modernized gameplay mechanics pulled from later Halo titles. All three remakes might eventually be accessible through a single unified launcher, potentially alongside a separate free-to-play multiplayer project that Halo Studios is also working on. The strategy appears to be separating the campaign experiences from multiplayer entirely, allowing each to evolve independently.
The Campaign Evolved Blueprint
To understand what Halo 2 and 3 remakes might look like, we need to examine Halo: Campaign Evolved, which releases in 2026. Announced at the Halo World Championship in October 2025, Campaign Evolved represents the third release of the original Halo: Combat Evolved, following the 2011 Anniversary edition. This time, Halo Studios partnered with Virtuos and their subsidiary Abstraction Games to completely rebuild the game in Unreal Engine 5.
Campaign Evolved doesn’t just get a visual upgrade. The remake includes three brand-new prequel missions featuring Master Chief and Sergeant Johnson, setting up events before the original game’s story begins. Voice acting has been re-recorded with the original cast, including Steve Downes as Master Chief and Jen Taylor as Cortana. Cinematics are completely redone with modern motion capture and rendering techniques. The infamous Library level, long criticized for repetitive design, is being reimagined to address those concerns.
Controversial Modernizations
Here’s where things get spicy for longtime fans. Campaign Evolved introduces gameplay features that didn’t exist in the original 2001 game. Sprint is now included, reviving the heated debates that have plagued the Halo community since Halo: Reach added the mechanic in 2010. Players can now hijack vehicles, a feature introduced in Halo 2. Weapons like the Energy Sword and Battle Rifle, which weren’t available until later games, are being added to the arsenal.
Master Chief can now pilot the Covenant Wraith tank, something impossible in the original Combat Evolved. The game supports four-player online co-op and two-player split-screen co-op for the first time. While purists can disable sprint if they choose, these changes represent a fundamental shift in how the classic Halo experience feels. If Halo 2 and 3 get similar treatment, expect even more controversy as beloved levels and encounters get redesigned with modern sensibilities.
Why Remake Games That Already Exist
This is the question everyone’s asking. Halo 2 already received an Anniversary edition in 2014 as part of the Master Chief Collection, with remastered graphics and redone cutscenes by Blur Studio that still look incredible today. Halo 3 remains playable in the Master Chief Collection with enhanced visuals for Xbox Series X. So why go back and remake them again barely a decade later?
The answer likely comes down to engine limitations and cross-platform strategy. The Master Chief Collection still runs on variations of the original Bungie engines, making it difficult to port to PlayStation 5 or implement modern features without breaking the games. By rebuilding everything in Unreal Engine 5, Halo Studios creates a consistent technical foundation that works across all platforms, finally bringing Master Chief to Sony consoles for the first time in franchise history.
The PlayStation Factor
Campaign Evolved marks the first time a mainline Halo game will release on PlayStation. This represents a seismic shift in Microsoft’s strategy, moving away from exclusive titles toward becoming a multi-platform publisher. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, has openly discussed bringing more Microsoft games to competing platforms, and Halo represents the ultimate test of that philosophy.
For an entire generation of PlayStation gamers who never owned an Xbox, these remakes offer the first legitimate opportunity to experience the campaigns that defined Xbox as a brand. The timing coincides with the franchise’s 25th anniversary in 2026, making it the perfect moment to introduce Halo to a new audience. If the trilogy remakes are real, PlayStation 5 owners could eventually play through Master Chief’s complete Bungie-era story arc from 2001 to 2007, remastered for modern hardware.
Development Challenges Ahead
Remaking three massive games while maintaining a live-service multiplayer project and potentially developing new Halo titles is an enormous undertaking. Halo Studios underwent a rebrand from 343 Industries in 2024, signaling a fresh start after Halo Infinite’s troubled launch. The studio shifted development to Unreal Engine 5, abandoning the problematic Slipspace Engine that caused so many headaches during Infinite’s production.
Abstraction Games and Virtuos are reportedly handling much of the remake work, similar to how other publishers outsource remasters to specialized studios. Virtuos recently delivered The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, demonstrating their capability with beloved classics. However, Halo comes with exponentially higher expectations and a notoriously passionate fanbase that scrutinizes every change. Getting the feel right while modernizing decades-old design will require incredible precision.
FAQs
Is Halo Studios really remaking Halo 2 and Halo 3?
According to Rebs Gaming, who accurately leaked Halo: Campaign Evolved details, Halo Studios is planning to remake the entire original trilogy. The report comes from a former developer and corroborating sources, but Microsoft and Halo Studios have not officially confirmed these projects yet.
Will the Halo 2 and 3 remakes have multiplayer?
No, the remakes are reportedly campaign-only, just like Halo: Campaign Evolved. Halo Studios is developing a separate free-to-play multiplayer project with live-service elements that will handle competitive gameplay across the franchise.
When will the Halo trilogy remakes release?
Halo: Campaign Evolved launches in 2026, likely around November to coincide with the franchise’s 25th anniversary. If Halo 2 and 3 remakes are real, they would presumably release in subsequent years, though no timeline has been announced.
What platforms will the remakes be on?
Halo: Campaign Evolved is confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The reported Halo 2 and 3 remakes would likely follow the same multi-platform strategy, making them the first mainline Halo games available on PlayStation consoles.
Why is Halo Studios remaking games that already exist?
The remakes allow Halo Studios to rebuild the trilogy in Unreal Engine 5, creating a consistent technical foundation that works across all platforms including PlayStation. The older games run on Bungie’s proprietary engines, making cross-platform releases and modern features difficult to implement.
Will the remakes change the original games?
Yes, based on Halo: Campaign Evolved, the remakes will include modernized features like sprint, vehicle hijacking, and weapons from later games. New content such as additional missions may be added. However, Halo Studios aims to preserve the core feel and story of the originals.
Who is developing the Halo remakes?
Halo Studios is leading development, with significant support from Virtuos and their subsidiary Abstraction Games. Virtuos recently developed The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered and has experience working on the Master Chief Collection’s accessibility features.
Who is Rebs Gaming and are they reliable?
Rebs Gaming is a gaming reporter and YouTuber who has accurately leaked Halo information in the past, including details about the Combat Evolved remake before its official announcement. His sources have proven reliable, though all rumors should be treated as unconfirmed until officially announced.
Conclusion
If these reports prove accurate, Microsoft is making an unprecedented investment in preserving and modernizing Halo’s legacy. Remaking the entire Bungie trilogy represents both an acknowledgment of what made Halo special and a recognition that the franchise has struggled to recapture that magic in recent years. By going back to the beginning and rebuilding the foundation in a modern engine, Halo Studios has a chance to reintroduce Master Chief’s story to a new generation while giving longtime fans a reason to experience it all over again. The strategy is ambitious, expensive, and risky. Changing beloved classics always generates controversy, and the Halo community is particularly protective of the Bungie-era games. Sprint in Halo: Combat Evolved already has fans divided before the game even launches. Imagine the debates when Halo 2’s perfectly balanced multiplayer maps get rebuilt with modern mechanics, or when Halo 3’s iconic encounters are redesigned for Unreal Engine 5’s capabilities. But there’s also enormous potential here. Done right, these remakes could cement Halo’s place in gaming history while ensuring the franchise remains relevant for another decade. Done wrong, they risk alienating the core fanbase that kept Halo alive through years of disappointment. We’ll know more when Campaign Evolved releases in 2026, serving as the proof of concept for this entire endeavor. Until then, Master Chief’s future hangs in the balance, somewhere between honoring the past and embracing the future.