The Master Chief Collection
News, coverage and analysis tracking The Master Chief Collection across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Weekend PC Download Deals for Oct. 16: Steam Cooking Fest
This weekend's PC gaming deals include the Steam Cooking Fest with discounts on cooking-themed games like Beastro and Venba. Additionally, there are free weekends for Battlefield 6 and Stranded Deep, along with numerous sales across various storefronts like Epic Games Store, Fanatical, Gamebillet, GamesPlanet, GOG.com, Humble Bundle, and Ubisoft.
Despite Huge Changes For The Series, Halo Fest 2026 Is Going Forward, And News Is Coming Soon
Halo Fest 2026 is proceeding as planned from December 11-13 in Seattle, despite significant layoffs at Halo Studios and the transition of future game development to Activision. Halo Studios director Tashi confirmed that news regarding the event and "relevant game info" for existing titles will be shared this week. The event will celebrate the Halo community and its 25th anniversary, featuring appearances from voice actors Steve Downes and Jen Taylor.
Weekend Console Download Deals for Oct. 9: PlayStation Player's Choice sale
This weekend's console deals include PlayStation's Player's Choice sale featuring titles like Saros and Marathon, Xbox Game Pass deals with Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Nintendo Switch discounts on indie games from the Triple-I Initiative Showcase. PlayStation Plus members can also claim F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 for free.
Activision prepares to "make the greatest Halo game ever" as it takes control of the franchise from Halo…
Xbox has announced a significant restructuring of its first-party studios, transferring stewardship of the Halo franchise from 343 Industries to Activision Blizzard. Rare and World's Edge will also operate under Activision Blizzard, impacting franchises like Sea of Thieves and Age of Empires. This move involves substantial layoffs and a new team being assembled to develop the next Halo game, with a stated goal to "make the greatest Halo game ever."
Next major Halo game being developed by Activision, as Halo Studios all but closes as part of Microsoft's Xbox restructuring
Microsoft has significantly restructured its Xbox division, leading to the closure of Halo Studios and the reduction of its staff. Development of the next mainline Halo game has been handed over to Activision, which will create a new team separate from Call of Duty for the project. This move is part of broader layoffs and studio consolidations within Microsoft.
SGJ Podcast #519 – Remasters – Part 2 of 2
This podcast episode features a discussion on video game remasters, differentiating them from remakes. The hosts share their favorite remastered titles, including Star Wars: TIE Fighter, Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Celebrating 25 Years of Play: Introducing XBOX Gear, New Community Designs, FanFest Tour Dates, and More
Xbox is celebrating its 25th anniversary with new merchandise, community-designed gamerpics and themes, curated Game Pass collections featuring classic titles, and the announcement of the global FanFest Tour dates. Players can also receive a special 25th Anniversary profile badge.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Update With Bug Fixes, Stability Improvements Drops This Week
Halo Studios is releasing an update for Halo: Campaign Evolved this week on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, featuring bug fixes and stability improvements. Despite critical acclaim, the game has reportedly underperformed in sales, selling significantly less than Call of Duty titles released in the same period, with analysts suggesting PlayStation players favored nostalgia over the new release.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Sold 1.2 Million Copies, Performed Worst on Steam – Rumor
Halo: Campaign Evolved has reportedly sold 1.2 million copies, generating an estimated $67 million in revenue, with Steam sales underperforming significantly compared to Xbox and PlayStation. This underperformance on Steam is attributed to the value proposition of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which includes multiple titles and competitive multiplayer, features lacking in Campaign Evolved. A substantial portion of Xbox players accessed the game through Game Pass.
Halo: Campaign Evolved struggles to sell in anywhere near the quantities the recent Black Ops revivals did, and the probable reason? Lack of multiplayer
Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the original Halo campaign, has struggled to sell, with only 1.2 million copies sold across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox in two weeks. Analysts suggest the high price point and lack of multiplayer, a feature present in the cheaper Master Chief Collection and the successful Call of Duty: Black Ops ports, are the primary reasons for its poor performance. Despite being the first Halo title released on PlayStation, the campaign-only remake generated significantly less revenue than recent Call of Duty ports.
Halo: Campaign Evolved’s Biggest Competition Might Be Halo
Halo: Campaign Evolved has sold an estimated 1.2 million copies across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, generating around $67 million. Analysts suggest that Halo: The Master Chief Collection offers better value and is the primary competition, especially on PC where it has sold 8.5 million copies on Steam. Sales on PlayStation 5 are neck and neck with Xbox Series X|S, driven by a nostalgia-seeking older demographic.
Celebrating 25 Years of Play: New Community Designs, XBOX Updates, FanFest Tour Dates, and More
Xbox is celebrating its 25th anniversary with new community-created designs for gamerpics and themes, curated Game Pass collections featuring classic titles, and the announcement of its FanFest Tour dates. Players can also receive a special 25th Anniversary profile badge.
What’s Really Happening With Halo: Campaign Evolved?
Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake utilizing Unreal Engine 5, has launched to mixed reception despite generally positive critic scores. While it performed moderately on consoles, particularly Xbox via Game Pass, its PC launch on Steam saw significantly lower concurrent player counts compared to previous Halo titles. The article analyzes this lukewarm reception, attributing it to potential shifts in Xbox leadership and strategy, and questions the franchise's future direction.
Steam gamers have spoken: innovative indies like Palworld continue to thrive while traditional triple-A flounders for a foothold
PC gaming on Steam in 2026 shows a strong trend of innovative indie titles like Palworld thriving, while traditional AAA games struggle to gain traction. Despite industry layoffs, unique projects from smaller teams are resonating with players, contrasting with the performance of recent AAA releases such as Halo: Campaign Evolved and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Peaks at 25,376 Players as the Series’ Weakest Steam Launch Yet
Halo: Campaign Evolved experienced a significantly weaker launch on Steam compared to previous entries like Halo Infinite and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, peaking at 25,376 concurrent players. Despite a mixed reception from users, the game was found to be enjoyable on PlayStation 5, with its performance on the PS5 Pro version being competitive with PC.
Don't Play Halo: Campaign Evolved on Steam Deck or Xbox Ally
Halo: Campaign Evolved exhibits poor performance and image quality on handheld devices like the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally, falling short of the older Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Players seeking a handheld Halo experience are advised to stick with the Master Chief Collection for better results.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Secret Ending Seems To Tease A Halo 2 Remake
The secret ending of Halo: Campaign Evolved appears to tease a potential remake of Halo 2. Leaks have previously suggested that remakes of Halo 2 and 3 are in development by the newly rebranded Halo Studios, which is also reportedly working on a live-service title. Halo: Campaign Evolved is set to release on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC on July 28.
Games Inbox: Is the EA Sports FC 27 Ultimate Plus Edition worth it?
Readers express frustration over the increasing cost of special editions for games like EA Sports FC 27 and NBA 2K27, criticizing the industry's perceived disregard for customers. Concerns are also raised about technical issues in Halo: Campaign Evolved and the future of Xbox, while a new Resident Evil movie trailer is praised for its faithfulness to the game's tone.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Review – Remaster Chief
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a faithful remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, featuring updated visuals with Unreal Engine 5 and incorporating gameplay elements from later entries. While online multiplayer is absent, it includes expanded co-op and new prequel missions written by Troy Denning. The game preserves the original's art direction and captivating story, offering a refined first-person shooter experience with faster movement and additional abilities.
Halo: Campaign Evolved PS5 players will require an Xbox account and gamertag to play – as well as PS Plus to play split-screen co-op
Players will need an Xbox account and gamertag to play Halo: Campaign Evolved on PlayStation 5, regardless of platform, to ensure smooth cross-platform progression. Additionally, PlayStation 5 players will require a PlayStation Plus subscription linked to a Microsoft account for split-screen and online co-op play.
