By
Ewan Moore
Published 1 hour ago
Ewan is Deputy Editor for ScreenRant's gaming section. He still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase, and knows more about The Legend of Zelda and Doctor Who than is probably healthy.
Ewan oversees the content operation of ScreenRant's gaming output, working with a talented team of writers and editors to cover everything from the latest GTA 6 news to the indie games you need on your radar.
Former Editor of GAMINGbible, Ewan also has words at Kotaku, Den of Geek, NME, and UNILAD. He's appeared on various podcasts, including VGC's and BBC's Let's Talk About Tech.
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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.
Halo: Parasite's Wake Is Coming
Sounds creepy, right?
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 to the alien alliance known as the Covenant, a lone human ship, the UNSC Pillar of Autumn, fled into slipspace and has arrived at a place that could change the course of the decades-long war. An ancient and mysterious ringworld, Halo. With human forces scattered across the surface of this immense alien construct, Staff Sergeant Marvin Mobuto must now lead his fellow crewmates—survivors from the ship's brig—back to the Autumn's crash site to rally and regroup with their allies. Desertion, drunk-and-disorderly, and murder are only a few of the charges that Mobuto's squad carries, and keeping them in line might prove to be just as difficult as surviving the zealous and entrenched Covenant warriors who believe they have found the gateway to paradise.
But as war rages across the ring's landscape for control of the installation's weapons and secrets, a far more terrible threat from deep within Halo's underworld is helishly unleashed, that transforms this conflict into a desperate battlle of survival for UNSC and Covenant alike.
There's no concrete release date for Parasite's Wake just yet, but I'd expect it to be released towards the end of the year to make the most of the Halo 25th anniversary festivities. Watch this space.
2026 Is A Big Year For Halo
We ain't seen nothing yet
2026 is just getting started, but it's clear Halo fans should get excited for a major 25th anniversary. In addittion to Halo: Campaign Evolved and the release of Parasite's Wake, December will see Halo Fest 2026 kick off in Seattle. This is a three-day event taking place December 12–13, 2026 that'll a fan convention and a special live concert.
Subscribe to the newsletter for Halo 25th coverage
Get curated Halo 25th-anniversary coverage in the newsletter: subscribe to access release roundups, event highlights, and context-rich explainers that collect the celebration's key announcements, tie-ins, and canon developments in one place. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.I'd imagine Xbox also has a few more surprises that it's waiting to share, but we'll have to be patient while we wait to see what else is in store for Halo in 2026.
Halo: Campaign Evolved
Like FPS Science Fiction Shooter Multiplayer Systems
Released
2026
Developer(s)
Halo Studios
Publisher(s)
Microsoft Studios
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Yes - all platforms
Cross Save
Yes - all platforms
Franchise
Halo
5 Images
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Genre(s)
FPS, Science Fiction, Shooter, Multiplayer
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