Halo: Campaign Evolved revamps Assault on the Control Room

Halo Studios rebuilt the Assault on the Control Room level for Halo: Campaign Evolved, the studio confirmed in a hands-on demo. The mission features updated high-definition visuals, reworked interiors, adjustments to enemy behavior, expanded vehicle options and support for up to four-player online co-op.

The demo reconstructed the level’s snowy canyons and Forerunner interiors for modern hardware. Key set pieces remain, including the bridge fight with a Zealot, the Scorpion tank sequence and the race for the Banshee. Several stretches between those moments were shortened or reconfigured to reduce repetitive corridors and add clearer navigation cues such as thawed paths and lighting.

Interior combat areas have been reduced in number and rearranged. Short voice guidance has been added in some spaces to help players find the next objective without removing exploration. Enemy encounters were recalibrated by difficulty settings: spawn rates increase and certain units, including Elites and Hunters, pursue players more aggressively in higher difficulties. Weapon and ammo scarcity remains part of gameplay design.

Vehicle options have been expanded. For the first time in a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, players can hijack and pilot Covenant vehicles. The demo allowed use of the Scorpion and Warthog and control of Ghosts, Wraiths and Banshees. An additional Wraith is placed in the field so co-op players can replace a destroyed tank.

Marine behavior was adjusted to support player combat. Marines can carry heavier weapons, ride on tanks and return covering fire. Weapons carried by allied Marines can be picked up by the player if needed.

Creative Director Max Szlagor described the mission as “one of the all-time iconic and beloved missions from Halo: Combat Evolved that really exemplifies the core sandbox experience.” Szlagor also outlined level design priorities, noting work on checkpoints and navigation markers for both single-player and co-op, as well as enemy and weapon placement changes to account for different player counts and difficulty levels.

Halo: Campaign Evolved will launch globally on July 28, 2026, with early access beginning July 23 for Premium Edition buyers. The campaign is rebuilt with updated cinematics, remastered audio, a reorganized user interface, nine additional weapons, optional Skull modifiers and a new three-mission chapter called Operation: Meteorite featuring Sgt. Johnson.

The game supports solo play, two-player split-screen on console where available, and up to four-player online co-op with full crossplay and cross-progression across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Steam and PlayStation 5. It will be available on Xbox Game Pass and via cloud streaming. Eligible purchases support Xbox Play Anywhere to allow play on console and PC at no extra cost.

Pre-orders include the Foundry Armory Pack. The Premium Edition bundles early access, additional armor and weapon skins, a digital artbook and other digital extras.