Halo Studios unveils Mark V and Alpha Halo Armory skins

Halo Studios announced new Master Chief armor and weapon skins for Halo: Campaign Evolved. Players who pre-order any edition receive two cosmetics — Classic 2001 Mark V and Gilded Onyx — while buyers of the Premium or Collector’s Editions get the Alpha Halo Armory pack, which contains five additional armor looks and six weapon skins.

The studio said the pre-order skins will be available at launch and the Alpha Halo Armory pack unlocks for Premium and Collector edition purchasers at release. Halo: Campaign Evolved is slated to launch July 28, 2026, with up to five days of early access beginning July 23. Pre-orders are available on Xbox, Steam and PlayStation. The game will be available day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. The remake supports up to four-player online co-op with full crossplay and cross-progression, and consoles support two-player split-screen.

The Classic 2001 Mark V armor is a faithful rebuild of Master Chief’s original low-polygon look from Halo: Combat Evolved and is paired with a Classic 2001 Assault Rifle skin. Bryan Repka, Halo’s Characters, Vehicles and Weapons Art Director, described the design as a direct reference to the original game’s appearance and said the team worked to preserve that nostalgia while fitting the armor into the modern remake. The Gilded Onyx skin uses a black-and-gold Forerunner-inspired palette and includes a matching Gilded Onyx Assault Rifle; Art Director Chris Matthews said the color scheme connects to The Master Chief Collection and the 20th anniversary Xbox Series X|S console design.

The Alpha Halo Armory pack offers five themed armor sets and six weapon skins. The Lochagos armor, described by the team as a Roman-inspired “Spartan” look, pairs with the Laconian Lance Battle Rifle skin and draws on classical military imagery. The Splintered Warden armor is a crystalline design influenced by the Blamite crystals of the Needler and comes with the Subanese Fang Energy Sword skin. Halo Studios used Unreal Engine tools to add depth and shine to the Blamite material, according to the development team.

The Timberwolf armor and Savage Tooth sniper skin present a darker, stealth-oriented appearance with a Brute skull shoulder detail and a cape accessory that references an earlier Halo reveal. The Mobile Armor Type 117 set turns the Chief’s silhouette toward an exosuit-style look, with five back thrusters and a Proto Type SPNKr weapon skin styled like a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher; artists adjusted Chief’s proportions so the suit reads larger while remaining compatible with gameplay constraints.

The Gestalt armor and Colossus Fuel Rod Cannon skin take visual cues from Hunters, including cobalt plating, large spikes and animated orange tendrils. The team said they animated the worm-like effects to feel alive and noted the Hunter-like silhouette can create surprising moments in co-op when a Hunter-shaped Chief enters combat. A final cosmetic in the pack is the Cold Iron pistol skin, modeled after Captain Keyes’ sidearm from the original game; Matthews said the studio considered community feedback when selecting items for the set.

Pre-order customers who want the Classic 2001 Mark V and Gilded Onyx styles can claim them at launch. The Alpha Halo Armory pack and the other extras described by Halo Studios are included with Halo: Campaign Evolved — Premium Edition and Collector’s Edition purchases.