Halo: Campaign Evolved is Getting Firefight This Winter

With Halo's 25th anniversary approaching, a lot is happening across the franchise. Halo Studios officially confirmed that Firefight is coming to Halo: Campaign Evolved this winter, following earlier leaks that suggested the mode was already in the works. The official Xbox and Halo accounts also tweeted the announcement, as did Xbox CEO Asha Sharma.

It also seems the release date has been moved up, likely because GTA 6 is coming out later in November. The change could explain why features such as Firefight and Theater Mode were not ready for the launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved.

According to an early work-in-progress build shared by a community modder, Firefight appears to be around 90% complete.

The mode will feature leaderboards, selectable skulls, standard Firefight, and a new Escalation Firefight mode. It also includes audio cues from Halo 3: ODST when rounds begin. Although there is no confirmed information about Theater Mode returning, Firefight's arrival is still a positive development for players.

But the future of Halo Studios is cloudy. The studio is understood to have about 30 developers left, many of whom are now handling community duties, management, and competitive events instead of actively developing games. Much of the content currently appearing on Halo Waypoint was reportedly prepared before the layoffs. This means you may see fewer official updates and new content from the studio throughout 2026.

Meanwhile, Halo's anniversary celebrations include several collaborations outside the franchise. Microsoft Flight Simulator is receiving a Halo-themed Pelican based on Halo Infinite, while Forza Horizon 6 will feature a Master Chief skin. Halo Infinite has also received new maps for Halo Fest, although its latest matchmaking changes have reportedly frustrated parts of the community.

There has also been some controversy surrounding a newly published Halo Waypoint story about Fauxhammer, the Pelican pilot from the original game.

Previously believed to have died in her crash, the character is now revealed to have survived the initial impact, despite suffering severe injuries. She eventually dies when the Halo ring explodes. The change has drawn considerable criticism from fans, many of whom feel her original fate didn't need rewriting.

Outside the official releases, Halo: Fireteam Raven is now publicly available on PC for free and supports up to four players. Previously accessible through Patreon, the game is now available to everyone, with unlimited credits making it more accessible.

The community is also making progress with Halo 5 Reforged. After a decade, the project has finally introduced full armor customization, letting you customize individual armor pieces rather than being limited to the torso and helmet.

The developers also plan to add Halo Infinite armor, alongside Warzone, Firefight, Arena, and Big Team Battle. HUD customization is available as well.

Another community project worth following is Halo Reach Renaissance. Its latest update allows up to 80 players to play Halo Reach on dedicated servers. The project is constantly improving, and you can track its development and changes on GitHub.

Finally, Microsoft has released Xbox Playback to celebrate 25 years of Xbox. The feature lets you revisit your gaming history, including your most-played titles, total hours played, and your account creation date. It is a nice way to look back at your time with the platform as the anniversary approaches, particularly for longtime Halo fans.