Microsoft and Halo Studios hinted at a forthcoming announcement earlier this summer, timed with the Halo World Championships later this month. Although the official reveal is scheduled for a panel on Friday, October 24, an unofficial report suggests that a remake of the classic title, Halo: Combat Evolved, is currently under development by Virtuos, known for their work on The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.
Sources like Rebs Gaming indicate that Abstraction, a studio affiliated with Virtuos, is primarily responsible for co-developing the Halo remake alongside Halo Studios. Xbox Era later confirmed this information, adding that the remake will feature a hybrid engine, combining the Halo Reach Engine for gameplay mechanics with Unreal Engine 5 for enhanced graphics. Intriguingly, this iteration of Halo might mark its debut on PlayStation consoles, though this remains unverified.
Abstraction previously contributed to Halo: The Master Chief Collection by developing accessibility features. This collection notably included the 2011 remake, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, which allowed players to seamlessly toggle between updated and original graphics.
Microsoft has previously confirmed that several Halo projects are in various stages of development. At last year`s Halo World Championships, a trailer titled “A New Dawn” was showcased, highlighting that upcoming Halo titles, such as Project Foundry, would leverage Unreal Engine technology.
The timing of this remake news coincides with a resurgence of interest in the Halo franchise, partly due to the Halo TV series finding a wider audience on Netflix and securing a spot in the platform`s top 10 shows. Furthermore, Halo Infinite recently introduced “Invasion,” a beloved asymmetrical multiplayer mode reminiscent of Halo: Reach, last month.
