Halo: Campaign Evolved is getting Firefight, the four-player cooperative PvE mode, in a free update this winter, Halo Studios announced on November 12, 2026. Players at the XBOX FanFest event were the first to try it, on new maps and with a large choice of weapons.
There is no release date yet. Halo Studios says it will share more details at Halo Fest in Seattle on December 12-13, where attending fans can play Firefight throughout the weekend.
What is Firefight in Halo: Campaign Evolved?
Firefight is a wave survival mode, and the update brings it to the remake in this form:
- Mode type: four-player cooperative PvE
- Goal: team up, hold the line and survive wave after wave of enemies
- Maps: new maps, according to Halo Studios
- Cost: a free update to the game
- Timing: this winter, with no exact date
Tahir Hasangjekaj, Director of Competitive Engagement at Halo Studios, wrote that Firefight has been a Halo favorite for nearly two decades and that the tradition continues with this update. The studio ties the news to the celebration of 25 years of Halo and XBOX together.
When does the Firefight update come out?
Halo Studios only says winter, so treat any specific date you see elsewhere as unconfirmed. The next official checkpoint is Halo Fest on December 12-13 in Seattle, WA, where the studio plans to share additional details about the update.
What does Halo: Campaign Evolved already include?
The game is a modernized remake of the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign, and Xbox Wire describes the main features this way:
- Original missions rebuilt with high-definition visuals and updated cinematics
- A new three-mission adventure, Operation: Meteorite, with the Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson
- 9 additional weapons from across the series
- A fully drivable Wraith tank and the ability to hijack enemy vehicles
- Optional Skulls that change combat
- Solo play, 2-player split-screen co-op on console only, or up to 4-player online co-op with crossplay and cross-progression
HotHardware reported the game as a remake for Xbox Series X|S, PC and PlayStation 5, with a July 28 launch, and noted that it is campaign only. Firefight is the first mode described in these sources that adds a wave based challenge on top of that.
Prices
The Xbox Wire page shows store prices with a dollar sign but does not name a country or currency, so check your own regional store before relying on them. At the time of writing, the page lists these:
| Edition | Price shown | Reduced price shown |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition | $49.99 | $39.99 |
| Premium Edition | $69.99 | $55.99 |
The Standard Edition is also tagged with PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass. The Premium Edition adds the Alpha Halo Armory Pack with 5 Master Chief Armor skins and 6 weapon skins, a digital artbook, the Halo: Hungry Buzzards digital short story and a digital game manual. The Firefight update itself is described as free, and prices can change at any time.
Who it suits
Current owners of the game. You do not need to buy anything extra for Firefight, because Halo Studios calls it a free update. Keep your copy installed and watch for the winter release.
Co-op groups of four. Firefight is built for a squad of four working together against waves, which fits friends who already play the campaign online with crossplay and cross-progression.
Fans who want a replay reason. The campaign already offers Skulls for variety, and a wave mode on new maps gives a different kind of session for players who finished the story.
Newcomers deciding whether to buy. The sources give no release date for Firefight, so waiting only makes sense if the mode is the main draw. Compare the Standard and Premium contents above and check Game Pass if you subscribe.
What is still unknown?
Halo Studios has not given an exact release date, the number of maps, the full weapon list or whether every platform gets the update on the same day. It also has not said how matchmaking will work. Read the Halo Waypoint site and Xbox Wire after Halo Fest for the details.
