Halo: Campaign Evolved, which is currently available through an early access paid upgrade, appears to be laying the groundwork for a remake of Halo 2. The game includes several subtle and direct references that point towards Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) working on a follow-up to its recent remake.
Legendary Ending Tease
Completing Halo: Campaign Evolved on its highest difficulty, Legendary, unlocks a special post-credits scene. In this scene, Sergeant Johnson is shown relaxing on a beach, watching the original game's Legendary ending. As the ring world begins to explode in the distance, Johnson prepares to board a Pelican aircraft. Before departing, he turns to the camera and directly states, "See you in the sequel."
Post-Credits Scene
In addition to the Legendary ending, a separate post-credits scene is available after completing the game on any difficulty. This scene features the Monitor 343 Guilty Spark traversing space. He eventually arrives at a large gas giant, with a distant facility suspended by a cable. Fans of the series will recognize this as a direct nod to the events and locations seen in Halo 2, specifically referencing the origin of the Heretic as depicted in the game's first Arbiter mission.
In-Game Asset Analysis
Beyond these explicit teases, the inclusion of numerous elements from Halo 2 within Campaign Evolved further fuels speculation. The game features weapons not present in the original Halo, such as the SMG, and introduces mechanics like vehicle boarding and hijacking, a feature first introduced in Halo 2. Furthermore, the presence of Brutes, an enemy type that debuted in Halo 2, in the bonus missions suggests that the development team may have been building assets with future games in mind.
Halo: Campaign Evolved is now available for players who purchased the special edition on PS5, Xbox, and PC. A wider release for all players is scheduled for July 28.