Halo: Campaign Evolved is preparing to launch its first significant post-release update next week, which aims to address player feedback by offering greater visual customization and refining gameplay elements. According to an announcement from the Halo Support X account, the patch will introduce options to disable the game's prominent film grain and chromatic aberration effects, a move likely to be welcomed by players prioritizing visual fidelity. The update also promises "additional stability improvements across multiple platforms."
Beyond visual enhancements, the patch will implement gameplay adjustments. Jackal enemies will be made more susceptible to staggering when players target their hands and feet, restoring a behavior present in previous Halo titles. Sergeant Johnson, a key NPC in the remake's new prequel missions, will be updated to prevent him from inadvertently blocking mission progress by failing to hack open doors. Furthermore, Marines and Flood Marines will correctly utilize their Assault Rifles when the Magnified Skull is active.
Full patch notes detailing all changes will be released closer to the update’s deployment. It is important for players to note that any mid-mission saved progress will be lost upon downloading the update. However, unlocked missions and rally points will remain unaffected. Details regarding the potential resolution of other reported issues, such as unresponsive enemy AI and malfunctioning cutscenes, are expected in the full patch notes.
The launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved has seen a slower start than anticipated, with reports suggesting a lukewarm reception on PlayStation 5 and approximately 1.2 million copies sold across all platforms to date. One analyst suggested that the original Halo franchise, particularly The Master Chief Collection, presents significant competition, especially on PC. The decade-old Master Chief Collection, featuring most of the Halo franchise's content and multiplayer, is available at a lower price point than the $50 retail price of Halo: Campaign Evolved, which exclusively includes the first game's campaign and lacks multiplayer.
Given these sales figures and market comparisons, the future trajectory for the Halo franchise remains uncertain. However, Halo: Campaign Evolved does contain elements that appear to tease a potential remake of Halo 2.