Halo: Campaign Evolved, the remake of the seminal Xbox exclusive, has seen a lukewarm reception on PlayStation 5, with sales figures significantly overshadowed by recent ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. Data from Alinea Analytics indicates that the Halo remake sold approximately 351,000 copies on PS5 during July. This figure places it behind other titles such as Palworld, Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto V, several EA Sports titles, and even the older Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Rescynced.
On PC platforms, Halo: Campaign Evolved sold around 212,000 copies on Steam. While Xbox platforms saw a stronger performance with approximately 900,000 units sold across console and PC, these numbers fall considerably short of previous Halo installments, with Halo 3 alone having sold 14.5 million copies on a single console. Despite receiving positive reviews for its updated mechanics and new content, including additional missions, the remake has evidently failed to resonate with PlayStation audiences. The absence of a player-versus-player multiplayer component is cited as a likely reason for this muted enthusiasm.
In contrast, Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard's recent releases of Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 have far exceeded expectations. These titles, which were previously exclusive to the PlayStation 3 generation for PlayStation consoles and are backward compatible on modern Xbox hardware, have sold a combined 11 million copies. At a price point of $39.99 each (or $19.99 for PlayStation Plus subscribers), this performance is estimated to have generated approximately $435 million, according to Alinea's data. The ports, handled by Iron Galaxy, feature no updates or changes from their original 2010 and 2012 versions, selling 3 million and 8.2 million copies respectively.
The strong sales of these seemingly minimal-effort Call of Duty ports underscore the enduring demand for multiplayer-focused shooters. Conversely, the underperformance of Halo: Campaign Evolved on PlayStation suggests a potential decline in the series' broader appeal since Bungie's departure from Microsoft after Halo: Reach. The data points to a continued player preference for established multiplayer franchises and sports games over single-player focused legacy titles, even those featuring iconic characters like the Master Chief.