Amid a wave of other titles losing Xbox exclusivity, reports suggest that Microsoft is working on a Halo: Combat Evolved remaster and is considering it for rival platforms.
The Verge’s Tom Warren reported, “One game that is being considered for release on PS5 is Halo. Sources tell me Microsoft is working on some form of Halo: Combat Evolved remaster that is also being considered for rival consoles.”
A Halo-to-PS5 announcement at the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase on June 9 would steal the show, but that dream might not become a reality. “I don’t expect Microsoft to announce this during the showcase as it is early days for the remaster,” Warren claimed.
Halo: Combat Evolved was first launched on Xbox in 2001 and served as the first title in what would become one of the most iconic franchises in history. The title would be a great entry point for new fans of the series on PlayStation and continues a trend of titles losing exclusivity.
In February, Microsoft announced that Pentiment, Hi-Fi Rush, Grounded, and Sea of Thieves would be leaping from Xbox to other platforms. Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, saw this as a chance to create more revenue for the titles and open the door for future iterations and sequels. However, Microsoft’s new vision of creating more opportunities has also come at a cost.
In January, Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees from Activision Blizzard and Xbox. Then, in May, Xbox Games Studios shut down Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Games and merged a fourth studio. PlayStation players should be excited that they might finally get to experience Halo and everything the iconic FPS franchise has to offer on their boxes. Yet at the same time, Microsoft’s recent string of decisions has raised eyebrows and scared some long-time Xbox players about the future of their platform moving forward.
