Halo: Campaign Evolved – How the Game Was Rebuilt with Love and Unreal Engine 5

This month, Halo Studios released Halo: Campaign Evolved. This is a big deal! It starts a brand-new chapter for the Halo game series. Not only is it a major milestone for the studio, but it also changes how Halo games are made. Using a powerful tool called Unreal Engine 5, the team brought the Halo world to life like never before—while still keeping the heart of the original game.

From early sneak peeks of Project Foundry to the finished game, the art team made something that feels both new and familiar—like the Halo you remember from 2001, but shinier and cooler.

We talked with:

• Chris Matthews – Art Director at Halo Studios
• Donnie Taylor – Art Director for Halo: Campaign Evolved

They told us how they made the game look so awesome!

Important Point: Halo: Campaign Evolved is a full remake of Halo: Combat Evolved (the original 2001 game), built from scratch using modern tools.

What Was Project Foundry?

Project Foundry was like a practice sandbox. The team used it to test what it means to build Halo inside Unreal Engine.

Chris Matthews (CM) says:

• It helped test real workflows (the steps artists follow to build the game).
• It set a new quality bar for how rich and detailed Halo should look.
• They started with an empty Unreal project and built fresh content.
• They focused on three areas: the Pacific Northwest, the Coldlands, and the Blightlands.
• This solved problems with environments, materials, and atmosphere.

That practice work directly helped in Halo: Campaign Evolved:

• Levels like “Halo” and “Assault on the Control Room”
• The creepy alien zombie-like enemies called the Flood

What Did Unreal Engine 5 Let Them Do?

Donnie Taylor (DT) explains:

• The old engine (Slipspace, used for Halo Infinite) was powerful but hard to use.
• Unreal removed many barriers so creators could focus on what they wanted, not how to do it.

CM adds:
Unreal helped the team:

1. Move faster
2. Try ideas more freely
3. Connect drawings (concept art) directly to the game

Cool Unreal tools they used:

• Nanite – super-detailed models without slowdown
• Niagara – fancy effects like fire or smoke
• Lumen – smart lighting
• Mega Lights – big bright light sources

These let them make the game richer than ever before.

The Art Rules (Pillars) They Followed

Remaking a beloved game is scary and exciting! At the start, the art team made 5 key pillars:

1. Military / Science Fiction – Sci-fi gives wonder; military gives grounding.
2. Aspirational / Spectacle – Push toward the extraordinary.
3. Grounded / Relatable – You don’t need a manual to get the world.
4. Intriguing / Storied – Every place tells a story.
5. Thoughtful / Intentional – Know the legacy; don’t copy blindly, understand why it worked.

CM’s North Star:
They balanced three things:

• Original Bungie concept art
• What long-time fans expect
• Keeping the original game’s soul

They checked every idea with Halo writers to stay true to the story.

How Did They Check New Art Against the Original?

CM says:

• They documented every old asset (character, gun, etc.).
• Artists often played the original and the Anniversary Edition.
• New ideas were drawn first, then shown to a panel of:
  • Senior writers
  • Designers
  • Players
  • Artists
• Only changes that truly improved the game survived.

Learning from the Anniversary Edition

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was a previous redo.

DT:

• He made the team play both the original and Anniversary.
• Anniversary was great but sometimes drifted from the original feel.
• Goal: capture the dark, moody feeling of the first playthrough.

CM:

• They respected the original deeply.
• Used modern tools to recapture mystery, beauty, and darkness.
• No change was random—it was always rooted in Halo lore.

Remaster vs. Remake

CM explains simply:

• Remaster: Keeps the old game, makes it look nicer.
• Remake: Builds it again from zero so it works on modern systems without losing its soul.

They chose a full remake to honor the 2001 game and let players feel that same awe today.

Balancing Old Bungie Work and New Halo

DT: Lots of talks with team and fans. Everyone loves different Halo things.

CM: They dug into early sketches and compared them to the released game and later Halo lore. They treated original elements like crown jewels—only refined if it helped gameplay or fixed old limits.

Which Version of Stuff Appears?

Halo has changed its look over 25 years. How did they pick?

DT: They did an “Evergreen Assets” exercise:

• Looked at every key asset across Halo
• Picked what best represents “the look of Halo”

CM examples:

• Warthog (car): restored lost details like swing arms
• Mjolnir armor (suit): carefully rebuilt
• Cortana (AI lady): balanced original purple with fan-favorite blue

How an Asset Is Made in Unreal

Say they picked an Elite design from Halo Infinite:

CM: Every piece built from scratch. If a design was already best, keep it. If details were lost, go back to original and modernize.

DT: Rebuilt fully for modern standards. Talked with character team to ensure it fit the art plan.

Bonus Missions vs. Original Ten

Three bonus missions (Operation: METEORITE) were added.

DT: Similar approach, but more efficient—they learned from the first ten.

CM: Bonus missions let them make new Halo content. Same discipline: must feel like Halo history.

Operation: Meteorite Art Goals

CM: Introduced a new Covenant faction: the Sacristan (dogmatic aliens). Pushed Covenant style to be more ornate and severe.

DT’s three drivers:

1. Excite new and old fans
2. Push art to the future
3. Be unexpected

Goal: Familiar Halo but unique alien space ship feel.

What They’re Proud Of

DT: Visuals stayed true to original. Proud of the team’s passion and grit.

CM: Proud of authenticity and community feedback. Wanted a “love letter” to original Halo.

What They Want You to Feel

When you load the game (launch July 28, or July 23 with Premium Early Access):

DT: Hope and excitement—first taste of Halo’s future.

CM: Old fans feel 2001 awe; new players feel adventure. Even the menu uses the real in-game ring for consistency.

Summary

Halo: Campaign Evolved is a from-scratch remake of the original Halo, built in Unreal Engine 5. The art team used Project Foundry to learn, followed 5 clear pillars, respected Bungie’s legacy, and added new bonus missions. They balanced old and new looks carefully. The result is a loving, modern rebuild launching July 28 (or July 23 with early access).

FAQ

Q1: What is Unreal Engine 5?
A: It’s a game-making tool that lets artists build detailed worlds faster and easier than older engines.

Q2: Is this just a graphics upgrade?
A: No! It’s a full remake—rebuilt from the ground up, not just prettier textures.

Q3: What are the bonus missions about?
A: They are new stories called Operation: METEORITE featuring a new alien faction, the Sacristan.

Q4: Why did they keep Cortana’s blue color if the original was purple?
A: They balanced the original purple with the iconic blue fans know from later games.

Q5: When can I play it?
A: July 28 for everyone; July 23 if you pre-order Premium Edition for up to 5 days early access.