Halo: Campaign Evolved Early Access Starts Today

Halo: Campaign Evolved Early Access begins worldwide on July 23 at 8:00 a.m. PDT. That is 11:00 a.m. EDT, 4:00 p.m. BST and 11:00 p.m. in Beijing. Access is limited to Premium and Collector's Edition owners; the global launch for every edition remains July 28 at the same hour.

Preload and download timing

Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and eligible PlayStation 5 editions can preload before the Early Access start. Steam Premium and Collector's Edition players cannot preload the Early Access build: the download becomes available when Early Access opens. Steam Standard Edition preload also begins at that time, ahead of the July 28 release.

Before launching

1. Confirm that the account owns the Premium or Collector's Edition if you expect Early Access.
2. Create or recover a Microsoft account and Xbox Gamertag before launching the game.
3. Steam and PlayStation 5 players should be ready to link their platform identity to that Microsoft account.
4. PC players should reserve at least 100 GB of SSD storage and compare their hardware with our Halo: Campaign Evolved PC settings and requirements guide.
5. Co-op groups should add cross-platform friends by Gamertag before assembling a Fireteam; see the co-op guide for the announced session rules.

The two common delays

The Steam download timing is the main exception that can delay an otherwise prepared Early Access player. Account linking is also mandatory even for solo play, because checkpoints, collectibles and customizations use the game's cross-platform progression system.

Sources

• Halo Waypoint: Get Ready for Early Access
• Steam Community: Halo: Campaign Evolved announcements

Last reviewed: July 24, 2026