A Halo: Combat Evolved remake is reportedly in development at Halo Studios, with insider Rebs Gaming citing sources that Abstraction Games is leveraging a “hybrid” approach with core mechanics on a modified Blam Engine from Halo: Reach and visuals driven largely by Epic’s Unreal Engine 5.
Whispers of a Halo: Combat Evolved remake are growing louder as a detailed leak from veteran Halo Insider Rebs Gaming reports that three separate sources have confirmed that the project is underway at Halo Studios, formerly known as 343 Industries.
In a 15-minute video, Rebs explained that Halo: Combat Evolved’s remake won’t be a touch-up like 2014’s divisive Master Chief Collection, which took 5 years to arrive on PC amid technical hiccups. Instead, the game is reported to be rebuilt from the ground up, while eyeing a PlayStation 5 debut on launch.
Abstraction Games, a Netherlands-based outfit, acquired by Virtuos in December 2024, is reportedly co-developing or handling “most of the work” on the remake. The studio previously worked on a support role on the Master Chief Collection.
Abstraction is also introducing accessibility features for disabled gamers, and some quality-of-life improvements to see how they could “enhance Halo without changing its identity or giving unfair advantages in multiplayer.”
The studio has an well-established reputation for porting technically demanding games and remakes successfully, including contributions to Dune: Awakening and Baldur’s Gate 3. Given Abstraction’s pedigree, the studio seems to be a great fit for remaking the genre-defining FPS that introduced Master Chief to the masses in 2001.
Reb further stated that the remake will be powered by a hybrid engine setup similar to the recent Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. The game’s core gameplay mechanics will be rebuilt on a modified version of the Blam engine from Halo: Reach, while visual eye-candy will be handled for the most part by Unreal Engine 5.
Earlier, Rebs stated that the Halo: CE remake will introduce a sprint mechanic and redesigned levels for better pacing, suggesting the remake aims further than just a mere visual refresh. Rebs also mentioned that the remake includes oversight from Halo Studios’ lead Pierre Hintze, ensuring that Halo Combat Evolved’s legacy remains intact.
However, skeptics state that hybrid engines risk diluting the original game’s charm, akin to Halo Infinite’s open-world detours, and raise concerns of performance hiccups similar to The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered.
With Halo Studios confirming a “deep dive” into future projects on HaloWC’s mainstage, the return of Halo: Combat Evolved seems to be on the horizon.
Rahim Amir Noorali – Tech Writer – 335 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025
I am a UAE-based tech writer who likes to build and benchmark PCs both professionally and as a hobby. I contribute to multiple tech publications, including TechRadar and NotebookCheck, as well as Game Rant, where I focus primarily on news, commerce, and buying guides. When I’m not scouring the internet for the latest in tech stories, you will find me playing a game of Civilization or DotA with friends and frenemies alike while dropping recommendations for Apple TV+’s Foundation to everyone I come across.