Halo: Campaign Evolved Official Prequel Set To Release October 2026

If you're really into Halo, odds are you've explored at least some expanded universe content for it. Although it's hard to keep track of when everything is coming out, Microsoft and Halo Studios serve up a lot of content (in the games and beyond), even if they might not get the best reaction from fans (particularly the TV show).

That said, there's a very intriguing prequel coming to Halo: Campaign Evolved later this year, and it'll be extremely easy to pick up. Thanks to a new listing for a Halo: Campaign Evolved prequel, we have an idea of when more stories will arrive in the Halo universe.

Officially announced by Microsoft, Halo: Parasite's Wake will arrive on October 20, 2026. It was originally slated to get here a bit sooner on September 29, but it was delayed, and will still hit stores a few months after the launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved. It's written by Tim Lebbon, and will take the shape of a horror novel, telling the events of the outbreak of the Flood on Installation 04. Think of it as an explainer for how the Flood became so dangerous before they make their appearance in the first game.

Thankfully, there's an official summary that gets us up to speed with when this particular story takes place: "2552. As the planet Reach falls to the alien alliance known as the Covenant, a lone human ship—the UNSC Pillar of Autumn—fled into slipspace and has arrived at a place that could change the course of this decades-long war. An ancient, mysterious ringworld: Halo. With human forces scattered across the surface of this immense alien construct, Staff Sergeant Marvin Mobuto must now lead his fellow crewmates—survivors from the ship’s brig—back to the Autumn’s crash site to rally and regroup with their allies."

"Desertion, drunk and disorderly, and murder are only a few of the charges that Mobuto's squad carries—and keeping them in line might prove to be just as difficult as surviving the zealous, entrenched Covenant warriors who believe they have found the gateway to paradise. But as war rages across the ring's landscape for control of the installation’s weapons and secrets, a far more terrible threat from deep within Halo’s underworld is hellishly unleashed that transforms this conflict into a desperate battle of survival for UNSC and Covenant alike.."

For reference, Halo: Combat Evolved is set in the year 2552, so this is right up there with the original game's storyline. Since Campaign Evolved is mainly a remake of the first game, we'll probably see some lore tidbits expanded in the game and the prequel.

If you're really into Halo, it's hard to think of anything juicier to sink your teeth into than a prequel to the first game. Be on the lookout for more Halo universe expansion this year.