Halo Studios clarifies PS5 split-screen Halo Campaign Evolved needs no Plus

Halo Studios has eased one of the sharpest friction points around Halo: Campaign Evolved on PlayStation 5: local split-screen co-op will not require PlayStation Plus after all. The correction matters because couch co-op is one of the few modes players still expect to work without an added monthly fee, and it lands at a moment when subscription fatigue is reshaping how consoles package access.

The studio initially said in its June Halo Waypoint community Q&A that PS5 split-screen players would need PlayStation Plus, then corrected that statement on X and updated the post. Under the revised setup, each local player on PS5 must have a PlayStation account linked to a Microsoft account, but the offline split-screen feature itself is not gated by PlayStation Plus. Online network co-op on PS5 still requires an active PlayStation Plus subscription.

That distinction goes to the center of how platform economics are changing. Players have grown used to paying for online multiplayer access, but local co-op has long been treated as a basic feature rather than a premium network service. By separating split-screen from the paid online layer, Halo Studios avoids charging twice for a living-room mode that does not depend on Sony’s network infrastructure.

Halo Waypoint also says every player on every platform needs a Microsoft account and Xbox Gamertag for cross-platform progression and play. Halo: Campaign Evolved is set to launch July 28, 2026, with up to five days of early access beginning July 23 for Digital Premium Edition and Collector’s Edition preorder customers. The remake will support four-player online co-op with cross-play and shared progression, plus two-player split-screen on consoles.

The project is also expanding the original campaign with three new prequel missions starring Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson. Halo Studios says the game has been rebuilt from the ground up with high-definition visuals, enhanced cinematics, improved wayfinding and combat flow, a remastered soundtrack, rebuilt sound design, nine additional weapons from across the series, and the ability to hijack enemy vehicles and use a Covenant Wraith tank.

PlayStation announced Halo: Campaign Evolved for PS5 on October 24, 2025, a milestone that marked the franchise’s first release on Sony’s console nearly 25 years after Halo: Combat Evolved introduced Master Chief, Cortana, the Covenant, and the Halo ring. Halo Studios also says the Collector’s Edition is sold out with no restock planned, while retail partners found no evidence of widespread scalping beyond a small number of suspicious orders that were refunded. In a market crowded with subscriptions, the new split-screen decision is the clearest sign yet that access, not just exclusivity, is now part of the platform battle.