Following concerning announcements about physical releases from PlayStation and Rockstar Games, Halo Studios has confirmed that Halo: Campaign Evolved will get a physical release on a disc when it launches later this month.
This confirmation comes from the first answer in the latest community Q&A posted on the Halo Waypoint website last week. In response to a question asking “If I buy Halo: Campaign Evolved at a retail store, will there be a disc in the box?”, senior community manager John Junyszek responded, “Yes! Buying the Xbox or PlayStation version of Halo: Campaign Evolved at your local retailer will result in getting the physical game case and disc so that you have tangible items to add to your collection.”
The fact that Halo: Campaign Evolved is receiving the standard physical release treatment for AAA Xbox games isn’t too surprising. Still, Halo Studios clearly felt the need to clarify this after some recent announcements painted a questionable future for physical game launches.
When Grand Theft Auto 6 comes out later in 2026, its physical version will simply contain a download code rather than a disc. Meanwhile, PlayStation plans to completely end production of new physical game discs in 2028.
Microsoft has committed to putting future Halo games on PlayStation (for now), so that later announcement, in particular, impacts Halo as a franchise. This answer indicates Halo Studios is interested in maintaining physical game launches for the foreseeable future because it sees value in releasing “tangible items” for its fans to own. It is worth noting that an online connection will still be required if you want to play Halo: Campaign Evolved in local co-op.
Some other notable reveals from this Q&A include the fact that the game will have a Machinima freecam mode, be Steam Deck Verified, and have toggleable friendly fire in co-op. We won’t have to wait long to see all of this in action, as Halo: Campaign Evolved will launch on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X on July 28.