Opinion: Xbox Should Consider Cancelling Halo: Campaign Evolved For PS5

Look, there's been a lot of news, reactions and opinions about the new Xbox regime and where they should pivot to next. Indeed, there are lots of directions that Asha Sharma and her team could take over the next few years regarding hardware, software, general platform strategy and more. I can't pretend that I have all the answers for that, but one more pressing topic has been on my mind over the last few days. Maybe Xbox should consider keeping Halo as its flagship exclusive, like it always has been.

To be clear, this isn't coming out of nowhere. Sharma herself has hinted that she "hears" fans regarding platform identity bringing back Xbox exclusives - and while that certainly doesn't mean the team is going to act on that response, it at least shows that even Microsoft's multiplatform strategy of recent years is being questioned by the new Xbox boss. Sharma clearly wants to get hardcore fans on side here.

And, all I'm suggesting is that maybe, just maybe, Team Green should consider cancelling the PS5 version of Halo: Campaign Evolved. Yes, Forza has made it over to the rival Sony platform with the Horizon 5 port — and plans for Horizon 6 as well — and yes, Gears moved over with the Gears of War: Reloaded remaster last year, but this is Halo. Halo defined Xbox for years, Halo is Xbox for many, and while the series isn't what it once was, it's still the platform mascot in a lot of ways. Master Chief is a huge part of Xbox's identity; an identity that the new boss needs to get a grasp on.

I must admit that even as I type this, I think it's extremely unlikely that Campaign Evolved gets cancelled for PS5. It's out there in the public domain, work has likely begun on the port, and heck, Sony was even caught advertising the thing last year in what felt like something of an alternate reality. But, this is Xbox's long-term legacy we're talking about here, this is the future of its most iconic franchise. It feels a bit like if Campaign Evolved goes over to PS5 you're giving up some of that legacy.

Opinion: Xbox Should Consider Cancelling Halo: Campaign Evolved For PS51

Of course, one other option would be to let the Halo remake exist on PS5 but then keep the next mainline title exclusive to Xbox, and presumably PC. That's certainly one way to go, but doing that would seem entirely against the point of the franchise moving multiplatform in the first place. Halo Studios said it wanted to expand the community by going to PS5, but Campaign Evolved only contains the story mode - and the next entry will likely contain multiplayer as well. You'd think that putting the next mainline game on PS5 to expand the player base would make more sense in some way, especially with how iconic Combat Evolved is and its ties to the original Xbox.

Ultimately, I have no idea if this is even a possibility at Xbox HQ right now, especially because the game has been revealed for PS5 systems already. But, I just think that with all the uncertainty surrounding the future — and indeed the "return" — of Xbox, the team should consider not letting the cat get out of the bag for now in regards to its most iconic franchise of all. Unless anything changes, Halo: Campaign Evolved will mark a massive turning point for Xbox and its new multiplatform path later this year, but we'll see what happens between now and the game's upcoming release. I'm not even sure Microsoft knows that itself right now.

Do you have a strong opinion on this either way? Talk to us about Halo: Campaign Evolved and the future of the series down below.