Microsoft has confirmed one of the biggest changes to the Halo franchise in years: Activision will develop the next Halo title as part of a wider Xbox studio reorganisation announced on September 22, 2026. The news arrived alongside 268 role reductions across Halo Studios, other first-party studios and Xbox Game Studios management and central functions.
For Halo players, the most important distinction is that Xbox did not say Halo: Campaign Evolved is being handed to Activision. The official announcement says a smaller team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games already in market, while Activision builds the next Halo title through a new purpose-built team that is separate from ongoing Call of Duty development.
What Xbox confirmed on September 22
In an official Xbox Wire message, Microsoft said it is reorganising its first-party studios to operate fewer business units and align teams that already work closely together. As part of that reset, Activision is expanding its remit to World’s Edge and Rare, and will also take responsibility for developing the next Halo game.
Xbox was unusually specific about how that future Halo work will be structured. It said the project will be led by a new, purpose-built team and that this team is separate from the people and plans already working on Call of Duty. That matters because it rules out one easy assumption: the announcement does not mean an existing Call of Duty studio has simply been told to make Halo instead.
The same update confirmed 268 role eliminations across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and Xbox Game Studios management and central functions. Xbox said these changes form part of the restructuring announced earlier in 2026.
What does this mean for Halo: Campaign Evolved?
For now, the safest reading is that Halo: Campaign Evolved remains an in-market Halo Studios game. Xbox explicitly said a small team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games currently in market. Campaign Evolved launched in July 2026, so nothing in the September 22 announcement says its current support has moved to Activision.
That is especially relevant for players following Campaign Evolved DLC, armour and promotional items. CODSKINS currently tracks and stocks Halo promotional content through our Halo: Campaign Evolved DLC codes collection, while our Halo Campaign Evolved codes and armour guide brings the current reward ecosystem together in one place.
Existing items such as the Sandstone Ancient Armor Style code and Shadowfrost Armor DLC code are tied to Campaign Evolved, not to the unannounced future Halo project.
What we know about Activision’s next Halo game
Very little has been revealed about the game itself. Microsoft has confirmed the developer organisation, but it has not announced the title, release date, platforms, setting, multiplayer structure or whether the project is a sequel, spin-off, remake or something else.
Confirmed
Activision will develop the next Halo title. A new team is being built specifically for that work, and Xbox says it will operate separately from ongoing Call of Duty development. A smaller Halo Studios group will remain focused on the community and games already on the market.
Not confirmed
There is no confirmed name for the next Halo game, no release window and no announced promotional-code programme. Xbox has also not said that Call of Duty developers such as Infinity Ward, Treyarch or Sledgehammer Games are directly making the game. Until Microsoft or Activision names teams and staff, any claims about exactly which developers are involved should be treated as speculation.
The wider Xbox studio reset
Halo is only one part of the September restructuring. Xbox also said Activision will expand its remit to Rare and World’s Edge; Bethesda will add Obsidian to its remit; King will take on Microsoft Casual Games; and Playground Games and Turn 10 will come together as one studio focused on Forza and Fable.
Microsoft also provided updates on studio divestitures. Undead Labs has transitioned to new ownership and still plans to release State of Decay 3 day one on Game Pass. Xbox said two proposed deals for Ninja Theory fell through and it is beginning consultation on a proposed closure while exploring other paths. Consultation around Arkane is continuing.
Those changes are broader than Halo, but they show why the Activision announcement is more than a simple co-development deal. Microsoft is changing how its first-party studios are grouped and managed, and Halo’s next main development team now sits inside that reshaped structure.
What Halo fans should watch next
The next meaningful update will be the identity of Activision’s dedicated Halo team and the first details of its game. A title announcement, creative leadership, platform confirmation or reveal window would all give a clearer picture of where the franchise is going.
For Campaign Evolved, the immediate question is how the smaller Halo Studios team handles post-launch support, events and future promotional content. No new Activision-led Halo DLC codes or crossover rewards were announced on September 22, so players should be cautious about social posts claiming otherwise.
CODSKINS will continue tracking official Halo announcements and promotional rewards. For current content, browse the Halo: Campaign Evolved DLC codes collection. For the source announcement, see Xbox Wire’s September 22 update.
