Halo fans likely have another reason to keep an eye on the calendar. A fresh leak from the trusted data miner grunt.api—the same one whose Halo universe leaks rarely turn out to be empty—has revealed the expected release dates for Halo: Campaign Evolved. Moreover, the information is presented in a spirit of riddles, codes, and mathematics.
This week has already been a busy one: insiders previously reported that the project is “being completed from start to finish” and will feature a customizable skin system. Now the key question is: when? Two equations – two keys
In a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), grunt.api published two expressions:
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EA: (18 × 7 × (MMXX + VI) mod 31) + 1
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OR: (8 × 7 × (MMXX + VI) mod 31) + 1
The community quickly put together the equation: EA – Early Access, OR – Official Release. MMXX + VI = 2026 (in Roman numerals). They solved it – and got:
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Early Access – Thursday, July 23rd
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Official release – Tuesday, July 28th
Coincidence? Hard to believe. Both days are workdays, and the gap between EA and the release is only five days. For a AAA project with digital distribution, this scenario is more than realistic.
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Skepticism is a must, but grunt.api is no newbie
Yes, the source is unofficial. Yes, the equations are beautiful, but mysterious. However, grunt.api has more than one accurate Halo leak under its belt. If the information is accurate, the official announcement and pre-orders should be expected at the Xbox Game Showcase on June 7th. It makes sense: Microsoft’s summer show, followed by a July release. Microsoft likes that.
Therefore, the developers are keeping quiet for now. And that’s okay—there are still a couple of months to go before confirmation.
A few words about context
While fans are deciphering the equations, things are unsettled at Halo Studios itself. Recently, the art director of Halo Infinite and a franchise veteran made harsh accusations against management—they’re talking about numerous illegal actions. It’s not yet clear how much of this is true and how much is just internal squabbles. But the industry is nervous right now, and Halo is no exception.
Halo: Campaign Evolved—what is it and how does it work?
Essentially, this is a full-fledged remake of the campaign from the original Halo: Combat Evolved, which was released… scary to say… in 2001. Halo Studios didn’t repaint the old game; they rebuilt the levels from scratch in Unreal Engine 5. An important detail: there will be no multiplayer. At all. Only a single-player campaign.
There’s a ton of content: over ten missions with a completely redesigned design, plus new prequel levels. They’ve added sprinting (finally), and the familiar arsenal from Halo Infinite—so old fans won’t get lost. The cinematics have been re-animated in 4K, and the soundtrack has been remastered. The original voices: Steve Downes and Jen Taylor are back at the mic. Chief and Cortana are back in action.
PS5, co-op, and a historic step
The biggest moment is the PS5 launch. Yes, Master Chief is coming to Sony’s console. Expanding the audience beyond the Xbox ecosystem is an unprecedented step for the franchise. It’s timed to coincide with the series’ 25th anniversary. Four-player online co-op, split-screen multiplayer on consoles, and cross-progression are all here.
The remake lays the foundation for future installments: newcomers will have an easier time getting into the Covenant and Spartan lore. The graphics lack the visual flair of Anniversary 2011, but with UE5 mechanics: navigation, combat pacing—everything has become faster and more intuitive.
What’s next?
If the leak is confirmed, July 23rd and 28th will be big days on every Halo: Campaign Evolved fan’s calendar. For now, keep an eye on June 7th. The Xbox Game Showcase promises to be a hot one—and perhaps that’s where the grunt.api equations will become official.
Hurry up and screenshot the tweet—you never know.
