Halo fans on Xbox excited to dive into Halo: Campaign Evolved today as part of its early access period are currently severely disappointed, as an issue is preventing them from accessing the game despite paying extra money for the privilege.
As pointed out by players on social media (and independently verified by GameSpot), many (or possibly everyone) who purchased the Halo: Campaign Evolved premium edition or premium edition upgrade on Xbox or the Xbox PC app can’t at time of writing access the game. Oops.
The premium edition, which cost $70 as opposed to the normal edition’s $50, is supposed to come with five days of early access. Campaign Evolved is also available on Game Pass, and users have the option to pay an extra $20 to “upgrade” to the premium edition and play early. Instead, players in both camps are being greeted with a message that states “You’re too early.”
Halo Studios is aware of the issue, and in a post on social media from the official Halo Support account, stated it was “investigating reports that “some players on Xbox consoles and the Xbox app for PC who purchased the HaloCE Premium Edition or Premium Edition Upgrade are unable to access the game.
“We will share updates as soon as more information is available. Thank you for your patience.”
A glance at various Halo-focused social media accounts, or in the replies to official Halo posts, shows more than a few players are frustrated by the situation. Many point out that while Halo Support’s message states that only “some” players are experiencing the issue, it appears to be everyone on the Xbox platform who purchased the Premium version.
It’s not a great start for Halo Studios’ remake, especially since the game that is synonymous with the Xbox brand appears to be working great on PlayStation 5. Halo: Campaign Evolved’s Xbox early access blunder isn’t the only pothole the remake has fallen into, with the game having previously caught flak for some of its gameplay changes (like the addition of sprint) and requiring players on PS5 to have both a PlayStation and Microsoft account to play local co-op.
That hasn’t stopped Halo: Campaign Evolved from being generally well-received. In GameSpot’s 8/10 Halo: Campaign Evolved review, editor Jordan Ramée said the remake is “the best way to play through Master Chief’s first game” and praised how its new prequel missions lead into Combat Evolved’s original story. Halo: Campaign Evolved currently sports an 81 on review aggregate site Metacritic.
If you’re planning on playing the latest Halo adventure with friends across different platforms, read up on how Halo: Campaign Evolved’s cross-play works, as well as how long the game’s campaign, including its three new prequel missions, lasts. Halo: Campaign Evolved launches for non-premium edition owners on July 28.
