Following Gears of War: E-Day’s declaration of Xbox exclusivity, Halo: Campaign Evolved is already climbing PlayStation pre-order charts
Microsoft’s decision to bring Halo: Campaign Evolved to PlayStation 5 was among 2025’s most shocking gaming announcements, ending the franchise’s long exclusivity to Xbox and PC platforms. Following the announcement, the game’s PS5 pre-orders have surged, with Halo: Campaign Evolved’s standard edition ranking as the best-selling title on the UK PlayStation Store.
The news highlights a puzzling contrast in Microsoft’s exclusivity strategy. While Halo is making its PlayStation debut, Gears of War: E-Day is remaining exclusive to Xbox and PC—despite a Gears of War remaster successfully launching on PlayStation last year. This selective approach to cross-platform releases raises questions about how Microsoft determines which franchises warrant platform expansion.
The strong pre-order performance on PlayStation suggests the audience for Halo extends well beyond traditional Xbox players. The success indicates that iconic franchises may have broader appeal than hardware loyalty alone, with players eager to experience Master Chief’s story on Sony’s platform.