The complete thirteen-mission campaign
The rebuilt original campaign contains ten missions in its classic order: The Pillar of Autumn; Halo; The Truth and Reconciliation; The Silent Cartographer; Assault on the Control Room; 343 Guilty Spark; The Library; Two Betrayals; Keyes; and The Maw. Campaign Evolved adds three missions in Operation: Meteorite—Boarding Action, The Most Dangerous Game, and Heavy Burden—set before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved.
Every chapter contains three Skulls and one Terminal, including the three new missions. That identical structure makes the mission menu double as a collectible dashboard. The main ten missions follow Master Chief and Cortana after the Pillar of Autumn reaches the ring. Operation: Meteorite places Master Chief beside Sergeant Johnson in a standalone prequel operation with new spaces, characters, enemies, and combat situations.
First-time players should follow the main menu order
For a first Halo story, play the ten classic missions before Operation: Meteorite unless the game’s menu explicitly presents the prequel as its recommended opening. The original campaign is built around discovery: the ring’s apparent purpose, the shift in enemy threat, and Cortana’s changing understanding all land best when the player has not front-loaded newer context. The three extra missions then work as a return to earlier events with a stronger grasp of Johnson, the Covenant, and the wider conflict.
Returning players can reasonably choose chronological order—Operation: Meteorite first, followed by The Pillar of Autumn through The Maw—because the central reveals are already known. Chronological order highlights how the new material connects to familiar dialogue and gives the expanded weapon sandbox an early showcase. It is a different emphasis, not a requirement for unlocking the original campaign.
Collectible and co-op runs need a different plan
For full completion, finish the story once and then replay in menu order. Clear all four collectibles in a mission before moving on, and note any Skull that needs a modifier, special jump, or vehicle. This approach keeps the thirteen Terminal entries in sequence and exposes exactly which mission blocks a per-level achievement. It also avoids interrupting major story beats with repeated checkpoint resets.
For a co-op group, begin with The Pillar of Autumn to verify account linking, crossplay, voice chat, difficulty, and shared progression in a short controlled environment. Continue in story order once every player receives the first mission completion. Console split-screen supports two players, while online and networked co-op support up to four across PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.