Halo: Combat Evolved now runs in your browser, campaign and multiplayer included

In early October 2026, developer Mitchell Hynes released a web version of Halo: Combat Evolved. The game runs locally in the browser thanks to WebAssembly, with no server streaming and no installation. Keyboard and mouse are supported, and both the campaign and split-screen work. To play, head to mitchellhynes.com/halo.

The project builds on Bnunu's decompilation of Halo build 2342, described as a near byte-for-byte reconstruction of the original game (repository: github.com/bnunu/halo-1). That repository has also produced native builds for Windows, Linux and Android. This is an unofficial port and its legal status remains contested: Microsoft has not commented publicly.

Multiplayer: promising but experimental

Online play goes through WebRTC with no matchmaking: you share an invite link and players connect directly to each other. The advertised 128-player mode has not been publicly tested, and its author calls it experimental. Early press hands-on describes mostly stable performance with some stutter. You need a recent desktop Chrome or Edge with hardware acceleration, WebGL 2, WebAssembly threads and WebRTC enabled; mobile devices are not supported.

Important: the game does not start on its own. As of 30/10/2026, the page asks for an XISO disc image ("Choose XISO" button, "Bring your own disc" section) made from your own Xbox disc. No Halo data is provided, and the image is processed locally in your browser. You therefore need to own the game and rip the image yourself; never hunt for these files on shady sites. The project can change quickly (block, takedown or update), so check the page on the day.

Image: Evan-Amos, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (modified).

Source: PC Games Hardware