The game that almost single-handedly launched the Xbox, Halo is arguably the most important first-person shooter on consoles – although the series has been relatively dormant since 2021’s Halo Infinite. The first two entries were two of the best original Xbox games, and Halo has been found on every generation of Xbox hardware since.
The story may have begun in 2001, but we’ve since seen more lore tidbits rolled out through everything from books, to comics, to a TV show and, of course, more games, but if you’re wondering where to start, you’re in luck since Halo will make its debut on PlayStation systems with Campaign Evolved – a great-looking retelling of the first game in the series.
Whether you want to experience the series in the same order they were released in or follow the in-universe timeline, here are all the Halo games in order, including spin-offs like Halo 3 ODST and Halo Wars.
All Halo games in release order
Despite how big Halo is, even rivalling the best Call of Duty games of the time, there are only 12 games in the series that fit into the timeline (not counting remakes or remasters).
This is the order the games originally came out in (again, not including remakes or remasters) for those who want to play the games from oldest to newest.
- Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
- Halo 2 (2004)
- Halo 3 (2007)
- Halo Wars (2009)
- Halo 3: ODST (2010)
- Halo: Reach (2010)
- Halo 4 (2012)
- Halo: Spartan Assault (2013)
- Halo: Spartan Strike (2015)
- Halo 5: Guardians (2015)
- Halo Wars 2 (2017)
- Halo Infinite (2021)
- Halo Campaign Evolved (2026)
All Halo games in chronological order
The chronology in Halo is very important. This series spans multiple decades from the earliest point in the timeline to the last, with plenty of alliances, betrayals, and new factions entering and exiting the mix. While Spartan Assault and Spartan Strike don’t add much to the overall narrative, they do include some important people and places that die-hard fans will want to know about.
On the other hand, the Halo Wars series has ended up becoming essential for understanding the core plot in later titles.
Sadly, a lot of important plot details, such as the fate of some major characters, are relegated to media outside of the games. Still, playing the series in chronological order will let you keep up with the main plot.
- Halo Wars (2531)
- Halo: Reach (2552)
- Halo: Combat Evolved and Campaign Evolved (2552)
- Halo 2 (2552)
- Halo 3: ODST (2552 – takes place within Halo 2)
- Halo 3 (2552-2553)
- Halo: Spartan Assault (2554)
- Halo 4 (2557)
- Halo: Spartan Strike (2557)
- Halo 5: Guardians (2558)
- Halo Wars 2 (2559)
- Halo Infinite (2560)
As a reminder, you can play many of the core Halo games in the Master Chief Collection. This includes Halo 1 – 4, ODST, and even Reach.
While Halo Infinite won’t get any further content updates after Operation: Infinite, we’ve got a full rundown of what’s included.
