Halo: Campaign Evolved Co-op Guide – Setup and Progression

Split-Screen Co-op Setup

Halo: Campaign Evolved supports two-player split-screen co-op on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles. The official support article includes a heading for "Split-Screen Co-Op Setup" but does not provide detailed steps. To play split-screen, both players need to be on the same console and signed in to their respective accounts (guest account support is not confirmed in the available documentation). The game does not support split-screen on PC.

Adding Friends for Co-op

The game provides two friend lists: Platform Friends and Cross-Platform Friends. You can use either list to start a co-op session.

• Platform Friends: Players on the same platform connected through the native friend system (Xbox network on Xbox and Microsoft Store, PlayStation Network on PlayStation, Steam friends on Steam).
• Cross-Platform Friends: To play across different platforms, players must be friends on the Xbox network. Cross-platform friends appear in the cross-platform friends tab in-game.

To add a cross-platform friend, you can use the Xbox Mobile App, Xbox Game Bar, or Xbox.com. The recipient must accept the friend request through their notifications (accessible via the bell icon in the Xbox app or Game Bar). If a friend has trouble receiving or accepting a request, have them send you a request instead.

Inviting Friends and Joining Games

Once you have added friends, you can invite them or join their sessions. The method depends on which friend tab they appear in (Platform or Cross-Platform). A key feature is Direct Joining:

• Scroll to the friend’s name on the main menu.
• Open their profile menu and select Join.

Direct joining may fail if the lobby is full or if the Fireteam leader’s privacy setting restricts entry. To adjust your own Fireteam privacy:

• Open Settings (Menu button on Xbox, Options on PlayStation, F1 on Keyboard).
• Go to Account → Fireteam Settings.
• Select Friends Can Join to allow anyone on your friends list to join, or Invite Only to limit joining to players you specifically invite.

Co-op Progression

Co-op progression uses a shared system that permanently grants unlocks to all Fireteam members as they play together. This includes:

• Mission and Rally Point unlocks
• Skulls
• Terminals

How it works:

• Completing a mission (e.g., mission 5) unlocks access to that specific mission for every Fireteam member, but does not automatically unlock earlier missions (1 through 4).
• If a player rediscovers a Skull or Terminal that they have already collected, it is granted to any Fireteam members in the session who have not yet discovered it.

Cross-platform progression carries over mission unlocks, Rally Points, Skulls, Terminals, and Achievements. Mid-mission checkpoints and exact player position do not sync across platforms.

Hosting and Session Leadership

A co-op session uses the Fireteam leader’s campaign progress to determine which missions and Skulls are available during play.

• Joining a leader who has completed the campaign: You may be able to play missions you have not personally reached and use Skulls you have not discovered.
• Joining a leader earlier in the campaign: Mission and Skull availability is limited to what that leader has unlocked, regardless of your own progress.

This means the host’s save file acts as the session’s “world state.” If you want to progress your own campaign, consider hosting or joining a leader whose progress matches your goals.

Sources

• Co-op in Halo: Campaign Evolved – Halo Waypoint Support