RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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One of the creators of Halo has issued a few choice words for Xbox’s latest remake of Combat Evolved, specifically the ring we see in the main menu and the lack of PvP.
Marcus Lehto was one of the key people behind the creation of Halo at Bungie, and while he left the studio a long time ago, he is still a popular figure among fans of the first-person shooter franchise. So when Lehto took aim at a Halo ring in the recently released Halo: Campaign Evolved , fans took notice.
“While Forerunner tech was metal (not stone) it was also ancient, vast, alive, and a tomb to the horrors that lurked within,” he began in a series of tweets on X . “It had seen hundreds of millennia of conflict. Yet the game shows it as shiny metal that looks like it was built a few years ago."
While Forerunner tech was metal (not stone) it was also ancient, vast, alive, and a tomb to the horrors that lurked within. It had seen hundreds of millennia of conflict. Yet the game shows it as shiny metal that looks like it was built a few years ago. pic.twitter.com/omp8Pwp76p
— Marcus Lehto (@game_fabricator) August 13, 2026 "The main menu ring is the most offensive thing we see every time we boot up the game. It should feel massive, dark, mysterious, sinister, but also full of wonder. This new ring looks like a shiny new toy - out of scale, no mystery, damn ugly.
“Also, for the lore, the ring in CE resides far out on the fringe of the Milky Way galaxy, which we see in the background."
Lehto continued: "What about war, flood outbreaks, repairs, collision? Also, the biggest issue is just with pure scale of the design. It lacks all the micro detail that should give it the epic scale it deserves. Lastly, it needs to feel like an ancient tomb."
Then: “I understand the tightening of the Forerunner aesthetic throughout the game. Admittedly, my original team was all over the place back in 2000. However, Halo Studios went too far in the wrong direction.”
You might be wondering what all the fuss is about here. Well, the ring in the main menu of Halo: Campaign Evolved has been a talking point ever since it was revealed . In June, when Halo Studios released a 6-hour video of the Halo: Campaign Evolved main menu, a debate emerged about the remake’s new Halo ring. Fans compared this remade Halo ringworld to the original from the 2001 masterpiece, fussing over changes. There are clear differences, and indeed the remade ringworld has more detail to it. But why would this be a problem?
Some fans said the details on the ringworld are too large, and so it gives the viewer the impression that the ring itself is smaller than it should be. Thus, this main menu ringworld doesn’t have the sense of awe and scale of the original, which relied upon simple shapes and abstract markings to convey mystery and impossible scale.
This became a significant talking point within Halo circles, with some offering an explanation of sorts. The thought was that the sense of scale wasn’t being portrayed properly here, not just because more detail leaves less to the imagination, but because of where we view the ring from.
Lehto also agreed with a common complaint about Halo: Campaign Evolved — the lack of split-screen PvP. “There's little excuse aside from lack of oversight and poor planning that led to this misstep,” Lehto said. “So sad this wasn't included.”
However, it sounds like Lehto is a fan of the campaign itself. "Finished the fight on Heroic and honestly loved my playthrough of Halo: Campaign Evolved," he tweeted . "It was simultaneously a blast from my own past and fresh re-envisioning of the game I helped create. Perfect, no. Fun, absolutely yes!"
Halo: Campaign Evolved has sold 1.2 million copies across Xbox, PlayStation 5, and Steam, according to estimates from Alinea Analytics. It’s been out for two weeks. Alinea's Rhys Elliott called the sales figures "soft" so far, citing a lack of value and competitive multiplayer. “At the very least, if the rumored Halo 2 remake ships with online multiplayer, it’ll sell a great deal more, assuming it comes to PlayStation at all,” Elliott said.
Lehto’s comments aren’t even the first time Halo: Campaign Evolved sparked concern from a former Halo developer. In October last year, Jaime Griesemer, one of the key developers behind Halo, did not sound impressed when he reacted to the Halo: Campaign Evolved reveal , saying: “I made it right and they are breaking it for no reason.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
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