I bet they're sure glad they paid extra to stare at an error screen.
Halo Campaign Evolved‘s early access period — one that cost players an extra $30 to play 5 days earlier than everyone else — ran into problems over on Xbox consoles and PCs, meaning that those who bought the right to play early couldn’t do so for hours.
Reports from players saying they couldn’t actually access Campaign Evolved started coming in just after 1.00 am local time, AEST.
“That’d be great if it worked,” Twitter user Riskit4TB wrote, replying to a tweet from the Halo account that promoted early access. “I purchased the premium, but it won’t let me boot it up. Can we sort ourselves out, please? Or can we get out the pocketbook and start issuing refunds [CEo Asha Sharma]?”
The image above was posted by Riskit4TB as well.
Close to an hour after that tweet, the Halo Support account confirmed issues on “Xbox consoles and the Xbox app for PC” seemingly tied to authentication, while issues on Steam were corrected rather quickly.
“We’re investigating reports that some players on Xbox consoles and the Xbox app for PC who purchased the [Halo Campaign Evolved] Premium Edition or Premium Edition Upgrade are unable to access the game,” read the statement. “We will share updates as soon as more information is available. Thank you for your patience.”
An hour following Halo Support’s tweet — so around 3.30 am AEST — the Xbox Support stated that larger issues were impacting gaming services.
“We are aware that some users are encountering errors when attempting to connect to Xbox services and features,” the account stated. “Our engineers are actively working to mitigate the issue. We’ll update as soon as we have more — keep an eye on [the Xbox Support page].”
Microsoft said Xbox services were starting to be corrected at 4.40 am AEST; close to an hour later at 5.26 am AEST, Halo Studios said Xbox issues engaging with Halo Campaign Evolved‘s early access window were also rectified.
“For players who have been unable to access Halo: Campaign Evolved with a ‘Premium Edition Upgrade’ – we’re getting reports this issue should be resolved,” wrote Brian ‘ske7ch’ Jarrard. “You might need to clear your cache – Xbox hold power for 10 sec to restart, PC hit windows/’wsreset’.”
While things appear to have settled down after that initial four-hour window, fans aren’t happy about the situation.
“Login failed, cannot play the single player game as servers are overloaded. Screw your DRM,” wrote one player over on a Steam review. “Combat was not evolved.”
Without access issues plaguing him, Jay found a lot to like in Halo Campaign Evolved.
“For older gamers like me who had boots on the ground as it happened, Campaign Evolved is a faithful and respectful recreation with all the original foundations and the right amount of improvement to a timeless classic,” Jay wrote in our review. “If in another 25 or so years time this version of the game is what I remember, then I would be totally comfortable with that.”
Halo Campaign Evolved‘s early access period started today, 24 July, on Windows PC via Steam, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, and PS5; those who want to save $30 — and, seemingly, a lot of frustration — will need to wait until 29 July.
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