GameStop ($GME) shares surged 7.7% on October 27, 2025, closing around $23 after hitting intraday highs near $25.28, driven by a viral social media exchange with the White House.
It started when Microsoft announced a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved titled Halo: Campaign Evolved for PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC in 2026—breaking decades of Xbox exclusivity.
GameStop’s official X account (@GameStop) posted a mock “presidential statement” on October 25, declaring itself the “Neutral Entity” ending the “console wars,” urging fans to “cease hostilities” and enjoy multiplatform gaming.
The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account (@RapidResponse47) amplified it on October 26, joking it was Trump’s “NUMBER 9” war ended. The official @WhiteHouse account then reposted on October 27 with an AI-generated image of President Trump as Master Chief saluting a flawed, 40-star American flag, captioned “Power to the Players”—GameStop’s slogan.
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GameStop replied with more memes, including Trump and Master Chief shaking hands. The posts exploded (e.g., White House: 149K likes, 38M+ views), reigniting GME’s meme-stock hype amid its pivot to collectibles (Q2 profit: $168.6M) and $8.7B cash pile.
No formal policy “announcement”—just playful engagement that fueled retail frenzy. Halo: Combat Evolved’s iconic campaign, rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5 for a 2026 release on Xbox Series X|S, PC Steam, Xbox app, and PlayStation 5—the first Halo on PlayStation—with day-one Xbox Game Pass support, full crossplay, cross-progression, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Visuals & Audio: High-definition 4K visuals with rebuilt environments, alien architecture, and vistas evoking the original’s grandeur. Updated cinematics using new motion-capture animations, based on original storyboards for fidelity.
Remastered soundtrack recreating Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori’s score, plus new sound effects and re-recorded dialogue by the original cast (e.g., Steve Downes as Master Chief, Jen Taylor as Cortana).
Refined controls with sprint (toggleable for classic feel), improved aiming (e.g., ADS on weapons like Assault Rifle and Needler, similar to Halo 5/Infinite), and enhanced precision combat.
All 10 original levels rebuilt with refined designs, better wayfinding/navigation, improved pacing/enemy variety (e.g., overhauled “The Library” Flood encounters and environmental storytelling).
Expanded arsenal: 9 new weapons from later games (Energy Sword, Battle Rifle, Needle Rifle, Fuel Rod Cannon, Sentinel Beam). Vehicles: Hijack enemy rides (Elites can hijack back), pilot Covenant Wraith tanks, 4-Spartan Warthog seating (Warthog less indestructible).
Updated Flood with Halo 3 pure forms. New Content3 prequel missions: Set before Halo: CE, starring Master Chief and Sgt. Avery Johnson with new characters, environments, enemies, and gameplay.
Most Skulls ever in a Halo campaign (e.g., weapon randomizer, Grunt Birthday Party), plus “Campaign Remix” to replay missions with modifiers for randomized elements. Solo, 2-player split-screen co-op (consoles only), or 4-player online co-op.
No competitive multiplayer (focus on campaign; use MCC/Infinite for that). The remake preserves the original story while addressing 25 years of feedback for a “timeless yet brand new” experience.
Halo: Campaign Evolved’s three prequel missions form a brand-new story arc set before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, starring Master Chief and Sgt. Avery Johnson—marking the first new single-player Halo content in years.
Takes place prior to the Pillar of Autumn’s crash on Installation 04, potentially drawing from The Fall of Reach novel (e.g., events during Reach’s fall or Chief’s escape), bridging gaps in Chief and Johnson’s alliance.
Emphasizes Chief-Johnson interactions, with Johnson as a key ally likely NPC, but co-op speculation exists. Introduces “new characters, enemies, environments, and dangers” to deepen lore without altering the core campaign.
Available from launch not confirmed as unlockable post-campaign; playable solo or in co-op. Exclusive mechanics/enemies not in the original 10 levels; leverages remake upgrades like sprint (toggleable), ADS aiming, vehicle hijacking/piloting (e.g., Wraith), expanded arsenal (Energy Sword, Battle Rifle, etc.), and UE5 visuals.
Co-op Integration supports 2-player split-screen (consoles) or 4-player online with crossplay/progression—ideal for Johnson-focused squad play. Compatible with “Campaign Remix” mode and the most Skulls ever (e.g., weapon randomizer, Grunt Birthday Party).
Names, specific locations, and detailed gameplay remain under wraps—Halo Studios has teased “more info very soon,” with fans speculating Reach-based levels such as space combat, ground defense.