Fandom has announced that Xbox's Halo: Campaign Evolved will be the presenting partner of its ninth annual San Diego Comic-Con party, with cover band The Coverups — fronted by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong — set to headline the evening.

According to a release, the Fandom Party will take place at FLOAT at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego on July 23rd, running from 7 PM to 11 PM PT. The invitation-only event coincides with San Diego Comic-Con 2026, the annual comics and pop culture convention, which runs from July 23rd to 26th.

Fandom, which operates fan wikis and editorial brands including GameSpot, Metacritic and TV Guide, has held the party during Comic-Con week for several years. The company says it reaches almost 350m unique visitors a month, and described the event as a gathering for fans, creators, celebrities, influencers and industry figures, with attendees treated to a series of themed 'activations' across the night.

Chief among them is the gaming tie-in. Halo: Campaign Evolved — a ground-up remake of 2001's Halo: Combat Evolved, developed by Halo Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios — is scheduled to launch globally on July 28th. Guests will be able to play the title in a dedicated Halo-themed zone on the night of the party, the same day its early access window opens for Premium and Collector's Edition buyers. The remake will also mark the first time a mainline Halo campaign has launched on PlayStation 5, alongside Xbox Series X|S and PC.

What else is on offer

According to the release, additional sponsors include official spirits partner Suntory Global Spirits' -196 Vodka Seltzer and publisher Z2 Comics. The -196 'Freeze Point' activation, inspired by Japanese convenience store culture, will serve fruit-forward vodka seltzers, while Z2 Comics will hand out custom merchandise tied to its upcoming graphic novel and film '…And Out Comes the Wolf'.

The Coverups, formed in California in 2018, is a cover band featuring Armstrong alongside Jason White, Chris Dugan and Bill Schneider. The group performs rock, punk and alternative covers of artists such as Ramones, The Clash and David Bowie.