By Official HCS -
The first live event of the Fall 2016 Season opened up full of expectations – both from the players and teams looking to carve out their place in the competitive Halo hierarchy, and from the fans and spectators, who were all eager to see how their favorites would perform under the glare of the live lights. When the final shot was fired, HCS Orange County saw several of those expectations met and exceeded, including by the event itself. With an atmosphere as exciting as the gameplay on display, the event has certainly set an epic table for HCS Las Vegas come November.
HALO 5 FFA POWERED BY ASTRO GAMING
HCS Orange County opened up with an every-Spartan-for-themselves brawl for the ages, that saw top amateurs going toe to toe and trading blow for blow with HCS Pro League players in the Halo 5 FFA Powered by ASTRO Gaming. In the end, it would be Jesse Moeller who bubu’d everyone’s dubu on his way to claiming the crown – and a cool $3,000 to boot. Joining Bubu Dubu on the FFA podium was former teammate Huke, and current teammate Suspector, giving HCS Pro League team Enigma6 two of the top three spots.
FINAL RESULTS
1st – bubu dubu (Enigma6)
2nd – Huke (Team EnVyUs)
3rd – Suspector (Enigma6)
4th – Monstcr (3sUP Enterprises)
5th – Pistola (Team EnVyUs)
6th – King Nick (Soul eSports Red)
OPEN BRACKET
Day 2 of HCS Orange County held perhaps the most significance moving forward in the Fall 2016 Season, with Open Circuit teams battling it out to earn a spot in the Finals at HCS Las Vegas in November. Here’s who punched their ticket to the duel in the desert:
TOP 4
3sUP Enterprises (Rammyy, Prototype, Monstcr, Munoz)
MM Ego Rangers (Str8 Sick, Randa, Aries, TireIron)
Most Wanted (Boamx, DasTroyed, LifeStyle, Nemassist)
Solstice (Xrossfade, Kaiss, Top Ducky, Stress)
CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET
HCS Orange County’s final day was home to an incredible showcase of top talent, as both pro and amateur teams met on even terms to battle for both bragging rights and prize money in the Championship Bracket.
When the dust had settled, OpTic Gaming’s title-defending squad of Lethul, Frosty, SnakeBite, and Royal2 shook off the trappings of recent losses in the HCS Pro League to emerge victorious against all comers, giving the loyal #GreenWall guard not only something to cheer for, but also perhaps a sigh of relief as OpTic heads into the rest of the Fall 2016 Season.
Alongside OpTic’s return to form, perhaps the biggest story of the day was the incredible performance put on by amateur team Most Wanted, who ousted several top HCS Pro League teams en route to an impressive 4th-place finish in the HCS Orange County Championship Bracket.
FINAL RESULTS
1st – OpTic Gaming (SnakeBite, Royal2, Lethul, Frosty)
2nd – Team EnVyUs (iGotUrPistola, Snip3down, Huke, Mikwen)
3rd – Team Liquid (Commonly, Penguin, Rayne, Spartan)
4th – Most Wanted (Boamx, DasTroyed, Nemassist, LifeStyle)
5th/6th – MM LOL (Ace, Renegade, ContrA, BabyJ)
5th/6th – Enigma6 Group (bubu dubu, Cratos, Suspector, Shooter)
7th/8th – 3Sup Enterprises (Rammyy, Prototype, Monstcr, Munoz)
7th/8th – MM Ego Rangers (Str8 Stick, Randa, Aries, TireIron)
Photos by Enrique Espinoza
To put a bow on HCS Orange County, let’s get some final thoughts from some boots on the ground:
The environment at HCS Orange County brought back so many great memories from my early competitive days. Fans roaring at a sick play, people crowding around an epic match, teams and players continuing to play for fun, even after their team has been knocked out... I could go on and on.
It was awesome getting to talk to players and spectators at the event, and hear about their personal journeys; for many players it was their first competitive Halo event, for others they had been attending events and following competitive Halo since 2006! And while watching a couple Open Circuit team matches, Snip3down and I observed the immense amount of the excitement and energy from every player as they fought for their team to stay in the tournament – all the while, reminiscing back to when we first competed, and were in that very same spot ourselves.
As for the competition itself, we witnessed some of the most epic games and series in recent memory. One in particular was Most Wanted going up 2-0 in the series against Team EnVyUs. When it looked like Team EnVyUs was headed to the Losers Bracket, they rallied back to reverse sweep Most Wanted to win the series 3-2. Nonetheless, Most Wanted proved that they have what it takes to compete with the best and they’ll be back for more at the Open Circuit Finals in Las Vegas.
On the final day, OpTic Gaming and Team EnVyUs put on a crazy display. Team EnVyUs put up a fight in Game 1 on Truth CTF, but OpTic Gaming kept turning the impossible into the possible, rallying back to win the game. From there, OpTic Gaming made their statement by proving they are the best once again winning the series 4-0.
Needless to say, the event was an absolute blast and resounding success. With so much on the line I’m looking forward to seeing what unfolds in Las Vagas.
- Michael "Strongside" Cavanaugh
Indeed, next up on the live event calendar will be HCS Las Vegas on Nov. 18-20, featuring the NA HCS Open Circuit Finals presented by Pro Gaming League. Tickets are on sale right now, so make sure you secure your place in the thick of the action.
Also, Team EnVyUs emblem and team skins are now available for use in Halo 5: Guardians. To support the #BoysInBlue, head over to Halo.gg to grab yours today!
For all updates on the Halo Championship Series and Halo esports, follow @HCS and @ESLHalo on Twitter, and keep it locked to Halo.gg and ProLeague.com/Halo. We'll see you there!
