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On July 30 the next Ranked Season begins and with it comes some updates to the sandbox, ranking system, and Ranked Slayer. Additionally, our backend matchmaking experiments have concluded and as promised we’ve got more detailed information on what we’ve been doing.



Let’s get right into it!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BALANCE UPDATES</h2>



There are quite a few changes coming to the balance of the Sandbox and you can read about all of them <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/sandbox-update-halo-infinite">HERE</a>. For this blog, we’ve pulled out the ones that directly impact Ranked.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">Bandit EVO</h3>



After observing how the Bandit Evo has been performing since the start of the HCS season and listening to the community’s conversation around the weapon and how its fast time-to-kill was impacting the game, we have slowed the rate of fire slightly. We didn’t want to make drastic changes in the middle of the HCS season but rather nudging it in the right direction.



Changes:



<ul>
<li>Slower rate of fire to address community feedback around time-to-kill | Rounds per second (low & high) 2.9 >> 2.715</li>
</ul>



<ul>
<li>Improvement to red reticle headshot accuracy.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">Disruptor</h3>



The Disruptor was having a hard time finding its place on maps as an effective pick up like the other weapons on the map, so some changes have been made to beef it up while also removing elements that players found frustrating.



<ul>
<li>Damage over time (DOT) returns | 8 shots to kill (2 supercombines)</li>



<li>Removed particle effect from (Event) 1p_loop | Adjusted particle screen effect to be less intrusive</li>



<li>Damage upper bound (high) decreased 70 >> 35</li>



<li>DOT damage will not continuously cause descope</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">MA40 AR</h3>



The “bloom” of the reticle on the Assault Rifle was causing instances where players were missing shots but seemed like they seemed like they were not registering and overall the weapon at the max bloom felt inconsistent. This has been tightened a bit to give the weapon a more consistent feel.



<ul>
<li>Minimum error angle (high) 0 >> 0.25</li>



<li>Maximum error angle (low) 0 >> 0.25</li>



<li>Maximum error angle (high) 2.1 >> 1.3</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">M41 SPNKr</h3>



The SPNKr in some instances was feeling inconsistent with regards to damage and kills. The goal here wasn’t to functionally change the way the SPNKr behaved but more so fine tune some cases to be more consistent and reliable for players.



<ul>
<li>Damage fall-off feels more consistent | Adjusted fall off function so players are not left with a sliver of health</li>



<li>Outer damage radius adjusted | Lowered radius high 3 >> 2.5</li>



<li>Increased max reserve ammo | Rounds total maximum 6 >> 8</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Grenades</h3>



Grenade impulse tuned to allow grenade jumping in line with previous Halo titles.



<ul>
<li>Frag Grenades: Added impulse to frag grenade damage effect | Instantaneous acceleration increased 1.75 >> 3.5 | Grounded player acceleration scalar decreased 1 >> 0.1</li>



<li>Plasma Grenades: Added impulse to plasma grenade damage effect | Instantaneous acceleration 2.15 >> 3.75 | Grounded player acceleration scalar 1 >> 0.1</li>



<li>Spike Grenades: Added impulse to spike grenade aoe damage effect. | Instantaneous acceleration 1.25 >> 3.25 | Alt instantaneous acceleration 2.75 >> 3.75 | Grounded player acceleration scalar 1 >> 0.1</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SPAWN UPDATES</h2>



There have been changes to spawn points on the majority of the Ranked Arena map suite including Aquarius, Recharge, Solitude, Live Fire, Forbidden, Argyle, Empyrean, and Streets. The goals of these changes are to make the spawn system more readable and consistent, along with reducing instances where players are spawning in overly advantageous positions.



<ul>
<li>Certain spawn points located in the middle of maps that have been identified as problematic have been removed.</li>



<li>Additional spawn points have been added to already existing spawning areas to account for the removed spawns and improve consistency.</li>



<li>We will continue to monitor feedback on the spawning system as the season progresses.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> AQUARIUS LAYOUT</h2>



In response to feedback on the location of the Overshield on Aquarius, the Overshield and Thruster have swapped locations. Overshield will now spawn top middle, Thruster will now spawn ‘P1’. With the Overshield being a highly impactful item on the map, the intention is that this central location will be more fair for both teams to contest at all points in a match and not just the beginning.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RULESET UPDATES</h2>



Last year we added a requirement for players in Ranked Arena to search solo / duo after 1600 CSR. This was done in response to feedback that we’d been receiving around players not wanting to match against Parties of 3 or 4. While we have seen an overall improvement to match balance and quality, players at 1600 have been also feeling too restricted and want to play more matches with their friends. In the data, we see that the vast majority of players in Ranked Arena search solo / duo (upwards of 95%) so while we still want to make sure those players are enjoying their matches, we’re going to increase the solo / duo restriction to 1700 CSR.



And earlier this year we began experimenting with another change with deterministic CSR. Today, players above 1800 CSR go up +7 when they win, and down -7 when they lose. This has been met with positive feedback and our data shows players above that level are playing even more now! Starting on July 30, this feature will start at 1700 CSR. As usual, we’re going to be monitoring the impact based on what players are telling us and what we are observing in the data to continue to make informed decisions.



In summary, once players hit 1700 CSR they will begin searching solo/duo, and each match will reward or takeaway 7 CSR.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BACKEND EXPERIMENT OUTCOMES</h2>



At a very high level, we matchmake based on Skill and Latency and you can think of Time to Match as the currency we spend to find a match. If you prioritize finding better matches in terms of skill and latency, it means you could be spending more time finding a match. The reason I say, “could” is because there are obviously lots of other factors like time of day, region, local vs expanded options, party size, etc.



What we observed before the experiment in the matchmaking data for ranked and what we were hearing from players was that there was room to make more closely skilled matches. Additionally, find matches with more players in my region or part of my region so that I can I have a higher quality experience. And, we also noticed that there were many times where a lower quality match was being made when the matchmaker only took a few seconds to make the match. Based on this, we decided to experiment and push the match quality to be as good as it can be, without making it so that people could not find matches.



The first experiment was to increase the weighting of the Pairwise Predictability value. Pairwise Predictability will look at how each player stacks up against every other player in the lobby individually. This not only makes it so that the teams would be better balanced against one another, but we’re prioritizing every single person in the lobby being closely matched in skill, which we believe is more important for making a quality match. After observing the impact of this change, we did see an improvement in this area, particularly around the edges of the skill band so Bronze/Silver, and Diamond/Onyx.



Chart Guide:



<ul>
<li>Quits: Quit the match before it ended.</li>



<li>TTM: Time to Match</li>



<li>Latency: A player’s ping to the server and back.</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="695" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-1024x695.png" alt="" class="wp-image-113644" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-1024x695.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-300x204.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-768x522.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image.png 1047w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Once we concluded that there was positive impact in terms of fair matches, we also looked at time to match and concluded that there was no widespread perceivable negative impact in terms of how long players were taking to find matches, as well as indicating data like how many players are canceling their searches.



After this, we decided to see if we could improve the latency, so we increased the weighting there a few weeks later after the first change had settled. Again, this means we’re telling the matchmaker that it should spend a little more time trying to find a match where players searching would have lower latency. We once again observed the results but there wasn’t conclusive data, which indicates that our change was too small or there were other factors that played into making this unclear like playlist changes across the game.



We once again increased Pairwise Predictability in hopes of further increasing the quality of matches. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1008" height="705" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a185da02f65.png" alt="" class="wp-image-113658" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a185da02f65.png 1008w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a185da02f65-300x210.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a185da02f65-768x537.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px" /></figure>



At this point, we had started to see more feedback from the community, particularly from players in regions with less population and at skill bands where there are fewer players. We also saw feedback from players who reported searching during what we would consider to be “off peak” times like super late at night or early in the mornings. Typically, in the afternoons/evenings after work and school is when most players tend to jump on and play. From a match quality standpoint, it also wasn’t clear that there was a meaningful positive impact which led us to conclude that we pushed this a bit too far.



Finally, with Match Composer releasing we also added two new Ranked playlists in Ranked Slayer and Ranked Doubles. I’m happy to report that we collectively saw an increase in players (44% increase in the first week) and play time across ranked on a weekly basis. At the same time, a few percentage points of the player population for these new playlists were taken from Ranked Arena, which we believe is making time to match take too long and we’ve certainly seen an uptick in anecdotal reports.



Because of this, we’ve found and deployed another weighting update to find a middle ground from where this experiment started and where it last was so that we can improve the experience overall but still ensure that time to match isn’t unbearably long.



This latest update has been live for the last few weeks, and it seems to be a good working middle ground where we have improved the match quality from where it began without harming time to match significantly . At this point, we’re calling our experiment a success and will not be making further adjustments unless there are other conditions that change and we see changes in the feedback and what we can observe in our data.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="987" height="672" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a18618b3bfe.png" alt="" class="wp-image-113672" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a18618b3bfe.png 987w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a18618b3bfe-300x204.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/07/image-66a18618b3bfe-768x523.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 987px) 100vw, 987px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">RANKED SLAYER</h2>



We’ve been very pleased to see so many players jumping into Ranked Slayer and enjoying the game. We’re committed to making updates to the playlist and working to deliver updates we go!



We’ve made an update to the Ranked Slayer map pool along with a few Sandbox updates.



Map pool adjustment



<ul>
<li>Based on average quit rate and end by time rate data in comparison to the other Slayer maps, Forbidden has been removed from the playlist. The map will be reviewed for potential reimplementation in the future as we investigate ways to improve the experience for players.</li>
</ul>



Cliffside



<ul>
<li>Overshield has been added to top middle.</li>



<li>The Energy Sword has replaced the Stalker Rifle in the Cage.</li>



<li>A Threat Seeker has been added to the Cave</li>
</ul>



Illusion



<ul>
<li>A Heatwave has replaced the Repulsor in the Camo hallway.</li>



<li>Thrusters have been replaced with Repulsors in the Overshield Junction.</li>



<li>The S7 Snipers have moved down to the Overshield Deck locations.</li>



<li>Battle Rifles have replaced the Plasma Pistols on the Camo Platforms.</li>



<li>Plasma Pistols have replaced the Needlers in the Camo Pockets.</li>



<li>Sidekicks have replaced the Commando Rifles in the Camo Staging areas.</li>



<li>Commando Rifles have replaced the Battle Rifles on the Camo Deck.</li>
</ul>



Forest



<ul>
<li>Camo has been removed.</li>



<li>Overshield has been added to top middle.</li>



<li>A Thruster has been added to the Alter and Grotto locations.</li>
</ul>



Once again thank you to everyone playing ranked in Halo Infinite and for the feedback you’ve given and continue to give us. The Ranked Team is committed to working on this experience day in and day out to improve the experience as much as we can. Best of luck to all teams competing at the HCS Atlanta Major this weekend!



Thanks,



Tashi

Tashi

Ranked Update | Halo Infinite

NA Champions

NA Results

EU Champions

EU Results

MX Champions

MX Results

ANZ Champions

ANZ Results

Next Stop: <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/faze2024">HCS Atlanta Major, hosted by FaZe Clan</a>!



Teams in all regions battled throughout the month of June as they climbed the HCS leaderboards, and with the Major Qualifiers now behind us – we have our contenders!



GGs to everyone who competed in the HCS Open Series and congratulations to everyone who qualified – We’ll see you in Atlanta!



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">CONTENTS</h1>



<ul>
<li><a href="#na">NA Results</a></li>



<li><a href="#eu">EU Results</a></li>



<li><a href="#mx">MX Results</a></li>



<li><a href="#anz">ANZ Results</a></li>
</ul>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="na">NA Results</h1>



<a href="http://twitter.com/complexity">Complexity</a> clinches Pool Play!



Congratulations to your NA Atlanta Qualifier Champions!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Qualifier Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/complexity">Complexity</a> – BreakingShot – Huss – Rayne – RyaNoob</td><td>Week #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/spacestation">Spacestation</a> – Bound – Eco – Lqgend – StelluR</td><td>Week #2: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/shopifyrebels" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shopify Rebellion</a> – Cykul – MentaL – Soul Snipe – Suppressed</td><td>Week #1: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/sentinels" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sentinels</a> – Precision – Bubu dubu – Falcated – LethuL</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Qualifier Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m3-qual-na" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8AgOk7L2z8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NA Qualifier / Day 1</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jieDBzbzRc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NA Qualifier / Day 2</a></td><td>Week #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m3-os3-na" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7OKy4duQUM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NA Open #3 / Day 1</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM6gtb7JNyM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NA Open #3 / Day 2</a></td><td>Week #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m3-os2-na" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2176971718?t=00h00m17s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NA Open #2 / Day 1</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2179806086?t=00h10m34s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NA Open #2 / Day 2</a></td><td>Week #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m3-os1-na" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2167729764?t=00h33m43s">NA Open #1 / Day 1</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2171158071?t=00h48m27s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NA Open #1 / Day 2</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="eu">EU Results</h1>



<a href="http://twitter.com/itbhalo">Into The Breach</a> are your EU Atlanta Qualifier Champions!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Qualifier Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/itbhalo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Into The Breach</a> – Jimbo – Mighty – Tchik – Wutum</td><td>Week #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/quadrant">Quadrant</a> – Glory – Sica – SLG – Snipedrone</td><td>Week #2: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/quadrant">Quadrant</a> – Glory – Sica – SLG – Snipedrone</td><td>Week #1: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/quadrant">Quadrant</a> – Glory – Sica – SLG – Snipedrone</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Qualifier Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m3-qual-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/eurohaloleague">Euro Halo League</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2185537393?t=00h18m02s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EU Qualifier</a></td><td>Week #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m3-os3-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/eurohaloleague">Euro Halo League</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2179512026?t=00h10m21s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EU Week #3</a></td><td>Week #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m3-os1-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/eurohaloleague">Euro Halo League</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2173483141?t=00h17m11s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EU Week #2</a></td><td>Week #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m3-os1-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/eurohaloleague">Euro Halo League</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2167574410?t=00h04m33s">EU Week #1</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



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<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="mx">MX Results</h1>



<a href="http://twitter.com/alpha_gg_">Alpha Esports</a> is bound for Atlanta – Congratulations to your MX Open Champions!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Open Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/alpha_gg_">Alpha Esports</a> – Acid – Drift – Leuor – Magico</td><td>Week #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/alpha_gg_">Alpha Esports</a> – Acid – Drift – Leuor – Magico</td><td>Week #2: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/alpha_gg_">Alpha Esports</a> – Acid – Drift – Leuor – Noblc</td><td>Week #1: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/alpha_gg_">Alpha Esports</a> – Acid – Drift – Noblc – Tapping Buttons</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Open Championship Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M3-OC-MX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Week #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M3-OS3-MX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Week #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M3-OS2-MX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Week #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M3-OS1-MX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="anz">ANZ Results</h1>



<a href="https://twitter.com/Mindfreak">MindFreak</a> stamp their tickets!



Congratulations to your ANZ Open Champions!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Open Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/mindfreak">MindFreak</a> – Plasma – Scoobmeistr – Swayz – Wryce</td><td>Week #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/mindfreak">MindFreak</a> – Plasma – Scoobmeistr – Swayz – Wryce</td><td>Week #2: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/mindfreak">MindFreak</a> – Plasma – Scoobmeistr – Swayz – Wryce</td><td>Week #1: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/mindfreak">MindFreak</a> – Plasma – Scoobmeistr – Swayz – Wryce</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Open Championship Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M3-OS3-ANZ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Week #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M3-OS3-ANZ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Week #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M3-OS2-ANZ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Week #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M3-OS1-ANZ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

Official HCS

HCS Open Series: Road to Atlanta

Click here to view the Open Bracket results from the HCS London Major 2024.

London Belongs to FaZe Clan – Congratulations to your Champions!

<h3 class="wp-block-heading">BACKGROUND:</h3>



During Pool Play at the HCS London Major, Complexity were onstage preparing for their match against FaZe Clan when during routine equipment checks, the administration was lead to discover that Spartan’s SSD was not the official tournament SSD. Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the software on the SSD was not provided by the administration and furthermore contained new, unapproved software as well as other changes to the existing software in an effort to increase the performance of the PC. No software of any other nature was discovered. When talked to, Spartan cooperated with the investigation.



6/5/2024 Update: After further investigation, it was later discovered that the SSD device itself was part of a separate batch owned by the administration. The unapproved software was still loaded onto the SSD as described above with a flash drive. The ownership of the SSD was never weighed in the determination of the ruling. The Administrative team will be doing an audit of the existing fleet of hardware and removing any anomalous drives which are inconsistent with the rest of the other SSDs to ensure this doesn’t happen again.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">RULING:</h3>



Competitive integrity and fairness are paramount to the HCS, our partnered teams, players, and community. Due to the tampering of official league provided equipment and the nature of gaining a competitive advantage in the tournament as a result of tampering, Complexity have been disqualified from the tournament.



<a href="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS_2024_Program_Handbook_v2.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HCS 2024 Program Handbook v2.0</a> (emphasis added):



“C. Cheating The Administration understands that it has an obligation to facilitate a level playing field for all competitors. Competing fairly and to the best of your ability is important towards fostering a healthy competitive environment, and the Administration is committed to ensuring the facilitation of fair competition throughout the duration of the Program and beyond. Any form of cheating, whether intentional or not, by any Participant is strictly prohibited. Participants are required and expected to maintain cognizance of these Official Rules and any form of cheating or violation of these rules, or the spirit of these rules, either intentionally or unintentionally, will result in penalties in accordance with the Code of Conduct. All Participants are prohibited from influencing or manipulating a Game or Match so that the outcome is determined by anything other than fair and reasonable play….



6. League Required Equipment



<ul>
<li>Failure to use Provided Equipment</li>



<li>Using unauthorized or unapproved equipment”</li>
</ul>



<a href="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-Major-London-2024-Official-Rules-v1.3.pdf" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">HCS Major London 2024 Official Rules v1.3</a>



“3. General



<ul>
<li>3.1. Any violation of the rules set forth in the Handbook, Code of Conduct, or in these Official Rules, including, without limitation, any form of cheating, may result in a forfeit of the Game/Match and/or disqualification from the Tournament.”</li>
</ul>



Per the HCS 2024 Program Handbook v2.0 and the HCS Major London 2024 Official Rules v1.3, the HCS administration has disqualified Complexity from the HCS London Major. Further rulings against Spartan will be determined after the tournament.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">TOURNAMENT UPDATE:</h3>



Due to the disqualification of Complexity, the following tournament rulings have been made:



<ol>
<li>Complexity receive an automatic last place in Pool C.</li>



<li>The match that took place between FaZe and Complexity will be ruled as a 3-0 map count in favor of FaZe, their match record is 2-0 headed into Day 2.</li>



<li>The match that did not take place between Cloud9 and Complexity will be ruled as a 3-0 map count in favor of Cloud9, their match record is 1-1 headed into Day 2.</li>



<li>There will still only be 1 team from the Open Bracket that will qualify for Pool C following the conclusion of Open Bracket Play. They will receive and automatic match victory over Complexity with a map count of 3-0, and will enter Pool Play with a record of 1-0.</li>



<li>Complexity will receive 0 HCS points and 0 prizing. </li>
</ol>

HCS London Major 2024 Competitive Ruling

With the <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/quadrant2024">HCS London Major hosted by Quadrant</a> this weekend, we’re about to conclude the first split of the 2024 HCS Season for Halo Infinite and it’s been one heck of a start so far. With a new starting weapon in the <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/ranked-update-season-5-2">Bandit EVO</a>, the competition is as exciting as ever!



In Year 3 of the HCS, we’ve continued to use historical data to improve the format for our Major tournaments. This data helps determine how many teams from each region qualify for pool play and what their seeds are. This year, we are also making some adjustments to the qualifying format for the Halo World Championship. For HaloWC, we want to ensure that each region has a fair opportunity to qualify, but also aligns with the data that supports our format changes this season. 



Without further ado, let’s get into the details.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HaloWC 2024 Qualification Paths</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Top 8 from the Salt Lake City Major, regardless of region.</td><td>Top 4 in HCS points post-SLC event. (These 4 teams will be determined by Global HCS Points – points earned at LAN events.)</td><td>Top 4 from Last Chance Qualifiers.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-1024x576.png" alt="HCS 2024 Roadmap" class="wp-image-106533" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-2048x1152.png 2048w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HCS-2024-Roadmap-FAZE-UPDATE-2-66454eae1c4bf-1568x882.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What are the Last Chance Qualifiers?</h2>



The Last Chance Qualifiers are a set of 4 single elimination best-of-5 playoff matches. The winners of these 4 matches will earn their spots as the final 4 teams in the Halo World Championship. Once the 8 teams participating in the Last Chance Qualifiers have been determined and seeded, the matches will be played on LAN and broadcasted Saturday night at the SLC Major.



The format is simple – win the match and qualify for the Halo World Championship. Here is how the 8 teams participating in the Last Chance Qualifiers will be determined:



<ul>
<li>Pool Play teams that have not qualified for HaloWC
<ul>
<li>Seeding tiebreakers will be highest placement at the SLC Major. If placement does not settle tiebreaker, next will be total points if teams are from the same region, or global points if teams are from different regions.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>Next highest Open Bracket placing teams
<ul>
<li>Seeding tiebreakers will be highest placement at the SLC Major. If placement does not settle tiebreaker, next will be total points if teams are from the same region, or global points if teams are from different regions.</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>All pool play teams will be seeded higher than teams qualifying from Open Bracket.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HaloWC 2024 Format</h2>



<ul>
<li>16 Team Pool Play</li>



<li>Seeding format will go as follows:
<ul>
<li>1-8: SLC Top 8</li>



<li>9-12: Top 4 in HCS points</li>



<li>13-16: LCQ Winners
<ul>
<li>LCQ Winners seeding will be determined by total points if all teams are from the same region, or global points if teams are from separate regions</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>



<li>3-day tournament and event</li>



<li>12 team Championship Bracket
<ul>
<li>1st/2nd in pools advance to WR1</li>



<li>3rd in pools advance to ER1</li>



<li>4th in pools eliminated</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HaloWC-Qual-Update-FEATURED-1-1024x576.png" alt="Crowd cheering in front of the Halo World Championship main stage." class="wp-image-107276" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HaloWC-Qual-Update-FEATURED-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HaloWC-Qual-Update-FEATURED-1-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HaloWC-Qual-Update-FEATURED-1-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HaloWC-Qual-Update-FEATURED-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HaloWC-Qual-Update-FEATURED-1-1568x882.png 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/05/HaloWC-Qual-Update-FEATURED-1.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Overall, we believe these format changes will continue to allow for more globally competitive tournaments as well as entertaining moments throughout it all.



Best of luck to all teams competing this weekend. Be sure to watch live every day on twitch.tv/Halo!

HCS Split 2 – HaloWC Qualification Update

HCS Points Leaderboards

NA Final Results

EU Final Results

MX Final Results

ANZ Final Results

Next stop: London, UK!



The HCS Open Series: Road to London is complete. GGs to all competitors and congratulations to everyone who punched their tickets to the <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/optic2024">HCS London Major</a>, hosted by <a href="http://twitter.com/quadrant">Quadrant</a>!



Miss out on the action? Check out final results for each region below!



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Contents</h1>



<ul>
<li><a href="#leaderboards">Leaderboards</a></li>



<li><a href="#na">NA Results</a></li>



<li><a href="#eu">EU Results</a></li>



<li><a href="#mx">MX Results</a></li>



<li><a href="#anz">ANZ Results</a></li>
</ul>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="leaderboards">HCS Leaderboards</h1>



Final Leaderboards following the HCS Open Series: Road to London.





<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="na">North America</h1>



<a href="http://twitter.com/protongamingpro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proton Gaming</a> clinches Pool Play – Congratulations to your NA Major Qualifier Champions!



Note: The Top 5 NA teams did not compete in the London Qualifiers as they have already secured their Pool Play seeds by placing Top 6 at the <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/optic2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HCS Arlington Major.</a> 



Pre-qualified NA teams:



<ul>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/spacestation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spacestation</a></li>



<li><a href="http://twitter.com/optic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpTic Gaming</a></li>



<li><a href="http://twitter.com/fazeclan" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FaZe Clan</a></li>



<li><a href="http://twitter.com/shopifyrebels" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shopify Rebellion</a></li>



<li><a href="http://twitter.com/complexity">Complexity</a></li>
</ul>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>London Qualifier: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/protongamingpro">Proton Gaming</a> – Druk – Kuhlect – Last Shot – Taulek</td><td>Open #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/optic">OpTic Gaming</a> – DeadZone – FormaL – Lucid – Trippy</td><td>Open #2: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/spacestation">Spacestation</a> – Bound – Eco – Lqgend – Stellur</td><td>Open #1: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/shopifyrebels">Rebellion</a> – Cykul – MentaL – Soul Snipe – Suppressed</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>London Qualifier: Champions <a href="http://aka.ms/m2-qual-na" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo">LVT Halo</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eudYsIay3u8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 1)</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvOF7C5PqEw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 2)</a></td><td>Open #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m2-os2-na" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo">LVT Halo</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkoS9uTknmw" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 1)</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgS7UZZVPs4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 2)</a></td><td>Open #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m2-os2-na" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo">LVT Halo</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/z_5Bh7-5cdM?si=wLKjQ3wDLETQfMlH&t=2582" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 1)</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/urtWnteoi98?si=mQVXNqxQnhPNCjxK&t=728" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 2)</a></td><td>Open #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m2-os1-na" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo">LVT Halo</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-kkyrM6g-k" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 1)</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/ITKxaPWh7_Q?si=k5uJuRCRMLI2JpeD&t=392" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 2)</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="eu">Europe</h1>



Pool Play secured for <a href="http://twitter.com/quadrant">Quadrant</a> – Congratulations to your EU Major Qualifier Champions!



Note: The Top EU team (Foe) did not compete in the London Qualifier as they have already secured their Pool Play seed by placing Top 6 at the <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/optic2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HCS Arlington Major.</a>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>London Qualifier: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/quadrant">Quadrant</a> – Glory – Sica – SLG – Snipedrone</td><td>Open #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/quadrant">Quadrant</a> – Glory – Sica – SLG – Snipedrone</td><td>Open #2: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/quadrant">Quadrant</a> – Glory – Sica – SLG – Snipedrone</td><td>Open #1: Champions Team: Foe – Jimbo – Mighty – Tchik – Wutum</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>London Qualifier: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m2-qual-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/eurohaloleague">Euro Halo League</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2143819870?t=00h24m49s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EU London Qualifier</a></td><td>Open #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m2-os3-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/eurohaloleague">Euro Halo League</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2137884070?t=00h32m48s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EU Open #3</a></td><td>Open #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m2-os2-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/eurohaloleague">Euro Halo League</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2131786056?t=00h19m45s">EU Open #2</a></td><td>Open #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/m2-os1-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/eurohaloleague">Euro Halo League</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2125672968?t=00h19m22s">EU Open #1</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="mx">Mexico</h1>



The MX titans stamp their tickets to London!



Congratulations to your MX London Open Champions – <a href="http://twitter.com/swat_latam">SWAT Esports</a>!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>London Open Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/swat_latam">SWAT Esports</a> – Acid – Drift – Noblc – Tapping Buttons</td><td>Open #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/swat_latam">SWAT Esports</a> – Acid – Drift – Noblc – Tapping Buttons</td><td>Open #2: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/swat_latam">SWAT Esports</a> – Acid – Drift – Noblc – Tapping Buttons</td><td>Open #1: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/swat_latam">SWAT Esports</a> – Acid – Drift – Noblc – Tapping Buttons</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>London Open Championship <a href="http://aka.ms/M2-OC-MX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M2-OS3-MX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M2-OS2-MX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M2-OS1-MX" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading" id="anz">Australia / New Zealand</h1>



MindFreak will represent the ANZ region at the London Major!



Congratulations to your ANZ London Open Champions!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>London Open Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/mindfreak">MindFreak</a> – Plasma – Scoobmeistr – Swayz – Wryce</td><td>Open #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/mindfreak">MindFreak</a> – Plasma – Scoobmeistr – Swayz – Wryce</td><td>Open #2: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/mindfreak">MindFreak</a> – Plasma – Scoobmeistr – Swayz – Wryce</td><td>Open #1: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/mindfreak">MindFreak</a> – Plasma – Scoobmeistr – Swayz – Wryce</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>London Open Championship <a href="http://aka.ms/M2-OC-ANZ" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M2-OS3-ANZ" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M2-OS2-ANZ" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/M2-OS1-ANZ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

HCS Open Series: Road to London

Today we’re excited to share some news about new community made maps coming to Ranked and, for the first time in Halo Infinite, the <a href="http://twitter.com/hcs">Halo Championship Series</a> as well. Let’s get into it!



On March 26th, Strongholds on Solitude was removed from Ranked Arena and the HCS Map pool based on community feedback and match data that showed the gametype was significantly more prone to blowouts than Strongholds on Live Fire & Recharge, as well as every other gametype combination in the HCS. While we’d been keeping a close eye on it and working to make improvements, we felt it was best to remove early in the season and work towards finding a suitable replacement.



We’ve been working with the Forge community to bring new maps to Ranked and to find a better Strongholds map for both Ranked Arena and HCS. We are happy to announce that the map “Interference” will be entering the Map Rotations for Ranked Arena and the HCS starting tomorrow April 23rd!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference2-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot of Halo Infinite map, Interference." class="wp-image-103554" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference2-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference2.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<ul>
<li>Created by Carlos “Astro CSF” Frutos, Interference is a remake of “The Rig” from Halo 5.</li>
</ul>



We want to give a big shout out and thanks to <a href="http://twitter.com/Astro_CSF">Astro CSF</a>, and we’re looking forward to this map joining Ranked and HCS.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Ranked Arena</h1>



On Tuesday April 23rd, three game modes on Interference will be live in the Ranked Arena playlist:



<ul>
<li>Interference – King of the Hill</li>



<li>Interference – Slayer</li>



<li>Interference – Strongholds</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference1-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot of Halo Infinite map, Interference." class="wp-image-103540" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference1-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">HCS</h1>



Beginning with the HCS Open Series tournaments on May 5th, Interference Strongholds will be introduced into the HCS map pool. This will give players some time to practice and strategize on the gametype before the first implementation into tournament play. This gametype will also be included in the map rotation for the HCS Major Qualifiers the weekend of May 11th, and the <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/quadrant2024">HCS London Major hosted by Quadrant</a> from May 31st to June 2nd.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference5-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot of Halo Infinite map, Interference." class="wp-image-103526" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference5-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference5-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference5-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference5-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference5-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference5.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">THINGS TO KNOW</h1>



The power up on this map is the Overshield. Players familiar with “The Rig” from Halo 5 may remember that Active Camo was the original power up. Overshield was chosen due to the impact Active Camo had in power curves during playtests – it often resulted in huge swings in momentum, while the Overshield still creates moments of opportunity to turn the tide of a game without the pendulum swinging too far. We’ll be keeping a close eye on performance over the rest of the season.



For the first time in Ranked play, a map will have differing weapon and equipment layouts depending on the mode played. Slayer and King of the Hill have a Sniper Rifle present, while Strongholds does not. In Interference Strongholds testing, the Sniper Rifle felt too powerful considering the many lines of sight on the Strongholds locations with limited exposure or vulnerability to the player wielding the Snipe.



We look forward to seeing this map in action. Good luck out there, Spartans!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference4-1024x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot of Halo Infinite map, Interference." class="wp-image-103582" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference4-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference4-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference4-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/04/Interference4.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!</h1>



We’ve been seeing a lot of feedback in the community about wanting more maps for Ranked. As mentioned above, we have been working closely with Forgers in the community to bring more to the playlists. This is a very extensive process of playtesting and iterating continuously to ensure the maps meet the nuanced requirements and standards for Ranked gameplay<a>.</a> We’re actively working with members of the Forge community on two more maps – one more remake and one totally new design. Keep an eye on the broadcast at the <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/quadrant2024">HCS London Major</a> where you’ll get a first look!



Thank you again to everyone for your continued support of Halo Infinite and the Halo Championship Series!

New HCS and Ranked Arena Map: Interference (The Rig)

Click to sign up for pre-sale tickets to the HCS Major London, hosted by Quadrant.

Spacestation Win the first HCS Major of 2024!

Next week, the March Update for Halo Infinite will drop with a suite of weapon balance adjustments. These tuning updates should address community feedback about the core gameplay experience while also bringing noticeable improvements to the competitive settings used in Ranked.



We’ve also got an exciting new feature we’re testing out for the highest level of players in Ranked – don’t miss that at the bottom of the article.



To see everything releasing in this update be sure to check out the full breakdown <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/march-update-preview">here</a> – for now, let’s jump right into the juicy details.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">Bandit EVO and M392 Bandit</h2>



We have been very pleased with the response and performance of the Bandit EVO since launch with Season 5 but there were a few initial changes we wanted to make based on early feedback and things that we observed internally. We have been gathering more feedback and will continue to monitor feedback and performance after this weekend’s kickoff event on LAN to see where else the Bandit EVO needs some fine tuning. Note that we’ve made the same changes across the Bandit EVO and M392 Bandit as we believed these changes were core to the Bandit itself and not one particular variant, as well as wanting to maintain some level of consistency between the variants.



Increased reload speed.



<ul>
<li>This change was to address feedback that the reload speed was feeling slow and clunky.
<ul>
<li>Reload speed increased 10%.</li>



<li>Reload speed while empty increased 10%.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



Spawn influencer weapon cone change.



<ul>
<li>Since the Bandit EVO launched there has been feedback that the spawn logic has changed in Ranked Arena. Players are reporting that at times they would more frequently spawn into advantageous or disadvantageous locations. The intent of this change is to align the spawn behavior more closely with that of when the Battle Rifle was the starting weapon for Ranked Arena, which follows more consistent logic in connection with how players influence spawn locations.
<ul>
<li>Adjusted weapon spawn influencer for Bandit EVO to match Battle Rifle.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



Lowered Bandit Player Fire Volume.



<ul>
<li>There has been feedback that the Bandit EVO’s First Person firing audio is over tuned and players are unable to hear surrounding environmental and player audio when firing the Bandit EVO. We’ve adjusted the fire volume to give players more opportunity to hear other game sounds.
<ul>
<li>Lowered Bandit player fire volume -3dB.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">Heatwave</h2>



As players have increased their proficiency with Halo Infinite since launch, the Heatwave was one of the weapons that we’ve seen players continue to maximize impact particularly in mid-long range scenarios where precise timing and aim is achievable in the highest level of play. We’ve heard feedback that it’s still a little too performant, so we’ve made a minor tweak that we believe will only impact play at the highest level while retaining same experience that every player loves about the weapon.



Decreased Auto Aim angle.



<ul>
<li>Aim assist angle decreased from 5 >> 4.</li>
</ul>



Decreased Auto Aim range & falloff range.



<ul>
<li>Aim assist range decreased from 12 >> 11.</li>



<li>Aim assist falloff range decreased from 7.5 >> 6.5.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">Plasma Pistol</h2>



The Plasma Pistol plays a critical role in not only the Ranked but also the social experience. Our most recent change was designed to increase intentionality and even planning required to use the Plasma Pistol. That was indeed what we saw initially but as time went on players began using the gun mostly for its single shot use. With the upcoming changes, our intention is to bring more balance between the two functions and increase utility of the charged shot while still maintaining usage of the single shot.



Decreased Rate of Fire for single shot plasma pistol.



<ul>
<li>Rate of fire for single shot trigger decreased from 10 >> 6.75 rounds per second.</li>
</ul>



Faster overheat.



<ul>
<li>Overheated threshold decreased from 1 >> 0.8.</li>
</ul>



Faster charge up time.



<ul>
<li>The amount of time for trigger to fully charge decreased from 1.6 >> 1.2 seconds.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">Stalker Rifle</h2>



In the hands of the highest skilled players, the Stalker Rifle is a close range and long range powerhouse with no real counters on the map. Much like the Heatwave, feedback was consistent it was just a little too easy to find maximum effectiveness with the gun at the highest levels – and at the same time we wanted to have little to no impact to the rest of the players in the game.



Decrease the number of shots to overheat.



<ul>
<li>7 >> 6</li>
</ul>



Slower venting rate per second.



<ul>
<li>This change will still allow players to achieve multiple kills in succession, but there will be less room for error and a bit more time spent venting.
<ul>
<li>Overheated threshold decreased from 1 >> 0.9.</li>



<li>Venting duration increased from 0.2 >> 0.5 seconds.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading has-large-font-size">VK78 Commando</h2>



With the Bandit EVO now as the starting weapon, we’ve seen and heard that the Commando has been struggling to find its place and reliable role on the map. To address this and make the Commando a more viable pick up on the map, we’ve made some small tweaks to reset the weapon’s bloom faster to simplify the weapon handling.



Faster bloom reset.



<ul>
<li>The goal of this change was to give the Commando Rifle better handling and more consistent damage output to hold its ground against the Bandit EVO and Battle Rifle.
<ul>
<li>Lower bound deceleration time decreased 0.22 >> 0.21 seconds.</li>



<li>Upper bound deceleration time decreased 0.22 >> 0.21 seconds.</li>



<li>Magnetism near falloff range increased 0 >> 1 wu.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>



As always we will continue to monitor feedback and performance for Ranked with a close eye on the first HCS event this weekend to determine what future balance updates are needed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">EXPERIMENT: DETERMINISTIC CSR PAYOUTS</h2>



For players at the very highest level of Ranked Arena (1800+), we’ve heard feedback and observed ourselves that the experience is becoming one where the grind has felt unrewarding. Players are reporting winning the majority of their games in a day but still going down in CSR overall – that’s making Ranked for them feel more like a chore than anything else. To address this feedback we’re experimenting with a feature called Deterministic CSR Payouts.



Today, for all players, how many CSR points you win or lose is based on a number of factors including of course whether you won or lost, how you performed, and where you stack up against the rest of the ranked population including your opponents in that match.



With Deterministic CSR Payouts, the only thing that matters will be whether your team won or lost. Starting on March 19 in any Ranked playlist, as an experiment, for all 1800 CSR and above, you will receive 7 CSR for a match win, and will lose 7 CSR for a match loss.



Why is this an experiment?  This is an experiment because we feel there might be some unintended consequences as part of this and we not only want to monitor CSR distribution at this level but also what player feedback will be.



What are the risks? The biggest risk is CSR inflation and what that does the overall perception of matchmaking at this level. What we anticipate seeing is players reaching new CSR level that haven’t been achieved in the game before – potentially well into the 3,000s. Now, if you’re those players achieving that – it’s going to be a pretty cool feeling. But what does that mean for matchmaking and how players perceive it? Today we effectively “clamp” players CSR down lower at the highest level so they can still find matches and sometimes particularly during off hours you might see 1700s matching at 2200s because of this. With this addition, you might see 1700s matching against those same 2200 but because of Deterministic CSR Payouts that 2200 player could be at 3000 CSR. We believe players will report much of the same feedback when we were matching on MMR instead of CSR before we made the change in Winter of 2023. Players might think that matchmaking is broken when in actuality a match like that is just the result of intertwining systems and certain circumstances like population at the time, where we’re at in the season, etc.



Once this feature releases we will be keeping a close eye on the CSR distribution and player experiences/feedback to determine if future tweaks are needed or if we need to remove the feature entirely.



We look forward to trying this out in Ranked next week. As you put the reps in during this experiment, please be sure to share your feedback with us!



Best of luck to all teams competing at the HCS Major Arlington hosted by OpTic Gaming. If you’re at the event, you’ll have the change to be the first to play with the upcoming balance updates and for those watching at home we’ll be showing you all what it looks like so you know what to expect – don’t miss out on that later tonight on <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/halo" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.twitch.tv/halo">Twitch.tv/Halo</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@hcs">YouTube.com/@HCS</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />

Ranked – March Update Preview

The road to Arlington has concluded!



GGs to all competitors and congratulations to everyone who stamped their tickets to the <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/optic2024">HCS Arlington Major</a>!



Miss out on the action? Check out final results for each region below!



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">North America</h1>



The #1 seed is locked.



Congratulations to your NA Arlington Qualifier Champions, <a href="http://twitter.com/fazeclan">FaZe Clan</a>!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Arlington Qualifier: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/fazeclan">FaZe Clan</a> – Frosty – Renegade – Royal 2 – SnakeBite</td><td>Open #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/spacestation">Spacestation</a> – Bound – Eco – Lqgend – Stellur</td><td>Open #2: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/fazeclan">FaZe Clan</a> – Frosty – Renegade – Royal 2 – SnakeBite</td><td>Open #1: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/spacestation">Spacestation</a> – Bound – Eco – Stellur – Monstcr</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Arlington Qualifier: Results <a href="https://www.faceit.com/en/championship/bf66da86-8951-4d05-9df9-3c2bf8db3fab/NA%20HCS%20Major%20Qualifier%20FEB%2024-25/standings/column" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo">LVT Halo</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44TtxmldpdI" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 1)</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKwgc1Fokt0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 2)</a></td><td>Open #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os3-na">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo">LVT Halo</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuqnSsUs-b8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 1)</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSDwv-gFBhc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LVTHalo (Day 2)</a></td><td>Open #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os2-na">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo">LVT Halo</a> – <a href="http://twitch.tv/videos/2057943841">LVTHalo (Day 1)</a> – <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2058768759">LVTHalo (Day 2)</a></td><td>Open #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os1-na">Full Bracket</a> Tournament VOD by <a href="http://twitter.com/lvthalo">LVT Halo</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1CdQ71HywI">LVTHalo (Day 1)</a> – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DaMdd3q1Lk">LVTHalo (Day 2)</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Europe</h1>



Team Foe takes the top spot in Europe!



Congratulations to your EU Arlington Qualifier Champions!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Arlington Qualifier: Champions Team: Foe – Jimbo – Mighty – Tchik – Wutum</td><td>Open #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/quadrant">Quadrant</a> – Glory – Sica – SLG – Snipedrone</td><td>Open #2: Champions Team: Foe – Jimbo – Mighty – Snipedrone – Wutum</td><td>Open #1: Champions Team: Foe – Jimbo – Mighty – Snipedrone – Wutum</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Arlington Qualifier: Results <a href="https://www.faceit.com/en/championship/a9c00fe3-e68d-4d8e-8b80-1d66c708defd/EU%20HCS%20Major%20Qualifier%20FEB%2025/standings/column" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os1-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os2-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os1-eu" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu">Full Bracket</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Mexico</h1>



Mexico’s best are Texas bound!



Congratulations to your MX Arlington Open Championship Champions!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Arlington Open Championship Team: No Org – Acid – Drift – Noblc – Tapping Buttons</td><td>Open #3: Champions Team: No Org – Acid – Drift – Noblc – Tapping Buttons</td><td>Open #2: Champions Team: No Org – Acid – Drift – Noblc – Tapping Buttons</td><td>Open #1: Champions Team: No Org – Acid – Drift – Noblc – Tapping Buttons</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Arlington Open Championship: Results <a href="https://www.faceit.com/en/championship/e0b2a0bf-665b-4476-be34-ec416369ca1e/MX%20HCS%20Open%20Championship%20FEB%2025/standings/column" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os2-mx">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os2-mx">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os1-mx">Full Bracket</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Australia / New Zealand</h1>



Team T1 stamp their tickets to Texas!



Congratulations to your ANZ Arlington Open Championship Champions!





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Arlington Open Championship Team: T1 – Noobles – Plasma – Rated – Wryce</td><td>Open #3: Champions Team: <a href="http://twitter.com/mindfreak">MindFreak</a> – Benjy – Scoobmeistr – Slayz – Swayz</td><td>Open #2: Champions Team: T1 – Noobles – Plasma – Rated – Wryce</td><td>Open #1: Champions Team: Swole – Barcode – Scoobmeistr – Slayz – Swayz</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>





<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Arlington Open Championship: Results <a href="https://www.faceit.com/en/championship/ad32de1d-75a8-40e3-825d-f9f770e6d926/ANZ%20HCS%20Open%20Championship%20FEB%2025/standings/column" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #3: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os3-anz" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #2: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os2-anz" data-type="link" data-id="aka.ms/os1-eu">Full Bracket</a></td><td>Open #1: Results <a href="http://aka.ms/os1-anz">Full Bracket</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>