Community

Community Update

snickerdoodle

Technical Tales

Summer Send-Off

Games

343 INDUSTRIES

Technical Preview Outcomes

Esports

Updated 9/29: Full results below.



Halo: Combat Evolved launched on the original Xbox in 2001 and once players were finished fighting against the Flood and the Covenant, they quickly turned their crosshairs against each other for pure competitive bliss. What started as rivalry in the household quickly escalated to the neighborhood, local schools and in what seemed like a blink of an eye, Halo esports became a global phenomenon with the level of competition and stakes increasing year after year.



We see Halo Infinite as a continuation of Halo esports’ long lineage, and thus wanted to take a moment to recognize and celebrate the incredible players that paved the way and those that are still dominating today. This is where the Halo Top 25 Greatest Players of All Time list comes in.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/04132021_visid_twitterheader_15000x500-9266b9976e2148cca742b7851197476f.jpg" alt="Keyart for the H C S Top 25 program"/></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">JUDGING</h2>



A panel of judges outside of the HCS team and across all Halo generations were selected and tasked with creating their own individual Top 25 lists.



They are:



<ul><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Brav/" target="_blank">Bravo </a>– Former Halo Pro Coach, and Commentator</li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Elamite/" target="_blank">Elamite </a>– Former Halo Pro, and Commentator</li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/GoldenboyFTW/" target="_blank">Goldenboy </a>– Halo Commentator (Also a Global Icon and National Treasure)</li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Wes_Clutch" target="_blank">Clutch </a>– Former Halo Pro, and Commentator</li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Walshy/" target="_blank">Walshy </a>– Former Halo Pro, and Commentator</li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/ggoofy" target="_blank">Goofy </a>– Former Halo Pro, and Commentator</li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Mikwen" target="_blank">Mikwen </a>– Former Halo Pro</li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/DanGaskin" target="_blank">Gaskin </a>– Halo Commentator</li><li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/RichieHeinz" target="_blank">Heinz </a>– Former Halo Pro.</li></ul>



From there, we assigned a point value to each placing for each one of their lists. The 25th player on each of their lists received 1 point, and the 1st player on each of their lists received 25 points. We then tallied up the points for each of the players to create the final and official Top 25 list. The player with the highest total point value was named the Greatest Halo Player of All Time. The player with the 25th highest point value was named the 25th Greatest Halo Player of All Time.



In the case of the two players having the same exact point total, the tie was broken based on which of the tied players received the single highest ranking from one of the judges. For example, imagine two players were tied for 17th. Player A’s highest ranking on one of the judge’s lists was 12th. Player B’s highest ranking on one of the judge’s lists was 13th. Therefore, Player A received 17th on the list, Player B received 18th on the list.



The judges were given the following criteria and guidelines:



<ul><li>Focus on greatness in competition. External greatness around sponsorships, popularity, kindness, etc should NOT be a factor.</li><li>While 4v4 is the main competition and focus, consideration for other accolades including MVPs, individual tournament wins, and more can also be made.</li><li>Where possible, you should take statistics into consideration as well as including things like Kills, Assists, average placement, winning streaks, event wins, and more.</li><li>Other intangible considerations around reputation in the game, leadership, play-making abilities, eye test, and more can also be made.</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SCHEDULE</h2>



The players will be announced on the <a href="https://twitter.com/HCS" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HCS Twitter</a> account starting on Monday 9/6 at 10am PT, and for the first week we’ll be revealing three players a day which will then leave us with the Top 10. Along with the announcement, we’ll be celebrating the player’s success and sharing memories from their career. We encourage everyone to join the conversation online and share your favorite memories as well!



In Week 2 starting on Monday 9/13, we’ll be releasing a video each day starting with #10 and ending with #6. Each of these videos will be soley dedicated to the player, and you’ll hear from Halo legends across the ages as they talk about what makes each of these players so great.



In Week 3, starting on Monday 9/20, we’ll again be releasing a video dedicated to each player. On Thursday 9/23, we’ll open up a community poll so you can weigh in on who you think is the Greatest Player of All Time. Finally on the last day, we will reveal both #2 and #1 players on the list, and again each with their dedicated video and time in the spotlight.



Update 9/29: The full list has now been revealed! Congratulations to all players who made the 2021 list



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/top25-final-092bd77d368745edbc0defbd1500e41c.png" alt="HCS Top 25 calendar view of players"/></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FOLLOW ALONG.</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/hcs-haloinfinite-logos-header-1500x500-4fb886527aa840d38b9be87c19ecd25f.png" alt="HCS logo with Halo Infinite"/></figure>



 Determining the greatest Halo player of all time was no easy task and we took the process and gravity of the list very seriously. We know that each of you will have your own opinion on each of the players on the list and we encourage you all to share your thoughts with us on Twitter using the hashtag #HaloTop25. Do you think a player should have been higher on the list? Maybe there’s someone who didn’t make the cut who you thought for sure should have made it. Join the conversation!



We’ll be revealing the players one by one on the Official Halo Esports Twitter account, and to coincide with the Top 25 list, we’ve also launched the Official Halo Esports YouTube channel. We are very excited that Halo Esports will now have it’s own official home on YouTube. To start, the channel will feature  videos from this campaign, and has some historical footage to peruse as well. All of the video content we’ll create going forward (including full tournament VODs) will also be made available on the channel and accessible for fans to enjoy.



Make sure you follow and subscribe so you’re up to date with all the latest news and video content.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://twitter.com/HCS" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TWITTER</a></h3>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWRlMArGqt607LYdhlrrYVA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YOUTUBE</a></h3>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE FINAL POINTS</h2>



Without revealing the names, we wanted to reveal the list and associated points so fans can see just how closely contested the list was. Halo pros both retired and current on this list are truly the Greatest Players of All Time.



Update 9/29: Names added in below. 



<ol><li>219 Points – Ogre 2</li><li>216 Points – Lethul</li><li>192 Points – Snakebite</li><li>186 Points – Pistola</li><li>174 Points – Royal 2</li><li>171 Points – Snip3down</li><li>158 Points – Roy</li><li>157 Points – Walshy</li><li>149 Points – Lunchbox</li><li>142 Points – Frosty</li><li>129 Points – Ogre 1</li><li>85 Points – Elamite</li><li>83 Points – aPG</li><li>82 Points – Shotzzy</li><li>78 Points – Heinz</li><li>72 Points – ACE</li><li>68 Points – Tsquared</li><li>64 Points – Strongside</li><li>51 Points – Karma</li><li>41 Points – Legit</li><li>39 Points – Victory X</li><li>39 Points – Mikwen</li><li>35 Points – Fearitself</li><li>33 Points – Saiyan (Ryan Danford)</li><li>28 Points – Ryanoob</li></ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CONCLUSION</h2>



At the core of it all this list is meant to recognize and celebrate the incredible achievements of these players over the course of their careers and Halo’s history. For those that are retired we say thank you on behalf of the entire Halo community for dazzling and inspiring us. For those that are still competing, thank you for the memories so far, and best of luck in Halo Infinite. And for all players that made this list of 2021, congratulations!

Official HCS

Top 25 Greatest Players of All Time

Canon Fodder

GrimBrother One

ISSUE 118

Myths & Mysteries

Tashi

Designing The Halo Esports Ecosystem – August

Inside Infinite – August 2021

The road through 2021 has been an exciting one, Spartans – but, here at the tail-end of August we’re especially glad to see you. Throughout the last year we’ve been doing our very best to keep you posted on all of our latest Halo Infinite developments, be it through the Inside Infinite blog series, the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, or of course, the annual celebration of games out in Germany – Gamescom.



We’re thankful that so many of you have joined us on this journey. Whether you just peeked your head into Halo Waypoint to take a look, or you’re a full-fledged <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/halo-insider" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Halo Insider</a> that helped us test Halo Infinite during the technical preview, we couldn’t be more humbled. That’s why today we’re thrilled to announce that Halo Infinite will release on December 8, 2021 for Xbox and PC.



To help welcome you into the ranks, our very own Spartan Commander Agryna is here to set the stage:



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo Infinite | Multiplayer Season 1 Cinematic Intro" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lOthvD1rMbQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



Of course, that’s not all we’re up to this week! For the hardware inclined among you, we’ve got some brand-new tools for you to check out. Both of these will start shipping out on Halo’s 20th Anniversary, November 15th – and are available for pre-order right now (sold separately):  



<ul><li><a href="https://www.xbox.com/consoles/xbox-series-x/halo-infinite-limited-edition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xbox Series X – Halo Infinite Limited Edition Bundle</a></li><li><a href="https://www.xbox.com/accessories/controllers/elite-wireless-controller-series-2-halo-infinite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Halo Infinite Limited Edition</a></li></ul>



Now, dive into the full details below and prepare to request some days off. Prost!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MARK YOUR CALENDARS</h2>



The coming months are going to be busy for all of us here at 343 as we march towards our December 8th launch. There’s still lots to be done before we arrive in the cold clutches of December, but we couldn’t be more excited to share it with each and every one of you.



If you’re as thrilled as we are, feel free to check out these locations to pre-order the Halo Infinite Campaign, so you can join us on day one:



<ul><li><a href="https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xbox Game Pass</a></li><li><a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/halo-infinite-campaign/9np1p1wfs0lb" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft Store (Xbox and Windows PC)</a></li><li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1240440/Halo_Infinite/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Steam</a></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR THE JOB</h2>



A Spartan’s equipment is just as important as their skills – which is why we’re doing our part to make sure you’re fully equipped and ready to ship out. To help celebrate Halo’s 20th Anniversary, we’re proud to unveil two items made in collaboration with our friends over at Xbox: The Xbox Series X – Halo Infinite Limited Edition Bundle, and the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Halo Infinite Limited Edition.



Both of these items are up for pre-order today, so be sure to check your favorite retailer for more details! They will subsequently launch on the very same day of the year Halo: CE did – November 15th, 2021. Do note that each of these will be sold separately and supplies will be limited. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">XBOX SERIES X – HALO INFINITE LIMITED EDITION BUNDLE</h3>



As we kick off Gamescom 2021, we’re proud to unveil the Xbox Series X – Halo Infinite Limited Edition Bundle, which will go up for pre-order today! Featuring a Limited Edition Xbox Series X console, a Limited Edition Xbox Series X Controller, and Halo Infinite (downloadable after system set-up), you’ll be fully prepared to confront the most ruthless foe the Master Chief has ever faced. Featuring a design imprinted with stars as seen from the surface of the Zeta Halo, a Cortana blue vent, and iridium gold accents around dark metallic paneling, your armory will be off to a solid start with this at its center.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/Gamescom2021/keyart_final_horiz_rgb1-feb5b2c119924a69bfbb320916e5463d.jpg" alt="Limited edition Halo Infinite Xbox Series X console and controller for pre-order "/><figcaption> The Xbox Series X – Halo Infinite Limited Edition Bundle, available for pre-order now. </figcaption></figure>



To pre-order now, <a href="https://www.xbox.com/consoles/xbox-series-x/halo-infinite-limited-edition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">head right over here to the Microsoft Store</a>.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">XBOX ELITE WIRELESS CONTROLLER SERIES 2 – HALO INFINITE LIMITED EDITION</h3>



Already have an Xbox Series X? Are you a controller collection completionist? Just looking for a new set of thumbsticks to take with you to Zeta Halo? We’ve got you covered.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/Gamescom2021/18066-01_xbox_elite_1920x1080-0aaff59551c143e881f8e7be081f52ca.png" alt="Halo lnfinite limited edition Xbox Elite wireless controller"/></figure>



The Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Halo Infinite Limited Edition, available for pre-order now.



The brand-new Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 – Halo Infinite Limited Edition, featuring a battle-scarred Mjolnir-themed design from team Xbox will be a welcome addition to any Spartan’s arsenal. With a look that’ll have you right at home with the UNSC, and an in-game weapon charm of the controller itself, you’ll be well on your way to having all the right equipment to battle the Banished.



To pre-order, be sure to head <a href="https://www.xbox.com/accessories/controllers/elite-wireless-controller-series-2-halo-infinite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">right over here to the Microsoft Store</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">GAMESCOM AND BEYOND</h2>



If you’re as excited about Halo Infinite as we are, do yourself a favor and sign-up to be a <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/halo-insider" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Halo Insider</a>! By fully filling out your profile, opting-in to communications, and uploading your DxDiag if you’re on PC, you’ll have the chance to participate in hands-on any upcoming multiplayer previews ahead of launch.



Thanks for joining us. We’re thrilled to be marching side-by-side on our way to December. And as always, be sure to join us over on <a href="https://twitter.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/halo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a> for all of the latest Halo Infinite updates right as they happen.

Start Your Spartan Journey On Dec. 8

Community Spotlight

Spotlight: August 5, 2021

Hey everyone! I know many of you are slaying some Bots in Halo Infinite’s Tech Preview at the moment, hope you’re all having a blast and thank you so much for stress testing our systems as we prepare for launch. Welcome back to another installment in our blog series, Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem. The goal of this blog series is to detail how we are working to develop a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for Halo esports. If you’re interested in our philosophical approach to esports as a fan, player, team, tournament organizer, or sponsor, then this blog series is for you! If you’re hoping to learn specifics about format and roadmap, stay tuned, more info will be released as we get closer to the launch of Halo Infinite.



If you’re new to the series, thanks for joining us! You can catch up with the first four installments here:



<ul><li>January Installment – Overarching goals and approach</li><li>February Installment – Tournament Operators</li><li>March Installment – Viewership</li><li>April Installment – Sponsors</li><li>June Installment – Teams</li></ul>



Alright Tashi, what are we talking about today?



Today’s blog is pretty special. We’re detailing some critical information that will have a really huge impact on the ecosystem from players to Teams, sponsors, operators, and everyone in between because today we’re talking about competition platforms, competitions inputs, online platforms, and more.



Let’s dig in!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">PC VS CONSOLE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/Module-images/tim-banner-f758b2f657584aa9913352aacdc2ec30.jpg" alt="Esports competitive player playing a match with team"/></figure>



For decades, war has been waged between gaming platforms of every kind as their loyal fans have served as foot soldiers on the virtual battleground that we call the internet. Thankfully, the gaming industry has taken a turn for peace as more and more players are brought together as games are offered on more and more platforms and Halo Infinite is no different. Halo Infinite is the first Halo game to launch simultaneously on PC and two separate generations of Xbox consoles and will feature cross play. For nearly two decades Halo esports was exclusively on console and whatever platform we decided on would have a really massive impact. We understand the gravity of this decision.



We’ve been preaching our philosophy all year long – Halo Infinite esports is an open ecosystem. We want to lower the barrier to entry everywhere so that we can grow the community as much as possible. The more players competing then the more competitive and healthy the scene is. And as we stated in our original ecosystem blog, we believe in cultivating and uniting communities. We want Halo esports to be bigger than it ever has been. We wanted to build a world where all that mattered was that you were a Halo fan and that was it.



With all that said, we’re excited to reveal that Halo Infinite esports will be cross play for all online tournaments. Have a beefy PC rig? Great, you’re ready to compete! Have a last gen console? All good, you’re ready as well! Just got your hands on a sweet new Xbox Series X? Nice, you’re all set!



We had so much to consider in this decision including player experience, tournament experience, as well as our partners in the ecosystem such as Teams and Tournament Operators. What we envisioned was an ecosystem where players had the choice. Where if they had one platform, they weren’t forced to get the other if they wanted to compete. Where Halo Infinite was suddenly a game they had the choice to play when it wasn’t in the past because of the platform they had already decided to invest in.



Keen readers probably noticed I said “online tournaments” above. So, what does this mean for LAN events. Halo Infinite esports LAN events will be tried and true open events where anyone can sign up and compete, for the chance to work your way up from the open bracket into the pro championship bracket. This means that, especially for a new Halo game, we’re anticipating having more teams onsite than any HCS event ever, and maybe any Halo event ever. (We’re coming for your record, Halo 2!) To accommodate this many teams while having a smooth 3-day tournament experience that’s as competitive as possible, we’re needing to go in a direction we’ve not gone in before. In fact, we find ourselves in quite a unique scenario in all of esports when you factor in the platforms and formats, and this is newer territory not only for us but really for the industry as well. If you’re a pro player that starts an event weekend from pool play where you compete on mainstage and featured stations, you’ll be playing on PC. If you’re a player competing in the open bracket, you’ll be playing on the Xbox Series X. If you’re a player that makes it out of the open bracket and into pool play and/or championship bracket, you’ll be transitioning to PC mid-event.



Whoa Tashi, this is a lot of news to take in. Can you go into more detail about why it’ll work this way?



Of course. Alright, let’s breakdown the alternative scenarios that we felt were the most realistic to explore.



<ul><li>Alternative scenario 1: All console</li><li>Alternative scenario 2: All PC.</li></ul>



We decided against alternative scenario 1 because we knew for the absolute pinnacle of Halo competition, with millions of dollars on the line, that PC was the platform that’s become the standard in esports. We also knew that this was what a lot of players were wanting especially after running MCC tournaments on PC.



Alternative scenario 2 was the other scenario we spent the most time working on and was our first idea of what we wanted to go with. After months and months of deliberation and consultation with Esports Engine (who we worked with hand in hand), we decided that at the scale we were looking to run these open events, logistics would not allow us to go all PC. It’s important to keep in mind that these are fully open events with hundreds and hundreds of machines for players to compete on. When we have to factor in managing all of the hardware and parts (some of which may be damaged during shipping from event to event), the increased number of variables that come into play on PC (software and hardware), drivers, networking configurations and much more, we realized that the potential for issues to arise and the event to get massively delayed and behind schedule was far too great to risk.



You might be wondering, “Well Tashi, what about DreamHack Anaheim 2020, that was all PC wasn’t it?”. Yes, it was, and that provided very valuable information for us. Ultimately that was a 64-team open bracket on Halo: Reach and we’re hoping to more than triple that for major Halo Infinite LAN events. With an Xbox Series X, there are significantly fewer variables, and from an operation standpoint we have full confidence that the event will be run smoothly, and it will be a great tournament experience.



Alright Tashi, that all makes sense. How’s it going to work for the open bracket teams who have to transition from Xbox Series X to PC?



Great question and one that’s important to us because we knew it was going to be one of the more unorthodox parts of the experience. It’s worth noting that Halo Infinite will run at 120fps on the Xbox Series X which is twice the framerate as Halo 5. This will be without question the best, most competitive console Halo experience ever.  And from a gameplay perspective, there are no differences. The maps are the same, the modes are the same, the mechanics are the same, etc. To accommodate for players coming from the open bracket, they will be given an allotment of time and exclusive access to warmup PCs before jumping into their next matches to quickly acclimate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MOUSE & KEYBOARD VS CONTROLLER</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/Module-images/mkb-banner2-2c0210bf44064f85b3e8829cfc125126.jpg" alt="Esports competitive team gaming"/></figure>



Yet another war has waged on for decades in gaming and that’s the one of Mouse & Keyboard vs Controller. Once again, however, our aim is not to arbitrarily try to settle the score and just pick one over the other. Our aim is to be as inclusive as possible to grow the competitive community around the world. Because of that, we are going to allow players to compete on controller or mouse and keyboard regardless of platform. This means you might see entire teams on controller, entire teams on MKB, or teams with mixed MKB and controller players. We will also allow for MKB players to play on the Xbox Series X at live events if they’re in the open bracket. For those who didn’t compete in Halo because it wasn’t available on PC and was controller only – we welcome you with open arms and wish you the best of luck in the scene.



We’re so excited to see this entirely new dynamic come into play, Halo esports will never be the same again. As always but especially now with so many new elements, we will be watching how the scene develops and how the tournaments unfold to ensure competitive integrity is maintained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ACCOUNTS AND GAMERTAGS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/Module-images/suspector-banner-4148df7f56854eddb7ffb7e8e10ae35e.jpg" alt="Esports player in a match"/></figure>



This section is certainly not as glamorous or exciting as the sections above, but this section has critical information for players looking to compete. At prior Halo events, all accounts were provided by HCS and the operator, and so players just needed to sit down and play. This will remain true for the open bracket at HCS events. You will sit down and play on generic accounts that have been provided to you. However, for mainstage and featured station play, we are requiring all players to log in with their personal accounts. I repeat, if you are playing on mainstage or on a featured station, you will be required to log in with your personal account that you compete online at home with.



Got it, can you talk about why?



There are a few reasons why we’re changing this:



<ol><li>All of the player’s settings and configurations will be tied to the account, so it should be a lot faster to players to get situated and ready to compete.</li><li>We want to have event stats attached to a single account for pro players rather than in the past where it was attached to multiple accounts in a season. This will let us tell a richer story about the league on the broadcast and in video content.</li><li>We want players to have all their cosmetics for their Spartans ready to go.</li></ol>



On top of this, each player who competes on PC will have their own SSD (Solid-State Drive) assigned to them with their PC configurations set and ready to go after initial setup. When a player is not competing or warming up at the dedicated warm up stations, their SSD and peripherals (controllers, MKB, etc) will be locked away backstage. This will keep the equipment safe and ensure that it won’t be tampered with during the tournament, thus ensuring greater competitive integrity. This is standard for major esports titles that operate on PC.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ESPORTS ENGINE ACCOUNT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/Module-images/luciid-banner-7ee96e8bae284709aa192df1124d0484.jpg" alt="Esports players conversing"/></figure>



HCS for Halo Infinite will feature a point system that will be used for seeding (and sometimes qualification) that ties the entire ecosystem together. Players will be able to accrue points in the scene from multiple sources including Official HCS tournaments both online and in-person, but also HCS Grassroots tournaments in the scene. To track of all of this, HCS will be leveraging the Esports Engine platform. Players will need to register an account on the platform to compete in any tournaments that award points. The EE platform will also manage official HCS events that we run with Esports Engine. This means that for Esports Engine-operated events, you’ll buy your team passes, finalize your roster, see brackets live, and much more right on the platform. This will make tournament operation more efficient for Esports Engine, resulting in a stronger player experience.



We will also have an online tournament platform where all official HCS online tournaments will take place. Once the online platform is announced and is live, players will be able to register right away and link accounts in order to prepare for the competition. For clarity, this online tournament platform is separate from the EE platform mentioned above.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CONCLUSION</h2>



Halo Infinite is a game that is more open and accessible to players than any prior Halo game and HCS is following suit. With players competing on any platform as well as controller or mouse and keyboard, we’re hoping to have a deep competitive scene with fresh blood entering the scene at launch and beyond. On top of that, we’re working to ensure a better onsite event experience than ever before with our partners at Esports Engine.



Thanks to everyone for reading – can’t wait to dig into the reactions and feedback. Feel free to drop a line on <a href="https://twitter.com/tashi343i" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>. Now let’s go shoot some more Bots!



Until next time,



Tashi

Designing The Halo Esports Ecosystem – July