Esports

HCS Major Kansas City 2022

Today we have some exciting news to share about the expansion of the HCS – particularly with the Team Partnership Program.



Before getting into that however, we know right now the competitive community has a growing list of feedback ranging from weapon balance, more maps/modes, continued updates to ranked and anti-cheat, and more. This blog is not the place to get into those details, but we felt it was still important to acknowledge this feedback and say the various teams at 343 are working diligently on everything listed above and more.



To hear more about what the studio is working on and what to expect in Season 2, head on over to the blog Joseph Staten released earlier today which can be found <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/halo-infinite-update-march-2022">HERE</a>. Thank you for your continued support and patience!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team Partnership Program</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29392" width="906" height="604" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3-1568x1046.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/i-p44FZdz-X3.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 906px) 100vw, 906px" /></figure>



On the HCS league side, we’ve seen record viewership,
participation, and attendance since launch. Halo esports has never seen this
level of support and we can’t help but feel grateful to everyone in the
ecosystem from fans to players to partners who are all working together to make
Halo esports the success it’s been so far. This community has grown immensely. 



Another area that’s been a breakout success has been the Team Partnership Program and today we’re excited to announce that the program is officially expanding. In Year 2 of HCS we’re going to be adding 1-3 more partnered Teams into the program and the application window for aspiring Teams is open starting TODAY.



There are many Teams looking to get into the partnership program and while we wish we could bring them all in right away, we are committed to a slow and steady approach with a long-term vision. It’s critical that we don’t expand too quickly, and we are methodically expanding based on the metrics and success that we are seeing and proving out as we go. 



To learn more about what the application process entails, the deadlines, and how to submit, please see the form <a href="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/HCS-Year-2-Partnership-Application-Form.pdf">HERE</a>. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">UPCOMING EVENTS</h2>



As a reminder, this weekend we are hosting the HCS Supers for ANZ and MX, including an English stream for MX. All new Twitch Drops will be available all weekend long so make sure your accounts are linked and keep an eye on <a href="https://twitter.com/HCS">@HCS on Twitter</a> for more details. Later this month we’ll also be hosting the EU Super which will be the last regional final event that leads into the next live event, the Kansas City Major.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-29378" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/03/FM91dlPVkAkgjoE.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The Kansas City Major will take place on April 29 – May 1 and will be an open event just like the Raleigh Major. We will have more details to share next week including information on when VIP, Spectator tickets, as well as Team Passes go on sale. As always, we will continue to monitor and adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines as we get closer to the event but based on current information we are planning to move forward with hosting the event. 



Once again, thank you to everyone in the Halo community and
ecosystem for supporting Halo esports. Growing this community and providing
amazing entertainment to watch is why we do this. 



Thanks,



Tashi



<hr class="wp-block-separator" />

Tashi

HCS Team Partnership Expansion

Official HCS

HCS NA Regional Finals at DreamHack Anaheim 2022

HCS Update – January 2022

The Halo Championship Series returns this weekend bringing United States Marine Corps reinforcements to the highly anticipated kickoff event in Raleigh.



For two decades, Marines have played a significant role throughout the Halo franchise, protecting and serving alongside Master Chief. Their fighting spirit spans generations where battles are won on behalf of humanity in the face of uncertainty and adversity. As a predecessor of the United Nations Space Command, today’s Marine Corps serves as America’s expeditionary fighting force, remaining the most ready when our Nation is least ready to fight and win across every domain.



To celebrate the fighting spirit exhibited by teams and
individual players at all levels, the United States Marine Corps is partnering with
the Halo Championship Series to recognize and reward excellence on the road to
the Halo World Championship.



“Competing at the highest level requires grit, self-determination
and the will to succeed despite all odds,” said Director of Esports and Gaming,
Captain Michael Maggitti. “We are truly humbled to support the competitors and
larger Halo community as they fight with the same tenacity and resolve exhibited
by both the Marines of today and of the future. We are equally honored to take
part in the long and storied history as the Halo Championship Series redefines
the competitive landscape starting in Raleigh.” 



We’re very thankful for the U.S Marine Corps and their supporting partners at Mindshare and Wunderman Thompson for their support of the Halo community!



For more information about how Marines are trained and equipped to lead with confidence in themselves and their teams, head to <a href="https://www.marines.com/life-as-a-marine/standards/battle-ready.html">Marines.com</a>.

U.S. Marine Corps Joins Forces with Halo Championship Series

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



Following the NA Kickoff Qualifier 12-1 tournament on December 1-2, 2021, a number of players raised allegations that Sentinels had forced the game to select a server resulting in abnormally high ping for players in the game lobby. One of these accusations was directed towards Royal 2 from Sentinels. These allegations were accompanied by reviews of Sentinels players’ Twitch streams which categorized the perceived changes and abnormalities in player pings directly in the game client. There were also significant lobby connection issues during the tournament which led to the 4+ hour delay of the tournament. On December 3, 2021, HCS Administration made the decision to immediately undertake a formal investigation to better understand the causes of lobby connection issues experienced during the 4+ hour delay to the NA Kickoff Qualifier Day 2 and to more closely examine these allegations of server manipulation. 



Competitive integrity and fairness are paramount to the HCS, our partnered teams, players, and community. We take these matters very seriously and with HCS Raleigh approaching, HCS Administration moved quickly to undertake a thorough and accurate review. This included research and analysis done by multiple teams within Microsoft, as well as providing ample time for Sentinels to present any evidence they wished to be reviewed.



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



In Halo Infinite a server is determined automatically by the game with no organic ability for players to control the outcome of this. The game measures the pings of all of the players in the lobby to all of the servers in the world, 7 of which are located in the United States, and then selects the server it determines best for everyone in the match to play on. To investigate, the development team<a> </a>extensively reviewed server logs from all matches, both matchmaking and custom games, that Royal 2 played in Halo Infinite since November 15, 2021. We found that from November 26, 2021, the day before NA Open Series 11-27 on November 27, 2021 through the last match of the NA Kickoff Qualifier 12-1 on December 3, 2021, all US servers but 1 server in the United States (westus2) were missing from the server ping list, thus forcing all of Royal 2’s matches onto that server and creating an abnormally high ping for players in the affected matches. 



Our internal development team reproduced a publicly known and documented tactic to proactively remove servers from the list of eligible servers. Upon doing this, the resulting data signature matched the same data signature found in the matches that Royal 2 played in where only the westus2 server was available. Additionally, the team was able to confirm that there were no server or game outages that may have impacted those servers or any players in the same manner. Finally, upon review of all other top players we did not see any similar data anomalies. 



Sentinels
have been given several opportunities to provide reliable support for an
alternative explanation. The ISP data provided by Sentinels to support an
alternative explanation is inconsistent with the timeline of data irregularities
that occurred between November 26 and December 3. Further, the increase in
latency that the ISP data details does not explain the irregularities in data
observed.



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



We
have determined that the only plausible explanation for Royal 2’s telemetry
data pattern referred to above is that there was a direct modification of files
giving Royal 2 an unfair competitive advantage during play. This violates the
Official Rules, specifically Section VII.C(2) Hacking and Section VII.C(4) Network
Abuse. 



HCS Official
Handbook VII. Code of Conduct – C. Cheating (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….



…2. Hacking



Using any cheats,
hacks or other third-party “helper” applications, or the modification
of game code or files beyond the intended use of standard game options
while competing in any element of the Program for the purpose of gaining an
unfair competitive advantage…



…4. Network
Abuse



Participants may
not intentionally delay or slow gameplay, including but not limited to
stalling, disconnecting network cables, interruption of network
connectivity, or any other known or unknown manner of tampering with gameplay.”



HCS Official
Handbook IX. Heightened Conduct Expectations:



“Due to the
elevated stature and reach associated with being partnered with the Program,
Partnered Teams owners, staff, affiliates, and rosters are subject to
heightened expectations of conduct and behavior. These heightened expectations
may include but are not limited to the following:



<ul><li>Supplemental
conduct standards within partnered team agreements;</li><li>A responsibility
for Partnered Teams to avoid, actual or perceived, violation of the Official
Rules; and,</li><li>The more
stringent application of penalties in comparison to similar violations
committed by Player(s) from non-partnered teams.”\</li></ul>



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



The Official Rules provide guidelines on penalties for Hacking as follows:



<ul><li>“Typical Minimum Penalty: $2,000 Fine and Suspension</li><li>Typical Maximum Penalty: $2,000 Fine, Indefinite Suspension”</li></ul>



The NA Open Series & Kickoff
Qualifier Event Rules provide the following on penalties (emphasis added): 



“13.2. The
Administration reserves the right to enforce any of the following penalties
against Participants found to be in violation of any rules or stipulations set
forth in these Official Rules, the Handbook, or the official code of conduct:



<ul><li>13.2.1. Forfeiture of Game</li><li>13.2.2. Forfeiture of Match</li><li>13.2.3. Removal of Participant from Tournament (Disqualification)</li><li>13.2.4. Forfeiture of prizing</li><li>13.2.5. Forfeiture of HCS Points</li><li>13.2.6. Partial or full removal of HCS Points</li><li>13.2.7. Partial or full removal of travel coverage</li><li>13.2.8. Enforcement of a fine</li><li>13.2.9. A ban from participation in the HCS program</li><li>13.2.10. Temporary or permanent suspension from: Xbox Live, Halo game platforms and services, and/or participation in a HCS, Halo, and/or Microsoft online or live tournament or event</li><li>13.2.11. Pursue prosecution with the law or authoritative bodies for any illegal activities.”</li></ul>



The following penalties have been applied accordingly:



<ol><li>Nullification of Sentinels’ placement for the NA Open Series 11-27 and NA Kickoff Qualifier 12-1 event. This includes:<ul><li>Removal of HCS 4v4 Points (3,660 total) for all members of the Sentinels team.</li><li>Forfeiture of the 1st place Pool Play position for the HCS Kickoff Major Raleigh 2021 awarded in the NA Kickoff Qualifier 12-1. </li></ul></li><li>Effective immediately, suspension of Royal 2 from HCS Competition until January 28, 2022. </li><li>As a result of Royal 2’s suspension, Sentinels will be unable to field the same, full roster for the HCS Kickoff Major Raleigh 2021 as was used in the NA Kickoff Qualifier event, and therefore will be ineligible for a Pool Play position at the Raleigh event</li><li>The rest of the roster is eligible to compete in the Open Bracket. Sentinels will have until Roster Lock on Monday, December 13, 2021 to complete their roster. </li></ol>



<hr class="wp-block-separator" />

NA Competitive Ruling

Games

HCS 2021-2022 Season Reveal

<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/Esports_2021_HCS_542.305-1024x576.png" alt="Banner graphic for the Halo Championship Series and Halo Infinite"/></figure>



Hey everyone! I want to start by saying THANK YOU to everyone who grabbed their tickets for the now sold out HCS Kickoff Major Raleigh 2021. Wow. We knew that the community was going to be excited to be under one roof again and especially this time with a new Halo game, but we were all blown away by the response. I want you to know that record-breaking support like that from our community has an even longer term impact on the scene overall and at a high level that’s actually the topic of today’s blog. Before that though, some housekeeping.



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. We know there are lots of questions right now for Raleigh including PC and monitor specs, and much more. Those will all be answered in the coming weeks as we march on towards launch and the big event. 



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



<ul><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-january">January Installment – Overarching goals and approach</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-february">February Installment – Tournament Operators</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-march">March Installment – Viewership</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-april">April Installment – Sponsors</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-june">June Installment – Teams</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-july">July Installment – Competition Platforms and Input</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-august">August Installment – Team Partnership Program</a></li></ul>



Alright Tashi, what are we talking about today? 



As alluded to above, today my friends we are talking about the role that players and fans have in the ecosystem and what you can do to help grow the scene. 



Let’s dig in!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> THE POWER IS YOURS </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/image-6185bce7caea0-1024x477.png" alt="Epic black and white photo of a fan standing up and cheering at the Halo World Championship"/></figure>



For this entire series we’ve talked about how the Halo esports ecosystem is comprised of so many different groups and how they all fit together. Fans and Players are the most critical part of this ecosystem. Here’s what we said way back in January when we kicked off this series: 



<ul><li>Players (Pro, Amateur, and general competitive players): This one is obvious. The players are central to the entire ecosystem and without a healthy player base for the entire game, the ecosystem is not sustainable. This is mission critical.</li><li>Fans (Viewers, Event Spectators, fans who engage in-game): Fans and viewers are also critical – we want as many people watching Halo Infinite tournaments and content as possible, and it’s important for us to take strides to increase viewership.</li></ul>



The first and main message we want to get across is that each and every one of you can make a difference and have an impact. No, seriously. Every show that you decide to watch on Twitch, every tournament you decide to compete in, every retweet on Twitter and like on YouTube – they all matter. If every individual feels empowered to make a difference, then collectively as a community we will make a huge impact. 



I sometimes get asked, “Tashi, I love Halo esports and want to help it grow. What can I do?” Today we’re going to list out exactly what you can do!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> PLAYER AND PRO PLAYER CHECKLIST </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/image-6185ba8046bca-1024x439.png" alt="Photo of Pro Player Lucid at DreamHack Anaheim 2020"/></figure>



Let’s start with the Pro Players – folks like Frosty, Tripppey, Respectful, Tapping Buttons, BZllRK, and of course so many more across the world. Outside of grinding to win every tournament you enter, here are the ways we think you can be contributing to the health of the ecosystem and thus the health of your careers. (Please bear with me, this might get preachy)



<ul><li>Stream when you play: For those that already stream all the time, kudos to you and we’re excited to see you grow when Halo Infinite releases! For those that don’t stream, we know it’s been hard while waiting for a new game but it’s go-time when Infinite drops. Streaming is one of the most powerful and impactful things you could be doing as a professional Halo player<a>. </a>Here’s why:<ul><li>You get to have a community of your own that supports you, including financially through subscriptions and donations. </li><li>You have a wealth of VOD content that lets you spread your reach and grow your community even more when you get to post awesome stream clips on social media. </li><li>You are far more attractive to teams and sponsors, which again means more financial support for you. Even if you have a small audience, if you’re putting in the work then that makes a big difference.</li><li>Fans have a place to watch you before and after a tournament. If you pop off on the mainstage, people are going to want to watch you the next time you turn on your stream. If you don’t stream, they’re either not going to watch anyone or they’re just going to watch someone else. </li><li>You can help bring in more viewers into the stream and as noted above and in prior blogs – viewers are critical. You don’t get to compete and be a pro player without viewers.</li><li>There are going to be many online tournaments and also opportunities to stream your scrims – this is really great content that will attract even more viewers than your normal streams in the ranked p<a>laylist.</a> Progress might be slow, but if you focus on consistency as the goal then you will be rewarded in the long run. </li></ul></li><li>Be a positive influence: <a>Not every pro player is going to be a role model that everyone looks up to – and that’s ok. However, using your social media platforms or streams as places to dump toxic waste about the game, the ecosystem or really anything for that matter into the community is a bad idea.</a> Players who are positive and professional will have more opportunities, will be more attractive to fans and sponsors, and will have a bigger influence on the future of the game, community, and ecosystem. Anger, toxicity, and sarcasm work against you. We all love Halo and want it to have a positive and thriving scene. Be wise in how you use your influence as a pro. Additionally, players will be held to the official code of conduct which details behavior that is not acceptable in our scene, and we as a community need to hold each other to high standards on top of that.</li><li>Be active on social media: The conversation for Halo esports is on social media, and it’s mostly on Twitter. Between events, it’s a great way to not only connect with fans, but also connect and chat with other pro players. There lots of great conversations that many fans would be interested in seeing, and overall it helps drive interest into you and your brand as professional Halo player. </li><li>Promote your Team’s cosmetics: If you’re on a partnered Team, you should be wearing your Team’s cosmetic items as much as you can on stream and even off stream as well. The Team’s will be earning revenue from each of the sales and their success in Halo means they can continue to invest in the scene to pay player salaries, managers, team houses, and much more. A little goes a long way here. You can add a command to your Twitch channel, pin a tweet on Twitter, and post links in your YouTube videos. Speaking of YouTube…</li><li>EXTRA CREDIT – Start a YouTube channel and upload regularly: YouTube is a great way to bring fans closer to you and provide them entertainment. Not everyone is going to be the next Nadeshot, and that’s ok. You don’t need 100,000 subscribers for the channel to be worthwhile investing some time into, and these days it’s easier than ever to upload gameplays from your Twitch streams directly to your YouTube. There are more Halo fans on YouTube than ever and that will continue to grow.</li></ul>



As a pro player, you can have a tremendous impact on the scene overall which ultimately helps you out directly. Don’t take this opportunity for granted. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> FAN CHECKLIST </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/image-6185bbdc0aac7-1024x389.png" alt="Photo of fan at an HCS event holding a blue cosplay flag from CTF in Halo 5."/></figure>



For the fans out there who love playing and watching Halo – we appreciate you. We know many of you want to see Halo grow because it’s the game and community that you love, and that resonates deeply with us. We want to provide some insights that enable you to have the biggest impact if you’re not sure how you can help. 



<ul><li>Watch events and content: Viewership is critical for the Halo esports scene, and when you watch tournament streams, pro player streams, and even content on YouTube or Twitter – that has a really big impact. Obviously, we need to do our part to entertain you and we take our responsibility there seriously.</li><li>Purchasing in-game content: We are sharing revenue for ALL of the items in the Esports Store within Halo Infinite when the game launches on Day 1. Whether it’s a partnered Team’s bundle or a bundle that represents each of the four major regions and the tournament operators investing there, this is the best way to support these partners directly. The more that the ecosystem can support these partners, the more that they will be able to support the players and fans as time goes on. This is an absolutely critical component of this entire ecosystem. </li><li>Be active on social media: As mentioned earlier, having conversations online about the league, the Teams, the players, and everything going on is a great way to generate more and more excitement for the events and ultimately draw more fans to this awesome community of ours. If your favorite Team is tweeting about Halo, give it a Like/RT and even a reply. Let’s make Halo fans the most active and talkative game in esports!</li></ul>



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



For players and fans alike, there are lots of really critical ways that you can support the community and scene that you love. We all want Halo esports to grow, and if we work together and push in the same direction, we can really have a huge impact and bring on more Spartans to our cause. We have to act as a unified community. 



I’d love to hear what other ideas and suggestions you might have! <a href="https://twitter.com/tashi343i">Start a conversation with me on Twitter</a> and let’s keep the ideas flowing!



Until next time,



Tashi