Esports


<p>In February 2020, the Halo community joined us at DreamHack Anaheim for what would be the last Halo esports event for nearly two years. A lot has transpired since then as we’ve all been impacted by the global pandemic in some way. When Halo Infinite was originally set to release in 2020, the HCS roadmap we were building at the time was almost completely online with no LAN events in sight. With Halo Infinite’s release moving to 2021, the proliferation of vaccines around the world, as well as regulations and health policy changes, we knew it was time for us to bring the Halo community back together again.</p>



<p>As originally stated, one of our goals is to release the entire first year roadmap for Halo Infinite esports before competition begins. This is still the case, and we are on track to deliver that to everyone in the ecosystem and all of that will be arriving in the coming months. However, because the first event is just around the corner, we wanted to ensure we released that information first so that fans and players were able to prepare in time.</p>



<p>Today, we’re excited to announce the HCS Kickoff Major taking place in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 17-19, 2021 with a starting prize pool of $250,000. Once again, the Halo community will be united under one roof, and this time with an entirely new Halo game to play and watch. In tried-and-true Halo esports fashion, the HCS Kickoff Major will feature an open bracket, seating for spectators, as well as full main stage and featured stations for pool play and the championship bracket. To ensure a world class experience onsite and for viewers at home, we have enlisted none other than Esports Engine to operate the event with us.</p>



<p><a href="https://hcskickoffmajor.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spectator and VIP tickets</a> for the big event go on sale tomorrow, September 29 at 10am PT.</p>



<p>There are going to be some important differences in how this event will be operated as the health and safety of all players, fans, and staff is of the utmost importance. Please continue reading for more details.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">COVID PROTOCOL</h2>



<p>It’s important to remember that all around the globe we are all in some shape or form living with the realities of a world where COVID-19 and the numerous new variants still exist. We have been working closely with Esports Engine, the Microsoft Security and Events teams, as well as the venue and local government in Raleigh, but we need the help and cooperation of the entire Halo community. </p>



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



<ul><li>To enter the venue all attendees and staff must complete and attest to their health status, each day, in the Microsoft Health Check App. Entrance into the venue will not be allowed without completion each day, and no exceptions will be made.</li><li>All attendees must also present proof of vaccination as well as a photo ID each time they enter the venue.</li><li>For those not vaccinated, you must provide proof of NEGATIVE COVID-19 test results, from within at least the prior 72hrs each day along with a photo ID each time they enter the venue.</li><li>Per state law, masks will be required to enter the venue.</li></ul>



<p>As per usual, security will be onsite conducting bag checks  and all attendees will be required to pass through metal detectors each time they enter the venue.</p>



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



<ul><li>Per state law, masks must remain on all attendees including players and staff, at all times without exception.</li></ul>



<p>It’s also critical to note that the COVID-19 landscape is ever changing, and we will do our best to keep you posted on the very latest event updates right here in this blog, as well as on <a href="https://twitter.com/hcs">@HCS</a> on Twitter. We are always going to prioritize the health and safety of all attendees and staff and will do our best to take necessary measures within our power.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">EVENT FORMAT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="229" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/DesigningTheHaloEsportsEcosystem_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.30.2021_1120x250-1024x229.png" alt="Image of the HCS Logo illuminated on at an event." class="wp-image-7156" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/DesigningTheHaloEsportsEcosystem_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.30.2021_1120x250-1024x229.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/DesigningTheHaloEsportsEcosystem_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.30.2021_1120x250-300x67.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/DesigningTheHaloEsportsEcosystem_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.30.2021_1120x250-768x171.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/DesigningTheHaloEsportsEcosystem_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.30.2021_1120x250.png 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Before we jump into the details about format, we want to acknowledge that the news today for competitors will likely spark many questions including ones about qualifiers, how teams get into pool play, points and stakes, how it fits into the overall roadmap, and much more. Today’s blog is meant to set the table, share the details about location and dates so the community can plan to attend, and we’ll have much more information to share in the future including answers to those questions and more. All of this will be shared alongside the entire season roadmap so that you can see how everything fits together and is interconnected. </p>



<p>So let’s jump into what we can share today. Just below is the standard HCS Major format that will be used in upcoming season, and below that is the slightly modified version of the format that will be used at the HCS Kickoff Major Raleigh 2021.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">STANDARD HCS MAJOR FORMAT</h3>



<ul><li><strong>Open</strong> <strong>Bracket</strong>: Big open brackets where any team can sign up and compete in the tournament are part of Halo’s esports DNA and we hope to see more teams competing this season than ever before. This will be a double elimination bracket where the top 8 teams will move on to the next stage in the tournament. The top 4 from the winner’s bracket moving forward into pool play, and the top 4 from the elimination bracket (or lower bracket) moving on to the championship bracket (starting in the elimination bracket portion). The HCS Majors are global events and will be open to players from around the world.</li><li><strong>Pool</strong> <strong>Play</strong>: We will be providing accommodation and travel stipends for 16 qualified teams made up of teams from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Australia / New Zealand. Teams will be  drawn into 4 pools of 4 where they will be joined with the top 4 teams from the Open Bracket to play in a single round robin format. The Top 2 teams from each pool will go into the winner’s portion of the championship bracket. The 3<sup>rd</sup> place team will go into round 3 of the elimination portion of the championship bracket. The 4<sup>th</sup> place team will go into round 2 of the elimination portion of the championship bracket. And finally, the <em>5</em><sup>th</sup> place team in each pool will go into the 1st round of the elimination portion of the championship bracket where they will start in the first round and will face off against teams coming from the elimination portion of the open bracket.</li><li><strong>Championship </strong><strong>Bracket</strong>: Ultimately, a 24 team double elimination championship bracket-style will determine the tournament winner. This is the culmination of the both the open bracket and pool play, the winner will take home the lion’s share of the $250,000 starting prize pool. Think you’ve got what it takes to make the championship bracket?</li><li><strong>Free-For-All:</strong> Once the open bracket has concluded, we will be hosting a Free-For-All tournament with a $5,000 prize pool open to all of those in attendance. More format info will be provided at a later date. </li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">HCS KICKOFF MAJOR MODIFIED FORMAT</h3>



<p>Because of (a) the limited window between game release and Raleigh; and (b) the inclusive spirit of the HCS, we have a modified format for Raleigh that expands the Championship Bracket from 24 teams to 32 teams. </p>



<p><strong>For the Open Bracket: </strong>The top 16 teams from the Open Bracket will be entered into the Championship Bracket, with 8 from the Open Bracket winners added to Championship winners, and top 8 from the elimination portion of the Open Bracket added to the elimination portion of the Championship Bracket.</p>



<p><strong>For the Pool Play:</strong> We will be providing accommodation and travel stipends for 16 qualified teams made up of teams from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Australia / New Zealand. Teams will be drawn into 4 pools of 4 where they will play in a single round robin format. The Top 2 teams from each pool receive a bye and are added to the 2nd round of the winner’s portion of the Championship Bracket. The bottom 2 teams from each pool are added to the 1st round of the winner’s portion of the Championship Bracket where they will compete with the top 8 from the open bracket.</p>



<p><strong>Championship</strong> <strong>Bracket</strong>: In the end, a 32 team double elimination-style championship bracket will determine the tournament winner. This is the culmination of both the open bracket and pool play, the winner will take home the lion’s share of the $250,000 starting prize pool.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">VENUE, TICKETS, TEAM PASSES, AND REFUND POLICY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/sponsors-banner-2-66dd25d510b4477da96d63a22e9adad7.jpg" alt="Spartan helmet with 343 Industries and Halo banners"/></figure>



<p><strong>Venue:</strong> Raleigh Convention Center</p>



<p><strong>Address:</strong> 500 S Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601, HALL B</p>



<p>Starting tomorrow on September 29 at 10am PT, spectator tickets will be available for purchase. We are offering a few different packages and promotions, so let’s jump right into the details.</p>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://hcskickoffmajor.eventbrite.com/%20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GENERAL ADMISSION 3-DAY TICKETS</a></h4>



<ul><li>Entrance into event for the entirety of the tournament.</li><li>Access to compete in the Free-For-All tournamnt at no extra charge.</li><li>Price: $50</li></ul>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><a href="https://hcskickoffmajor.eventbrite.com/%20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VIP 3-DAY TICKETS (VERY LIMITED AVAILABILITY)</a></h4>



<ul><li>Early Entry to the Venue</li><li>Dedicated Entry Line at Check-In</li><li>Access to the VIP Lounge</li><li>Limited Edition VIP Credential</li><li>Early access to the Free-for-All Competition Registration (30 minutes before general admission)</li><li>Exclusive Production Tour including photo op on main stage</li><li>A chance at being one of two VIP ticket holders to play in a special show match on Saturday night December 18.</li><li> Price: $100<br></li></ul>



<p><strong>Partnered Team Codes:</strong> As announced last month, we have 9 partnered Teams that will be competing in the HCS at launch. In order to provide extra value to fans and also allow fans to support their favorite teams directly, you can use any of the below codes at check out to receive a 10% discount on your tickets. When you save 10%, the Teams receive 10%. </p>



<ul><li>FAZE</li><li>ENVY</li><li>SPACESTATION</li><li>EUNITED</li><li>NAVI</li><li>G2</li><li>CLOUD9</li><li>SENTINELS</li><li>FNATIC</li></ul>



<p>Support your favorite team, and get a discount on spectator tickets. It’s a win-win! If you use a team’s code, be sure to share on Twitter and tag the teams so they know you’ve supported them!</p>



<p><strong>Team Passes:</strong> Team passes will  go on sale November 17. We’ll have more details on price, where to purchase, how to register your team, and more at that time. We want to note that all teams will be required to purchase a team pass, including those starting in pool play. Once those teams qualify for pool play ahead of the event, we will provide a refund.</p>



<p><strong>Refund Policy: </strong>As mentioned above, circumstances during the pandemic are  ever changing e. For the HCS Kickoff Major, we will have a full refund in the case of the event being canceled or if spectators will no longer be allowed. For any questions regarding the refunds you can email HCSeventsNA@ee.gg.</p>



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



<p>It’s been a long time coming but Halo Infinite and the first event are just a few months away. Soon we’ll all be playing some Halo on LAN, watching the best players in the world duke it out for the first time, and of course creating unforgettable moments together as a community. We hope you’ll (safely) join us in North Carolina later this year!</p>


Official HCS

Kickoff Major Raleigh 2021


<p>Updated 9/29: Full results below.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<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>



<p>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.</p>



<p><strong>They are:</strong></p>



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



<p>From there, we assigned a point value to each placing for each one of their lists. The 25<sup>th</sup> player on each of their lists received 1 point, and the 1<sup>st</sup> 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 25<sup>th</sup> highest point value was named the 25<sup>th</sup> Greatest Halo Player of All Time.</p>



<p>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 17<sup>th</sup>. Player A’s highest ranking on one of the judge’s lists was 12<sup>th</sup>. Player B’s highest ranking on one of the judge’s lists was 13<sup>th</sup>. Therefore, Player A received 17<sup>th</sup> on the list, Player B received 18<sup>th</sup> on the list.</p>



<p><strong>The judges were given the following criteria and guidelines:</strong></p>



<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>



<p>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!</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<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>



<p> 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!</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<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>



<p>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.</p>



<p>Update 9/29: Names added in below. </p>



<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>



<p>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!</p>


Top 25 Greatest Players of All Time

Tashi

Designing The Halo Esports Ecosystem – August


<p>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, <em>Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem</em>. 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.</p>



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



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



<p><em>Alright Tashi, what are we talking about today?</em></p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>Let’s dig in!</p>



<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>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>With all that said, we’re excited to reveal that <strong>Halo Infinite esports will be cross play for all online tournaments</strong>. 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!</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



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



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<p><em>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?</em></p>



<p>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.</p>



<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>



<p>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, <strong>we are going to allow players to compete on controller or mouse and keyboard regardless of platform. </strong>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



<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>



<p>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<strong>, for mainstage and featured station play, we are requiring all players to log in with their personal accounts</strong>. 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.</p>



<p><em>Got it, can you talk about why?</em></p>



<p><strong>There are a few reasons why we’re changing this:</strong></p>



<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>



<p>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.</p>



<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>



<p>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.</p>



<p>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.</p>



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



<p>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.</p>



<p>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!</p>



<p>Until next time,</p>



<p>Tashi</p>


Designing The Halo Esports Ecosystem – July


<p>Welcome back to another installment in our blog series, <em>Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem</em>. 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. I will say though that today’s particular blog is a little juicier than ones in the past.</p>



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



<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></ul>



<p><em>Alright Tashi, what are we talking about today?</em></p>



<p>Today my friends we are talking about Teams. No, not a group of 4 players but rather the team organizations that the players represent.</p>



<p>Let’s dig in!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHY ARE TEAMS IMPORTANT?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/banner-01-69df10b8728443aa962c4f4f7d2ed71c.png" alt=""/></figure>



<p>Teams play a super critical role in the success of esports, and that role is increasing all the time. First and foremost, they provide financial stability for the players in the scene. For long term sustainability,  players cannot rely solely on prize money, so it’s important that there are ways for players to receive regular, reliable financial support to pursue competing. Creating content and streaming is also another great way for pro players to earn income.</p>



<p>On top of that, Teams also draw in fans to the scene, which is obviously critical to increase viewership for tournaments, content, and more. These fans also help draw in more fans to the team and game as they share the excitement on social media and in Twitch/YouTube chats.</p>



<p>With these two things in mind, you can see how deeply rooted teams are in the success of an esport, and that’s why we are taking a very intentional approach for Halo Infinite esports.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OUR APPROACH</h2>



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<p>When HCS first started, Teams would seemingly enter and exit the scene at random and we had no direct relationship with them. The events were just big open tournaments with no advanced stage for pro teams until the finals, and that contributed to the issue. Over time, we started creating team skins in Halo 5, which was a great program and something we wanted to build off of for Halo Infinite, but in a far more holistic way.</p>



<p>Our first step was to gather information and involve pro teams as early as we could. <a href="https://twitter.com/Tashi343i/status/1138541483009630209" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">We proactively sought out information</a> and feedback from those that participated in Halo and those that did not. We asked about how they decided which games they wanted to join, which game ecosystems are working for them and why, why did they decide to enter/exit Halo in the past, and much more. We also learned about where they saw their business heading and how they could potentially see Halo fitting into it. This was a long but extremely valuable process. It helped us create and strengthen relationships with the Teams but also gave us vital information that went directly into the design of the Halo Infinite esports ecosystem.</p>



<p>On top of this, we are also big esports fans ourselves and careful observers. We were seeing how the broader esports industry was evolving, what other games were doing well, what pain points were existing in other ecosystems, etc. This also went into the design of the ecosystem and helped us iterate . As we were working through the design process, the franchising model and format in esports  was starting to become popular, and we of course evaluated that option. For Halo, we decided it was critical that Halo Infinite esports had an open format and ecosystem, and that we were building off of the philosophy that started way back with Halo: Combat Evolved. We wanted to create an ecosystem that was as open as possible to allow for new teams to integrate into the scene at any time, for up-and-coming players to have the opportunity to rise to the top at any moment, and for tournament operators of all sizes to plug into the ecosystem across any region.</p>



<p>At this point, we were ready to start drafting our plans for how Teams would fit into the broader picture. Again, it was important that we took a collaborative approach. Once we had our v1 thoughts together, we reached out to trusted Team partners to get early feedback on our plans. From there we’d create a v2, then v3, and so on until we felt we were ready to kick off the official process for Teams joining Halo.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HCS TEAM PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/banner-03-c598cceb3e054ab9bb2f7b4e13f4ae71.png" alt=""/></figure>



<p>For the first time in Halo esports there will be an official partnership program for Team organizations to apply for and take part in. Our goals are to offer a path to long term sustainability for teams (and thus players and staff), grow viewership, and grow overall fan engagement. At a high level, the Teams in the partnership program are a foundational part of the ecosystem and we want to deepen the relationship together with launch being just the beginning.</p>



<p>Last year we conducted an application process with numerous teams in North America and Europe (more regions to come online later). We looked at why they were interested in Halo, what their plans and approach would be, what level of investment are they looking to commit to, and more. I’m happy to say that after a lengthy application process we have a solidified a list of partnered Teams for the launch of Halo Infinite this holiday.</p>



<p>At this point you might be wondering exactly what it means for a Team to be in the partnership program. Well to start, each partnered Team has designed their own in-game content which will be sold in the game on day 1 of Halo Infinite’s release, with more drops releasing over time. Of course, Teams will receive a significant portion of the revenue from each sale. Additionally, we’re looking to enable teams to create as much content as possible to drive interest in the league. We’ll be providing all access to broadcast VODs and footage captured at the event, as well as providing access for Teams to film their own content, including backstage and on stage while their team is competing. Each partnered Team’s roster and coach will also get their travel covered for every event they’re eligible for, even if they start in the open bracket. Partnered Teams will also have an opportunity to include their own sponsors (as long as they don’t conflict with the HCS’ sponsors) directly into our broadcasts. And really that’s just the tip of the iceberg as we are already expanding on ways to ensure that Teams have the opportunity and incentives to invest in Halo for many years.</p>



<p>If you’re an esports Team reading this and are interested in learning more about the partnership program and how your Team could get involved then first I’d say thank you, and we’d love to connect and share more when the time is right. As mentioned, we’re currently not bringing on any additional partners for launch. However, you can feel free to drop a line on <a href="https://twitter.com/Tashi343i" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>.  And I know we’ve talked about pro players and pro teams almost exclusively today but rest assured, Halo Infinite esports is an open format and ecosystem. These partnered teams will need to earn every HCS Point they get, and we will have ways for amateur players to rise in the ranks and compete against the top pro teams on a regular basis, and live events will be open.</p>



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



<p>Now, I know you’re probably thinking, “That all sounds great Tashi but who are the partnered Teams?!”. Well unfortunately that’s not news that we’re able to share just yet. Also, it would be pretty lame if we just listed out all of the teams in a blog like this. Don’t worry, we and the Teams are cooking up some awesome plans to make the announcement. We intend to make a lot of noise when we’re ready later this Summer.</p>



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



<p>Enabling the success of our partners is critical to the success of Halo Infinite esports. We stated it back in the first blog when we detailed our mission, and we hope this blog provided a more detailed look at what we’ve been working on.</p>



<p>Thank you once again for everyone who’s been reading along and of course if you’ve got any feedback, let us know on <a href="https://twitter.com/HCS" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>!</p>



<p>Until next time,</p>



<p>Tashi</p>


Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem – June


<p>Welcome back! This is the fourth installment in our blog series, <em>Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem</em>. 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.</p>



<p><strong>If you’re new to the series and want to get caught up, don’t worry, we’ve got your back. You can read the first three installments here:</strong></p>



<ul><li><strong>January Installment</strong> – Overarching goals and approach</li><li><strong>February Installment</strong> – Tournament Operators</li><li><strong>March Installment</strong> – Viewership</li></ul>



<p>So today we’re going to talk about sponsors!</p>



<p><em>Tashi, are you serious? Are we really talking about sponsors today?</em></p>



<p>Yes we are! Why? Because sponsors in the ecosystem are critical. They’re a key component that impacts everyone from fans to players to teams and everyone in-between.</p>



<p>Ok, let’s get into it!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHY ARE SPONSORS IMPORTANT?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/sponsors-banner-5eff63c843a14de0b1c3d5fbd374fd08.jpg" alt="HCS tournament event"/></figure>



<p>If you’re a team or tournament organizer, or even a developer/publisher like us, you’re investing a significant amount of money when you’re participating in esports. For example, as a team, you’ve got to pay players, coaches, managers, other support staff, and potentially more for things like team houses and facilities. Ultimately, each team needs to evaluate if the value they’re getting from being part of an esport is worth that investment. So as a team (or tournament organizer), how are you able to make money to ensure you can continue to participate in esports? One of the main ways esports organizations generate revenue is through sponsorship, and as the architects of the Halo ecosystem, we are actively trying to make it easier for teams, tournament organizers, and others to deliver value to their sponsors. To be extra clear, the ecosystem does not work without sponsors.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OUR APPROACH</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/sponsors-banner-2-66dd25d510b4477da96d63a22e9adad7.jpg" alt="Halo helmet with two banners"/></figure>



<p><strong> For Halo esports, we think about sponsors primarily in four different ways:</strong></p>



<ol><li>How can we secure our own sponsorship for the HCS to help offset costs of operating the league? (Staff, league events, paying tournament operators, etc)</li><li>How can Halo help the people investing in the ecosystem (teams, tournament operators, etc) provide value to their sponsors?</li><li>How can we connect the dots between sponsors and those investing in the ecosystem?</li><li>How can sponsors provide value to fans and players?</li></ol>



<p>So let’s get into it!</p>



<ol><li>Generating revenue for 343 Industries is not the core reason why the HCS exists or why we decided to invest in Halo esports. As mentioned in the first ecosystem blog, we want to provide epic entertainment to Halo fans around the world and we want to keep Halo fans interested in playing as well as watching. At the same time, therefore, we need to operate a responsible and sustainable ecosystem that can last for years and years. In terms of revenue, sponsors are one of the ways that we are helping create a sustainable ecosystem. Sometimes we reach out to sponsors to strike a deal, and sometimes sponsors reach out to us to strike a deal because they’re excited about the league and Halo Infinite.</li><li>We understand that sponsors are super critical for teams and tournament organizers, and even though those sponsors might not be directly sponsoring the HCS league, we still want to help where we can. Let’s take teams for example. Teams provide value to sponsors by fielding a roster in a game that has strong viewership, creating video and other social content, etc., and it all helps build awareness for the team’s sponsors. The way we see it, the more we can help teams provide value to their sponsors, the more teams can continue to invest in Halo. So, for example, partnered teams will have the option to place their own sponsors’ logos in certain graphics during our official Halo Infinite HCS broadcasts. Why is this helpful? Because now a team can go to their sponsors and say, “here’s the extra value that we’re providing to you.” It’s great for sponsors, it’s great for teams, and it’s great for the league, too. This also has an impact on players and fans: as more teams are able to sustain long-term participation in Halo, they in turn can keep salaried players on their rosters and can continue to produce entertainment and value for fans. It’s all interconnected.</li><li>We also want to help connect sponsors with the others in the ecosystem (teams, tournament operators, etc), as well as see where there might already be overlap in terms of sponsorship. For example, if a tournament operator already has a partnership with a sponsor, and we’re also interested in working with that sponsor, then it ends up being a great opportunity for extra collaboration with all three parties working together. This is just a small example of the “1 + 1 = 3” philosophy that is so important.</li><li>Lastly, working with sponsors for us is not about sticking a logo on a graphic and calling it good. It’s important to us that our sponsors are driving real value to fans and players, at our live events as well as online. For example, to deliver a great in-person experience, we want to partner with a monitor manufacturer that makes high quality hardware that players onsite will have a great competitive experience on. For other sponsors, we may want to create customized video content that we air on the broadcast and on social media that will entertain fans. This is a critical component to how we work with sponsors and we think sponsors appreciate that approach as well.</li></ol>



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



<p>We hope this blog painted a picture of why sponsors are so critical and how we are approaching working with sponsors. The examples today predominantly touched on teams and tournament organizers, but you can extrapolate the approach and philosophy to pro players and content creators as well.</p>



<p>As always, we are interested to hear what folks think, so feel free to send any comments on <a href="https://twitter.com/Tashi343i" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter </a>as well.</p>



<p>Until next time,</p>



<p>Tashi</p>


Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem – April


<p>Welcome back! This is the third installment in our blog series, <em>Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem</em>. 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.</p>



<p><strong>If you’re new to the series and want to get caught up, don’t worry, we’ve got your back. You can read the first two installments here:</strong></p>



<ul><li><strong>January Installment</strong> – Overarching goals and approach</li><li><strong>February Installment</strong> – Tournament Operators</li></ul>



<p>Thank you to everyone who has been reading along and asking questions on Twitter as well. I want to give a special shoutout to <a href="https://twitter.com/minimightymouse" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">minimightymouse</a>, who not only shows up to all the events to support the scene, but has also been asking great questions about each blog. I’m looking forward to our next conversation!</p>



<p>Alright, so today we won’t be talking about a specific key group, but rather one of our goals: viewership.</p>



<p>Viewership is absolutely critical to the success of our esports program and ecosystem, and our goal with Halo Infinite is to increase viewership not only on our own Halo channels, but across the ecosystem at large.  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHY IS VIEWERSHIP SO IMPORTANT?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="320" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p1_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg" alt="Flamesword and Walshy sitting in a crowd looking up at the screen at a Halo event." class="wp-image-5635" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p1_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p1_3.30.2021_1120x350-300x94.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p1_3.30.2021_1120x350-768x240.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p1_3.30.2021_1120x350.jpg 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<ol><li>Watching games is a massive part of gaming culture and for years Halo fans have extended their involvement in the community outside of the game. We believe watching Halo and being part of that ecosystem provides a strong sense of community and incredible entertainment. We want to provide more for fans in this realm. Additionally, strong viewership is important to bringing in new fans and potential players at big moments as well as over time. We also believe that a game with strong viewership is a game that can create a virtuous cycle. If a game is entertaining to watch, has great esports content and streamers, and has strong viewership, the entire ecosystem will continue to grow organically over time. More viewership = more incentive to stream, more diverse content, more financial support for streamers (including competitive players), bigger and better tournaments, and more interest in the scene as a whole.</li><li>Viewership is important to the key groups in our ecosystem, so therefore it is important to us. Teams look at viewership as a key metric of success, and it often determines how willing they are to invest in the scene. Pros who compete in a game that commands great viewership are also likely to see big audiences for their own content, which can help elevate them as athletes and personalities (a long-lasting takeaway). Tournament Operators that work with high-viewership games can monetize more easily and are likely to continue to invest in that scene.</li><li>Fans and viewers give energy to the scene and make it more exciting for everyone. When Frosty hits an insane no-scope and Twitch chat starts moving so fast you can’t even read what people are saying, it feels like you’re a part of a moment, witnessing something special alongside thousands of other fans. The same is true on-site at live events: the place erupts, like when <a href="https://youtu.be/S_FeacRHyYs?t=11526" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Snip3down clutches a 1v4 Overkill.</a> That energy and feeling is infectious, and big moments like that will entice more people to join the scene and start watching.</li></ol>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT GROWING VIEWERSHIP?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="320" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg" alt="Image of Lottie, Walshy, Onset, and Bravo on the analyst desk" class="wp-image-5648" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350-300x94.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350-768x240.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemMarch_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350.jpg 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>So obviously we all want viewership to grow, but what’s the overall strategy for the new Halo esports ecosystem?</p>



<ol><li><strong>Diversify:</strong> For years and years, Halo’s live viewership came almost exclusively from tournaments, pro players, and hardcore modes. And while we want to continue to grow viewership for tournaments and pro players, we ultimately believe that a healthy ecosystem must have a diversity of content and audiences. Halo as a game has so many fun and interesting experiences to offer, and as the culture of content creation permeates the Halo community, we want to enable and support content creators regardless of the modes they play. And just so I’m clear, in our minds this does not come at the expense of the core competitive multiplayer that Halo esports was built on – this is an effort to grow the pie.</li><li><strong>Partnerships:</strong> We believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Because of this, we have been working diligently to find as many “1 + 1 = 3” partnerships as possible for Halo esports. How can we partner with teams to ultimately bring more fans to the sport, enrich the experience with team-created Halo content, and create opportunities for fans to connect with teams? How can we partner with platforms to provide opportunities for Halo content creators? There’s a lot in the works here and we’re excited to share details when the time is right.</li><li><strong>Halo Infinite</strong>: While the HCS team does not make the game, we do work closely with the development team and consult on ways to increase viewership, including features and tools for content creators. In the long term, we want to continue to invest in the growth of viewership via the game. We believe that enhancing the viewer experience will provide more opportunities for all content creators within the ecosystem.</li><li><strong>Rewards</strong>: We’ve been dipping our toes in the viewership rewards realm with the HCS Grassroots program, and while those activations have been relatively small in scale, they’ve been an important proving ground for us. For Halo Infinite, we are looking to increase the support and programming here. For now, we’ll have to play this one close to the chest, but we’ll share more leading up to launch.</li><li><strong>Content:</strong> With our renewed approach to Halo esports content, we also want to make a greater impact on the audience by highlighting compelling stories, players, teams, and moments within the scene. We want to turn casual viewers into serious fans, drawing the audience in with all the excitement, intensity, drama, and celebration that Halo esports has to offer. That includes storylines that span the season as well as within a single match. We want the audience invested in the scene, anticipating the next tournament, joining the conversation, and engaging with pro players, teams, and content</li><li><strong>Content Distribution</strong>: Finally, we believe that Halo esports content should reach as many fans as possible, and we’ve made the decision that official HCS tournaments and events will not be exclusive to any platform. While this is the decision we feel is best for our community right now, circumstances may change, and we will continue to assess new opportunities that can help us reach our goals. In addition to the significant amount of live, global content on official Halo channels, we will be launching a new dedicated Halo Esports YouTube channel, where we will post all the latest content, including VODs, featured content, and more.</li></ol>



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



<p>Viewership is such a critical component of the ecosystem that we wanted to make sure we posted a blog dedicated to the topic. While today’s blog mainly covered our high-level approach and strategy, there are many finer details to share in the coming months nad beyond that will further paint the picture.</p>



<p>As always, we are interested to hear what folks think, so feel free to send any comments on <a href="https://twitter.com/Tashi343i" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter </a>as well.</p>



<p>Until next time,</p>



<p>Tashi</p>


Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem – March

Grassroots


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="229" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave3_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.4.2019_1120x250-1024x229.png" alt="HCS Grassroots logo" class="wp-image-5297" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave3_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.4.2019_1120x250-1024x229.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave3_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.4.2019_1120x250-300x67.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave3_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.4.2019_1120x250-768x171.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave3_HCS_In_Article_p1_6.4.2019_1120x250.png 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Back in October we brought a new set of HCS Grassroots content creators into the program and opened up applications for Wave 5. When it was all said and done, there were hundreds of applications in our inboxes for us to review. Before getting into the results, we just want to share a huge THANK YOU for all the content creators who are not only creating on a daily basis for the Halo community, but those who also believe in the program and want to be a part of it. Regardless of whether you are in the program or not, your contributions to the community are very much appreciated by not only us, but most importantly the community itself.</p>



<p>After months of review, we have finalized the five content creators that will be joining the HCS Grassroots program, please join us in welcoming them!</p>



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



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="320" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg" alt="Elamite's logo" class="wp-image-5388" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350-300x94.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350-768x240.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p2_3.30.2021_1120x350.jpg 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Halo national champion turned Halo content creator, Elamite has been dazzling us with big plays on his stream for quite a while now. His dedication to the craft is very apparent as he continues to grow as an entertainer, leveraging his years of experience as a player and broadcaster. Give him a follow!</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/elamite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/elamitewarrior/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/elamite" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitch</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Nxd_pssIfmaTtoT0sdyrg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a></li></ul>



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



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="320" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p3_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg" alt="Monza's log with her sponsor logos" class="wp-image-5401" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p3_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p3_3.30.2021_1120x350-300x94.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p3_3.30.2021_1120x350-768x240.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p3_3.30.2021_1120x350.jpg 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Hailing from Australia, Monza is the next addition in the HCS Grassroots program. Monza is an active competitor in the Australian Halo scene and has also been streaming for a number of years. Bringing a unique combination of high level gameplay across a variety of Halo games – as well as chill vibes – Monza welcomes any and all fans to hang out in her stream.</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/Monzz">Twitch</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/Monzaroo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/Monza" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUX4ABrxlQLBEX_-C5mD3wQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TAQUIN – THE REACH WAY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="320" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p4_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg" alt="Taquin's logo" class="wp-image-5414" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p4_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p4_3.30.2021_1120x350-300x94.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p4_3.30.2021_1120x350-768x240.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p4_3.30.2021_1120x350.jpg 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Up next is a multiplayer streamer and YouTuber unlike anyone you’ve probably ever seen before. When live on Twitch, Taquin hosts a chill stream where he often plays with viewers in a variety of fun and social modes. On YouTube as “The Reach Way,” he blows us away with his creativity, sense of humor, and very clever editing. Don’t take our word for it though, be sure to give him and follow and enjoy the show!</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi2plOJAXOIghebHDumaFgg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a></li><li><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/taquin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitch</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/TheReachWay" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a></li></ul>



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



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="320" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p5_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg" alt="OathxX logo" class="wp-image-5427" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p5_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p5_3.30.2021_1120x350-300x94.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p5_3.30.2021_1120x350-768x240.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p5_3.30.2021_1120x350.jpg 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>OathxX has been on her stream grind for the last 4+ years and has been steadily growing her fan base since the beginning. Featuring competitive and social gameplay across multiple Halo titles, as well as one of the most friendly and positive streams on Twitch, OathxX has a wonderful community that we think anyone would be delighted to be a part of. Be sure to give her a follow and say hello next time she’s live!</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://www.twitch.tv/oathxx024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitch</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/oathxx_024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/OathxX024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a></li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">PARADISE HALO</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="320" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p6_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg" alt="Paradise Halo logo" class="wp-image-5440" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p6_3.30.2021_1120x350-1024x320.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p6_3.30.2021_1120x350-300x94.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p6_3.30.2021_1120x350-768x240.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/ContentCreatorsWave5_HCS_In_Article_p6_3.30.2021_1120x350.jpg 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Last, but not least, we’re excited to welcome the Paradise Halo team to the HCS Grassroots program. If you’ve been following competitive Halo over the last few years, you’ve no doubt seen the amazing Halo esports content on the channel. The team is comprised of three stalwarts in the community: <a href="https://twitter.com/Dyna_Sean" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DynaSean</a>, with his grand vision as well as high quality effects and editing, <a href="https://twitter.com/calloussss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Calloussss</a>, with his incredible gameplay breakdowns and insights, and <a href="https://twitter.com/Trespa5s" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trespa5s</a>, with his writing and storytelling. As a group, they bring a wealth of unique content to the Halo community and we can’t wait to see them continue to grow as entertainers and creatives. Give them a follow!</p>



<ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1x19xh5mcmva-HVHzicDQ" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube</a></li><li><a href="https://twitter.com/Paradise_Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a></li></ul>



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



<p>Thank you once again to everyone who applied to the HCS Grassroots program! We do intend to bring on another wave of creators later this summer, so be on the lookout in the coming weeks for more information on when the application window will open again.</p>



<p>And as usual, be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/hcs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@HCS</a> on Twitter to see more content from the HCS Grassroots creators and learn about the next HCS Grassroots playdates, where you can join in on the fun and secure some exclusive nameplates.</p>



<p>See you in the chat!</p>



<p>-Tashi</p>


CONTENT CREATORS WAVE 5


<p>Welcome to the second installment in our new blog series, <em>Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem</em>. 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 even sponsor, then this blog series is for you! If you’re hoping to learn specifics about format and roadmap, stay tuned because that info will come as we get closer to the launch of Halo Infinite.</p>



<p>In the first blog we set the table and talked about our approach at the highest level, as well as our role in the ecosystem. Thank you to everyone who read the first installment and gave feedback, it’s great to see so much interest in how we are thinking about the ecosystem strategically. </p>



<p>In this month’s blog we’re going to do a deep dive into tournament operators. What’s the role of tournament operators? (outside of the obvious running of tournaments) What are the types of tournament operators we’ll be working with? How does HCS Grassroots fit into the picture?</p>



<p>Let’s do this!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ROLE OF TOURNAMENT OPERATORS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/halowc-kyle-409ce836c4f841df86f71feada960be7.jpg" alt="H C S tournament operator "/></figure>



<p>Tournament operators (TOs) are a critical part of any esports ecosystem and Halo is no different. In Halo, we are taking a tiered/multipronged approach with the relationship and types of TOs that we work with in the ecosystem. The reason we’re taking this approach overall because it allows for long term and sustainable partnerships in the ecosystem, as well as scaliblity on a global scale so that we can better support the participating regions. This starts with Official HCS events which are fully funded by us. There’s also a hybrid approach where we are jointly funding events with tournament operators. As well as the grassroots scene where we are there to support with promotion, prize pool, and more. Over the last few years, we’ve been experimenting with different business models at different times to learn and inform how we want to structure Halo Infinite’s esports ecosystem. While the different models had been done in a more staggered way, Halo Infinite is when all the tournaments in this tiered system will be taking place at the same time.</p>



<p>At a high level, TOs are the executional arm of both competition and broadcast typically made up of tournament administrators and broadcast producers. Additionally they are responsible for booking event venues, setting up the stage and event, and ultimately executing the event. Even for Official HCS events (think HCS Invitational at SXSW) we hire tournament operators and spend months working with them closely on executing and delivering our vision. Often times the vision will start at a high level and then will be molded and crystalized as both parties share ideas and collaborate, as well as make adjustments due to logistical hurdles that might arise. We prefer to work with partners who can bring ideas and creativity to the table and are as passionate as we are at delivering a great player, fan, and viewer experience.</p>



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



<p>To take this a step further, we created a role for Halo Infinite esports called “Global Management Partner”. We knew that as a relatively small team we would need support in solidifying and executing our vision for the Halo esports ecosystem from competition, broadcast, sponsorship, and so much more. That’s where <a href="https://www.esportsengine.gg/">Esports Engine</a> comes in. As an extension of our team, we work day-in and day-out with Esports Engine. On top of that, we’re excited to say that we’ve hired Esports Engine to be the main operating partner for official HCS events for Halo Infinite as well as the Halo World Championship. We stated in the past that we see Halo Infinite esports as a continuation of 2018 programming and events, and this the same core team (plus more!) who we worked with back then.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="684" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p2_2.26.2021_1600x1069-1024x684.jpg" alt="Event Staff and 343 employees at the 2018 Halo World Championship on stage with fire works exploding around them" class="wp-image-5531" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p2_2.26.2021_1600x1069-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p2_2.26.2021_1600x1069-300x200.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p2_2.26.2021_1600x1069-768x513.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p2_2.26.2021_1600x1069-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p2_2.26.2021_1600x1069-1568x1048.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p2_2.26.2021_1600x1069.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">GLOBAL OPERATORS</h2>



<p>While the HCS team is based here in the United States, we do have a global vision in place for Halo Infinite esports where we are looking to host competition for players in Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand to start. To help us operate in those regions, we’ve also been working to enlist the help of tournament operator partners local to those regions. Our vision is to find operators who are able to partner alongside us in the local Halo community to grow the scene. Often times in esports, tournament operators are running events on a game but have little to no support from the publisher and are often left to fend for themselves. As architects in the ecosystem, we want to work with tournament operators in a way that is sustainable long term so that they can see return on their investment and increase their investment over time as the scene grows. Finally, it’s important that TOs are investing alongside us in our players and ecosystem because it means they are more incentivized and ultimately care more about the success of everything. This philosophy allows us to scale globally at the start of Halo Infinite’s esports journey and sets the path for future expansion.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HCS GRASSROOTS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="229" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p3_2.26.2021_1120x250-1024x229.png" alt="HCS Grassroots logo" class="wp-image-5544" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p3_2.26.2021_1120x250-1024x229.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p3_2.26.2021_1120x250-300x67.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p3_2.26.2021_1120x250-768x171.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemFebruary_HCS_In_Article_p3_2.26.2021_1120x250.png 1120w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p> Like always, HCS Grassroots will continue to support standard tournament operators (UGC Classic or Gamers Outreach are good examples) as well as community tournament operators (think Halo Australia, GTHalo, etc). For us, it’s about supporting these existing partners who had already been operating before HCS Grassroots even existed, but also about adding new partners to the Halo ecosystem and working to ensure that each of them have opportunity to grow. Philosophically, we still very much believe that these tournaments are great for the ecosystem and players (new and veteran alike) – and in the future, they will supplement the main HCS league.</p>



<p>Ultimately for some HCS Grassroots TOs (not necessarily community TOs), deciding to invest in Halo is a business decision as well as one of passion. We’ve been talking to TOs and learning more about what it would take for them to run Halo tournaments not just at launch but well beyond that as well – our goal is to help lay the foundation for a long term sustainable ecosystem. And we’ve also been learning about what things we can do to help in this area, while also keeping in mind the scenes on a regional level and what the player experience is. Our vision and aspiration is that players feel like there’s always something to compete in, which would be a mix of official HCS tournaments, HCS Grassroots tournaments, and other partner tournaments. This would also include a variety of formats and game settings/modes which would make up a bustling and varied tournament scene.</p>



<p>Finally, as an evolution of HCS Grassroots, certain events will be made eligible for sanctioning which means they would adhere to the same game settings and rules as the official HCS league, as well as give players the opportunity to earn HCS points that will help improve their seeding.</p>



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



<p>At a high level, our aim is to have an ecosystem with a healthy group of tournament operators in the scene, on a global level, who have the ability to run tournaments on a consistent basis over the long term.</p>



<p>If you’d like to learn more about the HCS Grassroots program, you can read more and even apply.</p>



<p>Finally, if you’re a tournament platform interested in participating in the Halo esports ecosystem, you can feel free to reach out to me.</p>



<p>As always, interested to hear what folks think so feel free to send any comments on <a href="https://twitter.com/Tashi343i" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">twitter </a>as well.</p>



<p>Until next time,</p>



<p>Tashi</p>


Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem – February


<p>Welcome to the first installment in the <em>Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem </em>blog series where month by month we will do a deep dive examination into how we at 343 Industries are working to develop a healthy and sustainable long-term esports ecosystem for Halo Infinite. The main focus of today’s blog is to set the foundation for how we think about the ecosystem as a whole, and details our mission, our overall goals, and more. The core of his blog and specific sections like Our Mission and Goals were ripped straight from our Power Point presentations that we share internally as well as with external partners. If you’re interested in our philosophical approach to esports as a fan, player, and even potential partnered team, sponsor, tournament operator or otherwise, then this blog is likely up your alley. We know there are some folks who are just interested in seeing the roadmap and format – we totally understand but fair warning, this blog might not be for you. That information will come down the road as we get closer to launch, and you can get the latest on that (and some more items) in last month’s Community Update.</p>



<p>Let’s get right into it!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OUR MISSION</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="279" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p1_1.29.2021_1100x300-1024x279.png" alt="Crowd looking at the main stage of the 2018 Halo World Championship" class="wp-image-5466" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p1_1.29.2021_1100x300-1024x279.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p1_1.29.2021_1100x300-300x82.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p1_1.29.2021_1100x300-768x209.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p1_1.29.2021_1100x300.png 1100w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Our mission is to provide epic entertainment to Halo fans through the thrill of competition.</p>



<p><strong>We believe in:</strong></p>



<ul><li>Cultivating and uniting communities</li><li>Providing sustained content for fans around the world to watch</li><li>Creating a platform for players, teams, and partners in the ecosystem to thrive on.</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">PROGRAM GOALS</h2>



<p>These are the goals and how we will determine the success of the program and ecosystem. Success in these areas means we can expand and grow over time, failure in these areas means we may need to rethink our approach.</p>



<ul><li>Extend engagement outside of our games with players, and potential players. (Viewership and social media impressions/reach)</li><li>Build a platform that players, teams, sponsors, tournament operators, and content creators can sustain successful businesses around. (Participating and investing in Halo needs to provide returns based on their goals)</li><li>Build a vision and aspiration for our fans, players, and gamers to create a movement. (We want to create as many 1 + 1 = 3 scenarios as possible. If we all band together, we can truly create something special)</li><li>Create exciting and epic moments in gaming culture. (When are the times we are creating a moment and capturing the attention of the greater online gaming community?)</li><li>Player retention, loyalty, engagement, and more in-game. (The development team will own these goals more than the esports team, but still important for us to track and contribute to.)</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT’S A PLATFORM?</h2>



<p>You might have heard about certain things in tech being called “platforms”, like Xbox for example. Try to imagine all of the different people and groups who see the Xbox as a valuable platform to invest their time and money into. If you’re a player, you want to get enjoyment out of your Xbox with the games you play and apps that you invest your time and dollars into. As a developer, you invest a lot of resources to bring your games to the Xbox platform either as multiplatform or exclusive.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="597" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p2_1.29.2021_1980x1155-1024x597.png" alt="Shapes showing how connected players, developers, and Xbox are to the HCS ecosystem." class="wp-image-5479" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p2_1.29.2021_1980x1155-1024x597.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p2_1.29.2021_1980x1155-300x175.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p2_1.29.2021_1980x1155-768x448.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p2_1.29.2021_1980x1155-1536x896.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p2_1.29.2021_1980x1155-1568x915.png 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p2_1.29.2021_1980x1155.png 1980w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Now, try to imagine all the things that Xbox does to provide value back to these groups. For players, the Xbox team created the most powerful console ever in the Series X and also put a ton of work into backwards compatibility – both of which are great for players. For developers, the Xbox platform is easy to develop for, and offers a ton of power to give developers the freedom to make great games. Having the games be great is also very valuable to players as well, and thus Xbox is providing “indirect” value to players that way. By putting out great games on a platform that has a lot of players, the developer has an opportunity to see a return on their investment. This is just a tiny snapshot of the overall picture, but hopefully you can start to see the dynamics of how platforms work and how interconnected all of the different groups are. And not only are they interconnected, they depend on each other for their success in the ecosystem, this is a critical component.</p>



<p>This is the type of platform we have been working to create for Halo Infinite esports, but obviously with our own set of groups and means to provide value to those groups.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE KEY GROUPS</h2>



<p>For the launch of Halo Infinite esports, who are the key groups or audiences that invest their time and money into Halo that we need to provide value back to?</p>



<ul><li><strong>Players (Pro, Amateur, and general competitive players): </strong>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><strong>Fans (Viewers, Event Spectators, fans who engage in-game): </strong>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><li><strong>Teams</strong> (Tier 1 and Tier 2 esports teams)</li><li><strong>Tournament Operators</strong> (Live event operators, online tournament platforms, and HCS Grassroots partners)</li><li><strong>Sponsors</strong> (Endemic to gaming/esports, as well as non-endemic)</li><li><strong>Other</strong> (Viewing platforms, Content Creators, Talent)</li></ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="600" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p3_1.29.2021_1980x1160-1024x600.png" alt="Key pillars of the HCS Halo Infinite program." class="wp-image-5492" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p3_1.29.2021_1980x1160-1024x600.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p3_1.29.2021_1980x1160-300x176.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p3_1.29.2021_1980x1160-768x450.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p3_1.29.2021_1980x1160-1536x900.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p3_1.29.2021_1980x1160-1568x919.png 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/07/DesigningTheHaloEcosystemJanuary_HCS_In_Article_p3_1.29.2021_1980x1160.png 1980w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Once we identified these groups we started to think about and talk to them about what their goals are, what they were trying to accomplish, and how Halo can help them achieve their goals. From there, we were able to see how one group could provide value to back to us to meet our goals directly, or indirectly by providing value to another group. The priority is finding ways for one group to provide value directly to another group first. As an example, it’s more important that teams use funding to support their roster and fans, than it is for funding to go directly to us or other partners in the ecosystem.</p>



<p>This is just a high-level overview, and we’ll do a deeper dive on each of the key groups in the upcoming blogs so you can get a more granular view of the relationship and our approach with each of the groups.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OUR ROLE</h2>



<p>While we truly believe that we need to all rely on each other in order to have a successful Halo esports ecosystem, we understand that we play a larger role and have a larger impact than any of the other groups. So, what do we at 343 Industries consider our role in the ecosystem to be?</p>



<ul><li><strong>Developers</strong>: First and foremost, we are of course the makers of the game which is at the center of this all. It’s our responsibility to create a great Halo game that fans and players love. The esports team specifically does not develop the game, but we consult on various aspects including features and gameplay, and we provide insights from the competitive community.</li><li><strong>Architects</strong>: From an esports perspective, we see ourselves as the architects of the ecosystem. It’s our responsibility to identify the puzzle pieces and work to make them fit together. How do teams fit in? How to tournament operators fit in? That’s on us, and that thinking is really the foundation of the esports ecosystem. Ultimately however, we don’t own the decisions of the each of the groups, we try to provide the best opportunities possible for them. And finally, as architects we also believe it’s our duty to take in feedback, and be the catalysts for growth and improvement in the ecosystem.</li><li><strong>Sanctioning body</strong>: We are also the central sanctioning body for the ecosystem. While there are many tournament organizers big and small, we determine who runs official HCS tournaments and dictate the rules and regulations for those tournaments including but not limited to format, game settings, and Code of Conduct. We don’t want this to seem as a sort of dictator-like function however, we are collaborators in the space and work closely with our tournament operator partners to determine the best way forward. And of course, we are closely partnered with Esports Engine who are our main partners in the ecosystem and really act as an extension of the 343 Esports team.</li><li><strong>Broadcasters</strong>: Additionally, we are the main broadcasters for Halo esports. That means for official HCS events, it’s our responsibility to decide the broadcast scope and execute on it alongside our operator partners of course. It’s important to us that we’re not the only ones broadcasting in the ecosystem however, as we generally believe that the more broadcasters covering matches in the Halo Infinite ecosystem the better. Finally, we also determine broadcast talent for official HCS shows, and overall creative direction and tone for those shows.</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">OPEN ECOSYSTEM</h2>



<p>By now you’ve probably realized that Halo Infinite esports is an open ecosystem. This means that while we don’t officially partner with everyone in the ecosystem, we do not control who enters and leaves the ecosystem. To provide an example, if a brand new team organization decided that they wanted to pick up a pro Halo roster and earn their way to the championship, then that’s totally ok. If you’re a long-time competitive Halo fan you might be thinking, “well yea, that’s just how it’s always worked right?” and the answer is yes. This is consistent with the legacy of Halo esports and not only touches on organizations like teams and tournament operators, but also players. Halo esports was built on open tournament structures where any group of players could work their way up to the top and would have opportunities to play against the best in the world. This will still be true for Halo Infinite esports. Esports as an industry has continued to evolve and grow however, and while there are some leagues that more closely resemble closed ecosystems like you see in traditional sports, Halo Infinite’s journey will begin as an open ecosystem. We are however, as noted above and will be detailed in future blogs, partnering more closely with groups in the ecosystem than Halo ever has in the past.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/hcs/body/trophy-354edc4bb0204a13876bd72cdd9b0f79.png" alt=""/></figure>



<p>Ultimately this decision was based on where the ecosystem is at today and what we’re trying to accomplish. If some numbers of years down the road we decide the best way to improve and grow the sport and ecosystem is to change our approach, then we will adjust our strategy. For now, Halo Esports will be an open ecosystem, and we’re very thankful for the groups that want to participate in it.</p>



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



<p>Well, that will do it for the first entry in this blog series. We made a promise to be more transparent about our plans and intentions and we hope you enjoyed and appreciated this look behind the curtains.</p>



<p>As this is the first in the series, we’d appreciate hearing your thoughts overall. Did you enjoy it? Do you have any more questions about our goals, ecosystem design, and platform aspirations? Hit us up on twitter and we’ll work to incorporate answers in future blogs.</p>



<p>Thanks – see you online!</p>



<p>-Tashi</p>
