Community Spotlight

snickerdoodle

Spotlight: August 5, 2021

Esports

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



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



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



Alright Tashi, what are we talking about today?



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



Let’s dig in!



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Got it, can you talk about why?



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Until next time,



Tashi

Tashi

Designing The Halo Esports Ecosystem – July

Games

Halo Infinite’s very first tech preview is just around the corner. It’s a moment we’ve been building up to for quite some time – and, we’re thrilled that so many of you are excited to dive in and check out what we’ve been hard at work on. Bearing in mind that the upcoming tech preview is truly a work-in-progress test, we want to make sure that you have all the information on hand so that you know when and what you are playing, where to deliver feedback, and everything in between.



And as a reminder, while our plan is to get as many people into the tech preview as we possibly can, not every single Halo Insider will receive an invite. If you don’t get in this time around, don’t despair! We still need to grow the scale of these tests in time on the road to launch, so your opportunities are far from over.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-July2021/haloinfinite_watermark_concept_bazaar_1-1080-1b41c999fb5a401bbabba3904daf3abf.png" alt="Infinite map inside a control room"/></figure>



An interior look of Bazaar. [For the full-res image, <a href="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-July2021/4k_haloinfinite_watermark_concept_bazaar_1-dab2add4bd254adf8313b937481ea9d0.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">click here</a>.]



Regardless, if you’re on the hunt for the nitty gritty details of this upcoming tech preview you’ve come to the right place. Just below you can find the following:



<ul><li> Dates and times during which the tech preview will be up and running</li><li> A rundown of content you can find in the tech preview</li><li> Details around where you can deliver tech preview feedback</li><li> Info on how you can reach out to our Support team, if needed</li></ul>



To that end, here’s a quick rundown of the top-level details to get you started:



<ul><li>If you’re a content creator, streamer, or a player who wants to share gameplay footage of the tech preview, you absolutely can! Go nuts.</li><li>Check out the latest Inside Infinite, which provides a deep dive into our flighting process, our goals, approach, and much more: Read our latest Inside Infinite!</li><li>Note that while the tech preview is live, you’ll always have the ability to matchmake! But, if you’re unsure of when to play, please join us during the following scheduled play times:<ul><li>Thursday, July 29: Tech preview is officially live! Go wild, Spartans.</li><li>Friday, July 30 Scheduled Play Times: 12-2 PM PT, 7-9 PM PT</li><li>Saturday, July 31 Scheduled Play Times: 12-2 PM PT, 7-9 PM PT</li><li>Sunday, August 1 Scheduled Play Times: 12-2 PM PT, 7-9 PM PT</li><li>Monday, August 2: Tech preview closes at 10 AM PT</li></ul></li><li>Available Content: Bot Slayer, Weapon Drills, Waypoint vNext</li><li>Support and Feedback: Halo Support’s Insider site will be available for players to use all weekend. Those that make it into the tech preview will have access to new links that will only be available to invitees – please check your forthcoming email and/or Waypoint message for the appropriate links!</li></ul>



Hungry for the finer details? We’ve got you covered just below. Or, if you’d prefer to check out our stream from July 28th which covers much of the same content, feel free to get all caught up. The show starts at the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxs05bjCzkU&t=721s" target="_blank">12:00 mark</a>! 



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo Infinite | Multiplayer Technical Preview Overview" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Oxs05bjCzkU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



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



Halo Infinite is the most ambitious title we’ve ever made, and we’re thrilled about this new entry into the Halo universe. This weekend we’re thankful that so many of you have signed up to help us test what’s in the build – and, perhaps more importantly, what’s behind it.



This weekend we’ve got a few main focuses for this preview:



<ul><li>To test the services behind the game at scale</li><li>Gather tons of real-world data about PC hardware configurations</li><li>To collect your feedback!</li></ul>



Curious to learn more about what those bullet points mean? We highly encourage you to read the latest Inside Infinite, which will tell you more about our flighting process and will provide details on how we’re going to accomplish the goals above. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KNOWN ISSUES AND HALO SUPPORT</h2>



This tech preview is a small slice of the game that’s designed around our specific scale-testing needs. There are bugs – some big, some small – and while most are covered in the Known Issues list, others will surely surface for the first time thanks to your help testing at this scale. For context, this tech preview build is a couple of months behind where the ‘main’ build is so there’s already been lots of bug fixing and polish that won’t be reflected here.



Here are a few of the issues we’re aware of in this build:



<ul><li>AMD players should make sure the AMD Graphics Driver is version 21.6.1 or later. Earlier versions are not compatible with this version of the game and may result in significant performance and/or stability issues.</li><li>We have a pesky bug related to Matchmaking that can result in a player being unable to join into a session, timing out, and then returning to the main menu. When this occurs, the match will proceed but you might be missing a player from your game for a brief period until another player joins-in-progress.</li><li>We’re aware of and tracking a few different crash scenarios though the overall average failure rate is well below our targets. We’re particularly interested in getting more crash logs from a wider breadth of platforms as stability work continues internally.</li><li>Various situations can cause stuttering, de-sync, warping, and other abnormal behavior.</li><li>Occasionally, player scores will not appear during the victory screen at the end of the match and/or the post-game carnage report may not load after some matches.</li><li>Rarely, a player may begin a match unable to see their own weapon and have reduced audio.</li><li>Rarely, a player’s melee attack may not register as expected.</li><li>Sometimes after pressing A at the title screen, Challenges, Customization, and Commerce screens take a while to appear on the main menu.</li></ul>



For more information on the flight’s Known Issues, participants should head over to the <a href="https://insidersupport.halowaypoint.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Halo Insider Support</a> site and check out the full <a href="https://insidersupport.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403344734612" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Known Issues </a>article (these links are only accessible by valid flight participants once the flight has gone live on Thursday). If you see any issues not listed in that article, please use the “Submit a ticket” link at the bottom of the article to let us know! Tickets help us understand which issues are impacting players the most which then helps the team prioritize those issues and gather critical info to facilitate their investigations.  



The Insider Support site is also home to your platform’s installation instructions (<a href="https://insidersupport.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404216548756" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xbox</a>/<a href="https://insidersupport.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404216446100" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Steam</a>), a list of the included <a href="https://insidersupport.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403352617748" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">content and play sessions</a>, as well as a handy <a href="https://insidersupport.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404216617236" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAQ</a>. If you’re not seeing flight-related articles on the Insider Support site, please make sure you’re signed in with the Xbox Live account that was invited to the tech preview.



Please note that the Halo Support team is unable to change your invited platform or assist with code redemption issues.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CONTENT INCLUDED IN THIS TECH PREVIEW</h2>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">BOT SLAYER</h3>



At the very center of this tech preview will be the Bot Slayer playlists which feature 4 players squaring off against 4 Bots on one of three possible maps (Live Fire, Bazaar, and Recharge). Please note that while players can team up online, splitscreen is not supported in this build.



With bots being a brand-new addition to Halo, we’re excited to get a chance to let you go toe-to-toe with our state-of-the-art spar partners. Bots also utilize our dedicated servers in a different way than standard matchmade games so it’s extra critical we get large-scale, real-world testing to help ensure a smooth launch this holiday.



We’re going to kick things off with the lowest skill level of Bots on a single map to help everyone get acclimated and ease into the experience. If the community can collectively help us hit our daily engagement goals over the course of the flight, we’ll increase the Bots’ skill and add more maps. The more bots you slay, the more the experience will evolve! They’ll get more deadly with each update – so, dive in early and often to make sure you’ve got a handle on what skills they’re bringing to the battlefield.



Be sure to drop in each day to play and do your part to slay some bots, unlock more content, and help us gather data! And keep an eye on <a href="https://twitter.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Halo</a> each day for updates to the available matchmaking content. We’re also going to be shouting out the top Bot Slayer, the player with the most daily wins, and the team who can win the fastest each day and looking to award these heroes a special nameplate when the game launches this holiday.



Show us your clips! If you pull off incredible feats or wacky shenanigans, please share your clip with us on Twitter using <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23InfinitePlays" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">#InfinitePlays</a> – we can’t wait to see the medals and magical moments that await.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">SOCIAL ARENA (CONDITIONAL)</h3>



If we’re able to hit our target engagement and testing goals for the Bot Slayer before the flight concludes, we’re looking to enable a brief opportunity for some good old fashion 4v4 Social Arena Slayer. If we hit this phase, expect it to land sometime in the final stretch of the flight (i.e. Sunday evening) and expect there to be a few potential hiccups with your experience.



Specifically, we know that in some cases players will end up in a bad state as a session is forming and after a brief delay, will be kicked back to the main menu. As a result, the game itself will start as 4v3 which is certainly a less than desired experience all-around. However, as a technical preview, getting additional scale data around this problem, across a breadth of hardware, can be invaluable to the team as they work to solve this issue. Based on our prior private flights, we can generally expect that on average, a match will start with a full 4v4 approx. 60% of the time while the other 40% involves a 4v3 start with the final player joining-in-progress within a minute.  



We’d love to get some additional testing and data to help the team, but we really want to ensure players understand the experience and potential hiccups before jumping in. Tech preview participants should stay tuned to <a href="https://twitter.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Halo</a> and the in-game news feed to know if and when Social Arena gets enabled.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">WEAPON DRILLS</h3>



Interested in locking in your aim? Are you certain your skills with the Commando surpass that of all your friends? Now you can prove it. In this tech preview you can put your skills to the test with the following subset of Weapon Drills:



<ul><li>MA40 AR</li><li>BR75</li><li>MK50 Sidekick</li><li>CQS48 Bulldog</li><li>Needler</li><li>VK78 Commando</li><li>S7 Sniper</li><li>Plasma Pistol</li><li>Pulse Carbine</li><li>Ravager</li><li>Heatwave</li><li>Skewer</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">BATTLE PASS AND MENU UI</h3>



In the upcoming tech preview, we’re going to be granting Halo Insiders a set amount of in-game credits (cR) so that they can dig in with a very trimmed-down version of our first Battle Pass. (Worry not, we’re saving plenty of content for launch.) As a reminder, none of the items unlocked over the course of tech previews will carry over to the game’s release later this year. Everything should be considered work-in-progress and not indicative of the final shipping systems including the cost of customization pieces in the store, the order in which they’re unlocked in the Pass, the XP granted by challenges, and more.



The key focus here will be to test out if the systems that dictate when you unlock and equip items are working correctly. So, keep an eye out for anything that doesn’t work how you would expect and let us know. We’re going to have our ears open for your feedback!



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">WAYPOINT VNEXT</h3>



If you read through the June 2021 edition of Inside Infinite you know big things are in store for Halo Waypoint. And, as a part of the upcoming tech preview, you’re going to have a chance to see it all first-hand! 



Halo Waypoint’s new version (which we affectionately refer to as “Waypoint vNext”) is going to launch on web for your standard browsing experience, along with iOS and Android in app form. If you’re joining us for tech previews, then you’ll be able to use this same experience to edit and update your Spartan in Halo Infinite. Everything will work for MCC and Halo 5 as well.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-July2021/haloinfinite_fretspartan_01_watermarked-1080p-waypoint-23258d0561754952a57f18cb5120f6ef.png" alt=""/></figure>



 Introducing Fret, a Personalized AI. [For the full-res image, <a href="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/InsideInfinite-July2021/4k_haloinfinite_fretspartan_01_watermarked-8e6a8b71ce5c458b97e8b73057e167eb.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">click here</a>.]



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



We can’t wait to hear your feedback! In addition to the surveys we’ll be sending out to a portion of Halo Insiders on Monday, August 2, we’ll also have dedicated feedback threads ready and waiting for you over on Halo Waypoint and Steam. Notably, these links are currently live – but, the threads themselves will not unlock until the tech preview has gone live.



<ul><li>Bot Slayer Feedback: Waypoint | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://steamcommunity.com/app/1240440/discussions/0/3055114706800639651/" target="_blank">Steam</a></li><li>Weapon Drill Feedback: Waypoint | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://steamcommunity.com/app/1240440/discussions/0/3055114706800644847/" target="_blank">Steam</a></li><li>UI Feedback (Battle Pass, Challenges, and Store): Waypoint | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://steamcommunity.com/app/1240440/discussions/0/3055114706800648369/" target="_blank">Steam</a></li><li>PC Feedback: Waypoint | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://steamcommunity.com/app/1240440/discussions/0/3055114706800650935/" target="_blank">Steam</a></li><li>Xbox Feedback: Waypoint | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://steamcommunity.com/app/1240440/discussions/0/3055114706800654274/" target="_blank">Steam</a></li></ul>



We know our Insiders will have a LOT of feedback and we can’t wait to hear your thoughts. However, we also want to be upfront and acknowledge that as we’re actively working on closing out the game and readying for launch, there’s only so much feedback the team can truly act on between now and then. Some feedback could be addressed now, others could be addressed post-launch, and some feedback might go against the team’s intent – either way, we’ll be sure to share the overall outcomes in a transparent manner once the flight dust has settled.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SEATS IN THE FULL UPRIGHT POSITION</h2>



The road to Halo Infinite’s launch is paved by the hard work of teams here at 343 as well as the participation of our Halo Insiders. From the very first whiteboard scribbles all the way up to this week’s test, we’re thrilled to have such a passionate and driven community with us for this journey.



And, if all this tech preview talk has gotten you interested in flighting, it’s not too late to join us in the future!  By signing up to be a Halo Insider, verifying your email address, opting into communications, and uploading your <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/open-and-run-dxdiag-exe-dad7792c-2ad5-f6cd-5a37-bf92228dfd85" target="_blank">DxDiag</a> (if you’re on PC), you’ll be officially added to our list.



In the meantime, stay tuned to @Halo on <a href="https://twitter.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/Halo/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a> for all the updates as they happen.

343 INDUSTRIES

Tech Preview Overview

Inside Infinite – July 2021

Canon Fodder

Community

GrimBrother One

Master Class

Community Update

Sunny Summary

Spotlight: July 2, 2021

Welcome back to another installment in our blog series, Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem. The goal of this blog series is to detail how we are working to develop a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for Halo esports. If you’re interested in our philosophical approach to esports as a fan, player, team, tournament organizer, or sponsor, then this blog series is for you! If you’re hoping to learn specifics about format and roadmap, stay tuned, more info will be released as we get closer to the launch of Halo Infinite. I will say though that today’s particular blog is a little juicier than ones in the past.



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



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



Alright Tashi, what are we talking about today?



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



Let’s dig in!



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



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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.



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.



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.



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



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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.



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.



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.



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.



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



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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.



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.



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.



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.



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



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.



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



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.



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>!



Until next time,



Tashi

Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem – June

<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ISSUE 116</h4>



So, it’s been a pretty good month for new Halo news I feel like. Last issue, we covered some of the more lore-related elements of our multiplayer reveal in the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, as well as touching on further similarly-themed goodness (speaking of which, have you signed up for the Halo Insider program yet?). This edition, we’re looking ahead to a brand-new addition to the story, one that will pair with your Halo Infinite campaign experience like an extra helping of your favorite dish. And speaking of dish, let’s do so.



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



Kicking things off, today we’re excited to announce the next novel in this universe we all love—Halo: The Rubicon Protocol, penned by our stellar stablemate <a href="https://twitter.com/KellyHGay">Kelly Gay</a>. In her last novel, <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Point-of-Light/Kelly-Gay/Halo/9781982147860">Halo: Point of Light</a>, Kelly made a pit stop onto the surface of Zeta Halo while on a galactic gallivanting tour with our favorite Mariner-class spacecraft and its daring denizens. This time, our popular pen pal is heading back to Installation 07, but on a very different mission, and with a very different cast of characters.



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Click the image for a bigger, cleaner version!



As you may have been piecing together throughout previous trailers and information drops, Halo Infinite’s campaign begins roughly six months after UNSC forces were ambushed at Zeta Halo. During that time, the UNSC has been mounting a resistance on a shorn fragment of the ring, desperately trying to hold out long enough for hope to arrive. In Halo: The Rubicon Protocol, you’ll get a unique glimpse of humanity’s struggle to survive amidst a growing Banished occupation that takes place in that period.



To be clear, this adventure stands on its own—but if you find yourself enjoying and eager to learn more about some of the scattered stories you might encounter while playing the game, then Halo: The Rubicon Protocol will be right up your alley when it drops next March.



We’ll certainly have more to share down the road, but in the meantime, enjoy the fantastic cover art above, composed by the talented <a href="https://twitter.com/pixelflaregfx">William “Pixelflare” Cameron</a>.



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



This week we launched Season 7 of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which focuses primarily on Sangheili customization items. If you’re interested in learning more about some of the lore behind the armors we added, check out Issue 114.  But that’s not all we added!



To celebrate the upcoming Halo Infinite, we’re adding the prototype for the Mk.VII helmet—KEYSTONE—into Halo 4 within the MCC. It’s a pretty awesome opportunity to look ahead to the studio’s latest brand-new adventure by placing a small piece of it in our first one.



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Behold! Even more pixel flair.



The KEYSTONE enhancement suite represents a Materials Group evolutionary design study that—when combined elements developed on earlier Mk. VII iterations, such as the example seen worn by Spartan Naomi-010, as well as the GEN2 DECIMATOR suite, among others—eventually formed the basis of the production Mk. VII in Mjolnir’s third development generation.



If you want to get your hands on—or, head in, I guess—one for yourself, make sure you pick it up for free at the Exchange in-game!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HIGHWAY TO HELMET</h2>



As we mentioned up top, last issue we touched on a number of different sandbox elements from our universe that fans saw show up in last week’s showcase of Halo Infinite multiplayer goodness. Several fans noted that were some obvious items that we didn’t highlight, including some examples of pieces—helmets in particular—that had actually already been seen as far back as our first Inside Infinite development blog this past December. We figured that seemed like a logical spot to reach a revelatory compromise, so today, we’re bringing back those items and giving you a few additional little lore details to attach to them.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ANUBIS [GEN3]</h4>



Manufacturer: Lethbridge Industrial



The ANUBIS is unusual in that its structural frame and core electronics are “grown” inside Sangheili assembly forges, though final assembly and integration uses traditional fabrication techniques.



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading">MK.V ZETA [GEN3]</h4>



Manufacturer: Materials Group



Spartans assigned to ONI’s Xeno-Materials Exploitation Group on Installation 07 found that their upgraded MARK V’s mix of high-threat response and surveillance interlinks were ideal for the ring’s peculiar operating environment.



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<h4 class="wp-block-heading">CAVALLINO [GEN3]</h4>



Manufacturer: Emerson Tactical Systems



The CAVALLINO expands Emerson’s offerings with MJOLNIR-platform helmets, tailored for the needs of fireteam leaders, trainers, and combat observers.



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The above options pieces were developed from the ground up as the initial wave of the GEN3 Mjolnir suite. Of course, you’ll also have the opportunity to pursue the GEN1 Mjolnir Mk.V(b) platform as well, with its own array of available modifications. This technology dates back to the Covenant war era but has been fully reconditioned and upgraded with newer and more optimized components, giving life to older tech at an integral time, and offering a new generation of Spartans the opportunity to take to the battlefield outfitted in the same style of armor that some of their own heroes once donned. Let’s take a look at once such example:



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">GRENADIER [GEN1]</h4>



Manufacturer: Materials Group



GRENADIER helmets are officially categorized as prototypes, as NAVSPECWAR wrestles with the overwhelming cost of its lightweight armored composite shell.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">DIVINE WIN</h2>



Before we close for today, we thought we’d bookend this issue with some extra bit of novel news. Back in Issue 112 we announced the next novel from the acclaimed penman Troy Denning, Halo: Divine Wind. We gave you the title, the author, and the cover—which you can see here again, by the fantastic Benjamin Carre. Today, we thought you might enjoy a more detailed description of the adventure to whet your whistle.



October 2559. With the galaxy in the suffocating grip of a renegade artificial intelligence, another perilous threat has quietly emerged in the shadows: the Keepers of the One Freedom, a fanatical and merciless Covenant splinter group, has made its way beyond the borders of the galaxy to an ancient Forerunner installation known as the Ark. Led by an infamous Brute named Castor, the Keepers intend to achieve what the Covenant, in all its might, failed to: activate Halo and take the last steps on the path of the Great Journey into transcendence…



But unknown to Castor and his new, unexpected ally on the Ark, there are traitors to the cause in their midst—namely the Ferrets, composed of Office of Naval Intelligence operative Veta Lopis and her young team of Spartan-IIIs, who have been infiltrating the Keepers to lay the groundwork for Castor’s assassination. But with ONI’s field operations now splintered and cut off by the Guardian threat, Veta’s original mission has suddenly and dramatically escalated in scope. There’s simply no choice or fallback plan—either the Ferrets somehow stop the Keepers or the galaxy faces an extinction-level event….



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Veta. Lopis. Fanclub.



Halo: Divine Wind is slated to hit store shelves, digital displays, and audio instruments on October 19, and you can <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Halo-Divine-Wind/Troy-Denning/Halo/9781982174903">secure your own copy by heading here</a>!



Before we head out, just in case you missed it, go and check out our latest edition of Inside Infinite, which dropped yesterday. It covers some cool new info about upcoming updates to Halo Waypoint (both in web and app forms!) as well as some new progression details on how you’ll be able to expand your personal arsenal in Halo Infinite—with new items within the Halo universe, as well as some that fall decidedly outside of our canon in some cool and unique ways. But more on that another day…



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For now, that will do it for us this time around. Don’t wander off too far though… we do have a bit of a special milestone coming up next issue it seems like.



Until next time… Live well, play Halo, and it’s Spartan Agryna [ah-GREEN-yuh]. Laurette is her first name.



<a href="https://twitter.com/grimbrotherone"><3 Grim</a>

Parallel Threads

Inside Infinite – June 2021