ESL Announces Halo Championship Series in Co-Operation with 343 Industries
ESL announces Halo Championship Series in co-operation with 343 Industries
(Los Angeles, CA) November 05, 2014 The worlds largest independent esports brand, ESL, partners with 343 Industries to provide an official esports league for the Halo franchise: the Halo Championship Series (HCS). The announcement comes ahead of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection release next week and acts as a celebration of the franchises rich competitive gaming legacy.
The league will be governed by a single sanctioning body, an idea born of 343 Industries desire to curate a quality esports experience for pro players, enthusiasts and spectators alike. In order to achieve this, 343 Industries and ESL have teamed up to put together a year of high-stakes action featuring Halo 2: Anniversary, the newly reimagined multiplayer engine within Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Halo Championship Series Details:
The first season of the Halo Championship Series will kick off shortly after the launch of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and run from November (preseason) through March of 2015.
Teams of four Spartans will compete in a structured series of online and in-person LAN events.
All officially sanctioned tournaments (LAN and online) will award HCS points to the top teams.
At the end of each season, teams with the highest HCS point totals will be invited to compete at the HCS season finals in March 2015. More details to be announced.
Halo is one of the most storied franchises in gaming and has such a rich eSports legacy, said Craig Levine, Vice President, ESL America. ESL brings a proven track record of hosting world class competitions and broadcasts and are excited to be an official partner of the Halo Championship Series. In 2015, the HCS will crown a new generation of Halo champions and showcase Halo to millions of eSports fans around the world.
More information regarding the Halo Championship Series will be released at the Halo: The Master Chief Collection Launch Invitational, taking place this weekend from November 8-9th. Thirty-two of the worlds biggest names in First Person Shooter (FPS) esports will face off in the ESL Studios (Burbank, CA) for their share of the US$50,000 prize pool. Tune in at 2PM PST to catch all the action and learn more about whats in store for the future of Halo esports.
Halo was one of the first console esports titles to rise to popularity a decade ago, said Che Chou, Franchise Media Director, 343 Industries. With the HCS, were harnessing that passion and investing back into the community thats still vibrant today. In addition, our partnerships with ESL and Twitch both parties with years of invaluable expertise will help us realize our vision of quality and equality for the HCS.
A complete overview of the league can be found on ESL Gaming and HaloWayPoint.com/HCS. An official handbook will be published and announced in the coming weeks, and players will be able to register their teams and begin competing online in the official ESL online cups.
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ESL is world’s largest, independent eSports brand, leading the industry across various games with numerous online and offline competitions. This includes high profile international and national leagues and tournaments such as the Intel Extreme Masters, ESL One, ESL Pro Series, Starcraft II World Championship Series, as well as grassroots amateur cups, leagues and matchmaking systems. ESL covers a broad field of services in gaming technology, event management, advertising and TV production, fully catering to the needs of the eSports ecosystem. With offices in Germany, Russia, France, Poland, Spain, China and North America, it has a true global footprint. www.eslgaming.com
343 Industries is the developer of the blockbuster Halo series of video games and, as part of Microsoft Studios, oversees the Halo franchise, including games, linear programming, novels, comics, licensed collectibles, apparel and more. 343 Industries is home to world-class talent that delivered award-winning titles like Halo 4 and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary as well as the action-shooter Halo: Spartan Assault and the live-action digital series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. The studio is currently developing Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo: Spartan Strike and the next installment in the legendary saga of the Master Chief, Halo 5: Guardians, while continuing to transform entertainment experiences across the Halo universe with groundbreaking projects, including the Halo Channel, an upcoming Halo television series, and the all-new digital series, Halo: Nightfall.