Load the Game

Halo is stepping back into the eSports limelight this weekend

• Egon Kilin
• November 5th, 2014

Before Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and various Call of Duty titles there was yet another FPS that dominated the eSports shooter scene. That game is Halo and it will be returning in style this weekend with the ESL The Master Chief Collection tournament. As you might imagine, this tournament aims to celebrate the upcoming Halo: the Master Chief Collection, which includes the four core Halo games and is scheduled to release next Tuesday, November 11. This tournament is important for the series because it will help bring it back into the world of eSports, or at least that’s what we’re hoping. At any rate, with $50,000 on the line and the best Halo pros duking it out, we’re bound to see some very epic games this Saturday at the invitational.

In order to make sure that this will be a tournament that we won’t soon forget, ESL has invited only the best teams from the Halo golden age. Big names include Matthew “Formal” Piper and Eric “Snipedown” Wrona who are both Call of Duty pro players now, as well as the infamous “Ogre” brothers – Dan “OGRE1” Ryan and Tom “OGRE2” Ryan. The eight iconic Halo teams include: The Agency, Optic Halo, Purple Rain, Believe The Hype, STK, VWS Gaming, STR8 Ripping, and TCM Gaming. Needless to say, we’re in for some quality and competitive Halo action this weekend, especially since the teams will give it their best to win as first place gets a cool $20,000.

As for the return of Halo to the eSports scene, it’s hard to predict if the series can draw as much attention as CS: GO and CoD for a competitive stand point. All eyes are currently on the recently launched Call of Duty Advanced Warfare which brings plenty of new mechanics to the table. But perhaps the ESL The Master Chief Collection tournament will help Halo shine through its rival for one day.