Halo Esports Shifts Focus Beyond Infinite After World Championship
The Halo Championship Series (HCS), the official esports league for the iconic Halo franchise, will conclude its support for official Halo Infinite tournaments after this year's World Championship in October. This significant decision by Halo Studios has immediately fueled speculation about the release of a new game in the series, rumored to launch around 2026.
In a recent blog post, Halo Studios confirmed that while there are still two major tournaments and the highly anticipated World Championship ahead, the official HCS competitive scene will bid farewell to Halo Infinite afterward. The developers have pledged to continue supporting the broader competitive community for Infinite, but they made it clear that the game will no longer be featured in official HCS events.
The HCS has a rich history, beginning in 2014 with competitions centered around Halo 2: Anniversary. This inaugural year saw Team Evil Geniuses crowned as the first series champions, creating many memorable moments for the community. Just a year later, the scene transitioned to Halo 5: Guardians, ushering in a new era for Halo esports and establishing the format for the Halo World Championship. The launch of Halo Infinite in 2021 was widely seen as taking the competitive Halo scene to new heights.
For fans eager to witness the final official HCS events for Halo Infinite, two planned majors remain, alongside the much-anticipated Halo World Championship. This pinnacle event, with tickets nearly sold out, is scheduled to take place from October 24-26. Once a world champion is crowned in October, Halo Infinite will step back from the official HCS stage.
Tahir Hasandjekic, the Head of Esports for Halo, stated that the studio is actively moving towards “the next era of Halo.” This statement aligns with earlier hints about a potential remake or reimagining of Halo: Combat Evolved. Xbox head Phil Spencer previously mentioned a return to “classics that have been with us since the very beginning” around 2026. While Hasandjekic clarified that HCS won't be supporting new Halo titles next year, this doesn't rule out the possibility of a single-player-focused release without an immediate multiplayer component.
The studio confirmed last year that it is developing multiple projects within the Halo universe. This suggests that the future might hold a new take on the original Halo story, possibly followed by a separate multiplayer release at a later date. For players, this means that while official HCS support for Halo Infinite is wrapping up, it's paving the way for what could be an exciting new chapter for the entire franchise.
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