With more than 900 registered teams and over 4000 players from around the world competing in the biggest Halo tournament ever, it’s finally time to find out who will stand at the top of the podium at the Halo World Championship 2016!

Starting tomorrow, 16 of the best Halo teams hailing from the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore will battle each other to determine who will earn the title of Halo World Champions and win their share of the $2.5 million prize pool. The winning team will be crowned Halo World Champions and receive $1 million – the biggest individual prize in console esports history!

The Story So Far…

Each of the 16 teams have fought and won against their respective peers to get to the world stage, and each team carries something heading into the tournament. For many of the squads based outside the U.S., such as Mexico’s Chosen Squad or Team Immunity from Australia, it will be up to them to prove to the world that they’re ready to compete against the traditionally stronger North American players. Others are excited to see how far the U.K’s two titans, Epsilon eSports and Team Infused, can go in the tournament with the potential to become a dark horse in the race.

For North America, all eyes will be on rivals Counter Logic Gaming and Evil Geniuses, who have battled since the start of the tournament in December. Top teams such as Team Allegiance and Denial eSports are also positioned to win it all, bringing a great contrast of veteran leadership versus raw talent.

Earlier this week, we shared where and when fans can tune-in to watch the playoffs starting at 9 a.m. PT on Friday and Saturday, followed by the Finals at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday – don’t forget to tune-in during the Finals to receive the free Halo World Championship REQ Pack and watch the world premiere of Warzone Firefight! Below is the full schedule and a few more special things planned going into the weekend!

Friday, March 18: Halo World Championship Playoffs – Day One 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT via Twitch.tv/Halo (Mainstage) and Twitch.tv/ESL_Halo (Second Stage)



Saturday, March 19: Halo World Championship Playoffs – Day Two 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. PT via Twitch.tv/Halo (Mainstage) and Twitch.tv/ESL_Halo (Second Stage)



Sunday, March 20: Halo World Championship Finals 4 p.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT via the XLEi app on Xbox One and Twitch.tv/Halo



And for the complete match schedule visit Halo.gg.

Get the Spartan’s Armory REQ Pack, Unlock New REQs

As some of you may have spotted floating around in the REQ Store last week, there’s a new REQ Pack available to check out! The Spartan’s Armory REQ Pack has a high chance of granting REQs specifically from content updates, such as Infinity’s Armory and Hammer Storm, 14 all new weapon skins and the coveted 343 Industries Assault Rifle and Magnum skins, previously exclusive to members of the studio! The pack is available now until midnight PT this Sunday, Mar. 20, and can be purchased in-game for 80,000 RP or $9.99 on the Xbox Store. Here are some of the brand new REQs you may find when opening the pack!

Blue Team Assault Rifle and Magnum Weapon Skin: Emblazoned with the symbol of the legendary Blue Team. Olly olly oxen free, Spartans!

Noble Team Assault Rifle and Magnum Weapon Skin: Can’t wait for the Memories of Reach content update in April? Get your nostalgic kick now with the Noble Team Assault Rifle and Magnum Weapon skins.

Spirit of Fire Assault Rifle and Magnum Weapon Skin: Exitus Acta Probat. Represent the crew of the Spirit of Fire with its phoenix symbol.

Fireteam Osiris Assault Rifle and Magnum Weapon Skin: Navy, Army, ODST and Oni. Only the best are tasked with the most secretive of missions.

343 Industries Assault Rifle and Magnum Weapon Skin: Don the mantle of responsibility and deliver lead using the 343 Industries Assault Rifle and Magnum skins!

Halo 5: Guardians Digital Editions 50% Off During HaloWC Weekend

For those of you who haven’t picked up a copy of Halo 5: Guardians, this may be the deal you’ve been waiting for! Starting now until midnight PT on Sunday, you can purchase the digital Standard or Deluxe editions of Halo 5: Guardians for 50% off through the Xbox Store. For those of you who prefer physical discs, Amazon will also be running a special promotion starting Friday from 9 a.m. to midnight PT on Sunday: $20 off the Standard and Limited editions of Halo 5: Guardians plus three Gold REQ Packs thrown in for free. They also have you covered if you’ve been eyeing the Arena REQ Bundle, available for 50% off! With 11 new maps, 12 new game modes (including Big Team Battle, Forge and Grifball), more than 180 new REQ items added since launch and even more content coming up in the near future, there’s never been a better time to pick up a copy of Halo 5: Guardians. See you this weekend for the Halo World Championship 2016!