In less than a week, the top 16 Halo teams from around the globe fly to Hollywood, CA, to compete at the Halo World Championship 2016 for the title of champions and their share of the $2.5 million prize pool. It’s been a long journey for many of these competitors; some are just starting their career in Halo esports while others have been playing Halo at its highest level for over a decade! In preparation for the tournament this weekend, here’s a quick rundown of what’s coming up this week and over the weekend – including a special tune-in bonus.

Where and When to Watch the Halo World Championship 2016

With matchups officially set in stone, the Halo World Championship 2016 is positioned to be a great competitive tournament with many epic battles sure to come. The tournament takes place over the course of three days from Friday, March 18 to Sunday, March 20. Playoffs start at 9 a.m. PT on Friday and Saturday, with the Finals taking place at 4 p.m. PT on Sunday. The winner of the Halo World Championship 2016 will receive $1 million, the biggest individual prize in console esports history.

To cover all the action at home, the Halo World Championship 2016 will be on Twitch.tv/Halo or through the Twitch App on Xbox One; the Finals on Sunday will also be broadcast via the Xbox Live Events Interactive app (XLEi), which is downloadable through the Xbox Store. Here’s a look at the schedule:

Friday, March 18: Halo World Championship Playoffs – Day One 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. PT via Twitch.tv/Halo



Saturday, March 19: Halo World Championship Playoffs – Day Two 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. PT via Twitch.tv/Halo



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



And for the complete match schedule visit Halo.gg.

Of course, a great tournament wouldn’t be the same without its great casters and analysts. The Halo World Championship 2016 will feature the following: Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez, Dave “Walshy” Walsh, Mike “Strongside” Cavanaugh, Mark “Onset” Hatcher, Andy “Bravo” Dudynsky, Miles “Wra7h” Ross and Richard Simms.

First Look at Warzone Firefight during Sunday Finals

Since Warzone Firefight was first teased during the “Hammer Storm” Content Update unveil last month, Halo fans have been chomping at the bit for more information on this exciting new PvE mode. Get a sneak peek at Warzone Firefight during the Finals broadcast on Sunday, March 20, providing a glimpse at what’s to come later this year.

Tune-in to Receive a Free Halo World Championship REQ Pack and HaloWC Gamerpic

What better way to show your love for Halo esports than to wear it on your (armored) sleeve? In celebration of the tournament, anyone who watches the Finals broadcast – starting on Sunday at 4 p.m. PT on their Xbox One (through the Xbox Live Event Interactive app) or Twitch – can get the Halo World Championship REQ Pack for free. This special HaloWC REQ Pack includes the all new Ultra Rare “Challenger” armor set and HaloWC 2016 emblem. Act fast as this is only available until 9 a.m. PT on Mar. 21! Also, as a special thank you to the Halo esports community, Xbox is rolling out a Halo World Championship Xbox One Gamerpic throughout this week for the entire community.

More Halo World Championship News to Come on Thursday

For those of you who haven’t been following the Halo World Championship closely, there are several team profiles and player spotlights available on the official Halo YouTube channel. We’ll have even more Halo World Championship 2016 news to share this Thursday, March 17th as well and be sure to follow Halo and HCS on Twitter (and tweet #HaloWC) or head over to Halo.gg for more information about the Halo World Championship 2016.