Halo Championship Series Kickoff Major takes place in Raleigh

The Halo Championship Series Kickoff Major begins in Raleigh, North Carolina from Dec. 17-19.

Halo Infinite launches on Dec. 8 and has already been a great success based on the feedback from the technical preview weekend hosted Sept. 24. Halo Infinite’s release comes with the return of the Halo Championship Series which has been completely revamped.

Nine franchised teams have entered the league to battle it out and become the best of the best in Halo. With the consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic, all attendees must present proof of vaccination as well as a photo ID each time they enter the venue. For those not vaccinated, proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within the last 72 hours must are required for each day. In addition to these precautions, masks will also be required in the venue for all in attendance.

Halo Championship Series Kickoff Major format

Due to the limited time between when Halo Infinite releases and when the Kickoff Major begins in Raleigh, the format for the tournament has been modified. The original championship bracket consisted of 24 teams which has now been expanded to include 32 teams.

For the open bracket, the top 16 teams will enter into the championship bracket, with eight from the open bracket going to the upper bracket and the remaining eight to the lower.  The Major will also involve pool play, which will consist of four pools of four where the teams will play in a single round-robin format. The top two teams from each pool will receive a bye and added to the second round of the upper bracket.

In the end, the 32-team double-elimination style championship bracket will determine the tournament winner. The championship bracket is a culmination of both the open bracket and pool play. The winner of the event will take home the top share of the $250,000 starting prize pool.

How to obtain tickets

Tickets for the HCS Kickoff Major go on sale Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. EST. Fans can choose between general admission and VIP packages for the three-day event. General admission tickets are $50 and also give spectators access to compete in an on-site Halo tournament. VIP passes are $100 and include early venue access, early access to the on-site tournament registration and other exclusive opportunities.