Earlier this summer, we made the significant announcement that Year 4 would mark the final year for the official Halo Championship Series (HCS) competition on Halo Infinite. Today, during the prestigious Halo World Championship (HaloWC), we shared further insights on what competitors can expect in 2026. Competitive Halo holds great importance for both our community and us, and we are thrilled to unveil our plans for the future.
In 2026, we are excited to announce that we will be partnering with key members of the esports ecosystem and community to host a series of Halo Infinite competitions, including one of our own. Our long-standing relationship with DreamHack has been fruitful, and they have been exceptional hosts for the entire Halo community. We are pleased to announce that Halo will make its return to DreamHack Birmingham, taking place from March 27-29 in the UK.
In addition to the Birmingham event, another US-based DreamHack competition will be announced later this year. These events promise an impressive prize pool of $100,000, with travel support awarded to the top teams and an open bracket format. Both North American and European players should definitely mark their calendars for these exciting opportunities!
We are committed to elevating the competitive Halo experience and will be loaning DreamHack tournament equipment from HCS, which includes consoles, monitors, and headsets. Furthermore, we will provide the prize pool and travel funding for participating teams. Both HCS and DreamHack are making significant investments to bring Halo to these fantastic events, ensuring a vibrant and competitive atmosphere.
It's important to note that these events will be owned and hosted by DreamHack, with HCS acting as partners. As a result, you can expect to receive official updates from DreamHack regarding competition details, ticketing, and more.
The HCS Partnered Teams are stepping up to further support the Halo community in 2026. Although we are still finalizing the details and tournament sizes, we can confirm the following teams have committed to partnering with us:
Cloud9 FaZe Shopify SpacestationHCS will continue to support these teams by contributing to prize pools and ensuring cohesive scheduling across the ecosystem. Additionally, we are collaborating with renowned figures from the community and HCS Grassroots partners, including LVT and the European Halo League, to bolster their Halo events. HCS will contribute prizes for these partners to host more Halo online competitions throughout 2026.
In case you missed our earlier announcement, we are thrilled to confirm that Halo Fest will be held in Seattle to celebrate 25 Years of Halo. This community event will cater to Halo fans of all kinds, with esports being a significant part of the festivities. At Halo Fest 2026, we will host an HCS Invitational featuring the top invited teams, showcased on stage for attendees and broadcasted for fans at home.
We are incredibly grateful for our amazing community and the ecosystem partners who continue to support Halo. We look forward to collaborating with them to provide even more competitive opportunities and engaging content for our fans. Thank you once again for your unwavering support of the Halo Championship Series. We can't wait to see you in the New Year!
Thanks, Tashi
