14 DAY TRIAL // No new Halo title might launch on the Xbox One in 2014, but the development team at 343 Industries and publisher Microsoft are putting all their marketing muscle behind the launch of the new Halo: The Master Chief Collection, with the coming Gamescom 2014 event playing host to a major multiplayer tournament for the shooter.
Gamers who attend the convention will be able to get hands-on time with the title, and the two companies are collaborating with both the Electronic Sports League and the streaming service Twitch to deliver a 4 versus 4 tournament.
The official announcement says that the full prize pool is 10,000 dollars (7,600 Euro) and the tournament is open to all those who have the skill and the time to play Halo: The Master Chief Collection during Gamescom 2014.
343 Industries states, “To qualify for the finals, swing by the ESL Arena in Hall 9, where ESL will have a dedicated area for Halo: The Master Chief Collection competition. On these stations, we’ll be featuring ‘winner stays’ 4v4 gameplay, so grab three teammates (or form a team on the spot) and come compete on Ascension and one other unannounced map.”
At the end of the first four days, the top teams will advance to a final event which will take place on Sunday.
On that day, a free-for-all exhibition will start at 10: 30 AM Central European Time, and the finals will feature commentary from a range of professional players.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection announcements will also be made during the August 12 official Xbox press briefing, and gamers who cannot go to Gamescom 2014 will be able to catch the entire action on Twitch.
343 Industries adds, “With each build of Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer, we come nearer to the version of the game that will be playable on the gamescom floor in just seven days. Next week, we’ll hand the controller to you for the first time, and you’ll hear from fellow Halo fans as they share their impressions of Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer with the world.”
Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be out exclusively on the Xbox One on November 11 in the United States and three days later in Europe.
All the core titles in the series will be included, and the development team says that the graphics are upgraded but all the original glitches are also present.
Halo 5: Guardians, an entirely new title, is expected to be launched at some point in 2015.