In a June 30th news post and another Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem installment on halowaypoint.com, 343’s Tahir ‘Tashi’ Hasandjekic revealed the HCS Team Partnership Program, partly centered around esports team cosmetics within Halo Infinite. Evidently, players will be able to sport in-game merch and support their favorite competitive teams through the initiative.
“Well to start, each partnered Team has designed their own in-game content which will be sold in the game on day 1 of Halo Infinite’s release, with more drops releasing over time. Of course, Teams will receive a significant portion of the revenue from each sale.”
The teams which have already joined the program have yet to be revealed or confirmed. Within Halo 5, however, players could purchase team-based weapon skins and emblems, most popularly for Counter Logic Gaming, Evil Geniuses and OpTic Gaming.
Tashi goes on to say, “Additionally, we’re looking to enable teams to create as much content as possible to drive interest in the league.” Whether Halo Infinite content offered through this HCS initiative will include esports cosmetic items beyond Halo 5‘s is not yet known.
As for the perks offered to teams accepted into Team Partnership, Tashi touched on many points:
“We’ll be providing all access to broadcast VODs and footage captured at the event, as well as providing access for Teams to film their own content, including backstage and on stage while their team is competing. Each partnered Team’s roster and coach will also get their travel covered for every event they’re eligible for, even if they start in the open bracket. Partnered Teams will also have an opportunity to include their own sponsors (as long as they don’t conflict with the HCS’ sponsors) directly into our broadcasts.”
Halo Infinite is set to release around autumn of 2021, with the game’s first esports event perhaps coming soon after.
(Video by Esports Talk).
