Esports tournament organiser Ultimate Gaming Championship (UGC) has partnered with Hi-Rez Studios‘ subsidiary Skillshot Media to improve the production of its upcoming Halo Classic event.
Taking place over January 11-13th right outside of St. Louis, Missouri, the tournament will feature 4v4 and FFA competitions on Halo 3 with a combined prize pool of $35,000 (£27,661.55).
Skillshot Media will provide technology and work on-site alongside UGC to increase the production value of the event streams – its involvement will also provide streaming options for the FFA and Halo CE 2v2 competitions that will take place. Launched in May of this year, the company was devised with esports production and tournament organisation in mind.
Tony Burke, Director of Broadcasting at UGC commented on the partnership: “We’re excited to partner with Skillshot’s broadcast team to bring the online fans and live spectators of classic Halo a unique viewing experience for our Halo: CE and Halo 3 FFA side events.”
The Halo Championship Series ended with DreamHack Atlanta, serving as the last official Halo 5 tournament ahead of Halo: Infinite’s 2020 release. Announced in November, HCS has launched a grassroots initiative to support the franchise’s competitive scene – Halo Classic is the first event as a result of the program.
Cody Luongo, Producer at UGC discussed the upcoming event in a statement: “The response from the community has been explosive. We’re watching former professional players pick up and start streaming classic Halo as a result of this event – it’s been incredible to watch. I’ve awaited the resurgence of traditional Halo in the current esports ecosystem for a long time having witnessed its impact a decade ago and right now it feels like we are experiencing just that.
“Halo is in our bloodline. If you trace back to UGC’s earliest roots you’ll find we have been organizing Halo tournaments for over a decade – needless to say, this event is incredibly special to us.”
Announced on November 18th, UGC had sold 32 team passes for the Halo Classic in less than 48 hours. As things stand, over 130 teams are set to play through an open bracket.
Esports Insider says: It’s unfortunate to see such a classic esports series like Halo suffer a decline in popularity and viewership, but Halo Classic promises a blast from the past. Bringing in Skillshot Media to further improve the experience is a solid move by UGC.