Esports Engine to manage Halo Infinite global esports

Esports Engine, the recently-established operations company from the co-founders of Major League Gaming (MLG), will manage global esports efforts for Microsoft’s Halo Infinite.

The Halo Championship Series will return with the release of the upcoming first-person shooter, with Esports Engine and developer 343 Industries planning to “build the greatest esports program Halo has ever seen,” according to a blog post.

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Halo Infinite is set to release during the 2020 holiday season alongside the new Xbox Series X console. It will also be available for Xbox One and Windows PC. In November, 343 Industries announced plans to revive the Halo Championship Series for Halo Infinite, noting that it would reveal a 12-month plan for the program before the competition debuts. The company also plans to help grow the global presence of the esport and work closely with team organisations to make participation more appealing for them.

Adam Apicella, CEO of Esports Engine, commented in a release: “We are extremely excited to work with 343 Industries as their Global Management Partner and leverage our rich Halo history and 20 years of esports operations experience to help build the best program for players, fans, teams, and tournament operators around the world.

“From our experience running Halo for so many years and also being a third-party operator trying to make ends meet – now being able to help design a program that’s something the fans want, something the players want, that’s great for the teams, great for the other operators – it’s super exciting to be involved in such a monumental project.”

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Esports Engine was unveiled in October as part of the launch of Vindex, an esports infrastructure platform headed by MLG co-founders Mike Sepso and Sundance DiGiovanni. The company launched with $60 million (£46.6 million) in Series A funding. Apicella, who originally joined MLG as its first employee after being founded, has extensive experience operating events for Halo and Call of Duty alike.

Esports Insider says: Enlisting a company with the experience and resources of Esports Engine shows that Microsoft and 343 Industries are serious about building Halo Infinite’s competitive scene. The time is ripe for Halo to break out in a big way in esports, with the right support.

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