After record numbers, Halo's future in esports looks bright

**This story about revivals, boiled down, in 2:28 minutes.**

What's the fuss?

Upon the conclusion of the first major Halo tournament in years, the competitive franchise looks to be back in fighting form - but perhaps it's too soon to call.

The situation

Halo is one of the rare gaming franchises that is a household name, not only for spawning one of the best protagonists of all time, but for its competitive scene.

Before esports was even a "thing", Halo was at one point the most popular competitive video game and is often credited as the pioneer that brought esports into the mainstream.
However, the mixed reception of the last 2 Halo games destroyed interest in the game's professional scene, forcing it to retreat into the shadows.

With the recent release of the latest game in the franchise, Halo Infinite, professional Halo has made a triumphant return.

The Halo Championship Series' (HCS) latest tournament just ended, with North America's esports org Cloud9 winning the majority of the $350,000 prize pool.
Despite this being Halo's first official major tournament in over 3 years, it became the most viewed Halo tournament only on its first day with over 150,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch.
A part from a few technical issues, many are praising how well HCS' return was executed, and in turn are lambasting other leagues for how poorly they're operating in comparison.

Boiling it down

Record-breaking viewership for HCS could be derived from a few factors.

Hosting an official esports tournament weeks after a game's release carries a lot of momentum, since interest in the game is always highest upon release.
Approximately 230 teams competed in the open-bracket tournament, meaning it was more likely that fans had their favourite team in competition vs. a closed-bracket tournament.

Esports organizations are always on the lookout for the next big IP, and Halo might be it...

...but even though professional Halo certainly returned in a big way, it's important to be optimistically cautious.
Aspiring esports-centric games can start out with a bang, but can also end up fizzling out over time.

Thank you so much for reading! Please consider subscribing if you enjoy stories like this delivered directly to you every Tuesday and Friday morning!

Any and all feedback is valid and welcome.