Halo Infinite: How To Watch January 2 HCS Open Series

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Halo Infinite: How To Watch January 2 HCS Open Series

Learn everything you need to know about the HCS Online Open on January 2.


Competitive Halo players are mere hours away from the first online tournament of 2022. The series' latest title — Halo Infinite — is in the midst of an insanely successful launch. Participation and viewership figures are through the roof, and there are no signs of that changing.

On the heels of Cloud9 winning the first offline Major tournament of the year, it’s time to look ahead. Tomorrow, 256 teams will embark on a quest to earn more HCS Series Points in preparation for the next offline event in February.

Join us as we break down everything you need to know about the upcoming HCS Online Open competition, including point distribution, format and schedule.

HCS Online Open Format

Like previous FACEIT tournaments, tomorrow’s HCS Online Open utilizes a best-of-three games, double-elimination bracket format. That means teams will exit the competition following two losses. We can expect to see all the significant names participate, such as Cloud9, OpTic Gaming, Sentinels, eUnited and more.

Additionally, hundreds of amateur squads hope to succeed in this stacked field. All 256 teams will be divided into the upper bracket based on HCS Points. Those points will have major implications on future tournaments. The top eight teams from NA and EU will also receive an invitation to compete in the 16-team double-elimination finals.

Here is a quick breakdown of what you can expect tomorrow:

  • The tournament begins on January 2 at 12 PM EST
  • Open to Xbox and PC players
  • 4v4 format
  • Double-elimination
  • Best-of-three games per round
  • Eight rounds in the upper bracket
  • Fourteen rounds in the lower bracket
  • The teams in NA, EU, ANZ and MEX secure a spot in their region’s week one finals

Point Distribution

  • 1st: 2,000 points
  • 2nd: 1,500 points
  • 3rd: 1,250 points
  • 4th: 1,000 points
  • 5th-6th: 750 points
  • 7th-8th: 500 points
  • 9th-12th: 350 points
  • 13th-16th: 250 points
  • 17th-24th: 200 points
  • 25th-40th: 150 points
  • 41st-72nd: 100 points

Map/Game Mode Rotation

  • Slayer on Aquarius
  • Slayer on Bazaar
  • Slayer on Live Fire
  • Slayer on Recharge
  • Slayer on Streets
  • Strongholds on Live Fire
  • Strongholds on Recharge
  • Strongholds on Streets
  • Capture the Flag on Aquarius
  • Capture the Flag on Bazaar
  • Oddball on Live Fire
  • Oddball on Recharge
  • Oddball on Streets

How to Watch

Halo’s official channels will host a broadcast for the action on January 2. Head over to the Halo Twitch to watch the best teams battle for crucial points tomorrow evening! Those looking to watch the action from Mexico should head over to the Twitch channel Halo_ES.

Individual players on the top squads usually broadcast their perspectives, too. Be sure to check out the Halo Infinite category tomorrow to find your favorite competitors.

Feature Image: HCS

Avatar of Matt Pryor
Matt Pryor
Matt is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University. He appreciates all esports titles but primarily focuses on Fortnite and Call of Duty. Matt continuously analyzes gameplay and plays the games himself to better understand in-game decisions by the best players in the world.