Full Timeline for HCS Open Circuit Revealed, Online Cups Make a Return

In an announcement Monday, the HCS revealed a full timeline for the North American HCS Open Circuit. The timeline features six online placement tournaments and two conclusive live events. With HCS Daytona quickly approaching, amateur players must soon face off online for seeding points. This article presents the timeline for the HCS Open Circuit and breaks down the format.

HCS/UMG Daytona

To seed for HCS Daytona, Millennial Esports will host two online Placement Cups. Each cup will operate a double elimination format, with best-of-5

Image by Twitter.com/UMGEvents

series played throughout. The first cup will use the newly-crafted “V2” settings. This will be the first official tournament in which these settings are used. For the second Placement Cup, Halo mentions potential use of “V3” settings.

These Placement Cups will be open to any team outside of the top 7, and will likely draw most of the top amateur talent. To raise the stakes, Halo states that the winner of Placement Cup #2 will ultimately bear the 8^th seed overall at HCS Daytona.

Important Open Circuit Dates

The Open Circuit format is as follows:

• Placement Cup #1 – April 29-30
• Placement Cup #2 – May 6-7
• UMG/HCS Daytona – May 12-14
• Cup #1 – May 27-28
• Cup #2 – June 3-4
• Cup #3 – June 24-25
• Cup #4 – July 8-9
• Dreamhack Atlanta – July 21-23

Details are still scarce surrounding the four online cups preceding Dreamhack Atlanta. It can be assumed that the cups will be used for seeding the amateur bracket. Four online cups will allow amateur teams to further solidify their status without placing too much weight on one single tournament

Image by ESLgaming.com

With the announcement, Halo reiterates their dedication to amateur players who want to fight for pro status. Although there will be several opportunities for amateurs to ascend the ranks, the heavy reliance on online play may leave a bitter taste in the mouths of players. Online tournaments drew criticism last season from pro and amateur players alike, due to their sometimes-unreliable nature. Hopefully, these tournaments will not be plagued with connectivity issues.

Despite players hoping for a more event-oriented Open Circuit, the improved structure will be a refreshing characteristic for most. Nevertheless, this summer will deliver more spectacular Halo matches, and prove who has best mastered the new competitive settings.

Are you competing in the upcoming Halo 5 Open circuit? Let us know in the comments!

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