Halo Fest Sets $150,000 HCS Invitational for December

Halo Fest will take place in Seattle from Dec. 11-13, 2026, as part of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the Halo video game franchise. Its main esports event will be the invite-only HCS Invitational, featuring eight Halo Infinite teams competing for $150,000.

The event will open on Friday, Dec. 11, with the Seattle Symphony performing music from the Halo games at Benaroya Hall. The convention will run on Dec. 12 and 13 at the Seattle Convention Center’s Arch building.

The tournament will use the current maps and game modes in the Halo Championship Series, Halo’s official esports circuit. The eight teams will receive direct invitations rather than qualify through a points-based system.

Invitation criteria include whether a team is an active HCS partner, whether its players or roster have produced strong results at the highest level and whether the team has contributed positively to the Halo community. Shopify Rebellion, Cloud9, FaZe Clan and TSM have active Halo rosters, but none has been confirmed as an invitee.

The group stage will begin Saturday, Dec. 12. The teams will be split into two groups of four, with each team playing the others in its group. The results will determine which teams advance. Most matches will be best-of-five series, while the grand final is expected to be best-of-seven.

The winner will receive $50,000, with $25,000 going to the runner-up. The teams in third and fourth place will receive $20,000 and $15,000, respectively. Fifth- and sixth-place teams will each receive $12,000, while the teams in seventh and eighth place will each receive $8,000.

Halo Fest will offer an additional $50,000 in prize money through open competitions for attendees. The competitions will cover several games in the Halo series, and some matches may be held on the event’s main esports stage.

Follow our gaming coverage and visit our game gift marketplace for available digital products.