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Spacestation Gaming Wins HCS Global Invitational in Salt Lake City
Last night, Spacestation Gaming claimed the lion’s share of a $125,000 prize pool as it lifted its most valuable trophy in the history of the Halo Championship Series. It was a hard-fought tournament, and it was a momentous win for another reason – it occurred in SSG’s home state of Utah. Following a dominant Pool Play stage, SSG tore through the Championship Bracket, winning four matches back to back, including a remarkable Grand Final against Sentinels that ended 4 – 0.
It marked Spacestation Gaming’s biggest win in the history of Halo esports, and it came following a super-tight second-place finish at the recent Arlington Major. Now, freshly energised and buzzing with momentum, Spacestation Gaming is one of the top teams to qualify for the Fort Worth Major that’ll take place in October. That’s all that stands between us and the HCS World Championship, due to land in October.
Spacestation is Out of This World
Image Credit: HCS
In many ways, the HCS Global Invitational that took place in Salt Lake City was indicative of the state of Halo esports. It was an event hosted in a venue with a capacity of just 1,200 spectators, and on streaming platforms, the tournament really didn’t perform all that well. But with that being said, the HCS Global Invitational was reportedly an energetic, exciting event for those involved, and clips from inside the venue portray an electric environment created by an engaged, appreciative crowd.
That’s the state of Halo esports right now – it might be quietening down and declining at present, but there’s still a core community there that absolutely loves what’s happening. When Halo Infinite brought back the Halo Championship Series that ran from 2021 to 2022, fans were expecting big things from the scene. However, a lack of solid or positive updates for Halo Infinite, a rapidly dwindling player base, and countless teams leaving the niche made for a shaky, rocky, and ultimately disappointing resurgence.
Regardless, it’s the teams like Spacestation that are still making history in Halo esports. This weekend, a monumental tournament took place in Utah, and if we overlook the numbers, it did feature some of the biggest names in gaming: OpTic, FaZe, Sentinels, Cloud9, and Natus Vincere.
It was a hugely deserved victory from Spacestation Gaming, with the team steamrolling over Gamers First, OpTic Gaming, and Sentinels – twice – to secure the bag and the trophy.
What’s Next for Halo Esports?
During the HCS Global Invitational, the top five teams earned qualification to the Fort Worth Major, which is set to run in Texas between the 1st and the 3rd of September. Following that $250,000 event, the teams that have qualified onwards will kick off the Halo World Championship 2023 tournament, live in Seattle, Washington.
It’s the biggest Halo event of the year and it carries with it a $1 million prize pool. It’ll be attended by the top eight teams from the Fort Worth Major, and then eight other teams that have qualified through other means:
- Top 4 NA in HCS Points
- Top 2 EU in HCS Points
- Winner of the MX Regional Playoff
- Winner of the ANZ Regional Playoff
It’s a highly anticipated event, even if numbers are slipping. Last year’s tournament was won by OpTic Gaming, the legendary organisation that made a solid run in the last season. There have been no epic victories for OpTic Gaming since February of this year – will the boys in green be able to produce another World Championship win, or will it be up to Spacestation Gaming this time around?
Stay tuned to Esports.net for the hottest Halo esports news.
