It appears that ESPN isn’t backing down on featuring eSports either, as it was announced today that the X Games will feature Halo 5: Guardians at its event in Aspen later this month. The Halo World Championship Tour, which features multiplayer competition of Halo 5, will be shown in various highlights and segments during the X Games Aspen telecasts on ESPN between January 28-31.
The Halo World Championship Tour is an ongoing competition where teams earn points for league placements in the chase for a huge jackpot in the finals; however the tournament at X Games Aspen will not contribute any points to teams and will not affect placement for the regional finals. Outside of the prize money up for grabs, this specific competition is more of an exhibition match in that regard.
This will be the first time that the Halo World Championship Tour will be aired on ESPN, marking yet another step forward for eSports and competitive gaming. X Games Vice President Tim Reed says Halo is a good fit for the X Games:
It has been quite clear that 343 Industries put a lot of time and effort into the multiplayer design of Halo 5, with hopes of growing it as an eSport. Head of 343 Industries, Bonnie Ross, said this is another step in making Halo a huge part of eSports:
The teams will face off on-site at X Games Aspen and the event will be streamed on WatchESPN, twitch.tv/halo, and mlg.tv/halo.
What do you think about Halo 5 being televised as part of the X Games? Will you watch?
Source: ESPN X Games
