The first 24 hours of the Halo World Championship 2016 were marked by noscopes, upsets, sweeps, and the roar of the crowd. We started with the sixteen best teams from regions around playing in sixteen matches, and after a day of action the group picture has begun to clear up. Here is a quick snapshot of how it all went down, and what it means as we head into Day 2.
GROUP A
What happened:
In unexpected fashion, Team Allegiance found themselves in the face of adversity early on at the HaloWC. After making quick work of Latin American representative Chosen Squad, Team Allegiance clashed against Team Liquid for the first time since the X Games. Allegiance bested Liquid in their previous meeting by a score of 3-1 and looked to do the same this weekend. But Team Liquid had different plans. Although all three games were close, Liquid swept Allegiance 3-0, and Elamite, head coach of Team Liquid, credited their preparation heading into the event.
What it means:
Although they lost that series, Allegiance is still in good position to make it out of group play after they swept Chosen Squad to secure a 1-1 record. They have to beat exceL eSports, who was swept at the hands of Team Liquid. If Allegiance doesn’t, then their tournament run is over and xL advances. Barring a miracle, Chosen Squad is done for the weekend.
GROUP B
What happened:
Renegades is well known for their inconsistencies and shifts in momentum, but that was not the case in Day 1 of the HaloWC. They came roaring out of the gate for their first series against Evil Geniuses, and while the world awaited their signature tilt, they got better with every game. It was a close series that went down to a Game 5 on Plaza Slayer, and Renegades made a statement with a 50-39 win. Team Infused played well enough to beat Exile 5, but struggled against Renegades and does not have an easy day ahead of them on Saturday as they face Evil Geniuses.
What it means:
The weekend is far from over for fan favorites Evil Geniuses. They play Exile 5 to fight for the second place seed out of Group B, where they will then face the challenge of drawing a top seed from a different pool. Nobody would want this to happen in the first round of the bracket, but it’s not inconceivable that EG lands a first round meeting with rival Counter Logic Gaming. Regardless of who their opponent is, EG looks to come out hot and get back to their winning ways.
GROUP C
What happened:
Group C has gone pretty miuch was expected by almost everyone:. eLevate and Denial have both won their games against their foreign counterparts, and in commanding fashion. Both Denial and eLevate have yet to drop a map, while their opponents FAB Games eSports and Team Immunity are both 0-2.
What it means:
Denial and eLevate will clash in a battle of the unbeatens on Saturday which should make for a great series. They are both playing well, but the real litmus test will be when these two teams meet. These two juggernauts will finish in both first and second place, so it is tough to say which seed would be more advantageous as this group plays out.
GROUP D
What happened:
As expected, Counter Logic Gaming had little trouble in Day 1 of the HaloWC. They did drop one game against European titan Epsilon Esports, but have had smooth sailing otherwise. The real story was in the series between Cloud 9 and Epsilon Esports. The very first series of the game pitted these two teams together and the highly anticipated match up did not fail to disappoint. Epsilon Esports got the best of C9 with a final score of 3-1, effectively securing their ticket to bracket play. Confidence is not lacking for the European squad, and Skyfire is yet to win a game, so they should be no trouble for Epsilon.
What it means:
As some have predicted, Cloud 9 may be the only North American team not to make it out of the group stage. C9 would have to beat CLG in order to force a tie, which would throw the group for a loop. But with the way CLG has played so far, it will be a tough task for C9 to beat them.
We are in the middle of the largest Halo tournament in the history of esports and it has lived up to the hype. Multiple teams have their tournament lives hanging by a thread and need to play at their best on Saturday or they will be sent packing. You can catch all the action live starting at 9AM Pacific / 12PM Eastern / 1700 CET. Stay up on all the current #HaloWC news by following us on Twitter and Facebook.
