Boasting all four of the numbered Halo titles on a single disc (plus a 20GB download), Halo: The Master Chief Collection was supposed to be a fan's dream. However, a string of matchmaking issues with the multiplayer portion of the Collection has turned things into more of a nightmare.
Luckily, 343 Industries has been working around the clock to fix The Master Chief Collection's various issues and, at a glance, it seems like things are improving. But, rather than cross their fingers and hope things remain that way, Microsoft has decided to postpone the launch of their Halo Championship Series from November 16th to November 23rd.
Given that real money and rewards are involved, it's a smart play on Microsoft's part to delay the HCS pre-season. The whole intent of the Champion Series is to generate buzz for Halo, but if the game still isn't running properly then it's likely to have an opposite reaction.
We know that Halo fans around the world are excited for the launch of the Halo Championship Series, and we are too. The first pre-season online cup was originally scheduled for 11.16, however, we’ve decided to postpone until the following week, as 343 Industries is focused on resolving existing matchmaking issues. This delay will ensure that the first pre-season cup is up to the standards of our fans and competitors.
We’re now targeting 11.23 for the first online pre-season cup, and will provide updates should anything change. Please stay tuned to HaloWaypoint.com/HCS and ESL.gg/HaloeSports for further updates.
For those who might not have heard, the Halo Championship Series is an eSports event that would see teams of four compete in various matches within Halo 2: Anniversary's multiplayer. Every win would net the team points, and the teams with the most points would face off in the finals.
It's a pretty simple set-up but one that requires matchmaking run smoothly. Halo 2 might be a decade old, but there are still plenty of players who will take it and this tournament seriously. We can only imagine what would happen if The Master Chief Collection's problems messed up a team's chance at the finals.
Although Halo: The Master Chief Collection has already seen a few substantial updates already, 343 says they have another matchmaking-focused one in the pipeline. Presumably this would be the update that finally stabilizes the online experience, but we'll have to wait and see. 343 must be confident enough in the update since they delayed the HCS by only a week, but the November 23rd date is merely tentative. They could easily push the tournament back even further if problems persist.
Have you encountered any problems with Halo: The Master Chief Collection's matchmaking? Do you hope to participate in the Championship Series?
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is out now for Xbox One.
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Source: 343
Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina