As 'Halo Infinite' esports enters year 2, teams express cautious optimism

"Viewership is absolutely critical to the success of this ecosystem," wrote Tahir "Tashi" Hasandjekic, head of esports at 343 Industries, the subsidiary of Microsoft that developed "Infinite," in a blog post Jan. 2022. At the time, the HCS was riding high on the popularity of its debut tournament, and the competitive scene was a bright spot in an otherwise dimming constellation. Some of the biggest esports teams in the world, like OpTic Gaming and FaZe Clan, had eagerly joined up for "Halo Infinite," signing veteran stars and top emerging talent. At peak vewiership, more than 267,000 Halo fans were tuned into the game's first major tournament concurrently.