“Halo 4” Global Championship Announced

343 Industries and Virgin Gaming reunite to launch the biggest ‘Halo 4’ tournament ever with $500,000 in prizes

343 Industries, Xbox 360 and Virgin Gaming are teaming up again to launch the “Halo 4” Global Championship: a summer-long tournament that will give gamers around the world a chance to battle* for glory and win $500,000 in prizes, including a grand prize of $200,000.

Spanning multiple live events and five weeks of head-to-heads on Xbox Live, the tournament is the biggest “Halo 4” competition yet, and will kick off at the Rooster Teeth Expo in Austin, Texas on 5^th July, and then on Xbox Live on 15^th July. Competitors will test their skill and fortitude against one another in intense free-for-all matches over a series of qualifying rounds (based on average scores and elimination matches), for a chance to rise through the global leaderboards and win coveted prizes.

The tournament will culminate with a two-day Finals competition in Seattle, WA from 31^st Aug. to 1^st Sept., where players will battle to become the ultimate Spartan, with the top players receiving cash prizes.

Beginning today, players can register for the “Halo 4” Global Championship by visitingwww.halo4globalchampionship.com and will be able to participate in two ways:

·         Online Competition on Xbox Live*. By registering through Virgin Gaming atwww.halo4globalchampionship.com and selecting the custom tournament playlist in “Halo 4,” players will be able to join the competition for free on Xbox Live. Each week there will be a different free-for-all mode for players to enjoy.

To qualify for a chance to compete in the Finals in Seattle, players will need to complete a minimum of 20 matches in the tournament playlist per week. At the end of each week the players with the top four average scores will be deemed winners and be eligible to compete in the Finals. Additionally, each week qualifying players will have a chance to randomly win** special prizes.

Live Events. Players will also be able to join the tournament by participating in live competitions at the Rooster Teeth Expo in Austin, TX from 5^th  to 7^th July, and Gamescom in Cologne, Germany from 21^st to 25^th Aug.

Six finalists from each of the live events and 20 from the online qualifiers will receive an expenses paid trip to participate in the Finals in Seattle, Washington.

For additional information, including the registration process, rules, prizing and a full list of qualifying countries, please visit: www.halo4globalchampionship.com and select the registration link.