Fall 2020
Project 343 Industries
Ushering in a new era for Halo esports.
The Spartans were assembling. Halo—one of gaming’s most beloved franchises—was about to celebrate a new installment. Called Halo Infinite, it meant the return of Master Chief and a brand new multiplayer experience. It also meant a comeback for the Halo Championship Series, one of esports’ most prestigious leagues. The HCS (as it is better known) had been forced to suspend its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now 343 Industries—Halo developers and HCS organizers—wanted to kick off the 2021 season in a big way.
343 Industries approached Point Zero in October of 2020. Our mission: create an announcement video for the inaugural Halo Infinite competitive season. This year, HCS had gathered an all-star cast of partner Teams—including Cloud9, eUnited and FaZe Clan. They wanted a legendary cinematic to reveal the full lineup, all set in the Halo universe. A tribute to the players, killstreaks, and victories to come… a Hall of Champions.
For 343 Industries, a lot was riding on the video’s success. Foremost, they hoped to drive hype for Halo Infinite’s launch, inspiring nostalgia in longtime fans and multiplayer vets. But they also wanted to show the esports world that Halo was (still) a force to be reckoned with. The HCS, meanwhile, needed to show its community that multiplayer was back—and bigger than ever. After nearly two years of competitive hiatus, it was time to put Halo esports back on the map.
It was time to put Halo esports back on the map.
Design style
Early on, Point Zero got a sneak peek at broadcast graphics for the upcoming HCS season — to be featured during live competitive matches. The artstyle there, inspired by Halo Infinite, would serve as a foundation to our Hall of Champions. The Hall itself is grand and imposing. It features stone statues and large glass windows, reminiscent of classic Forerunner architecture.
Meanwhile, partner Team logos are displayed in holographic 3D, tapping into the Halo universe’s futuristic themes. To tease each Team reveal, we deconstructed brands into a single, symbolic element. For example, G2 Esports is represented by a Japanese katana blade, reflecting their samurai-kabuto logo.
3D team logo set viewport
NAVI emblem closeup
