DreamHack Open ft. Halo returns as one of the headline Halo Infinite esports events of the year. The tournament arrives during a transitional year for the Halo Championship Series (HCS), and it’s been a quieter period than usual for the competitive scene.
That said, the event carries extra weight and provides both established teams and rising squads a shot at claiming a share of the $100,000 prize pool. Here’s everything you need to know, including the tournament’s format, schedule, prize pool, teams, and streaming options.
DreamHack Open ft. Halo Schedule & Format
DreamHack Open ft. Halo runs from March 27-29, 2026, at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, England, during the DreamHack Birmingham festivities.
Across the three-day festival, five Halo tournaments will take place, headlined by the Halo Infinite 4v4 Open. The remaining four competitions are community side events: Halo Infinite FFA, Halo Infinite 2v2, Halo 5 2v2, and Halo 3 2v2 (more on these later).
This main tournament will adopt a three-stage format and run the entire weekend, gradually narrowing the field from an open bracket into a final playoff bracket.
Open Bracket (Friday)
The Halo Infinite 4v4 tournament begins with a 32-team Open Bracket, which includes four teams that qualified online and are seeded 1st–4th. From this stage, the top eight teams advance directly to Pool Play, while those finishing 9th–12th proceed to the Last Chance Qualifier for a final shot at redemption.
Last Chance Qualifier & Pool Play (Saturday)
The Last Chance Qualifier will determine the final two teams to join Pool Play. These 10 teams are then divided into two pools of five, where they will compete in a round-robin to determine the final playoff spots.
The top four teams from each pool advance to the Championship Bracket. The remaining teams are eliminated.
Championship Bracket (Sunday)
The event concludes with the Championship Bracket, which follows a double-elimination bracket. The top four teams from Pool Play will join the Open Bracket’s top four seeds and battle until a champion is crowned.
At each stage, all matches are played as best-of-five series, except the Grand Final, which is best-of-seven with a bracket reset. Additionally, the HCS 2026 map pool will be used:
- Slayer: Live Fire, Origin, Recharge, Solitude, Streets, Vacancy
- Capture The Flag: Aquarius, Empyrean, Origin
- King of the Hill: Lattice, Live Fire, Vacancy
- Oddball: Lattice, Live Fire, Recharge
- Strongholds: Live Fire, Recharge
DreamHack Open ft. Halo Prize Pool Distribution
DreamHack Open ft. Halo features a $100,000 total prize pool, with $86,000 allocated to the Halo Infinite 4v4 main tournament. In addition to the cash prizes, 153,600 HCS points will be awarded to teams competing in the main tournament.
Here’s how the prize money and points will be distributed:
| Place | Prize Money | HCS Points |
| 1st | $35,000 | 25,000 |
| 2nd | $17,000 | 15,000 |
| 3rd | $10,000 | 11,000 |
| 4th | $8,000 | 9,000 |
| 5th–6th | $4,000 (each) | 8,000 (each) |
| 7th–8th | $2,500 (each) | 7,000 (each) |
| 9th–10th | $1,500 (each) | 5,500 (each) |
| 11th–12th | – | 5,000 (each) |
| 13th–16th | – | 4,500 (each) |
| 17th–18th | – | 3,600 (each) |
| 19th–20th | – | 3,300 (each) |
| 21st–24th | – | 2,700 (each) |
| Total | $86,000 | 153,600 |
Teams & Players To Watch At DreamHack Open ft. Halo
While most Halo esports events feature a fixed list of direct invites, DreamHack Open ft. Halo uses an open-bracket structure to create a more unpredictable playing field. This means it will attract a mix of veterans and grassroots teams.
Four teams will enter the event as the top seeds from the online qualifiers, namely Shopify Rebellion, Luminon Gaming, Usubeni, and Inconceivable. These squads will carry early expectations, as they benefit from favorable seeding and a clearer path to Pool Play.
DreamHack events have historically been fertile ground for surprise runs, offering underrepresented teams a rare opportunity to challenge established pros in front of a live audience.
How To Watch DreamHack Open ft. Halo
All the action takes place onsite in DreamHack Birmingham, but you can still tune into the matches live on Twitch and YouTube.
You can always follow the action right here on Thunderpick. While it may not be the same as being in the crowd, our incredible Halo live betting markets and unbeatable real-time odds make every second of gameplay exciting, from start to finish.
How To Buy Tickets
Prefer watching in person? In that case, you’ll have to purchase a DreamHack Birmingham festival ticket via Tixr. This will grant entry to the entire event at the National Exhibition Centre, including the Halo tournaments and other activities taking place over the weekend.
Tickets are available as three-day passes or single-day tickets. The final wave pricing is as follows:
| Ticket Type | Price |
| Friday Day Pass | £35 |
| Saturday Day Pass | £45 |
| Sunday Day Pass | £40 |
| Friday Family Ticket | £55 |
| Saturday Family Ticket | £75 |
| Sunday Family Ticket | £65 |
| 3-Day Festival Pass | £109 |
| 3-Day Premium Pass | £185 |
| 3-Day Family Pass | £194 |
You can refer to the DreamHack website for more detailed ticketing information.
DreamHack Open ft. Halo Side Tournaments
Alongside the main Halo Infinite 4v4 tournament, DreamHack Birmingham will also host community side tournaments.
The Halo Infinite FFA tournament will feature 128 players competing in a single-elimination bracket, with matches played best-of-one until a champion is crowned. Meanwhile, the Halo Infinite 2v2 will see 32 duos compete in a single-elimination bracket, with best-of-three matches and a best-of-five Grand Final.
Additionally, two classic Halo titles will also return for a bit of nostalgia. The Halo 5 2v2 will feature eight teams in a single-elimination bracket with best-of-three matches, while the Halo 3 2v2 tournament expands to 16 teams, also using a single-elimination format with best-of-three matches and a best-of-five Grand Final.
Prize Pool Breakdown
These Halo side tournaments share a $10,000 prize pool, distributed as follows:
- Halo Infinite FFA – $5,000
- Halo Infinite 2v2 – $2,500
- Halo 5 2v2 – $1,000
- Halo 3 2v2 – $1,500
Betting On DreamHack Open ft. Halo
DreamHack Open ft. Halo promises a weekend packed with action, from the chaotic Open Bracket all the way to the Championship Bracket. Plus, with $100,000 in prize money on the line and a mixed field, the tournament is bound to deliver plenty of exciting moments for fans and bettors alike.
To make the most of all the action, head to the Halo betting page at Thunderpick and back your picks today.
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