The Halo Championship Series Australia & New Zealand Regional Finals marks the biggest LAN event in history for local talent. With $50,000 on the line at DreamHack Melbourne 2022, here’s a full breakdown of all there is to know about the major tournament.
- Biggest ANZ Halo LAN event to date.
- First ANZ Halo LAN competition in four years.
- $50,000 tourney spanning Sep 2-4.
DreamHack Melbourne 2022 is significant for a number of reasons. Not only is the stage set for the first regional Halo LAN event in four years, but it’s also set to make history as the biggest Halo competition the ANZ region has ever seen.
With a staggering $50,000 USD on the line, a heaping serve of all-important HCS Points, and spots at the upcoming Orlando Major, it’s not one to miss.
So whether you’re attending Melbourne’s first DreamHack event in person or watching along from home, there’s plenty of action to keep up with. Here’s a full breakdown of all there is to know before the HCS ANZ Regional Finals get underway.
HCS ANZ Regional Finals: DreamHack Melbourne streams & schedule
The HCS ANZ Regional Finals are all set to kick off at 11AM AEST on Friday, September 2 and run through until late in the evening on Sunday, September 4. Each day of the competition begins at 11AM local time and games are expected to run until 9:30PM at the latest.
If you’re rocking up in person, you’ll find all Halo action in the Margaret Court Arena throughout the weekend. If you’re watching online, most games will be streamed directly on the official Halo Twitch channel which we’ve embedded here for your convenience.
HCS ANZ Regional Finals: DreamHack Melbourne format
No different from previous Halo Infinite tournaments, the ANZ Regional is broken into multiple stages. First, the top eight teams will lock horns in the Group Stage on Day 1. Four teams have earned their spot through collective HCS Points, two advance through an online qualifier, while the last two secure a position through an Open Bracket on the floor at DreamHack. During this Group Stage, teams compete in best fives through a single round robin to determine their position in the upcoming Championship Bracket.
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The Championship Bracket is where things get serious. The eight teams from before are joined by another two from the Open Bracket to form a 10-team double-elimination bracket. All games are once again best of five except for the Grand Final which bumps to a best of seven.
The overall winner receives the lion’s share of the $50,000 prize pool along with a pool play spot for the HCS Orlando Major on September 23-25. Meanwhile, those in second and third place will have flights and accommodation covered for the Orlando trip, but will start in the Open Bracket instead.
Below is a full breakdown of the prizing split along with bonus rewards for those at the top:
| Placement | Prize | HCS Points | Bonus |
| 1st | $20,000 | 15,000 | Qualified for HCS Orlando Major Pool Play |
| 2nd | $11,000 | 9,000 | Travel costs covered for HCS Orlando Major Open Bracket |
| 3rd | $6,000 | 6,600 | Travel costs covered for HCS Orlando Major Open Bracket |
| 4th | $4,000 | 5,400 | |
| Top 6 | $2,000 | 4,800 | |
| Top 6 | $2,000 | 4,800 | |
| Top 8 | $1,500 | 4,200 | |
| Top 8 | $1,500 | 4,200 | |
| Top 10 | $1,000 | 3,300 | |
| Top 10 | $1,000 | 3,300 |
HCS ANZ Regional Finals: DreamHack Melbourne players & teams
As the biggest Halo tournament in the region’s history, players are giving it their all to secure a spot on stage at DreamHack. As a result, we’ve seen new rosters take shape and countless veterans return to competition.
Chiefs Esports Club has been dominant through the early stages of Infinite, winning 10 of 14 online competitions since launch, including the HCS ANZ Super event. While the likes of Divine Mind and Team Immunity are growing stronger over time, Mindfreak will be looking to repeat the org’s success on LAN, having won the last offline event in the region back at the 2018 Halo World Championship Regional Finals.
Below is a full look at every team locked in for DreamHack Melbourne thus far:
| Team | Roster |
| Divine Mind | Pipz, Plasma, Rated, Swayz |
| Chiefs Esports Club | Beastn, BZIIRK, Madsy, Slayz |
| Mindfreak | Benjy, Deano, Junior, Ninjestics |
| Dire Wolves | Bald, Jordon, Vampt, Zerkil |
| Kitbash | Divinity, Lith, Lolley, Scoobmeistr |
| Team Immunity | Adz, Beanno, Dante, Heff |
| TBA – Open Bracket #1 | – |
| TBA – Open Bracket #2 | – |
| TBA – Open Bracket #3 | – |
| TBA – Open Bracket #4 | – |
We’ll be sure to keep you posted here with all the latest results once action gets underway soon.