Halo 4 Global Championships Kick Off As "Biggest Ever"

The Halo series for the Xbox is seen as one of the most popular video game series on the planet, so it makes sense that a global championship tournament would be based entirely on the newest game in the lineup. 343 Industries and Virgin Gaming are partnering up to bring the tournament to gamers, and it's said to be the "biggest Halo 4 tournament ever."

There will be a total of $500,000 in prizes throughout the tournament, including a $200,000 grand prize for the gamers who can win it all. The tournament will span over five weeks with multiple live events over Xbox Live. It will all kick off this Friday, July 5, with Xbox Live head-to-heads starting on July 15.

The matches will be free-for-all and will consist of a series of qualifying rounds that will be based on average scores and elimination matches. Unlike a lot of the big competitions around the world, this tournament will take place over Xbox Live, and anyone can sign up for the chance to compete and win some big cash prizes.

Each week, gamers will be challenged to complete at least 20 matches against 7 random players, and the game type will be changed weekly. The top four players from each week of competitions will be flown in to compete in the finals in Seattle, Washington from August 31 to September 1.

26 gamers total will be picked to compete in the finals. Of course, there will most likely be millions of gamers competing for prizes in the tournament, but that shouldn't stop you from joining in on the fun if you think you're decent with a controller. There's no word on when registration will close, but the tournament starts in just a couple of days, so be sure to get your name in the hat before time's up.