X Games Aspen 2016 – Halo Results

This weekend we finally experienced the first major Halo 5 LAN, taking place at the 2016 Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado. The top six teams from the North American Halo World Championship Qualifier were invited, as well as two teams from Europe who won their region’s own HWC qualifier. The event was streamed through not only Twitch and MLG TV, but also on ESPN’s streaming service with highlights appearing on the actual ESPN channels! This means that ESPN gave their Halo event the same treatment as The International, effectively the world championship for DOTA 2 and the biggest event in the world.

1st: Evil Geniuses ($15,000)

Many were skeptical as to whether or not EG could win this event after Lethul’s departure to CLG. In the qualifier before X Games, EG seemed very weak in their semifinals match against CLG, raising concerns about Commonly as Lethul’s replacement. After taking them down in the grand finals and winning the X Games, it’s safe to say Commonly was a good choice.

2nd: Counter Logic Gaming ($10,000)

There is no doubt that CLG was coming to this event to win gold. They were dominating everyone they played and didn’t even lose a single map until they faced EG in the grand finals. Although they did fall short, this was still a phenomenal performance by them and they will surely place well at the Halo World Championship.

3rd: Team Allegiance  ($5,000)

Being the #1 seeded team coming into the X Games, Allegiance had high hopes. Although they took a hard loss to EG in the semifinals, this team still performed well against the other teams they faced, including their dominating 4-0 sweep against Renegades in the match for 3rd place.

4th: Renegades

Although they couldn’t win a medal, Renegades still showed us they have potential. They had a lot of close matches and every player on this team went off at some point this event. Unfortunately, these players went off at different times and they really lost their composure against Allegiance in the 3rd place match.

5th: Dream Team

In every tournament they compete in, they seem to look better and better, which is a sign that their chemistry is growing. Hopefully, we continue to see this team get better as the Halo World Championship nears.

6th: PENTA Sports

One of two EU teams coming into this event, PENTA surprised a lot of people with their unique playing style. In all their matches, you could tell that both teams were a bit thrown off by the way the other played. I was really impressed with the individual talent each player had. All four of them really showed us how individual skill can help you in a lot of tight situations. Although they didn’t win a medal, this was still a promising performance from PENTA.

7th: Epsilon

With a surprising 7th place finish, many were disappointed in Epsilon’s performance at this event. With 2nd seeded EU team PENTA placing better than them, Epsilon must have been pretty disappointed in themselves as well. Hopefully, they do better at regionals.

8th: Team Liquid

Liquid looked extremely weak this event. Losing close matches, getting outplayed, and sometimes even getting blown out, Liquid was a disaster. I was really disappointed with aPG’s individual performance, being one of the major play makers for this team. aPG looked like he was off his game and couldn’t build any lasting momentum for Liquid.

This was a great event for both the viewer and the player. Great matches, great storylines, great venue, and great streaming made this X Games a historical one that no Halo fan will forget.

What did you think about X Games Aspen 2016? Did you enjoy watching this event? Let us know in the comments section below.