Halo 5 and Gears of War 4 Headline a Simultaneous Esports Tournament in New Orleans

During today's Inside Xbox show, Microsoft announced that two of Xbox's top franchises will hold a joint esports event. The Halo Championship Series and Gears Pro Circuit are teaming up with Major League Gaming and hold simultaneous tournaments at the New Orleans Convention Center.

Gears of War 4 players will compete for a $250,000 prize pool following the first Gears Pro Circuit title tournament in Las Vegas earlier this year. Meanwhile, professional Halo players will also battle for a $250,000 prize pool following the million-dollar Halo World Championship in Seattle.

The event will run from July 13 to July 15, and will invite hundreds of the best players and teams. There will be two main stages hosting the events simultaneously, and two open bracket areas for would-be champions.

The esports push from these two games cap off another year of esports growth as establish games get in on the action. Halo 5: Guardians and Gears of War 4, the two games in competition, were released in 2015 and 2016 respectively. It makes me wonder if a refresh isn't in order for these two franchises. The newly announced Halo arcade cabinet aside.

Hopefully we will learn more about the future of these popular Xbox franchises at E3 2018 this year. For a full schedule, check out our complete E3 2018 guide, or visit us when the USgamer team goes to LA to cover the event.