The Halo Championship Series 2025: Charlotte Major is more than just another stop on the calendar; it’s the last clash before the World Championship, where prize money, prestige, and season-defining results all collide on one stage.

Scheduled for October 3–5, 2025 at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina, the tournament will serve as the fourth and final Major of the season.

Hosted by FaZe Clan, the event continues 2025’s trend of org-led Majors, following OpTic Gaming’s Arlington Major in April and Spacestation Gaming’s Salt Lake City Major in August. The showdown offers a $250,000 prize pool and there will also be a $5,000 FFA tournament over the weekend.

Tickets are already available, and the action will be streamed live across Twitch and YouTube on the official Halo Championship Series stream.

The season leading into Charlotte has been one of mixed signals. While organizations like ENVY have returned to the scene, viewership has fluctuated. Arlington peaked at more than 112,000, but the Dallas Open later dipped to just over 46,000.

Still, 343 Industries has kept the competitive rhythm alive with a steady schedule, giving amateurs chances to prove themselves against top HCS FaZe Major teams on the road to Seattle.

Format and qualification

Charlotte follows the clean structure used across the Halo Championship Series 2025 schedule, easy to follow for newcomers – punishing for teams that fall behind.

• Open Bracket: A large field of amateur and pro hopefuls fight for the last spots; the top four advance to Pool Play
• Pool Play (16 teams): Four groups of four in a single round robin. Group winners and runners-up start in Winners; third place drops into Lower; fourth is eliminated
• Championship Bracket (12 teams): A classic double-elimination Halo Championship Series 2025 bracket. Most series are best-of-five; the Grand Final is best-of-seven with potential for a reset.
• Worlds qualification: Charlotte placements finalize key seeds, and an on-site LCQ fills the remaining berths for Seattle.

Teams can secure their place in the tournament in two ways: regional HCS FaZe Major qualifiers and cumulative HCS points. NA and EU play for Pool Play berths; MX and ANZ compete for travel coverage and entry into the Open Bracket. The ladder is wide, but you still have to climb it.

Based in Salt Lake City, the top four HCS FaZe Major teams already locked Pool Play seeds: Shopify Rebellion (#1), OpTic Gaming (#2), FaZe Clan (#3), and Spacestation Gaming (#4). The remaining spots are filled via points and the regional qualifiers in the run-up to Charlotte.

The favorites for the Halo Championship Series 2025 FaZe Major

Shopify Rebellion

Shopify Rebellion claimed its first-ever HCS Major championship at the HCS Salt Lake City Major, defeating OpTic Gaming in the Grand Final of a hard-fought best-of-seven series. This victory secured them both the trophy and the #1 seed for the HCS 2025 FaZe Major in Charlotte.

Before their championship run, Shopify Rebellion had shown strong form: they finished second at the Arlington Major and fourth at the Dallas Open, marking them as one of the top-performing Halo squads throughout 2025. Their steady success across multiple Major events, not just the one-off victory, demonstrates both consistency and a culmination of their development this season.

OpTic Gaming

OpTic Gaming began the 2025 season by winning the Arlington Major (April 18–20). Despite being sent to the lower bracket early, they executed an impressive gauntlet run, beating Team Singularity, Infamous, Nemesis, Spacestation, and FaZe, before triumphing over Shopify in not one but two best-of-seven series to clinch the title.

Their ability to rebound from the lower bracket and still emerge victorious cements their reputation as one of the favorites heading into the HCS 2025 FaZe Major.

FaZe Clan

FaZe Clan will be hosting the HCS: Charlotte Major, but does that mean they are a team to watch? We think so. The squad earned the third seed for the event after finishing in the top three at the Salt Lake City Major earlier in the season. Hosting adds its own layer of pressure, as expectations from fans and the spotlight on their brand will be greater than at a regular stop. Even so, FaZe’s consistent results across 2025 ensure they arrive in Charlotte as one of the tournament’s leading contenders.

How to watch the tournament

All matches of the HCS 2025 FaZe Major will stream live on Twitch and YouTube. Multiple Twitch channels, including Twitch.tv/Halo, Twitch.tv/HCS, Twitch.tv/HCS_Red, and Twitch.tv/HCS_Blue will broadcast simultaneously to cover matches running at the same time. YouTube will host all streams on the official @HCS channel.

If you’re attending in person, details such as ticket purchases, age restrictions, and daily schedules are available on the official HCS event site.

Charlotte’s place in Halo history

Charlotte isn’t new territory. The city hosted the Year-2 Kickoff Major in 2023, drawing a massive open field and delivering an OpTic vs. FaZe final that helped set the tone for the Infinite era. Returning now as the season’s decider, Charlotte has a similar job: sort the contenders from the pretenders and lock in the storylines we’ll carry to Seattle.

FAQs

Where can you buy Halo Championship Series 2025 tickets?

Tickets for the HCS 2025 FaZe Major are now on sale through the official Halo Waypoint event page. Spectator (General Admission) tickets and team passes are available, with options to purchase directly from the site.

When and where is the HCS 2025: Charlotte Major?

The HCS 2025 FaZe Major runs October 3–5 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. As the final stop before Worlds, the Halo Championship Series 2025 results here directly shape seeding and momentum for Seattle.

How many teams are competing in the HCS FaZe Major?

Sixteen teams start in Pool Play, with four already seeded from Salt Lake City and the rest filled by HCS points and HCS FaZe Major qualifiers. A large Open Bracket on Friday can still punch a few rosters into the main field.

What is the Halo Championship Series 2025 prize pool?

The Halo Championship Series 2025 prize pool for Charlotte is $250,000 for 4v4 plus $5,000 for the FFA. The distribution rewards depth in the bracket, but champions take the biggest share.

Where can I watch the event?

All weekend on the Halo Championship Series stream (Twitch and YouTube). Multiple channels run in parallel during group play and early rounds, with the desk show anchoring the broadcast.

How do teams qualify for the Major?

Through regional HCS FaZe Major qualifiers and season points. NA/EU compete for Pool Play spots; MX/ANZ typically play for travel coverage and Open Bracket entry, ensuring broad regional representation.

Who won the last Major in the Halo Championship Series 2025?

Shopify Rebellion won Salt Lake City over OpTic Gaming in a best-of-seven, locking the top seed for Charlotte and reshaping the title conversation heading into October.