Starting this Saturday is the debut of UMG Gaming’s first halo tournament, with a 10k prize pool. As UMG Chicago is fast approaching, here are a few reasons why you should tune in this weekend:

An Ambush Dynasty

(From left to right: Heinz, Coach Diesel, Pistola, Snipedown, Formal)

If you were ever of a fan of Final Boss throughout halo 2, Str8 Rippin in 2008, Triggers Down in 2009 and Instinct in 2011, then you are definitely a fan of 2013 Ambush.  With a roster consisting of Snipedown, Formal, Heinz and Pistola, it is tough to imagine them losing at a tournament. Coming off a near perfect performance at AGL 7, Ambush looked impressive. They look to make it four in a row this weekend.

The Return of Roy

Twitter and xbox live parties were abuzz when Roy began to start playing halo again. The community erupted when he would subsequently get picked up by team Classic. Dropping Russo from the roster following at third place at AGL 7, the new roster consists of Mikwen, Chig, Ryanoob and Roy. With Russo being mostly considered as the ‘weak link’, this team change can only boost Classic’s placing. However with all the hype, there is a lot of skepticism. This marks only the second major tournament Roy as attended without his brother. Keep in mind he did win that tournament, but it wasn’t after a 5 month hiatus from the game. Look for an explosive series if Ambush and Classic meet this tournament.

UMG’s first halo tournament

UMG Gaming gained popularity as a series of CoD tournaments. It was until a fruitful skype call broadcasted through twitch that they decided to host their first halo tournament. As expected, they will only continue to hold tournaments if the support from viewers and players are there. With more support comes more tournaments, with more tournaments come the return of the players, and it snowballs from there. It is up to us as fans and competitors to help return the Halo community to its former glory.

The Other Guys

(From left to right: Dersky, Flamesword, Coach Joe Fries, Ace and Enable)

It would be foolish for me to leave out analysis on two other key teams that are competing. Warriors attended AGL 7 with a combined 3 days of team practice. With that, they almost beat SQ, and were narrowly edged out by Classic. With a roster boasting the likes of Legit, Goofy, Ninja and APG, it is impossible to count them out. Look for Warriors to put their demons beyond them and finally get that tournament victory post MLG Dallas they have been looking for. Status Quo is another team you shouldn’t sleep on. Fresh off a surprising second place finish at AGL 7, the team compiles of Flamesword, Enable, Ace and Dersky. Much alike Warriors, the team didn’t have much practice leading up to their second place finish.  With two more weeks of practice, these teams can definitely give Ambush a run.

(From Left to right: Goofy, Ninja, Coach Kalvin, Legit, APG)

If anything I’ve reviewed has you licking your chops for some halo action, streaming begins Saturday, June 22^nd. The stream is http://www.twitch.tv/umggaming. Start time TBD.