Microsoft has announced that the Seattle Sounders FC (soccer team) and Xbox have unveiled brand-new Halo 5: Guardians-themed kits that the club will be wearing for Sunday’s full-stadium, nationally televised match against the LA Galaxy on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field (6:30 p.m. PT / FOX Sports 1). In coordination with Xbox, Sunday’s match and the preceding week will feature a bunch of Halo 5: Guardians-inspired festivities, including appearances from Master Chief, Agent Locke, and the iconic Warthog, as well as giveaways at the stadium on match day.
Halo 5: Guardians will release on October 27 for the Xbox One and is the next highly installment in the Halo franchise. According to developer 343 Industries, the game features one of the most ambitious, robust, and epic Halo campaign and multiplayer experience ever created. In Halo 5: Guardians, a mysterious and unstoppable force threatens the galaxy, the Master Chief is missing, and his loyalty is under question. You’ll get to experience the most dramatic and action-packed Halo story to date, in a four-player cooperative epic that spans three worlds. Challenge friends and rivals in new multiplayer modes: Warzone with its massive 24-player battles, and the Arena’s pure 4-versus-4 competitive combat.
“We are honored to partner with Sounders FC and have Halo 5: Guardians participate in this historic moment,” said Bonnie Ross, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft Studios and head of 343 Industries. “We have so many Sounders FC fans at the studio, and we’ll be there in the stands cheering for them alongside the Master Chief and Agent Locke.”
The initiative marks the first time an MLS club has altered its jerseys for any match mid-season, as well as the first time Sounders FC has worn anything other than Rave Green jerseys for an MLS regular season home fixture. The new Halo 5: Guardians-inspired jerseys utilize Sounders FC’s Pitch Black third kits. During warm-ups, Sounders FC players are also wearing limited edition pre-match training tops, custom-made with Sounders FC and Halo 5: Guardians branding. Sunday’s match is the only opportunity that fans have to buy this one-of-a-kind jersey, as a limited supply of 200 are available for purchase at the CenturyLink Field Pro Shop.
20,000 fans at CenturyLink Field on Sunday are set to receive Halo 5: Guardians and Sounders FC commemorative t-shirts that are being staged throughout the stadium. Those at the stadium on Sunday also have the chance to see Halo 5: Guardians come to life, as a life-sized Halo Warthog vehicle will be part of the celebration, and characters the Master Chief and Agent Locke will be on-site for fans to take pictures and interact with throughout Sunday’s match. Additionally, a scavenger hunt is taking place at halftime – where the Master Chief and Agent Locke will be planted within CenturyLink Field concourses, encouraging fans to find them for the opportunity to win a Sounders FC / Halo 5 Guardians kit.
Fans of Sounders FC and Halo don’t have to wait until Sunday to get in on the action, as a bevy of Halo 5: Guardians-inspired content is now available at SoundersFC.com/Halo5. There, fans can find information about the jersey, a photo gallery and video packages from the photo shoot. Fans will also find plenty of chances to win Sounders FC / Halo: 5 Guardians jerseys, as well as custom computer, tablet, and mobile backgrounds containing players wearing the Sounders FC / Halo 5: Guardians kits available for download. These will be released throughout the week.
Additionally, fans are encouraged to share their thoughts on the jerseys on social media, using the official hashtag #Halo5SFC. Posts using that hashtag will be included on a tagboard feed featured on the SoundersFC.com/Halo5 landing page and on the CenturyLink Field hustleboards during Sunday’s match, with tagboard participants receiving special opportunities to win Sounders FC and Halo 5: Guardians prizes.
“Initiatives like this are what make our partnership with Xbox so engaging and innovative,” said Sounders FC Owner Adrian Hanauer. “For the first time in league history, our respective organizations are collaborating to alter the primary partner mark on the front of our jerseys during a regular season campaign. We’re thrilled to work with Xbox on this project, and hope that fans of both Sounders FC and the Halo franchise enjoy seeing our partnership come to life in new and creative ways over the next week.”
Be sure to check out how the new REQ system works in Halo 5, as well as what’s changed since the Halo 5 multiplayer beta a few months ago. We’ll have more on Halo 5: Guardians as the October 27 release date approaches.
