Over the weekend, UK-based esports organization Quadrant secured victory at the Europa Halo LAN event held in Blackpool. The tournament featured 32 participating teams, marking the largest European esports event for Halo in 13 years in terms of team participation. Quadrant, established three years ago by British F1 star Lando Norris, triumphed over Navi in the grand final with scores of 3-4 and 3-2. The final game on Recharge, which ended with a 50-49 victory for Quadrant, was particularly tense and decided by a single kill.
Due to time constraints with the venue, the originally planned best-of-seven reset was reduced to a best-of-five, ultimately resulting in Quadrant’s victory. The team, boasting an all-French Halo roster (Lqgend, Sica, SLG, TchiK, and coach KronosZer), prevailed against Navi, which included two UK players (Jimbo and Snipedrone), an Irish player (GloryGGz), a Dutch player (zMightys), and UK coach Wonderboy.
The event, held at the Winter Gardens, was a collaborative effort between creative agency Jellymedia, Blackpool Council, and business collective Blackpool Pride of Place Partnership. The Blackpool Tower was illuminated in Master Chief green to celebrate the occasion. The tournament’s Twitch stream garnered nearly 80,000 views over the two days in mid-November 2023.
Event partners included Vodka Revolution Blackpool, The Imperial Hotel Blackpool, Quadrant, and Blackpool and The Fylde College. The prize pool, boosted by Quadrant in September, amounted to £7,500.
Tickets for both days were priced at £35, with esports activities spanning over eight hours each day. Team passes sold out quickly, with a free Halo-themed after party at Vodka Revolution for attendees, featuring Master Chief cocktails and discounts.
The Europa Halo Blackpool LAN was initially announced in July and aimed to boost Blackpool’s presence in the esports scene. The initiative received support from various sponsors, including Vodka Revolution Blackpool, The Imperial Hotel Blackpool, Quadrant, and Blackpool and The Fylde College. The event showcased Blackpool’s commitment to exploring new ideas and its focus on digital aspects, with esports considered a key component in building on the town’s technological infrastructure.
Jamie Hughes, Jellymedia business development manager, emphasized that the event wasn’t a one-off but part of a broader campaign to establish Blackpool as a prominent destination for esports events. The goal is to make Blackpool synonymous with esports, offering welcoming venues for various esports events at different levels. The success of Europa Halo in November could pave the way for more esports events in Blackpool, reflecting the town’s serious commitment to esports development.