Halo – XSET Acquires Halo Infinite Crowd Pleasers Roster

XSET has become the latest eSports organization to join the Halo Infinite scene, with the recently launched game having attracted the interest of many. XSET announced their entry after acquiring the Crowd Pleasers roster, which is made up by Halo 5 pros and experienced pros. Their roster is made up by Carlos “Cratos” Ayala, Oliver “FilthyG” Gerlach, Ayden “Suspector” Hill and Steven “PorkyJ” James.

Cratos and Suspector are more than familiar with each other, having on the same team since 2015. Speaking on his relationship with Suspector, Cratos said that “we’ve had teammates say to us before that we only play for each other because our teamwork is so good.” Meanwhile, Suspector responded by saying: “No matter what we say, we know we both know each other. We want to just be the best team we can be and get better, otherwise we wouldn’t still be here together. So, we just know whatever we say is genuine and for the team.”

Why XSET Almost Missed Out on the Crowd Pleasers Roster

Things almost didn’t work out for XSET, with both Cratos and Suspector having been considering moving to Call of Duty, while PorkyJ and Filthy G were both playing Halo 3. However, with the Halo 3 scene having shown little sign of reemerging, XSET was able to step in.

With the release of Halo Infinite having been delayed, many Halo pros were left sweating on their futures. Speaking on the issue, Crowd Pleasers described their feelings as “depressed”. However, this quickly changed, with everyone now wanting to get in on the act. In fact, the likes of Cloud9, G2, Sentinels, OpTiC Gaming, Fnatic and FaZe Clan have already picked up Halo Infinite rosters.

Can XSET Compete at the Highest Level in Halo Infinite?

It appears likely that more and more orgs will look to invest in the scene at the beginning of 2022. However, Halo is looking to maintain its modest origins, with open bracket events set to continue to be held. Speaking on this, Cratos stated that: “That’s a good thing and Halo is doing it well. That’s not competition. That’s gatekeeping. Like that has nothing to do with competition at that point.”

XSET could well challenge for the top places at events in the near future, with the roster having achieved a top-12 finish in the last two HCS NA open tournaments. In the process, the team picked up 1,320 HCS points, meaning that confidence should be high, as they look to qualify for the Raleigh Kickoff Major at the beginning of December.