HCS Raleigh: Big Team Battle Bonanza II Results

Who would win the highly-anticipated Big Team Battle Bonanza runback between Team Walshy and Team Goldenboy?

The Halo Championship Series (HCS) is in the midst of its first LAN event of the year — the Raleigh Kickoff Major. Teams at the professional and amateur level threw their hats into the ring for a share of more than $250K USD and the right to call themselves the best team in Halo Infinite. While much of the tournament featured high-intensity gameplay between the world’s best, there’s always time for some fun at an event of this caliber.

Enter friendly rivals — Halo legend David “Walshy” Walsh and commentator Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez. The pair is one of the best casting duos in Halo Esports. However, don’t let that fool you. Walshy and Goldenboy have been locked into a rivalry since SXSW in 2019. At that fateful event, Team Goldenboy defeated Team Walshy in the first-ever Big Team Battle Bonanza. The competition featured both personalities as team captains, with each having a team of pros behind them for a Big Team Battle showdown.

This evening in Raleigh marked a rematch two years in the making. Team Walshy and Team Goldenboy once again squared off in Big Team Battle, and the results may shock you.

The Setup

Watching @AdamColePro at @HCS. LFG! @Halo #halo pic.twitter.com/2AC4h4HlSA

— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) December 19, 2021

The lead-in was spectacular, as the announcer welcomed Walshy and Goldenboy to the stage. Goldenboy entered with a glorious wrestling belt—his proverbial Big Team Battle Bonanza trophy. Each team introduced their high-profile picks; Goldenboy welcomed professional wrestler Adam Cole and Walshy brought out OpTic Gaming president Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez.

Goldenboy and Walshy went back-and-forth with their trash talk—undoubtedly foreshadowing what would unfold. Both teams had 12 players, including the captains. Team Walshy had the likes of Halo’s greatest of all time OGRE 2 and veteran Snip3down. On the other side, Goldenboy went to war alongside OpTic coach Lunchbox and player aPG.

Rosters

Team Goldenboy

Goldenboy
Adam Cole (All Elite Wrestling Star)
Chris Puckett
UberNick
Jennifer “Lady Echidna” Hal
Bradley “aPG” Laws
ShadyG
Jason “Lunchbox” Brown
OpTic Hitch
Dan Rue
RealLifeSpartan
Ruthless (Event VIP)

Team Walshy

Walshy
Hector “OpTic H3CZ” Rodriguez
Tom “OGRE2” Ryan
Oath
TheReachWay
Eric “Snip3down” Wrona
Jonathan “Renegade” Willett
Valoryze
RevivedAntihero
RitzyPizza
Erika (Event VIP)
Chris (Event VIP)

Goldenboy Wins Second Straight BTB Bonanza

Team @Walshy with the flag cap in OT to win Game 2! pic.twitter.com/noSfTJkRNC

— Halo Esports (@HCS) December 19, 2021

Team Goldenboy took the early lead, winning Stockpile on Highpower 3-2. It seemed the 2019 BTB Bonanza winner had Walshy’s number, but the Halo legend would not go quietly. Team Walshy rallied back from a deficit in game two, where Captain Clutch himself secured an overtime game-clinching flag capture set up by a marvelous Snip3down triple kill to keep his team in the mix.

TANK BEATS EVERYTHING! @UberNick_ pic.twitter.com/py2Bx8AiOM

— Halo Esports (@HCS) December 19, 2021

As fate would have it, the series went to a decisive game three — Total Control on Fragmentation. The two teams proved their worth in a back-and-forth affair. Momentum swung from one side to the other. Team Walshy established an early lead before Team Goldenboy rallied back to tie the game. It came down to the final 30 seconds, where Team Goldenboy established map control and earned the last point, securing their victory.

It was one of the most exciting contests of the day. Goldenboy retained the Big Team Bonanza title and now possesses more bragging rights than one could imagine.