Envy Halo is now OpTic Halo. Here’s what that means prior to Halo Infinite’s December release

Halo esports is almost back, and the recent merger between Envy Gaming and OpTic Gaming has a role to play.

What do those two things have to do with each other? Well, the Envy Halo Championship Series team rebranded to become the OpTic team, the two organizations announced Monday afternoon.

Big moves have been made just in the last week as those two powerhouse Call of Duty franchises became one. The Dallas Empire became OpTic Texas. Envy Halo is now OpTic Halo.

“To be honest with you, I think we were going to be good either way,” OpTic’s Halo general manager Marcus “Elumnite” Lovejoy told The Dallas Morning News. “But this just increases everyone’s level of exposure to the community. Not just limited to Halo, but if you are an OpTic fan you are following OpTic, tuning in to ensure the OpTic brand is winning.”

The occasion was timely for OpTic and Envy. The highly anticipated Halo Infinite is set to release Dec. 8, and the roster was already announced by Envy back in late August. The multiplayer for the game actually release Monday in time with the rebranding announcement.

Joey “TriPPPeY” Taylor, Tommy “Lucid” Wilson, Justin “iGotUrPistola” Deese and Bradley “aPG” Laws headline the OpTic team. Former pro Jason “Lunchbox” Brown was added by OpTic as head coach.

Taylor, 24, who signed on to be an Envy player, didn’t see this card in his hand.

“That was the last thing on my mind. Never for a second did I think these things could come together and be true,” Taylor said. “I’ve always been a big fan, keeping up with the YouTube content. It’s mind boggling in a way, just having watched them for so long.”

While the news of OpTic being back in Halo may have been exciting, it could also be seen as a bummer to Envy followers loyal to that name. Envy founder Mike Rufail assured Envy die-hards that his organization is still rooted in all of the recent action when the merger was first announced on Nov. 8.

While Envy might not be visible in the Call of Duty League, having former Dallas Empire players Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro and Indervir “iLLeY” Dhaliwal involved, along with the resources mostly coming from Envy, kept Envy in that scene.

What does that mean for Envy/OpTic Halo esports? Envy has three first-place finishes in various Esports Arena competitions for small cash prizes. Envy placed third at the Halo World Championship in 2018.

This could be a breakout moment for the OpTic team in esport that’s basically being reborn.

“Everyone deep down, even if it’s in their esports roots, knows Halo,” Taylor said. “I mean Halo was the pillar for what esports is now. For it to be a thing again, and for OpTic being in it again, it’s great.”

The newest Halo title releases in three weeks. Then the professional scrimmages will be unleashed. OpTic, and Envy, by proxy, will be at the forefront.