Pitch Black is about to get an upgrade.
Sounders FC and Xbox on Tuesday unveiled brand new Halo 5: Guardians-themed jerseys that the club is wearing for Sunday’s full-stadium, nationally televised match vs. LA Galaxy on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field (6:30 p.m. PT / FOX Sports 1, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
In coordination with Xbox, Sunday’s match and the preceding week feature a number of Halo 5: Guardians-inspired festivities, including life-size characters and vehicles on-site featured in the game, as well as giveaways at the stadium on matchday. Available for purchase on Oct. 27, exclusively for Xbox One, Halo 5: Guardians is the next highly anticipated installment in the blockbuster Halo franchise and features the most ambitious, robust and epic Halo campaign and multiplayer experience ever created.
“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.”
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 warmups, Sounders FC players are also wearing limited edition pre-match training tops, custom-made with Sounders FC and Halo 5: Guardians branding.
“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 Spartan Locke.”
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 in attendance also have the opportunity to see Halo 5: Guardians come to life, as a life-size Warthog vehicle featured in the Halo franchise will be in Soccer Celebration, and Halo 5: Guardians characters the Master Chief and Spartan 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 Spartan 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 available at SoundersFC.com/Halo5. There fans can find information about the jersey, a photo gallery and video packages from the photo shoot, 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 that 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.
Halo 5: Guardians hits stores Oct. 27 exclusively for the Xbox One. In Halo 5: Guardians, a mysterious and unstoppable force threatens the galaxy, the Master Chief is missing and his loyalty is being questioned. Experience the most dramatic Halo story to date in a four-player cooperative epic that spans three worlds. Challenge friends and rivals in new multiplayer modes: Warzone, massive 24-player battles, and Arena, pure 4-versus-4 competitive combat.
