Microsoft and Virgin Gaming have announced the Halo 4 Global Championship, which will see one Spartan claim a grand prize of $200,000. The tournament officially begins on July 5 at the Rooster Teeth Expo and opens to Xbox Live on July 15. Another live event will take place at Gamescom in Germany from August 21 to 25.

There will be five weeks of free-for-all competition on Xbox Live, which will require players to complete at least 20 games a week on specific playlists. 6 finalists from each live event and 20 from the Xbox Live competition will then compete on Microsoft's home turf in Seattle, with the winner pocketing a cool 200 grand. Another $100,000 will be distributed among the remaining 7 finalists, with 2nd place receiving the lion's share at $75,000. All participants will be eligible for randomly drawn prizes, including Xbox 360 games and Avatar items.

Those interested in participating can register now at Halo Waypoint. Complete rules and regulations can be found here.