With an unprecedented opening-day draw of $170 million in the US alone, Halo 3 is what most in the business would call "big." Big enough, in fact, to warrant a tournament not a week after the game's launch to provide a proving ground for all those newly initiated red and blue Spartans. Happy to oblige, GameSpot has announced its Halo 3 Crush the Covenant tournament, sponsored by Best Buy.

　　Available now and running until 12 p.m. Pacific on October 1, GameSpot's Total Access subscribers can sign up for the Halo 3 Crush the Covenant tourney. Registration is limited to 32 five-player teams, and combatants will compete in Team Slayer mode in the Xbox 360-exclusive shooter. Those Spartans who emerge as total victors will each receive a $300 gift card to Best Buy, with those on the runner-up team each being awarded $100 in Best Buy credit.

　　The Best Buy Crush the Covenant tournament is open to GameSpot Total Access subscribers residing in the US and Canada (excluding Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, and Vermont, as well as the province of Quebec) aged 17 and older. For a complete list of rules, and more info on the tourney, head over to the Crush the Covenant tournament landing page.