Regina Leader Post: “The scandal has sent shockwaves through the world of esports, made headlines at major gaming websites and has put Regina in the spotlight of the controversy.”

“A Regina man who is considered one of the best players in the world at the video game Halo has been suspended from competition after an internal investigation deemed he cheated — whether intentionally or not — in recent online tournaments.”

“Mathew Fiorante, 25, is a two-time world champion at Microsoft’s first-person shooter video game Halo and is signed with the Los Angeles esports organization Sentinels. Fiorante, who goes by the gaming handle Royal 2, has amassed more than $500,000 in tournament winnings over the course of his career. He was recently voted the fifth best Halo player of all time out of 25 competitors, and is the only Canadian who competes in Halo esports.”

“According to the HCS, an investigation determined internet settings had been manipulated during a tournament which gave Fiorante an unfair advantage. That violated the official HCS Handbook rules for code of conduct governing cheating, and specifically the sections regarding hacking and network abuse.”

“As a result of the investigation, Fiorante has been banned from competition until Jan. 28, 2022.”