Halo Infinite: Formal Temporarily Replaces Royal 2 On Sentinels Following Suspension

Formal will temporarily replace Royal 2 on Sentinels’ Halo Infinite roster.

Retired professional Call of Duty player Matthew “Formal” Piper confirmed today he would join Sentinels as their temporary fourth player following the suspension of Mathew “Royal 2” Fiorante. This unexpected news follows the outcome of an investigation launched by the Halo Championship Series (HCS) that concluded Royal 2 manipulated server connections to help his team gain an edge on their opponents.

Sentinels were handed a brutal punishment on top of Royal 2's suspension. HCS stripped all of the team's Pro Series Points and removed them from Pool Play at the HCS Raleigh Kick-Off tournament. Sentinels member and two-time Halo World Champion — Tony “LethuL” Campbell Jr. — initially stated his team would not compete in Raleigh next weekend.

That has since changed. Instead of passing on the event, Sentinels will journey to North Carolina with Formal as their fourth player.

SEN Formal Confirmed

On a serious note, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I appreciate the guys on SSG, it was fun to learn the game together, and I wish them the best of luck. I'll be playing with SEN for Raleigh, should be a spicy weekend. I'm still #OpTicForever though.

— OpTic FormaL (@FormaL) December 13, 2021

Formal returned to the competitive Halo scene in Halo Infinite without missing a beat. He enjoyed a brief stint with FaZe Clan before replacing him with veteran Eric “Snip3down” Wrona (https://estnn.com/snip3down-likely-to-return-for-competitive-halo-infinite-season/). Formal then secured a spot on Spacestation Gaming's (SSG) roster as a temporary substitute while representing OpTic Gaming as a content creator. It seemed Formal would venture into Raleigh as a member of SSG, but the recent Sentinels ruling shifted plans significantly.

“On a serious note, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up,” wrote the retired Call of Duty player. “I appreciate the guys on SSG, it was fun to learn the game together, and I wish them the best of luck. I'll be playing with SEN for Raleigh, should be a spicy weekend. I'm still #OpTicForever though.”

It's a perfect scenario for Sentinels and Formal amid a chaotic 48 hours. Formal's dedication to Halo Infinite since launch speaks for itself. He's spent time practicing with top teams and now gets to compete with arguably Halo Infinite's best team. Shortly after the announcement, Formal went live on Twitch to stream scrims alongside his new roster.

What to Expect in the Coming Weeks

H4F

— Sentinels (@Sentinels) December 13, 2021

Sentinels have a chip on their shoulder following what they believe to be an unfair judgment call. Unfortunately, they forfeited their Pool Play position at Raleigh, meaning they'll need to overcome the grueling open bracket. However, Sentinels have proven their resilience before and will rely on Formal to fill the void left by Royal 2.

Royal 2 will most certainly retain his spot on the roster when his suspension ends on January 28. If nothing else, Formal joining Sentinels makes HCS Raleigh a must-watch tournament.