Professional Halo player Tyler “Spartan” Ganza is being fined by the Halo Championship Series for criticizing the game on social media.
Spartan took to Twitter to blast developer 343 Industries over Halo Infinite Season 2, which he felt was “pathetic.” The new season has been largely ridiculed by Halo fans and esports competitors for a lack of content and a prevalence of bugs that have been reported since its release. The Halo developers evidently aren’t keen on prominent personalities discussing the game negatively in a public forum, even if there is truth in their words.
On May 4, Spartan tweeted that Halo Infinite is currently “unplayable.” Just 24 hours later, he tweeted that he was being fined. The eUnited player didn’t seem overly upset about the fine, stating that he was not going to apologize and that he stands by everything he said.
During a recent stream, Spartan continued his rant against Halo Infinite. He joked that developers at 343 Industries could use his fine money to fix the game. He stated his fine is around $2,000, but didn’t give a specific number beyond that.
Why was Spartan fined by 343 Industries?
It’s unknown why Spartan was actually fined. Though fan speculation is that this is punishment from the developers for criticizing the game, the embattled player came short of saying that this was indeed the case.
When fans asked Spratan what exactly led to the fine and what the given reason for the fine was, Spartan became a bit more cagey. The usually outspoken streamer seemed cautious about getting too in-depth about the matter.
“I don’t know how much depth I can go into. I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m allowed to say, but all I’m allowed to say is that 343 fined me,” Spartan replied.
While Spartan wasn’t willing to get into the matter, it should be noted that the Halo Championship Series has a code of conduct. There is one line in the code that states participating players have to express opinions in a “professional manner” and that disparagement will “not be tolerated.” It’s not specified whether disparagement of Halo Infinite itself is explicitly prohibited.
Spartan isn’t the only pro feeling frustrated about the state of Halo Infinite. Many have expressed frustration with the game’s continued lack of new content and its underwhelming games-as-service model. But Spartan’s fine may be a warning to others to keep their negative thoughts to themselves.
