GameRiot hits the road this summer

His nickname is Zyos when he's in Master Chief's boots, but his real name is Matthew Leto. Last year he won the World Cyber Games Halo competition, making him the best Halo player in the world. Now, Major League Gaming announced that it's signed Leto to tour alongside the roving GameRiot games festival.

GameRiot has toured the United States for three years running. The festival roams the country, making appearances at state fairs, rock concerts, and amusement parks. This summer's tour, which kicks off June 14, is officially sponsored by a number of outlets and is laboriously titled 2005 MTV2 Presents Nesquik GameRiot, Powered by Xbox.

The tour will give players the opportunity to test out unreleased and just released games, as well as compete head-to-head with Leto. The 21-year-old pro gamer will also sign autographs and pose for pictures with Halo fanatics that show up to GameRiot events. In fact, anyone who scores three kills against Zyos, according to the event promoters, will win a free six-month membership to GameFly, and anyone who beats him will win loot and an MLG management contract.

In 2002, Leto turned pro, and in August of 2003, he joined Major League Gaming, a national pro gaming league that holds more than a dozen events each year and offers more than $250,000 in prizes. He is currently the number one ranked Halo player in the world, and he's one of the top console gaming professionals in America.

The GameRiot tour starts in early June and runs through September 18, making 85 stops around the US.

A partial schedule is as follows:

May 14
Baltimore
HFStival

June 11
Chicago
Hot Import Nights

June 12
Cleveland
House of Blues

June 15-19
Cincinnati
Paramount Parks

June 21
Hartford
Webster Theatre

June 23
Philadelphia
Theatre of Living Arts

June 24
Boston
Avalon

June 25
New York City
Irving Plaza

July 12
Detroit
St. Andrews Hall

July 21
Phoenix
Marquee Theatre

July 23
San Diego
Hot Import Nights

July 24
Los Angeles
Avalon

July 28
Portland
Roseland Ballroom

July 30
Seattle
Hot Import Nights

August 3-14
Columbus
Ohio State Fair

August 18-28
Louisville
Kentucky State Fair

September 1-5
Richmond
Paramount Parks

September 8-18
Salt Lake City
Utah State Fair