Matthew Grant is an SFX artist, a high-ranking member of the Cleaners, and an antagonist in the Battle for Brooklyn DLC. Although he wasn't confronted directly by Division agents, he was directly involved in the events that unraveled in Brooklyn, as he was enlisted by Black Tusk officer, Richard Danvers, to use his studio to create deep-fake videos as well as broadcasting propaganda to spread misinformation about Aaron Keener and The Bridge settlement.
History[]
Not much is known about Matthew Grant prior to the outbreak, aside from the fact that he worked as an SFX Artist. Ten years prior to the outbreak, he was involved in creating special effects for a commercial that Natalya Sokolova starred in. Though Grant had joined in with the Cleaners during the Green Poison crisis, his SFX skills made an impression on Sokolova.
Indeed, Grant was contacted by Black Tusk officer, Richard Danvers, where he'd be recruited for his talent. With his SFX studio at Dumbo Skate Park intact and with tech loaned from the Descent simulation program, Grant created deep-fake videos of Aaron Keener as a megalomaniacal psychopath as part of a psy-op to make people believe that Keener and The Bridge settlement are the bad guys.
Battle for Brooklyn[]
Though Division agents didn't confront Grant throughout their campaign against Richard Danvers, he was liable to the events unfolding there. He helped Sarah Moretti in faking her death using the Descent sim's tech, making the Bridge's inhabitants believe she died at the Hudson River.
Grant's voice can also be heard in the Cleaners Propaganda Broadcasts in Brooklyn. In these broadcasts, he explains the Cleaners' actions, justifying they're making the hard choices in burning out the infection. Moreover, the broadcasts also have him claim that The Bridge is developing a bioweapon, and claim it's imperative to destroy the settlement.
Grant was stationed at The Army Terminal, while Black Tusk was getting ready to set their Zeppelin against the Bridge. When the Division attacked the compound, he was extracted via a helicopter alongside the scientists working there. While he luckily avoided the agents' wrath, the same couldn't be said for Richard Danvers.
And with the Cleaners' operations in Brooklyn majorly disrupted and Danvers dead, Matthew Grant is set to be the next leader for the faction. Although, with his movie set studio in the skate park had been taken over by the Division, it doesn't look like he'll be able to create deep-fake propaganda. But, there's no doubt that Black Tusk would happily provide Grant with a new movie set and the Descent simulation tech to keep creating deep-fake videos against their enemies.
Not to mention, his current location is unknown for the time being.
For the Love of a Violent Death Machine[]
In an update report that Richard Danvers made for Matthew Grant, he expressed concerns over Grant not being fully connected to reality, talking about his weird attachment to the Warhound, Violet.
This is further corroborated when Division agents uncovered two comms in the Descent simulation facility, involving Grant being doting and playful for what is, basically, a violent death machine. In fact, during his playtime with Violet, he was interrupted by Danvers asking him on what he was doing, only for Grant to deflect and say it's nothing
And with Violet destroyed, there's no doubt that Grant would want revenge against the Division for killing his "pet".
Personality and traits[]
In many of the comms featured in Battle for Brooklyn, Matthew Grant is presented as an affable and effective leader that some of his fellow Cleaners really like, if a bit socially awkward. But in truth, he's also a sociopath with no regards for ethics, given he willingly helped Sarah Moretti to fake her death using the Descent simulation tech that was given to him, and helped her out in her terror campaign across Brooklyn. There's also his movie set at DUMBO Skate Park that he used to create deep-fake videos against Keener and The Bridge settlement, to manufacture a propaganda narrative against them. A fake one, but a narrative nonetheless.
And it would be remiss not to mention he alongside Richard Danvers were instrumental in creating the Purple Flame accelerant. A terrifying and dangerous weapon that made the Cleaners more deadly than ever.
These methods do make him truly devoted to the Cleaners and their cause, as he can be heard in propaganda broadcasts across Brooklyn. In those broadcasts, Grant gives praise to the faction's founder, Joe Ferro, believing that Manhattan would've been ravaged by the Green Poison without his unwavering leadership. Arguing that his fellow Cleaners are doing what needs to be done. In his eyes, he sees the Cleaners' mission as not just eradicating the virus, but to eradicate the top of the social ladder from society, his reasoning being that the quarantine distilled people's values, and didn't turn them evil, arguing that people like Keener were part of the problem.
Furthermore, he wishes to return to the old days of movie theatres, hanging out with friends, and not having to worry shaking hands with someone would make him very ill and dead. That is why he's devoted to the Cleaners and their cause, and try to get ahead of the bioweapon that the Bridge was building, which isn't even true.
With that all being said, Matthew Grant isn't fully attached to reality, namely his fondness of the Warhound; Violet. Violet is a vicious and deadly Warhound equipped with Purple Flame. Yet, he treats it like a pet and plays around with it, which was noted by Richard Danvers during his report on Grant, citing concerns of liability about him. This might also add to his admiration of Natalya Sokolova, as he spoke fondly of her when he did special effects for her Sokolov Concern commercial while he was in a call with Danvers.
To put it simply, Matthew Grant is a creative and talented person. But, he's a sociopath with zero regard of ethics and morality, and a concerning lack of attachment to reality.