Author: Nik Ranger

Scump admits CDL retirement may have come “too early” but shuts door on possible return OpTic GamingScump has admitted his retirement from the CDL may have come a little “too early”, but he’s nonetheless down any possible return to competitive play. When the star for OpTic Texas, Scump, announced his surprise early retirement in January, the entire community bid farewell to one of the game’s greatest. While the end was expected, Scump’s initial plan would have seen him winding down at the end of the 2023 CDL season. Scump has since gone on to create a plethora of content for OpTic in his ‘new chapter,’ appearing on podcasts, livestreaming, creating new shows with Methodz, and even hosting watch parties which regularly hit higher numbers than CDL’s official streams. Though through it all, there has still been much talk of the legend coming back to compete once again. In a FaZe Swagg vlog where he visited Houston to watch CDL 2023 Major III, he talked to various pros and streamers who came to watch the LAN event live. Since the most recent Major was hosted by none other than OpTic Texas, Scump was there to watch his team attempt an incredible lower-bracket run. It was in the vlog where Swagg questioned how Scump felt about retiring. Now a few weeks removed from the career-shift and he admitted that it may have come a little “too early.” “It’s boring” Scump first joked upon being asked. He then went on to explain how when he retired, he was still holding his own in the league, it wasn’t a matter of him falling off skill-wise. “I was still nice, maybe a little too early,” he said. Swagg then asked if he would return, to which he immediately replied with a blunt “no. It’s too late, it’s over, new chapter, all good.” He has even gone on to say in an interview with Jake Lucky that the thought of coming back to CDL has not crossed his mind yet, and there is a very slim chance he would make a return.

Scump accuses pro players of refusing to scrim OpTic over gentleman’s agreements The competitive Call of Duty scene is once again in turmoil over ‘gentleman’s agreements’, with some pro teams reportedly refusing to practice against teams that don’t conform – notably OpTic. Gentleman’s agreements have been used in previous Call of Duty titles to allow professional players to have more say in what is banned in competitive play, by simply agreeing in private not to use it. Technically, it is against the rules of the CWL to do so, but it is a difficult rule to enforce, and so gentleman’s agreements against certain weapons, attachments and perks have been a common feature for years. With the re-introduction of specialists – and new specialist equipment – there is more than ever up for debate in competitive play. Version 1 of the CWL ruleset has left all but one specialist in play, but professional players perhaps feel this is not limiting enough. Discussions of gentleman’s agreements are typically kept in private, but due to frustrations about lack of practice as the debate over what should and should not be in play, these discussions have spilled over on to social media. OpTic’s Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly and Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell first hinted at issues with tweets stating that ‘slow AR’ players want to remove all entertaining aspects, and have ‘another year of WW2.’ mind blowing bro they wanna play another year of ww2 :rolling_on_the_floor_laughing: — OpTic Dashy (@DashySZN) November 17, 2018 The gentleman’s agreement is believed to be over the ‘grapple hook’ – the specialist equipment only available to the ‘Ruin’ specialist. It allows players to zip quickly to almost any spot in reach by grappling toward it. OpTic’s Seth ‘Scump’ Abner later directly mentioned the grapple hook as the reason certain other teams were refusing to play them. Later on November 17, OpTic scrimmed against Team Envy, with the grapple hook in play, but beforehand Scump speculated that other teams ‘despised’ them, and were refusing to play them. On stream, Scump says “I don’t know if we’re GA’d. So we might not have a scrim. Everyone literally despises us. Just don’t understand it.” Of course, not every team has ‘blacklisted’ OpTic from scrims, but it seems there is a handful of players and teams who do not want to scrim other teams with the grapple hook in play. Amid the controversy, many fans pointed the finger at 100 Thieves player Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat, however he later denied that he had called for gentleman’s agreements on anything. A false narrative consistently gets spread to thousands of fans.. getting super annoying to deal with — 100T SlasheR (@SlasheR_AL) November 17, 2018 It seems that there is confusion even among the pro players themselves as to what is being discussed as potentially agreed out, and what is ‘false narrative’ as SlasheR claims. With less than a month to go until the first event at CWL Vegas on December 7, the top level of players in Call of Duty don’t have long to get things in order before they are truly put to the test in a LAN environment.

Scump accused of Warzone hacking just days after he starts playing Call of Duty LeagueThe CDL offseason means pro players are flocking back to Warzone and it looks like some people can’t fathom just how good they really are. OpTic Chicago’s very own Scump has just started dropping into Verdansk and has already been bombarded with hacking accusations. With the 2021 CDL season wrapped up, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner has only been back in Verdansk for a few days, but that doesn’t mean he’s not already terrorizing lobbies. When he’s not busy putting together a new team for the next CDL season, the former world champion and X-Games Gold medalist has been in top form while streaming Warzone. While the CoD legend is a menace in the competitive scene, he is also causing chaos in Warzone and some viewers are having a hard time believing that such skill is normal. Scump’s been on an absolute tear through Verdansk, but seeing isn’t believing for some members of his Twitch chat. OpTic Scump accused of hacking in Warzone If you haven’t watched pro players before, it’s easy to mistake their good habits and elevated skill level for something else, but it would be fairly shocking to find out that the longest-tenured professional player in Call of Duty had been up to no good for his entire career. Scump has been streaming Warzone for a total of THREE days. Already the chat is being flooded with Comments calling him a hacker or using a Cronus. Actual comedy LMAO pic.twitter.com/RIwhCEQFDy — Kevi 🍀 (@KeviSkillz) September 3, 2021 Even though he is a legendary SMG player in the CDL, these allegations come after he demonstrated exactly how good the Krig 6 can be. While Raven Software have recently picked up the pace cracking down on hackers, it’s wild to see that even the best players in the world aren’t sure if they’re cheating or not. Me getting accused of cheating in warzone pic.twitter.com/DxpbyLUkTG — OpTic Scump (@scump) September 3, 2021 This isn’t a new problem for Call of Duty, accusing players of cheating at the game is somewhat of a tradition in the community, but thankfully it’s easy to see when those claims don’t hold water. Unfortunately, it’s likely we will see more allegations like this crop up as we get further into the CDL off-season. While the competitive Warzone community has grown exponentially over the last year, CDL pros dominated the game while waiting for the release of Cold War, including three members of Atlanta FaZe setting a world record for eliminations in a Quads lobby.

ScummN slams HusKerrs & UnRational after getting dropped for $1.2m World Series of Warzone Dallas Empire/HusKerrsWarzone pro ScummN has slammed his former teammates HusKerrs and UnRational, after they dropped him from their trio last minute ahead of the World Series of Warzone Stage 1 semi-finals and finals. ScummN has been teaming with HusKerrs and UnRational for some time now and were considered serious contenders going into the opening stage of this year’s World Series of Warzone tournaments. That all fell apart, however, when ScummN was dropped from the team, letting his feelings be known in a Twitter post on May 21, not holding back at all. “Welp got dropped for WSOW,” he said. “If anyone needs a 3rd for stage 1 semis/finals lmk … I’m praying on y’all’s downfall and I hope y’all doing absolutely fucking terrible.” He continued: “Feel betrayed in a friendship feel scammed out of money and a spot in the biggest tourney of the year. “Sorry I’m not the best at controlling my emotions but I do believe I have the right to feel the way I do especially when they’ve been plotting for days…goodnight.” HusKerrs responds to ScummN Not long after, HusKerrs bit back. “Decided to part ways with scum for multiple reasons and will be finding a new third for WSOW moving forward,” he said. “Not sure why he felt the need to tweet this, but I wish him and his future teammates the best in managing his immaturity, negativity, and lack of teamwork.” ScummN did later say that rosters are locked, so it’s unclear who his former trio could pick up or whether he can even join a team given the circumstances. The current World Series of Warzone situation is up in the air after Stage 1 was postponed in both EU and NA following severe game crashing issues. With competitors deeming the issue “embarrassing,” it’s still not clear what exactly will be happening going forward. Needless to say, though, ScummN will be out for blood if he comes up against his former teammates.

Scrim screenshot reveals new CWL Pro League roster featuring Apathy and JKap It appears that a new powerhouse professional Call of Duty roster has been built featuring former teammates Bryan ‘Apathy’ Zhelyazkov and Jordan ‘JKap’ Kaplan. Ever since the currently ongoing roster change window opened up on April 5, CoD Rostermania has been on a steady simmer, with no major roster changes having been confirmed yet. However, there’s no doubt that there is a lot of wheeling and dealing going on in behind the scenes, as more and more roster moves are becoming apparent even before being announced. Fan spots Apathy and JKap playing with new team On April 15, an unnamed fan managed to enter a scrim lobby and screenshot all of the players that were partaking. On one side was the entire Gen.G roster except for Colt ‘Havok’ McLendon, who had not loaded in yet, and the other side were five players who were seen playing together for the first time this season. Read More: Sources: FaZe Clan and Denial CWL Pro League lineups revealed following Red Reserve split – Those five players were JKap, Apathy, FC Black’s Timothy ‘Phantomz’ Landis, and Evil Geniuses’ Dillon ‘Attach’ Price and John ‘Xotic’ Bruno. While the roster moves have obviously not been announced yet, this would appear to be Evil Geniuses’ new roster heading into the upcoming CWL London major tournament in May and the remainder of the CWL Pro League that comes after. What does this mean for everyone involved? If this roster is indeed the one that will be representing EG for the remainder of the season, then it obviously has a lot of widespread implications for all of the players involved. Apathy – This roster would confirm the heavy speculation that Apathy is in the process of being dropped from Team Envy. – Attach – It appears that Attach will be staying with EG after rumors had surfaced that he had “begged and cried” EG to let him end his loan spell early and go back to FaZe Clan. – FaZe Clan – Speaking of FaZe, this new roster would confirm that their new fifth will not be Attach once the team completes its purchase of Red Reserve’s league spot. – JKap – It was always clear that JKap would be leaving eUnited after their recent spells of controversy, but now we know which team he’ll probably be joining. – EG’s current roster – Putting together this new roster would obviously mean that some of the current players would have to be dropped, so it looks like it’s going to be goodbye to Jevon ‘Goonjar’ Gooljar-Lim, Mathew ‘Royalty’ Faithfull, and Tyler ‘FeLo’ Johnson. – Apathy and JKap reunited This roster would reunited Apathy and JKap after the two had a very successful spell with Team Envy from 2016-17, which included back-to-back appearances in the CWL Championship Grand Finals, the first of which they won. Read More: Crimsix paints bleak picture for OpTic heading into CWL London after shutting down a scrim – The two were dropped after the Infinite Warfare CWL season, with Apathy joining Evil Geniuses and winning the 2018 CWL Championship and JKap signing with Luminosity Gaming, with whom he won CWL Birmingham. Setting the stage for revenge? If this roster becomes reality, the first time fans could see the squad in action would be May 3-5 at CWL London, where EG will be grouped with eUnited, Red Reserve, and Team Envy. This would give both Apathy (Envy) and JKap (eUnited) a chances to exercise revenge against the orgs that dropped them ahead of the major tournament. This, of course, will be music to the ears of impartial fans who will want to see even more story-lines set up ahead of what should already be a very intense competition.

Scrapped Warzone finisher would have let players teabag their enemies Activision / BungieWhile Activision has seemingly scrapped this content, leaked footage has revealed what a proper ‘teabag’ would look like as a Finishing Move in both Modern Warfare and Warzone. Finishing Moves are all about adding insult to injury. You need to stand directly behind an opponent to get one going, meaning you’ve really outplayed your opposition. While most are harmless, some can really get your enemies seething. Whether it’s having your pet dog come in to get the kill, or Captain Price flicking a cigar on the corpse of his foe, there’s a lot you can do to get on people’s nerves. Modern Warfare provided dozens of these unique animations that can be used across regular multiplayer and Warzone’s battle royale experience. Some have certainly toed the line in the past, though leaked footage has shown that Activision once wanted to go well beyond that line. It turns out they had a fully animated teabag emote ready to go. Labeled as the ‘Bag ‘Em’ Finishing Move in the game’s files, the unreleased animation has you properly embarrassing your target. After stabbing them in the back, your enemy falls to the ground face up. From here, your chosen Operator politely crouches over them, chopping their crotch all the while. It’s the age-old insult brought to life. Rather than mashing the crouch button to quickly teabag, this animation would have really let you assert dominance. There’s no telling why it was never properly released into the game. Though the Finishing Move has seemingly been present in Modern Warfare’s files since Season 3. Developers put the work in to craft the unique animation but it hasn’t yet seen the light of day. Perhaps it was deemed just a little too crude for the general public. Or maybe it’s being held for a future update down the line. Only time will tell if it ever makes it into Warzone. As with the development of any game, there’s always plenty of content cut throughout the process. Though this animation seems completely finished. So Activision had intended to release it at some stage. For now though, you’ll just have to do things the old-fashioned way. If you’re looking to ridicule your enemies, there’s nothing like some tactical crouching to get the job done.

Scrapped Modern Warfare Zombies revealed by developer Activision[jwplayer br5AuoVJ]An Infinity Ward developer has shown what part of a Zombies mode could have looked like in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare before it was scrapped and forgotten about. Prior to the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare back in October, rumors were running wild about what fans could expect to see in the new game. The speculation ranged from an incredibly lengthy campaign mode to a game-changing battle royale map that would have been the biggest around. Some of the rumors like Warzone and the campaign, obviously, came true. Yet, fans also had hints about a possible zombies mode as well. Now, it might not have been interwoven with the zombies story that has branched into other Call of Duty games since first being released as a part of World at War, but it would have been an additional mode for Modern Warfare. Now, Infinity Ward artist Aaron Beck, has released some exploratory screenshots from what should have been Modern Warfare’s Zombies mode. The image shows a special forces soldier and two robots leading three zombies around against a snowy backdrop. “Finally got clearance to share more art from Modern Warfare! So to begin here’s an unused concept from early in production,” Beck noted. “I was thinking it would be fun to play with the classic Call of Duty zombie gameplay.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CCE0enZDqKc/ Obviously, and sadly for zombies fans, the mode isn’t a part of Modern Warfare and is not scheduled to be released. It truly was scrapped, never to be seen again. Though, the art is pretty interesting nonetheless. Beck has also shared additional concept art in the past on his Instagram page, including different watches, a pistol with a golden-looking skin, an unused assault rifle, and even an in-depth look at an unnamed military shotgun. Though, its the look at zombies that is sure to grab plenty of attention.

Scrapped COD Future Warfare game now playable as massive leaks continue ActivisionThe scrapped COD game Future Warfare has gone public, meaning fans can now access it through a torrent file. In the early 2010s, following years of Guitar Hero development, Neversoft Entertainment had the opportunity to pitch a Call of Duty game. The studio devised NX1, or Future Warfare, an experience set several decades in the future. Despite Neverseft building a campaign prototype and multiplayer content, Activision shelved the project outright. However, many of its core ideas later found their way into 2013’s COD: Ghosts. Multiple Future Warfare leaks have circulated since late 2023, featuring gameplay footage, multiplayer details, and a glimpse at the menus. As reported by leaker Forward 2, COD: Future Warfare has “gone public,” allowing fans to get their hands on the late 2011 build via a torrent file and emulator. Early in 2024, a number of map and mission names made the rounds online through leaked gameplay footage and screenshots. Now, a more complete set of maps has surfaced. In addition to previously outed locales like Bin Laden’s Compound, Neversoft also crafted early designs titled Seaport, Skylab, and Subyard. Multiplayer lead Brian Bright explained in Twitter/X posts that Future Warfare’s December 2011 build allowed Neversoft Entertainment to experiment with low gravity and learn the ins and outs of Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 (2009) technology. All in all, Neversoft produced two to three story missions and a host of online-centric content before Activision pulled the plug. As such, players who manage to make use of the torrent file should not go in expecting a fully fleshed-out Call of Duty experience. It is an interesting bit of history, though, given that Future Warfare counts among the nearly one dozen other canned Call of Duty games that simply saw the light of day beyond leaks and cursory details.

Scooter Braun explains why Nadeshot is an inspiration 100 ThievesAhead of Call of Duty pro, Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag, is an inspiration for so many in the gaming industry. Since Nadeshot announced his retirement from professional Call of Duty, he has gone on to build a immensely popular esports organization, 100 Thieves, which has even secured investments from celebrities such as Drake. One of the co-owners at 100 Thieves, music industry mogul Scooter Braun, explained the reason why he thinks the former CoD pro is such an inspiration to many of his fans, while the pair were traveling to TechCrunch Disrupt SF in Nadeshot’s latest vlog. After the pair had touched down in San Francisco, Scooter decided to sing Nadeshot’s praises, highlighting some of the efforts he has put in to get where he is today with 100 Thieves. “Put the camera on me! This man is an inspiration, alright? He was a professional gamer while he worked at McDonald’s for four years and he believed in gaming,” He explained, sharing why he thought Nadeshot was an inspiration. “Now seven years later, he just got off a private jet as an owner of an esports organization going to speak to a crowd to tell people that his dream of gaming is a reality.” Topic starts at 2:22 for mobile users. Despite being clearly grateful all of his co-owner’s praise, Nadeshot replied in classic fashion by simply smiling and brushing off Scooter’s compliments, saying, “It’s no big deal.” The pair then continued to showcase some of the behind-the-scenes action at TechCrunch Disrupt 2019, before making their appearance on stage to discuss all things esports and 100 Thieves. The 100T founder was even asked about the departure of Nick ‘NICKMERCS’ Kolcheff from his organization during the panel, which saw Scooter Braun defend Nadeshot over the criticism he has received for what had happened with the popular Twitch streamer. After Nadeshot announced that his organization would not be competing in the Call of Duty League, the former CoD star has continued to next move for 100 Thieves.

Scavenger Perk receives major buff in Warzone Season 5 Reloaded update ActivisionThe Warzone Season 5 Reloaded update has come with a lot of major changes to the CoD battle royale, including a substantial buff to the Serpentine Perk in an effort to make it more useful. The last major update has arrived in Warzone, and Season 5 Reloaded certainly isn’t holding back. On top of two new weapons in the form of the BP50 and Lienna 57, there are also a ton of gameplay adjustments to keep things fresh before Warzone 2 arrives. As always, the game’s extensive lineup of weapons have been buffed and nerfed to make things more balanced, but this time Raven have also turned their attention to Perks. One of the biggest changes fans will notice is a huge change to the effect of the Scavenger Perk. Scavenger buffed in Warzone Season 5 Reloaded Scavenger is a tried-and-tested Perk option in the CoD series, offering players the opportunity to recover ammo from fallen enemies. However, although you may think it’s a perfect fit for Warzone, most players tend to opt for Serpentine, Double Time, or Cold Blooded in the Perk 1 slot. In fact, according to WZ Ranked, only 2.18% of players run Scavenger in their loadout. Raven Software are looking to address this in the Warzone Season 5 Reloaded update by introducing a nice buff to make the Perk more enticing. Going forward, Scavenger pouches dropped by defeated enemies will drop $1,000 as well as the usual supply of ammo. The devs explained their reasoning behind the buff in the Season 5 Reloaded patch notes, saying: “This Perk is underutilized given its clear value for “Rusher” playstyles, so we have made a change such that the Scavenger pouch from an elimination will now contain a guaranteed $1,000. “We expect this to be a real contender for being a default Perk in the slot, as well as strengthening its role as a Ground Loot Perk for any Players motivated by elimination chasing.” Money is a vital resource in Warzone as allows players to call in their own loadout, as well as useful killstreaks that can provide intel or lay waste to opposing teams. Scavenger is now a surefire way to rack up cash quickly, especially if you’re a player who likes to play aggressively and get involved in fights. Only time will tell how this interesting buff affects the meta in Warzone Season 5 Reloaded, but this change gives Scavenger a better chance than ever before to become a real meta choice from now on.

SBMM Warzone site down? CoD stat tracker stops working after database issue Call of Duty / SBMM WarzoneThe popular SBMM Warzone website, which helps players understand the level of their lobbies and identify potential cheaters, has experienced a widespread crash due to a database issue. Due to a number of factors, namely skill-based matchmaking and the prevalence of cheaters in Warzone, third-party stat tracking applications have become very popular. These websites and applications allow you to get up to date information on not only your own stats, but the stats of players in your lobby. This means you can quickly identify if there’s a potential cheater (a high headshot percentage or unrealistic K/D ratio are usually dead giveaways), or just see the difficulty of your opponents. SBMM Warzone not working? As such, it’s no surprise that these applications became very popular. The most common, SBMM Warzone, has experienced a widespread outage on February 14 though, leaving players in the dark. Read More: How to check your SBMM rank in Warzone – The website has responded to complaints from players on social media, citing a database issue that they’re working to resolve. Seems like we have a database issue. Working on it as we speak 🔧 — Warzone Meta (@WZStatsGG) February 14, 2021 There were some concerns that the issue was a deliberate move on Call of Duty’s part. In late 2020, Activision made the unpopular decision to set all player’s stats to ‘private’ by default. This meant that in order for stats to be tracked by these third-party sites, each player would have to individually enable access to their stats. The majority have players have done so though, and so these stat trackers still remain largely useful, even if somewhat incomplete. The website’s developers are working on the database issue, and hopefully it won’t be long until it’s back up and running, fully-functional. For more details about how to use these SBMM trackers in Warzone, check out our full guide here.

Ruthless Warzone 2 u-turn sets up a revival in Season 2 ActivisionIf it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – Infinity Ward learned this lesson the hard way, scrapping Warzone 2’s latest innovations to revitalize the game in Season 2. The decline has been quite frightening. Warzone 2 reached a peak of 488,897 concurrent players on November 20, and just 17 days later, the concurrent player count plummeted to 217,328, accounting for a 56% loss in users. Content creators grew tired of the underperforming title, and community members threatened to jump ship. A staggering loss of players served as a much-needed wake-up call for the developers of this battle royale sequel. Activision took action by delaying Warzone 2’s second season until February 15. The decision forced Infinity Ward and the other studios back to the drawing board to re-evaluate a new path forward. In what must have been a tough pill to swallow, the development team chalked up their innovations as a failure, concluding the only way forward is backward. Warzone 2 going back to basics in Season 2 On January 25, Raven Software released a lengthy blog post detailing significant changes coming to Warzone 2. The developers scrapped major WZ2 features, moving the game closer to WZ1. This gutsy admission of defeat is just what the game needed. For all of its flaws, the original Warzone experience became a polished title. Raven Software took over as the sole developer during Call of Duty: Cold War and slowly molded it into something fans appreciated. By the end of Caldera, numerous quality-of-life updates and additions put the battle royale in a good position. Warzone 2 was built from the ground up on a new engine. An unfortunate byproduct of the move wiped clean much of WZ1’s quality of life improvements. The 2v2 Gulag, backpack system, and a new perk system unnecessarily rewrote a successful formula. Why Warzone’s 2v2 Gulag failed WZ1 struck gold with the Gulag. After dying, players had the opportunity to earn a second life in a 1v1 fight instead of just twiddling their thumbs while watching teammates. Gulag matches were tense, action-packed, and rewarding. The Gulag set Warzone apart from other battle royale titles, but the feature took a step back in the sequel. Warzone 2 changed it from 1v1 to 2v2 and added an AI enemy halfway through the round. Players could use the new proximity chat feature to talk with their teammates or cooperate with the opposing team to take down the AI enemy, respawning everyone. Much of the community disliked putting their lives in the hands of a random player, and in some instances, the teammate left before a match started. A 2v2 Gulag felt more like a gimmick promoting proximity chat than a noteworthy innovation. Infinity Ward heard the complaints loud and clear and confirmed the Gulag is returning to a 1v1 format in Season 2. Warzone 2’s self res and killstreak epidemic Warzone 2 attempted to streamline looting by adding a backpack system. Players could find medium or large backpacks and organize their inventory like in other battle royale games. Unfortunately, the system didn’t transition well in Warzone. Players abused backpacks by filling them to the brim with self-revives and killstreaks. This made end-of-game circles a nightmare, constantly avoiding air strikes or killing enemies multiple times. And incessantly searching through chests and backpacks to find an item you were looking for bogged down gameplay. The developers announced medium and large backpacks are being removed in Season 2 to cut down on players hoarding items. And when a player opens a chest or kills an enemy, loot scatters on the floor, like in WZ1. Warzone 2’s broken perk system Last but certainly not least, Warzone 2’s new perk system was an unmitigated disaster. The Battle royale sequel took away players’ freedom to edit perks and forced users to choose between preset packages. A game-breaking glitch prevented Ultimate perks from working correctly, and some players reported they could edit perks. The Birdseye perk also unintentionally gives players live updates on an enemy location. A hotfix resolved the Ultimate perk issues, and the Birdseye glitch is listed on the developer Trello Board. Season 2 gives players the ability to edit perks again. The developers are also reducing the pool of available options, possibly removing overpowered perks. All eyes turn to Warzone Season 2 When Season 2 begins on February 15, community members will be ready with either pitchforks or flowers. The developers have certainly put the game in a good position to succeed, based on the changes announced, but it is still very much a gamble. It’s never easy to look in the mirror and accept you made a mistake. Infinity Ward deserves credit for trying to evolve Warzone and even more credit for admitting it was wrong when the innovations failed to resonate with community members. There is nothing more satisfying as a player than having your voice heard. Warzone 2 still has a long way to go in restoring the trust of a frustrated community, but Infinity Ward has surely made the right decision to empower its player base.

Rust could be coming back to Call of Duty in Modern Warfare Infinity WardCall of Duty dataminer ‘TheGamingRevolution’ might have found the biggest leak yet in the Modern Warfare beta, hinting at Rust’s possible return to the franchise. Rust is one of the most iconic maps in CoD history. Released back in 2009 for Modern Warfare 2, the map hasn’t seen the light of day since a small Easter egg in 2014’s Advanced Warfare release. However, Rust could be making a triumphant return to the popular franchise ten years after it was first brought to the community in the latest Modern Warfare game. TheGamingRevolution posted an innocent tweet on September 19 simply captioned “Rust in Modern Warfare,” which has gotten fans in a frenzy over the possible return of one of the game’s most popular maps. Read more: Modern Warfare UI could use more stats – Twitter user ‘ightfalls’ posted “don’t f***ing play with me,” while others have prayed to multiple different deities to see their favorite map back in the game. Rust in Modern Warfare:flushed: pic.twitter.com/V99yyAD5s9 — TheGamingRevolution (@TheGamingRevoYT) September 20, 2019 Rust is a small square-shaped map, focused on short ranged combat. Because of the enclosed nature of the map, players often spawn near each other and in line of sight, making for blood baths in every game and general pandemonium. Some of Modern Warfare’s newest killstreaks would dominate in the confined space Rust provides players too. The Chopper Gunner at ten kills will allow players to bombard opponents with missiles, while the VTOL Jet at eight could provide players some defensive utility. Many are still slightly skeptical of the release, but TheGamingRevolution has a great track record with these kinds of leaks. He predicted a lot of weapon and information leaks for previous Call of Duty games which turned out to be correct. Read more: How to play Modern Warfare beta – A new Rust isn’t the only thing he’s hinted at today as well. He has found clues in the game’s code for the return of CoD Battle Royale in Modern Warfare, similar to popular Blackout mode in Black Ops 4. This could mean that Rust might return in the new Battle Royale mode, or as a stand-alone map in the game. 600While Rust isn’t playable in the Modern Warfare beta for now, fans should keep their eyes peeled for any information regarding the map before the full release on October 25.

Russia beats America in $30K Champions Challenge Warzone event: results Activision / BoomTV / Twitter: Vikkstar123 / Twitter: SymfuhnyAnother major Warzone competition is in the books as the Champions Challenge tournament droped teams from around the globe in head to head action. [jwplayer Q7ySHZq9] Warzone events have become more and more popular over the past few months and the hype train isn’t slowing down anytime soon. BoomTV came back with another huge competition though this time around, the spotlight was on Trios from around the world. Rather than limiting the player base to North America or Europe alone, Champions Challenge invited teams from a variety of regions. In this unique format, it was every team fighting for their nation’s pride along with a considerable prize pool. From Vikkstar to Symfuhny, many of the biggest names were looking to lead their region to victory. Here’s everything you need to catch up on the Champions Challenge Warzone event. Champions Challenge Warzone event recap For many regions, this was the first time players had access to compete in a tournament of this scale. As a result, things were a little shaky to begin with in the minor areas. Despite being fresh to this level of competition, scorelines were kept fairly close throughout the first phase of the event. The Japanese team of competitive CoD veterans wrapped things up with 138 points to their name, while European and Australian Trios pushed slightly ahead. Ultimately, the finals was a battle between two American teams, alongside one Russian and one Brazillian lineup. In this final, two hour stretch of the competition, underdogs came up big. North American Trios did well but it was the often-overlooked talent that took the lead early and cruised into the money. The Russian team consisting of Recrent, Smith, & Ubica walked away as the overall champions. Champions Challenge Warzone event results Champions Challenge Warzone event schedule This particular competition took place across a single day of action. However, it wasn’t a short one. Trios were fighting all throughout Wednesday, November 4 with the first phase having kicked off at 12 PM PT / 3 PM EST / 7 AM AEDT. The first section was a standard kill-race over the course of three hours. Only the top four teams from this phase advanced through to the finals. Two more hours were added to the clock as the best teams then fought for the first-place prize. Competition was fierce over the course of five hours as each region looked to make its mark. The entire event was streamed live on the official BoomTV Twitch account which we’ve embedded below for your convenience. Champions Challenge Warzone event teams Given the unique layout of this event, teams were dropping in from all over the world. The likes of Japanese, Australia, European, and American talent were all battling it out. With that being said, a ton of familiar faces were still in the mix. Without a KD cap in place, the most stacked players formed super teams to lead the charge. Excited to announce the $30k Champions Challenge! Wednesday – 11.4.20. 8 Teams, all from different regions. Featuring our first 4 Captains: @Vikkstar123 @agbin3r @ninexTT @Recrent_ Stay tuned for the announcement of our other captains soon! Tag who needs in this 👇 pic.twitter.com/xPzkOwC5VR — BoomTV (@boomtv) November 2, 2020 Below is a full rundown on every team that competed in the Champions Challenge event. Symfuhny, HusKerrs, & ZLaner – Recrent, Smith, & Ubica – Swagg, SuperEvan, & GD Booya – FataL, Zepa, & Jestxh – AGBIN3R, Safiro FK, & SKRxFACE1 – Rush WinRed, Rush Greedz, & Rush GP – Vikkstar, Tommey, & Aydan – NinexTT, TonyBoy, & Sn4rFx – Champions Challenge Warzone event format No different from other kill-race events, points were awarded for every elimination. Placements were also highly regarded as a first-place finish came with a whopping 25 points. A $30,000 prize pool was split among the top three finalists. First place received $15,000 for their efforts, second place was given $10,000, and third place was handed $5,000. Participants had to be playing from their PCs or on a PlayStation 4 with crossplay enabled. Additionally, no smurfs were allowed in the event, all competitors had to be playing from their main accounts.

Rumored MW4 reveal date potentially leaked by GameStop employee Daily StarHistory has repeated itself, as another internal GameStop leak appears to show the reveal date for Call of Duty 2019, similar to how the Black Ops 4 reveal date was also leaked back in 2018. With the calendar year having reached May, there is still no official word on which game will be the 2019 installment of the popular Call of Duty series. However, the pile of leaks, rumors, and speculation continues to grow larger and larger, with all signs pointing to Modern Warfare 4 being the next game. The latest leak comes courtesy of a GameStop employee, who has posted images of what appears to be an internal stock service from where company employees can order special shirts called ‘Employee Tshirt CoD Reveal.’ Under each individual size option for the shirt, there is a description which includes the date on which the shirt can first be worn. Some of the shirts’ descriptions have May 28, while others show June 4. Both dates from the image above would make a lot of sense considering that Activision have already confirmed that the next CoD game will be officially announced by the end of the current quarter, which ends on June 30. Whichever of the two dates it does end up being revealed on, it will be the latest since Advanced Warfare was unveiled in May, 2014. Since then, three of the four games have been announced during April, with Black Ops 4 being first revealed in March. Considering that no CoD game has been first announced later than May 27 (Modern Warfare 3), it’s more likely that May 28 will be the date when Modern Warfare 4 first gets revealed. Another thing that adds credibility to this GameStop leak is the fact that it wouldn’t be the first time information from within the company has revealed information about an upcoming CoD title. In March 2018, prior to Black Ops 4 being officially announced, images taken of Gamestop’s internal system showed Black Ops 4 t-shirts and merchandise, pretty much confirming the name of last year’s CoD title. What we know about CoD 2019 so far With so many leaks, rumors, and comments made on social media in the past few weeks, it would come as a major shock if MW4 does not end up being the 2019 release. We’ve recently seen the Co-Design Director of Multiplayer and Infinity Ward post a cryptic response to keeping MW4 “simple,” which was followed by a former Infinity Ward employee dropping major hints about the next game. All that said, of course, there still hasn’t been anything officially announced, so until then, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Modern Warfare battle royale mode reportedly releasing post-launch, free-to-play Infinity WardRumors of a battle royale mode in the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have been hanging around for a while, but new details appear to have surfaced, suggesting it will come as a free mode in 2020. On August 7, reputable leaker LongSensation, who was the first to leak the game’s title as just ‘Modern Warfare’, tweeted that the game will indeed have its own battle royale mode. However, while Black Ops 4 saw Blackout as a default game mode included on release, Modern Warfare’s own version will apparently not be coming until early 2020, when it will be free for players to download. So apparently Battle Royale in #ModernWarfare will be a free mode to release in early 2020. It will be downloadable as a separate game, but also will still be connected to the core game. If this is true then it’s a very good move by Activision. — LongSensation (@LongSensationYT) August 7, 2019 This follows previous discussions that have taken place at Activision, concerning tapping into the ‘free-to-play’ gaming market, that Fortnite seems to have kicked into overdrive. LongSensation also stated that a potential battle royale game “will be downloadable as a separate game, but also will still be connected to the core game”. If the rumors are to be believed, it sounds like Modern Warfare’s battle royale will feature weapons and mechanics from the game, but will be available as a separate entity, differing from Blackout in Black Ops 4. Likely the intro will be “”INFINITY WARD”” “”RAVEN SOFTWARE”” “”ACTIVISION”” then a loading screen taking you to the main menu for BR. (Meant 2020, not 2021) 😀 — LongSensation (@LongSensationYT) August 7, 2019 The leaker also suggested details of the how the game will load in, indicating they have seen or heard about the game’s loading process. These rumors fit with previous comments made by Infinity Ward developers, who stated that they are “really focused on core multiplayer”. The game is set to be released on October 25, 2019, while a battle royale mode would come at least a few months later, in line with Infinity Ward’s suggestions that their focus is on the three confirmed modes: Multiplayer, Spec Ops and Campaign. It is key to remember that these reports are not yet confirmed by either Infinity Ward or Activision, and things can always change in game development.

Rumor: Black Ops 2 map Hijacked coming in Cold War Season 4 TreyarchA prominent Call of Duty leaker has claimed that Hijacked – the infamous Black Ops II map – will be making a return in Black Ops Cold War Season 4. Black Ops Cold War has, like recent iterations in the Call of Duty franchise, seen multiple fan-favorite maps from past titles added. While the maps in Treyarch’s 2020 installment have generally been considered solid, the CDL’s competitive maps have grown to be more and more influenced by historic maps. We saw Black Ops II’s Standoff drop as part of Season 3 Reloaded, while Raid, Express, and Nuketown all dropped in previous seasons. All four of those maps have been incorporated into the game’s multiplayer, and it looks like a fourth could be on the way. According to TheMW2Ghost, who has shared reliable information in the past, Hijacked will be re-skinned and released as part of Season 4’s content. The map, set on a seized cruise ship in international waters, was a fan favorite in Black Ops II. Its small design lent itself to fast-paced gameplay, and it became considered one of the best CoD maps ever made. In a May 22 tweet, the leaker tweeted what appears to be a quote from a source, which reads: “90% sure Hijacked is coming [to Cold War] next season.” They followed the tweet up to say that another “surprise” remaster is also expected, similar to the reveal of Express earlier in Cold War’s life-cycle. Should be at least one more surprise random remaster too (like Express) — MW2 OG (@TheMW2Ghost) May 22, 2021 It will not be the first time Hijacked has been remastered – it returned as Skyjacked in 2015’s Black Ops III. It would be the first time it has returned in a boots-on-the-ground game, though. Despite a fairly decent track record for accurate leaks, the implementation of Hijacked remains unconfirmed until either Treyarch or Activision confirm it. Going off the maps we’ve already seen return and Hijacked’s popularity, it certainly seems possible.

Best RPK Warzone loadout: Class setup, attachments, perks, more DexertoThe RPK is back, with the legacy LMG getting a new lease of life in Warzone thanks to the extremely powerful JAK Cataclysm conversion kit. Added in Season 5, the JAK Cataclysm is an Aftermarket Part that converts the RPK into a .50 caliber sniper rifle. While it can’t down enemies in one shot, its two-shot kill produces an unbelievable TTK of just 455 ms, outclassing every other long-range weapon. This AMP’s phenomenal performance isn’t just a result of its freakish damage. For some reason, it has also been given the flinch properties of a regular LMG rather than a sniper rifle. As a result, it doesn’t matter if you shoot second; the JAK Cataclysm hardly flinches regardless. Its unique characteristics and incredible time to kill have quickly seen the RPK take over Warzone’s meta, and it only becomes even more dominant when you use the best loadout possible. Best JAK Cataclysm Warzone loadout Conversion Kit: JAK Cataclysm – Muzzle: Sonic Suppressor L – Laser: SL Razorhawk Laser Light – Stock: Broadside FCT – Underbarrel: SL Skeletal Vertical Grip – First and foremost, the JAK Cataclysm conversion kit is the reason why the RPK is even worth using in the current meta. While the gun is underwhelming as an LMG, it makes for an incredible DMR when equipped with this Aftermarket Part, which can down enemies in just two shots. However, this AMP does come with a hefty downside: it greatly lowers the RPK’s handling. Therefore, using the SL Razorhawk Laser Light is a must, as it provides the biggest boost to ADS Speed of any available attachment. Likewise, both the Broadside FCT and SL Skeletal Vertical Grip further hasten handling, boosting ADS Speed by a combined 8%. While this may not seem like the biggest change in the world, it does make this heavy-duty sniper feel much more responsive. Finally, the Sonic Suppressor L is one of the few attachments that can be used with the JAK Cataclysm that boosts range. With this equipped, the RPK remains extremely competitive well beyond 60 meters, making it a devastating option in Resurgence. Best RPK class: Perks & equipment Perk 1: Double Time – Perk 2: Focus – Perk 3: Cold-Blooded – Perk 4: High Alert – Lethal: Throwing Knife – Tactical: Smoke Grenade – As with most Warzone loadouts, Double Time is a great option to use with the RPK, as it increases Tac Sprint duration, making it easier to get around the map quickly. This is especially important on Resurgence, where the fast-paced gameplay will often leave you behind without this perk. Since the JAK Cataclysm is a sniper, Focus also works great, reducing flinch and extending the duration that you can hold your breath when scoped in. Equally, Cold-Blooded is a must with any sniper, as it counters High Alert, letting you line up that perfect shot without having to worry about enemies dodging in anticipation. Just because other players can’t benefit from High Alert doesn’t mean you can’t. Even though Cold-Blooded does counter this perk, it’s still a great choice, more often than not saving your life by highlighting enemy whereabouts when they aim at you. Without this, you’ll be a sitting duck practically begging to be sniped by someone you didn’t see. For equipment, a Throwing Knife is great for finishing off downed targets in tense situations where you need to rush in with your secondary. We’ve opted to use the Superi 46, but any meta sniper support weapon will suffice. Finally, a Smoke Grenade can be thrown to cover up an otherwise exposed area, creating a window to escape or resurrect downed teammates. How to unlock the JAK Cataclysm conversion kit The JAK Cataclysm conversion kit is unlocked by completing any five weekly challenges from Season 5, Week 2. These can be completed across multiplayer, Warzone, or Zombies, with all three modes counting towards the progress required. Best RPK alternative in Warzone With the JAK Cataclysm kit equipped, the RPK’s closest competitor is the KV Inhibitor, another semi-auto sniper that can down enemy players in two shots. The KV Inhibitor offers superior range but a slower fire rate and has considerably more flinch. If you fancy yourself a marksman, check out both the best snipers and best one-shot snipers currently dominating Warzone’s meta. Also, make sure your game is running smoothly so those crucial headshots are easier to land with the best PC settings or best console settings.

Roze skin finally nerfed in Warzone Season 3 update: here’s what’s changed ActivisionAfter months of terrorizing players in Warzone, the controversial Roze skin has finally been nerfed in the Season 3 update. Here’s exactly how the developers at Raven Software addressed the issue. Ever since its introduction in Warzone, the Roze skin has been a source of frustration. The extremely dark cosmetic was near-impossible to spot in dimly lit areas, making it a hassle to deal with at the best of times. Months passed with no real changes as many of the most popular players called for it to be removed. With the Season 3 update, Raven Software finally confirmed that the Roze skin would be ‘adjusted.’ Now, we have a good understanding of what these changes look like and there’s more to it than you might think. Here’s exactly how the Roze skin has been changed in Season 3 of Warzone. Roze skin changes in Warzone Season 3 The main aspect of the Roze skin changes was to essentially make it more visible. While the dark cosmetic will still maintain a similar appearance moving forward, it should be much easier to spot. Changing the visual of the Roze skin means players should be able to spot it without much of a hassle. Even if players are crouching in dark corners, it will be more in line with every other cosmetic in Warzone. Read more: How to unlock PPSh, Swiss K31 Sniper – The official Season 3 patch notes outlined how the Roze skin will have improved “readability and visibility where sources of light are available.” As a result, it’s more than likely we’ll see Roze’s popularity dwindle in Season 3. No longer providing an in-game advantage means players could soon gravitate towards fresh looks instead. So after months of it being the top skin, prepare to see it less and less moving forward. Warzone Season 3 lighting changes to address Roze skin issues Beyond adjustments to the skin itself, there are higher-level changes in the Season 3 update that aim to address the issue. When it came down to visibility in previous seasons, “it wasn’t all just the skin,” devs outlined. “The lighting of the map itself caused the issues,” they added. In order to address this problematic lighting, changes were made to the map as a whole in Warzone’s Season 3 update. Therefore, the Roze skin will be “easier to see in many areas of the map.” Not only that, but players won’t be able to “hide in the dark” quite like they were before. After months of being one of the most contentious talking points in the Warzone community, players can now breathe a sigh of relief. There should no longer be pesky Roze skins hiding away in dark corners of the map waiting for you to walk by.

Royal Ravens former CDL coach calls out non-payment issues Carolina Royal RavensRoyal Ravens former Call of Duty League coach James “Dominate” Batz took a jab at the organization for potentially not paying their current or ex-employees properly. Unlike other professional sports, where most player contracts are public information, the CDL and other esports leagues keep their financial information under wraps. That was until Activision openly admitted that it had concerns over the future “longevity” of the CDL and OWL in February. An SEC filing revealed both leagues reportedly have teams that owe about $400 million combined in delayed franchise payments that have been deferred since 2020. This all comes after former CDL pros called out the league for allegedly charging organizations $25m to enter the league. Then tensions escalated in April, as the United States Justice Department filed and settled an antitrust lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for allegedly violating antitrust laws around salary caps for OWL and CDL players. The US Government said that Activision illegally implemented rules to keep esports players’ salaries down. A former Royal Ravens CDL coach brought those allegations back to light. Dominate hints at Royal Raven non-payment issues Dominate joined the Royal Ravens in 2019 as a coach and left after the 2023 season. The Royal Ravens relocated to Charlotte from London ahead of the upcoming CDL season. The organization has yet to announce its new roster but has been active on social media. On September 27, the Royal Ravens posted: “Gaming on the go, what can be better than that?” Dominate took the opportunity to answer: “Gaming for a company that pays their current and ex-employees what they’re owed.” Without specifics, it’s impossible to know what the former coach is referring to. However, these allegations caught the eye of CDL community members. The Carolina Ravens did not issue a response to the comment. We will provide an update as the story develops. For more, make sure to check out the rest of our CDL coverage.

Royal Ravens CDL sub TJHaly shows promise during first series Carolina Royal RavensCarolina Royal Ravens last-minute substitute TJHaly showed up big for his temporary team in his first CDL match of 2024. Since rebranding, the Royal Ravens have had a difficult start to the Call of Duty League. Despite having a Call of Duty legend, Clayster, captaining the team, they have yet to find consistent success. With the first Major of the year coming up in Boston, the Royal Ravens had to ensure all their players would be able to make it. ReeaL could not attend the event due to visa issues, which meant the team needed a substitute. TJHaly was left teamless after the Las Vegas Legion shuffled during the offseason. But now the Challengers player was given another opportunity with a substitute spot on the Royal Ravens. TJHaly shines through Royal Ravens loss The Minnesota RØKKR got their first win of the season against the newly-formed Royal Ravens. Despite the clean 0-3 sweep, TJHaly was a bright spot on the team. TJHaly had the second-highest KD on his team at the end of the series. Even with the 0.96 overall, he came close to turning the tide of the game on the final map of Control. He finished with a 1.17 KD, eight objective kills, and nearly 6,000 damage in the five rounds he played. It’s an impressive feat, considering he had multiple issues before the matches. “Been going through it for the past 24 hours trying to get this league PC I got yesterday to overclock my controller, but it was a faulty PC or something,” said TJHaly. “I don’t know, I couldn’t make it happen.” TJHaly still has a few more weeks with the Royal Ravens before the first Major. This gives him plenty of time to grow with the team and give them life at the upcoming event.

ROKKR’s Accuracy explains why it’s best to have a hard CDL group Call of Duty LeagueNot reaching, then meeting, and then exceeding expectations — the Minnesota ROKKR have done it all this season. And Accuracy doesn’t want it to get any easier for his team in CDL Stage 3. The Minnesota ROKKR are in an interesting position this season. Having fully dismantled and rebuilt their roster after 2020, the team had a rough 1-4 stretch into March and made another change — replacing veteran Michael ‘MajorManiak’ Szymaniak with rookie Eli ‘Standy’ Bentz. After the Standy addition, the ROKKR went 4-1 over their next five games. Things looked bright, but Minnesota have yet to surpass a 3-2 record in either Stage Major and now sit at a completely balanced 7-7 on the season. The road might look easier, but there are still obstacles. And, in a Dexerto interview, Lamar ‘Accuracy’ Abedi revealed that he the road to be obstructed. Speaking on the level of play in their Call of Duty League group for Stage 3, the veteran AR elaborated on why he doesn’t want comfortable competition. NO easy groups! 🥊 @AccuracyLA shares his thoughts on @ROKKR’s Stage 3 chances.#CDL2021 | #ROKKR pic.twitter.com/Y2mFjO1WAd — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 23, 2021 In Stage 3, the ROKKR are in Group A alongside the reigning CDL 2020 Champion Dallas Empire, reigning Stage 2 Champion Toronto Ultra and two revamped, high-ceiling teams in the Florida Mutineers and Paris Legion. As Accuracy explains, he wants that group to be as difficult as it seems like it can be on paper: “I like to go through the gauntlet first and then come into the Major instead of just jogging our way through the groups.” While some fans might prefer the comfort correlated with a light stroll through group play, Accuracy thinks that’s counterproductive. Instead, the eight-year veteran wants placement matches to feel like a “gauntlet” of hyper-competitive battles. To some, Group B looks like the more dangerous camp. But Accuracy believes both are formidable and that bears well for teams with growth mindsets: “No group’s gonna be easy in the CDL, they’re always hard. I haven’t had an easy one so far. So I’m excited, it always makes fun for good matches, good prep for the major.” Coalescing with a rookie player and a role swap for Preston ‘Priestahh’ Grenier, Accuracy wants this team to test its mettle against the toughest of slates. Read more: Can This CoD Amateur save the CDL’s worst team? When it comes to confronting a difficult group, his focus is solely on the ROKKR’s progress: “We’re just gonna work as hard as ever and we have to try to outperform the great teams that are in our group.”

Rivertown Location on Blackout Battle Royale Map Teased in Black Ops 4 Trailer The Blackout map for the upcoming battle royale mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will be made up of past Black Ops multiplayer and Zombies maps, plus new locations. One is Rivertown, and we have our first look at it thanks to a new teaser. Rivertown is one of a few named locations that are completely new, and not based on past maps from MP or Zombies. Some of the other new locations include ‘Factory’ and ‘Construction Site’, but Rivertown is actually the most central location on the map, adjacent to Firing Range, and so it could be a very popular drop point. Treyarch’s David Vonderhaar ‘not aware’ of any Platform Exclusives in Blackout From the map overview, all we knew about Rivertown was that it featured a busy collection of buildings, perhaps the most structure dense location on the map. But as far as the size and height of the buildings, we had no clue, until now. The new teaser, posted to Call of Duty’s official Twitter page, shows a gas station, some residential properties, a Pizzeria and more. Generally, it looks just like a small town, as the name would suggest. One of the buildings also looks remarkably similar to the old house from Black Ops III multiplayer map, Fringe. Fans on PS4 will not have to wait long to finally get a look at Rivertown and the rest of the Blackout map, as the beta will go live on September 10. Unfortunately, for Xbox One and PC players, the wait will be a little longer, as they will get access to the beta on September 14.

Rising star Dylan signs with Team Reciprocity for CWL Fort Worth Team Reciprocity made a big announcement on March 1 as they added Black Ops 4 phenom Dylan ‘Dylan’ Henderson to the starting lineup ahead of the CWL’s first big event in 2019. It seems like the RECpack will look to make a splash at CWL Fort Worth on March 15 as the young talent will be raring to go for his first event with his new squad. Speculations of him signing with a new squad arose after the young gun tweeted a simple plane emoji February 28, sending fans of the up-and-comer in a craze to see which org he would be joining. Can’t wait to start grinding, Excited and thankful for @ChadLarsson giving me this opportunity https://t.co/jR7QHhbv4c — Dylan (@DylanCOD_) March 1, 2019 Dylan previously played for British org Team Sween, who barely failed to qualify for the Pro League in a group that saw Reciprocity make it through. Now the 19-year-old will hit the ground running with his new org during CWL Fort Worth as Team Reciprocity sit in a group with stiff competition in OpTic Gaming, Team Envy and eUnited in Pool D. In the same announcement Team Reciprocity indicated that ‘DenzJT’ will be slotted on the bench, but the org plans on keeping him for the future. Although it’s unclear what position DenzJT will hold after the team’s change in line, he was vocal about his support for the new look of the squad. Saw our pool last night and straight away made a couple calls to management that Dylan could play for me, I don’t want to be involved in that. On a serious note, excited to see what these guys can do https://t.co/x1vDNAbKKY — Denz (@DenzJT) March 1, 2019 Team Reciprocity is currently sitting at 2-5 in the CWL Pro League and seventh place in Division A, but will look to grow its talented lineup throughout the season.

Rising Call of Duty star finally eligible for CWL Pro League One of the hottest prospects in the competitive Call of Duty scene has finally become eligible to compete in the professional scene after turning 18. A new wave of talent is set to take the Call of Duty esports scene by storm over the next few years and some of the game’s rising stars are ready to take the next step after becoming eligible to compete in CWL competitions. One such pro, McArthur ‘Cellium’ Jovel, had his 18th birthday not long after CWL Vegas, prompting speculation about which team would make a move to sign him. The up-and-coming pro was soon snapped up by FaZe Clan and now one of his former eUnited Cadets teammates, who has also turned 18, is ready to transition into the professional scene. Former eUnited Cadets member Chris ‘Simp’ Lehr, who is currently a restricted free agent, has now turned 18 and is eligible to make his mark on the professional CoD landscape. However, as a restricted free agent, there is still a contract and buyout with eUnited that must be negotiated and settled before Simp is able to join a team and be used in the CWL Pro League or any CWL tournament. Just a reminder to all teams in the pro league. Still a restricted F/A and I turn 18 in 2 weeks. Trying to be a main sub but if you need a Maddox i got you. I know my potential and with a little guidance I’ll truly be one of the best. Let me know :yes::skin-tone-2: — eU Simp (@SimpTheSickJoke) January 21, 2019 With a number of teams in the Pro League struggling to make their current line-ups work, most notably Luminosity Gaming, Simp could be an immediate solution to a team’s problems – especially when it comes to Search and Destroy. There is also the option for the 18-year-old to join a current Pro League team as a substitute if they do not already have one listed. Only two teams in the Pro League – eUnited and Luminosity – are currently without a substitute player, meaning there really is only a small gap in the scene for Simp to get onto a roster prior to the transfer window. The 18+ age restriction was implemented by Activision with the start of the Call of Duty World League, back before the Black Ops 3 season got underway. Players who aren’t of age to compete in the Professional scene can be found grinding online tournaments until they are eligible – regularly creating reputations for themselves before they have competed at a big event.

Rise Nation’s TJHaLy Bets $1000 On Himself Winning CoD Champs With Echo Fox’s Temp Rise Nation player Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly has placed a wager of $1000 with fellow pro Donovan “Temp” Laroda that he will win the 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship. During a live stream, the pair argued over predictions on TJHaLy’s personal performance at the CWL Championship, which takes place on August 15 – 19. Echo Fox player Temp jokingly suggested TJHaLy will have a 0.7 kill/death ratio at the event, which prompted the pair to put their money where their mouth is. TJ: “I will bet any amount, please bet me any amount”, Temp: “alright, a rack – a rack that you don’t win champs.” More: Treyarch’s Dan Bunting Discusses Competitive in Black Ops 4 – “Competitive players will be surprised” – TJHaLy’s Rise Nation team are going into the event as favorites in most people’s predictions, despite losing Stage Two playoffs in the grand final vs Team Kaliber. Throughout the WWII season, Rise Nation have certainly been the most consistent team, and TJ, Loony and Gunless are the winningest players this season in terms of prize money. They are tied with Team Kaliber for total championships, with three wins a piece. But many still point to Rise as having the best overall player in Pierce “Gunless” Hillman, and the best Assault Rifle player in Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat. Temp though clearly feels like TJHaLy might be the weak link in the Rise Nation roster, despite his stellar performances in the fast, aggressive SMG role. There are certainly a number of teams that could upset Rise Nation, so Temp has a fair wager on his hands. However given the consistency of Rise, TJHaLy has plenty of reasons to feel confident. If TJ does win, his wager with Temp would be a drop in ocean compared to his prize winnings overall. As for Temp, he’ll want to ensure he can place as high as possible with his Echo Fox squad, but him not winning champs isn’t part of the wager, it seems.

Rise Nation’s Slasher Can’t Wait to Return to a Faster Role With the final week of the Call of Duty: WWII season upon us, Rise Nation’s Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat has expressed his excitement at taking on a faster-paced role next year. As the main assault rifle player for his current and previous squads, he is generally responsible for holding down the spawn points for his teammates and winning long-range engagements. While the advanced movement games allowed AR players to move around and be more aggressive, the return to boots on the ground and a slower-paced game has meant players like SlasheR have also had to adapt their play-style to match. Although this may have suited some, it looks like this isn’t SlasheR’s preferred way of playing. But with Call of Duty: Black Ops IIII on its way in October promising to have a faster pace, there’s just one more event standing between him and a more active role. If SlasheR has been unhappy with his current responsibilities though, it hasn’t come across in-game, with the 2016 World Champion having won both CWL Seattle and CWL Anaheim under Rise, as well as placing second at the CWL Stage Two Playoffs. He’s already shown this year why he’s among the best AR players in the world, frequently devastating his opponents. But with the return to a Black Ops title and a more comfortable “do it all AR” role, could 2019 be his most dominant performance yet? While SlasheR is looking forward to next year and a bit of a role change, fans of Rise Nation don’t need to worry, as he’s fully prepared and dedicated to the WWII CWL Championship from August 15 to 19.

Rise Nation’s Gunless on Dedication as a CoD Pro “We’re not supposed to have a social life – People don’t want it enough” Professional Call of Duty player for Rise Nation, Pierce “Gunless” Hillman has revealed the staggering amount of time he puts into practice, and is critical of some of his fellow pro’s who says just “don’t want it enough”. Gunless broke out into the professional scene with eUnited during the 2017 Infinite Warfare season, where he quickly asserted himself as a top caliber player in the space of only a couple major events. He has since played for FaZe Clan and Echo Fox, before joining current team Rise Nation, and is still considered one of the best players in the world, perhaps even the very best. While clearly naturally talented, Gunless has also been lauded by fellow players and fans for his incredible work ethic and dedication to his craft, known to play hours and hours of public matches, scrims and money 8s everyday. His performances have been so impressive throughout the Call of Duty: WWII season, that other pro players have begun to follow his example in playing more public matches outside of team practice. On the second episode of “COD over Coffee”, hosted by Taylor “Keat” Keating, Gunless explained more his mentality behind his insane hours of practice and why he believes other players don’t do the same. “I usually get on and play around 2-3 hours of pubs before I team scrim, we team scrim for maybe 2 or 3 series if we can get a third series. After that I play more pubs till around 5 or 6 am. Scrims usually end around 10pm so I’ll probably sit there for a good 7-8 hours.” When asked if he thinks CoD pro’s should ‘grind more’, Gunless reminisces on his time when he was coming up as player, and how many hours he would put in. “Other [professional] players on other teams don’t really have the same mindset as me and the guys that came up with me on eUnited. Everyone wants to have some sort of social life. I guess they don’t really understand that we’re professional gamers for a reason, we’re not supposed to have a social life. This isn’t a regular job at all, this is something you have to sacrifice a lot to achieve and be successful in.” Gunless explains that even though some players may not particularly like the game, it is their job and they should be driven by the motivation to win. I just think people don’t want it enough, honestly. People can dislike the game and hate on the game, and not really want to play something they don’t like. But at the same time, we’re getting paid for it. Suck it up, go play the hell out of the game and make sure you’re the best at it at all costs. It doesn’t matter if the game sucks, it’s your job. For me, it’s different, every time I win I want it more. Because for that one minute you get while you’re up on the stage after you’ve won, there is just nothing else going through your mind but a smile on your face and happiness. So that’s what drives me, playing endless amounts of Call of Duty so I can have that one minute back, where I don’t think of anything else but just being happy. You can watch the full video of COD Over Coffee with Gunless below, with discussion of his dedication beginning at around the 4 minute mark.

Rise Nation Win CWL Anaheim Open Beating Red Reserve In a Close Grand Final Rise Nation won their third major open event of the CoD: WWII season, beating out Red Reserve in the grand final at CWL Anaheim. Red Reserve put up a valiant effort, forcing a second best of five, but Rise remained composed an once again solidified themselves as the best team in the game. Red Reserve started strongly, taking map one in fairly dominant fashion on Valkyrie hardpoint, as Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly struggled for Rise. Map two, search and destroy on Ardennes was closer, but Red eventually closed it out after throwing away numerous rounds that they should have won. Capture the flag was even closer, going to overtime after a last gasp cap from Red Reserve. Rise struck first in OT, and prevented a comeback from Red Reserve to push it to a fourth map. Red Reserve quickly regained focus however, and on Ardennes Forest hardpoint opened up a big lead early on that despite Rise’s best efforts they could not overcome, forcing a second best of five. The first map of the second series was close till the very end, but Red Reserve ultimately edged it out on Saint Marie hardpoint. Rise proved they were still the better SnD team however, closing it out 6-4. Back on Flak Tower CTF, Rise once again came out on top, but it was a narrow win once again, taking it 3-2 and just preventing Red from tying it up in the closing moments. A nailbiting Hardpoint was eventually won out by Rise Nation, after TJHaLy earned multiple streaks and helped his side close it out 250-246. If Rise can keep up their current form, they will be heavy favorites for the Stage Two playoffs and the World Championship in August. Red Reserve will be heartbroken by the loss, but can take a lot of confidence from the performance across the weekend. Rise go home with $80,000, and Red take $48,000 for their runners up placing. Watch our interview with Rise Nations Daniel “Loony” Loza and Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly, immediately after their third big win of the season. WATCH: @TheRiseNation are CWL Anaheim Champions. Is this the best team @RiseLoonysan has been on? Does @TJHaly think he had a claim to the MVP title? Powered by @GFuelEnergy // 33% off with code DEXERTO: https://t.co/qqrLKRuowa pic.twitter.com/8UgcmTXzz1 — Dexerto Call of Duty (@DexertoIntel) June 18, 2018

Rise Nation reveal plans to become first Call of Duty League expansion team MLGRise Nation, who won several championships during the CWL era of Call of Duty esports, could potentially be the first expansion team to be joining the Call of Duty League. In the first year of the CDL, twelve teams are participating, with organizations formerly known for their prevalence in Call of Duty being joined by others that are new to the scene, such as Misfits Gaming’s Florida Mutineers. That said, there were many more organizations and investment teams looking to book their spot in the Call of Duty League, and apparently interest hasn’t died down throughout the course of the league’s first year, with it being believed that a number of teams are still looking to get involved. One of those teams appears to be Rise Nation, who won five championships between the Black Ops 3 and World War II competitive seasons. In an interview with ESPN Esports, Rise co-owner and founder Kahreem Horsley spoke about their rebranding and, more importantly, their future plans. “We do want to move on Call of Duty, as far as the CDL goes,” Horsley said. “We’ve had talks with them, dating back to last year and as recently as a few months. We’re just getting our marbles all in the right basket so we can take aim at securing a spot for that league specifically. We’re not going to restrict ourselves to that, but that’s our first target.” Co-founder and Tennessee Titans lineman Rodger Saffold also spoke about it, saying that at first it “just wasn’t the right time to get into franchising,” but that “we feel like we have a plan and a structure to get back into that scene.” So far, no other organization has publicly spoken about their plans to get involved in CDL 2021, the second season of the CoD League, so in Rise we might be looking at the first official expansion team. This is particularly interesting as it raises questions over which kind of players they might pick up: the org has a long, storied history with Toronto Ultra substitute Daniel ‘Loony’ Loza, meaning rostermania could get very interesting. Whether they even join the league remains to be seen, but Call of Duty fans might be happy to see an old name cropping up once again.

Rise Nation owner Rodger Saffold confirms CDL expansion delay Activision/Rise Nation/YouTube: Tennessee TitansTennessee Titans guard and Rise Nation co-owner Rodger Saffold has confirmed that the Call of Duty League had plans to bring on new expansion teams, but fans will have to wait a little longer to see that happen. Rise Nation was a mainstay in the Call of Duty World League and the pre-franchising era. The org saw a lot of success through the years, winning championships and earning top placements from Call of Duty: Ghosts all the way through to World War II, in which Rise was one of the top teams. They’re a brand familiar with CoD and one that fans grew to be fans of over the years, but they didn’t end up in the Call of Duty League when it first launched in 2019. That said, they’ve frequently shown interest in Call of Duty and remained a part of the community, with the organization’s roots firmly entrenched in CoD. Read More: CDL 2022 Rostermania hub – Now, on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast hosted by Titans tackle Taylor Lewan and Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Will Compton, Saffold has confirmed that the CDL wants Rise Nation in — but expansion has been delayed. “I’ve still got a ton of contacts at Call of Duty, and I’m definitely trying to get a franchise with them next year,” explained Saffold. Then, citing the global health crisis, he added: “When it came to expanding the league, they wanted to bring four more teams on, they were like ‘We’re just going to stick with these 12 teams again until we’re able to upgrade again.” Timestamp 1:02:59 He then said that they told him that they want Saffold and Rise Nation to own a franchise “because everybody knows you in this space.” While fans have been calling for expansion for the past two off-seasons, it looks like they may have to wait a little longer, even with orgs like Cloud9 hinting at entering the CDL. So, with Saffold explaining that the league wants Rise Nation involved, how long is it until we see a Tennessee franchise?

Rise Nation Forces A Second CWL Pro League Stage 2 Grand Finals Series With Nail-Biting Win Over Team Kaliber Rise Nation has forced a second series in the CWL Pro League Stage 2 grand finals. Rise entered the grand finals from the lower bracket, having been defeated by Team Kaliber themselves in the winner bracket final. Now, they’ve evened up the score by taking the first best-of-five of the grand final. The series opened with Rise and tK trading heavy blows. Rise struck first with a dominant 250-101 London Docks Hardpoint, repeating the result from their winner bracket match but increasing their margin of victory substantially. Team Kaliber was quick to respond, however, with a crushing win of their own. Ardennes Forest hosted Search and Destroy, and tK cruised to a 6-2 victory to tie the series at 1-1. It was Ardennes Forest once again for Capture the Flag, a map that Team Kaliber took comfortably when they met the first time. Here neither team could find an opening for the majority of the first half, but in the final minute Rise Nation put in back-to-back captures to take a 2-0 lead into the second half. That lead was extended to three almost immediately after the side switch, with Rise utilizing Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat’s streaks – the product of an immense performance in the first half – to add another flag to their count. Team Kaliber were never able to respond, and Rise ultimately ended the game at 4-0. Rise and tK went a third time to Ardennes Forest for the second Hardpoint of the series. After two one-sided stomps, this time it delivered a game worthy of a grand final. Rise led for the majority of the game, but Team Kaliber stole the lead in the final minutes, and the map eventually came down to the clock as tK contested long enough to win 202-197. Valkyrie Search and Destroy ended the series on an equally intense note, a back-and-forth game that went all the way to a round eleven, where Rise came through to force a second series. The teams will now play one last best-of-five, with the winner taking home the trophy. Rise Nation Team Kaliber HP London Docks 250-101 SND Ardennes Forest 2-6 CTF Ardennes Forest 4-0 HP Ardennes Forest 197-202 SND Valkyrie 6-5

Rise Nation Dominates CWL Anaheim Grand Finals Rematch at CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs Rise Nation overcame Red Reserve in convincing fashion in the first round of the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs. A rematch of the CWL Anaheim grand finals was set to be the most explosive match of day one, but early on Rise Nation showed weren’t interested in putting on a spectacle, preferring to demonstrate that their victory in that grand final was no fluke. Valkyrie Hardpoint kicked off the series, with the two teams trading blows early, but it was Rise Nation that took control down the stretch to draw first blood with a 250-190 win. London Docks Search and Destroy was even more convincing, a 6-3 win for Rise leaving Red Reserve looking for a reverse sweep. Red Reserve finally got off to a strong start on Ardennes Forest CTF, taking a 2-0 lead, but Rise Nation were able to strike back with two of their own. A last-second flag race almost sealed the deal for Rise, but Red were able to clutch up and force overtime. Here, Red’s Joseph ‘Joee’ Pinnington came through with a massive play, flanking to pull the flag early and winning a crucial fight to escape, running it home for an incredible fast capture time that Red defended in the final round to take the game 3-2. Unfortunately for Red, that was the only ground that Rise would concede in this match, coming back with a vengeance on Gibraltar Hardpoint, a crushing 250-98 to close the series out 3-1. .@Joee_COD with the quick hit flag cap in overtime, @RedReserve get a map in the series vs @TheRiseNation! Rise lead at 2-1: https://t.co/NKHQSgV6Gh #CWLPS4 pic.twitter.com/rWP7iK54Ej — Call of Duty esports (@CODWorldLeague) July 28, 2018 Unfortunately for Red, that was the only ground that Rise would concede in this match, coming back with a vengeance on Gibraltar Hardpoint, a crushing 250-98 to close the series out 3-1. With that win, Rise Nation books a spot in the winner bracket semi-finals against eUnited, while Red Reserve is headed to the lower bracket where they will face Echo Fox to stay alive. Rise Nation 3-1 Red Reserve HP Valkyrie 250-190 SND London Docks 6-3 CTF Ardennes Forest 3-2 HP Gibraltar 250-98

Rise Nation Defeats Red Reserve Again To Reach CWL Pro League Stage 2 Grand Finals Rise Nation will appear in a third consecutive grand final after defeating Red Reserve in the lower bracket final of the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs. In a rematch of their winner bracket round one match, Rise Nation was able to replicate their 3-1 victory, eliminating Red Reserve from the tournament. Map one was a repeat of their round one opener, Valkyrie Hardpoint, which Rise Nation took the first time around. This time Red Reserve came out stronger, putting up a lead in the mid-game, but Rise Nation were able to pull things back for an incredibly intense ending to the map. Big plays from Joseph ‘Joee’ Pinnington heading into the final Hardpoint gave Red Reserve control in the final seconds, and they were able to fend off a last push from Rise to claim the win 250-237. Red looked primed to carry their momentum into Valkyrie Search and Destroy, taking the first three rounds, but after Rise Nation got on the board they were relentless, winning six straight to secure a 6-3 win and tie up the series. Map three, Ardennes Forest Capture the Flag, was another replay from the first series between these two teams, and again the final outcome was reversed, with Rise Nation claiming victory where previously they’d been defeated. The first round ended with an intense stand-off, both teams having pulled the enemy flag. Rise Nation were able to find the return as the half came to an end, but the time ran out with their carrier mere meters from the capture, ending the half at 0-0. In the second half, however, Rise picked up the pace, putting in two quick captures to take the lead. Red Reserve were never able to respond, and Rise put in another for a convincing win thanks to a dominant second half. Read more: Scump Takes Responsibility After OpTic Gaming Crashed Out of CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs – London Docks played host to the second Hardpoint of the series, and Rise Nation was able to carry their momentum through, with Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat dropping more than 40 kills to help Rise build a lead that Red couldn’t catch up to. With a 250-184 win, Rise closed out the series 3-1, claiming another victory against Red Reserve. Rise has been wholly responsible for Red’s elimination in both of the last two events, defeating them in the winner bracket and grand final of CWL Anaheim and now beating them in both winner and lower bracket here. Rise will now advance to the grand finals, where they will seek to take revenge for their own winner bracket loss against Team Kaliber. Rise Nation 3-1 Red Reserve HP Valkyrie 237-250 SND Valkyrie 6-3 CTF Ardennes Forest 3-0 HP London Docks 250-184

Ridiculous Warzone bug transforms teammate into munitions box Infinity Ward[jwplayer br5AuoVJ]In one of the strangest glitches to hit the Call of Duty: Warzone landscape, some players are turning into munitions boxes during the initial deployment cinematic. You’re getting ready to drop into Verdansk with a couple teammates. You’re revving up, analyzing where to drop, and itching for some action. As you see you and your teammates preparing your parachutes to drop out of the back of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, suddenly one of your teammates poofs away and plops back into the world as a munitions box. For a moment, it feels like you’re playing Prop Hunt. So this happened on, CoD 4 Prop Hunt 👏🏼😂 Breaking ankles so hard 😫🦵#CoD #PropHunt #Gaming #GamingCommunity #GamingClips #FunnyClips #Funnt #Meme pic.twitter.com/2DPDADAzJ7 — Ambitioux🐝🇲🇽 (@AmbitiouxNet) May 15, 2019 But you’re not, it’s just the latest graphical bug in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. As of now, it remains unclear how prominent this glitch is or what it truly entailed for the rest of the match, as the Redditor who posted it, ‘SirDavidPaladinEX,’ titled it very succinctly and added no subsequent comments. As he titles it, “so my random squadmate is now a munitions box.” While some people simply view their teammates as resource carriers, in this case it was meant very literally. One has to imagine that this was just a weird bug during the cinematic and that the teammate eventually returned to normal once their squad started deploying. What’s interesting is that this is a far departure from the hastily fixed “demon glitch” that plagued Warzone for a while and was a high priority on Infinity Ward’s Trello board. This glitch, although obviously a visual issue, is not graphical corruption and is not on the Trello board at all. As a result, one must wonder if the ability to transform into objects is actually somewhere within Modern Warfare’s files. And, if that’s the case, could Prop Hunt be making a return to Call of Duty before the release of Treyarch’s Black Ops Cold War? Read more: How to fly further in Warzone – Prop Hunt, a game mode in which one team turns into various props across the map and the other team tries to hunt them down, is a Bizarro world version of hide and seek. It was originally a mod in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, before being turned into a real Weekend Warfare mode in MW Remastered, Black Ops III, WWII, Black Ops 4, and COD Mobile.

Ridiculous Warzone bug might completely ruin your next Gulag duel ActivisionA hilarious Gulag glitch could bring about an abrupt end to your next Gulag visit as players are being wiped out from their 1v1s almost instantly. Warzone players are able to earn a second chance at life if they win their Gulag 1v1, though these duels aren’t always entirely balanced. Sometimes the loadout won’t favor your playstyle, or you’ll get distracted by rocks from a spectator. However, a ridiculous new bug could lead to an immediate loss as players are being killed by opponents from the previous round of 1v1 action. While you wait for your fight to begin, you can spectate previous rounds of Gulag action. Regardless of what equipment is used, once you step foot in the map, everything from the previous duel will be reset. At least, that’s how things are supposed to work. A hilarious new glitch is bucking the trend and keeping certain items in play for multiple rounds. Without explanation, Reddit user ‘thegordiegohard’ was able to secure a kill from the afterlife thanks to a broken Proximity Mine. Moments before losing their 1v1, the player threw out their lethal equipment as a last-ditch effort. While it couldn’t save them in that instance, the next player to spawn in the Gulag was treated to an explosive surprise. Upon loading in and rushing out of the spawn, the next Gulag participant was instantly wiped out by the explosive, ruining any dreams of making it back to Verdansk without help from teammates. There’s no doubt they were left scratching their head wondering how they’d been killed. Who knows just how baffling the killstreak would have looked as well. Dying due to your own lack of skill is one thing, but a situation completely out of your control is sure to make anyone salty. “I would be livid if I were on the receiving end,” the original player joked. There’s no telling exactly what caused the complication. Perhaps there was a spike in network connection, or maybe the location of the Proximity Mine itself is what bugged out. Without comment from Infinity Ward, there’s no telling if this issue will be fixed anytime soon. So be extra vigilant as you load into the Gulag, you never know what might take you out.

Ridiculous Warzone bug makes self-revive useless after Season 6 update Infinity WardWarzone’s major Season 6 update is finally upon us, but things are a little shaky so far; bugs are rife in the latest patch, and one’s even making self-revives all but useless. Warzone’s Season 6 overhaul nerfed two of the most controversial items, added two powerful weapons, and of course, a full 100-tier Battle Pass. However, the biggest talking point was the new subway system that has spread across Verdansk. Players are able to head underground at seven new locations around the map to essentially fast-travel. Hopping on at one station will boost you through to another for the quickest means of transport in the battle royale. However, it appears as though the subway system is still working out a few kinks. Instead of teleporting to another station, players have been dropped at random locations. Meanwhile, others have discovered a game-breaking exploit to secure some free wins. Another ridiculous bug has just joined the list as self-revives don’t quite work when you’re on the new underground trains. Looks like the new #Warzone subway system still needs some work 😂 (Credit: @Luxecution)pic.twitter.com/lPJiYUlcRF — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) September 29, 2020 Despite being knocked down inside the train itself, Reddit user ‘Joabyjojo’ was awkwardly pushed out to the station. From here, the screen went black as they used their self-revive before magically reappearing back in the train. They were brought back to life without any tools at their disposal, however. Their loadout was gone, a secondary pistol wasn’t equipped, and they couldn’t even melee. Their character was completely useless after the self-revive took effect. As a result, it wasn’t long before they were quickly gunned back down again. The trains aren’t supposed to travel until all threats in the area have been dealt with. Given that this player was knocked down, it makes sense for the screen to fade to black. The train was functioning properly as it set out after all enemies were taken care of. Though it clearly didn’t take the effects of self-revive into account. At the time of writing, it seems as though there’s no real way to avoid this issue until a hotfix is deployed. If you happen to go down while on a train, be sure to wait for it to clear the station before using your self-revive in the near future. Infinity Ward is yet to address the issue as more pressing matters take center stage following the Season 6 patch. Plenty of players have reported frequent crashes since the major update, though a fix is being worked on behind the scenes. For a full rundown on everything in the latest patch, be sure to get caught up with our complete overview here.

Ridiculous new Warzone bug is making Riot Shields completely useless Infinity WardRiot Shields are a niche pick in Warzone at the best of times, but now players are avoiding them at all costs due to an absurd glitch that renders them useless. If you’re selecting a Riot Shield in Warzone, you’re already putting yourself at a disadvantage. The novelty weapon can be great in some situations, but it limits your overall loadout in a big way. Instead of traveling through Verdansk with a deadly Grau or M4A1 class, you’re limited to just one real weapon and a shield. If enemies surround you or attack from afar, it’s always difficult posing a real threat. If you plan on camping in buildings and playing patiently, however, the Riot Shield can be beneficial. It blocks all forms of incoming damage and lets you close the distance. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. A brand new glitch is making the Riot Shield even less effective as Warzone approaches its fifth season. You may want to avoid using it until a patch is deployed as this new glitch can easily cost you a match. If you happen to be in the middle of a match with a Riot Shield equipped, be sure to avoid ladders at all costs. If you scale a ladder with your shield in hand, there’s a good chance the shield won’t work once you reach the top. Exiting a ladder will have the Riot Shield re-equipped as you’d expect, though looks can be deceiving. From your perspective, the shield will be upright and ready to absorb incoming fire. From your enemy’s perspective, however, the shield will still be on your back. The game sides with the perspective of your opponent. Therefore, bullets will travel straight through and knock you down in an instant. Even though the shield is still visible on your screen. Surprisingly, ladders aren’t the only thing that breaks Riot Shields in Warzone either. Infinity Ward’s Co-Design Director of Multiplayer, Joe Cecot, responded to a near-identical issue back in June. “We’ll have a look at this,” he said at the time. Months later and the Riot Shield is still held back by the same problem. It could be wise to avoid Riot Shields for the time being, unless you’re really looking for a challenge. There’s no telling when a permanent fix may be deployed, though Warzone’s next big patch is right around the corner. Season 5 is set to launch on August 5, introducing a slew of new content and even reducing the file size for console players.

Ridiculous Warzone bug lets players melee through walls Treyarch/ActivisionA frustrating Kali Sticks bug in Warzone is allowing the melee weapon to do damage through walls and terrain, making it impossible for players to fight back. Despite Warzone’s overwhelming popularity in the shooter and battle royale genre, the game still suffers from a never-ending list of glitches. Whether it’s a random door instantly killing anyone who runs through it or loadout drops giving players eight weapons instead of two, the Warzone community has certainly learned to cope with these strange and often annoying issues. Despite this, the majority of bugs in-game do not affect the gameplay experience and can be shrugged off as a one-off occurrence. However, when a glitch causes a player to die in an unexplainable manner, it can be a little harder to let it go and move on. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Babayaga20000 when they were attacked by an opponent with Kali Sticks through a wall. Warzone bug makes Kali Stick melee through walls A thread posted to the CODWarzone subreddit has showcased a bug that allows the Kali Sticks to do damage through walls, giving players no opportunity to fight back. Realizing there were enemies in the building they were approaching, Babayaga20000 attempted to find a flank by climbing onto the roof and entering through a window. They quickly dispatched one enemy and saw another in the same room, so decided to throw a grenade and retreat to cover. However, they immediately began taking damage from a player on the other side of the wall using Kali Sticks. It’s hard to know why the enemy was able to hit Babayaga20000, as they were out of melee range and behind terrain. This is definitely an issue Raven Software needs to address if it’s a bug that’s limited to the Kali Sticks. The player wasn’t even in range to take damage, or in the sightline of the enemy when they were downed. The community has already had issues with melee damage in the past, let alone the ability to kill players through walls. So, fingers crossed this glitch is just a one-off and doesn’t affect the wider Warzone player base.

Ridiculous Warzone bug gives players permanent slide boost in Power Grab LTM Treyarch/ActivisionA Warzone glitch in the new Power Grab LTM is giving players a permanent slide boost that can be used throughout an entire match. Warzone’s Season 3 Reloaded update introduced a series of new features for players to check out and get stuck into. Whether it was the two new weapons, the Rambo & Die Hard skins, or even the changes to the Verdansk map, the patch certainly delivered the content players were looking for. Despite all these exciting changes, it’s the Power Grab LTM that’s received the most praise from the community. This fast-paced mode removes the Gulag from the equation and challenges competitors to collects dog tags and respawn tokens. Although the LTM is a lot of fun, it hasn’t taken players long to discover some ridiculous bugs, with one seemingly allowing players to slide three times as far as usual. Warzone player discovers Power Grab slide glitch There’s no denying that sliding in Warzone is one most satisfying mechanics in the game. Learning how to slide cancel has even become a fundamental skill for a lot of experienced and professional players. Despite this, when you attempt to slide in a game and you travel three times as far, you have to question whether it’s an intended mechanic. Well, during a Power Grab match, Warzone player NoImKenny found that the buff given to players after they’ve collected a dog tag wasn’t wearing off. This meant they had access to a slide boost throughout the entire match and could seemingly travel three times as far. According to NoImKenny, the glitch began after they’d collected a dog tag, and the power-up provided by the item simply never stopped. Usually, this increased speed or mobility would only last for around 10-15 seconds in the new LTM. While this bug certainly isn’t game-breaking or ruining matches, it does offer players significantly more mobility and will need to be fixed as soon as possible. There are definitely more serious bugs affecting the main battle royale mode at the moment, so it’ll be interesting to see how long it takes for this issue to be addressed.

“Ridiculous” MW3 SMG dominates Warzone’s meta guns after changes ActivisionWarzone expert WhosImmortal has highlighted an overlooked SMG that is dominating in the battle royale after the recent buffs and nerfs – especially in close-range fights. Whenever the Warzone devs drop a few weapon changes onto the battle royale, players are quick to experiment with other guns. Sure, not every update is massively meta-changing, but there is always room for something else. That’s happened recently with the Season 1 Reloaded update in Modern Warfare 3, and with subsequent hotfixes, shifting the meta away from the likes of the MTZ Interceptor and MTZ 762, with the SMG category also going through a shift. The Striker 9 was one of the SMGs that was buffed in the mid-season update, and is starting to become a little more popular – especially now WhosImmortal has highlighted a versatile loadout for it. Best Striker 9 loadout in Warzone for Modern Warfare 3 That’s right, the Warzone expert noted that the Striker is one of the best SMGs in the battle royale after all the changes, and it’s not just thriving in the typical close-range fights that you’d expect. “This thing, especially post-update, is ridiculously good in the close-range and early mid-range as well. It is extremely versatile and I love that about it. Plus, this setup is just a ton of fun to use,” the YouTuber said. Like most loadouts at the minute, this Striker 9 setup takes advantage of the JAK BFB muzzle and its ability to significantly nerf recoil. Muzzle: JAK BFB – Barrel: Striker Recon long barrel – Optic: Nydar Model 202 – Magazine: 50-round drum – Stock: No Stock – Timestamp of 3:00 WhosImmortal has the SMG right up with more popular options in the form of the AMR9 and HRM-9 too, putting all three on a similar level in terms of power. Of course, that could change when MW3 Season 2 comes around and other changes are implemented. For now, though, it’s worth giving the Striker 9 a go.

Ridiculous MW3 killstreak bug kicks players for inactivity without warning ActivisionModern Warfare 3 players are being kicked for activity when using certain killstreaks, leading to some incredibly frustrating scenarios. Modern Warfare 3’s launch hasn’t been perfect. Players have called out everything from inconsistent TTK, broken challenges, and the game’s “sweat fest” SBMM. The community has also blasted the Armory System, with many pleading for the devs to remove it entirely. However, to make things even worse, a new bug has reared its head as players are reportedly being kicked from the game when using certain Killstreaks. Not only is this issue incredibly aggravating, but it also makes using these game-winning rewards useless. MW3 players are getting kicked for using Killstreaks In a clip posted on the Modern Warfare 3 Reddit page, one player can be seen using their Chopper Gunner. After successfully picking up a Quad Kill and some assists, the player was booted out of the game. “This is kind of ridiculous. I shouldn’t be getting kicked for using a feature of this game,” said the player. “Noticed I get kicked for inactivity while using remote turrets too. Was also not able to join back considering my friends were in there, should’ve been a pretty straightforward option to join back.” The video was also met with commenters who had also experienced similar issues, with many noting how the inactivity bug had ruined their games. Another player also posted a clip of them using the Gunship Killstreak, which led to an 8x Multi-Kill before the dreaded inactivity screen flashed up. It’s certainly an infuriating bug and one that can seemingly strike at any time when using Killstreaks. Hopefully, Activision can address this issue quickly to avoid further situations like this from happening in the future.

Ridiculous Modern Warfare bug reveals nameplates through walls Modern Warfare has been plagued by a number of bugs since launch. Being able to spot enemy nameplates through walls might take the cake for the most egregious oversight to date however. Having released on October 25, Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare has been accessible for just under a month now and despite an influx of recent patches, one glaring oversight continues to pervade throughout online competition. Various surfaces across a number of maps have been scrutinized by the Call of Duty community of late and it turns out that many spots actually reveal the locations of opposing players. The majority of these instances appear to stem from rather thin plywood that covers various windows. While it’s entirely fair to be able to shoot through such flimsy material, especially with FMJ rounds, Heads Up Display (HUD) essentially acts as though there’s nothing blocking the line of sight between players. As enemies cross various streets or attempt to bunker down on an objective for instance, this oversight allows players to see their bright red nametags through walls from practically any distance. A November 21 post from Reddit user ‘T4yz’ demonstrated just how powerful this bug can be in the heat of combat during an objective-based game type. Overlooking the B Flag in a closely contested game of Domination on the newly released Shoot House map, the player was able to spot multiple enemies simply by aiming at the wooden surface. Spraying through the wall, they quickly picked up two eliminations without ever actually seeing their opponents in the flesh. An obviously unfair advantage, this bug can make it extraordinarily difficult to capture certain objectives as not only do players have to look out for enemies in the open, but also enemies completely behind cover. Not exclusive to the latest maps alone, this oversight is prevalent throughout the likes of Grazna Raid as well. An in-depth breakdown from Reddit user ‘BaconOG’ exemplified a number of broken spots across the map. From close range advantages to long-range sightlines, the bug can be utilized in some extremely lopsided scenarios. For instance, with a full concrete wall protecting players parallel to the B Flag, a cheeky wooden surface allows snipers to freely peak at the top of the blue building, picking off any opponents by surprise. Not the first issue involving nameplates in Modern Warfare, Call of Duty veteran Seth ‘Scump’ Abner recently encountered a glitch that displayed an enemy name through a set of doors, subsequently giving him the upper hand. With a major patch set to release imminently, perhaps spotting enemies through walls will not be an issue for much longer.

Ridiculous Modern Warfare bug makes Gunfight map unplayable A laughable bug discovered after the major Season One update to Modern Warfare has made one particular Gunfight map completely unplayable. The inaugural season of Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare kicked off on December 3 and while an assortment of new content was introduced, a number of unbelievable oversights and glitches have managed to slip through the cracks. Cargo and Atrium serve as two brand-new maps for the tactical 2v2 Gunfight game-mode in Season One. Despite being the latest additions however, it’s an earlier Gunfight map that has been the target of an absurd bug in the update. “The new update is fried,” Twitter user ‘Jugzah’ stated alongside gameplay of a truly ridiculous glitch that has seemingly come into effect after the latest patch. Competing in a regular Gunfight match on the Docks map, two teams were left absolutely stunned by the sudden appearance of an enormous boat floating through the battlefield. Carrying dozens of huge shipping containers, the glitched vehicle traveled through the entire map and completely blocked any line of sight to the opposing team. The new update is fried. A whole fucking boat came on the Docks maphttps://t.co/M5I0w5Tlio pic.twitter.com/4fipo4VqKW — Grad (@Gradz__) December 3, 2019 “This is a joke” one of the players reacted before running directly through the unbelievably janky textures and securing the round-win. With the overtime flag lost in the midst of a massive ship cruising through, the opposition had no intel as to the whereabouts of a sneaky flanker coming up behind to get a melee victory. “I don’t even know how this happens, Reddit user ‘DemonRDT6’ expressed. “Which designer was f*cking around with the Docks code? They haven’t even changed anything to the map in this update so it shouldn’t have even been touched.” Having been in development since Infinity Ward’s previous release in 2016, there’s no doubting that a Modern Warfare bug so egregious should not be expected from such a prestigious studio. Especially not in one of the biggest entertainment properties around the world. Not the only ridiculous oversight from the Season One update however, Search & Destroy players are currently having to endure a similarly game-breaking bug.

Ridiculous custom Call of Duty Gun Game mode goes viral on TikTok Activision / Pexels, @cottonbroA testament to the Call of Duty community’s creativity, a new custom game mode has gone viral on TikTok after a user shared their friends’ absurd Modern Warfare Gun Game settings. CoD fans are familiar with creating custom games and playing wacky modes. Whether it’s hopping into a 1v1 to settle a beef with a buddy or running some Prop Hunt, the FPS aficionados have a variety of ways to blow off steam. With recent drama and malaise surrounding skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) in Warzone and Black Ops Cold War, it should be no surprise that some players have gotten imaginative and begun controlling their own destiny in custom modes. That’s the case for TikTok user ‘thedillygang,’ who decided to test the limits of their friend group’s love with an absurdly difficult Gun Game variant. While the mode hasn’t been added to Black Ops Cold War, it can still be played in 2019’s Modern Warfare. As DillyGang explains, this custom match is built solely on the principle of maximum difficulty: “I just made a game mode on Modern Warfare that will test you and your friends’ trust, it will make you hate each other. This game mode took us 30 minutes to beat.” As for why it took 30 minutes? That’s because the mode is a Gun Game with unlimited time, 300 health, and…every single death sets you back a whopping five weapons (as opposed to the traditional single setback). How to set up custom “Blood Pressure” Gun Game in Modern Warfare Scroll to “Private Match, Trials & GameBattles” at the bottom of Modern Warfare’s Multiplayer options and select Custom Game – Go to Game Setup – Choose any map you’d like, although the Gunfight options are best for a smaller group – Set mode to Gun Game (found in the Alternate Modes column) – Go to Game in Game Rules and set Time Limit to Unlimited – Go to Player in Game Rules and set Max Health to 300, Health Regeneration to Very Slow – Go to Advanced in Game Rules and set Setbacks to 5 Weapons – Select Options, save the mode and go test the bounds of your friendship – While the idea of sweating it out and arguing with your friends may not sound enticing to the average person, CoD fans are a different breed and enjoy few things more than stirring the pot of trash talk. That love of banter can perhaps be evidenced by nothing as strong as the fact that this custom mode has gone viral. Especially when DillyGang explained the experience like some recounting a personal trauma: “We were screaming the entire game … My blood pressure is crazy right now.” Calling it the “Blood Pressure” mode, the gameplay showcases just how intense the custom match is. Now, we just wait to find out if TikTok fans try this out and themselves and discover if their friendships are able to survive the test. And then we’ll see if community feedback is enough for Treyarch and Raven Software to bump Gun Game up on their to-do list.

Ridiculous CoD Vanguard bug is ruining custom classes for players ActivisionCall of Duty: Vanguard players have noticed a strange bug that is stopping them from customizing their classes in Multiplayer. There have been menu issues keeping players from filtering game modes in the past, with one bug preventing players from loading into games – which is highly prevalent due to connection issues. Vanguard players obviously aren’t happy with the latest glitch, preventing classes from being edited as normal. One member of the community has even claimed they’ve not been able to customize classes for over a month. Vanguard glitch makes customizing classes impossible In the post by NecessaryDisaster on Reddit, it shows the player going into the loadout section and clicking on it. Then, they go to a class and select it, only to have the game revert back to the multiplayer menu. In the comments, one player suggests that the player should “try to change them back to default class setups or change them in-game.” Those who played Modern Warfare may remember there was a bug regarding in-game customization of classes, causing players to actually lag out. There’s also been a Cold War glitch that reset players’ classes after an update as well. Some Reddit users have suggested that uninstalling the game may reset the problem, while another suggested: “Try change them back to default class setups or change them in-game.” Sledgehammer Games are yet to respond to the calls to fix the class customization glitch, though is is unclear as to how widespread the problem may be.

Ridiculous Black Ops Cold War cheat lets players equip five guns at once ActivisionCheaters have taken Black Ops Cold War exploits to a whole new level in the latest update, having somehow found a way to equip five weapons at once while also loading in with movement and health boosts. Cheaters are nothing new in the latest Call of Duty title, in fact, they’ve been an issue since the game’s beta in 2020. But now, eight months into the Cold War cycle and hackers have truly broken the game at its very core. Throughout every release in the series, players load into the multiplayer experience with two weapons. A primary that ranges from assault rifles to snipers, then a secondary that often includes shotguns, pistols, and the like. This limitation keeps things simple but also stops you from becoming an actual one-man army. Completely bucking that trend, however, a new exploit lets players run rampant in Cold War lobbies with far more tools at their disposal. In the latest instance, a cheater was spotted with five guns equipped at once. While playing a casual game on June 30, Reddit user ‘MacTavishesBanana’ noticed something out of the ordinary. Right in their spawn on Crossroads, a player was moving oddly fast. Even when crouched, this player appeared to be moving at the speed of a full sprint. Catching teammates off guard, others quickly stopped to observe this crazy movement. Before long, they took note of this cheater’s arsenal as well. Within a matter of seconds, the player had swapped between five different guns. From akimbo pistols to an RPG and even a baseball bat, their inventory was seemingly limitless. Standard rules didn’t apply to them as their equipment went against any possible loadout in Cold War today. Moreover, the player also appeared to have full armor from the moment they loaded in as well. Some players speculated that it may have been a perk glitch that accidentally puts weapons into tactical and lethal equipment slots. However, there’s currently no confirming just how to go about exploiting this supposed bug. Whether it’s a hack or an unintended glitch, you’ll need to be cautious. Players could be wreaking havoc in your next lobby with an endless supply of weapons.

Ridiculous Black Ops 4 glitch costs player crucial 1v1 in Search and Destroy A bizarre glitch cost a player the round and the game in an SnD match, after a hole magically opened up and swallowed them on Firing Range. Floor glitches are common in many games, where a spot of the ground textures hasn’t been properly implemented allowing players to get under the map. These issues are often ironed out early, either in testing or shortly after release, but this one has apparently gone unnoticed in Black Ops 4 over a month after launch. Popular streamer and former Splyce player Ted ‘TeddyRecKs’ Kim was on the opposing team, up 5-1 in the first to six, competitive SnD match. Finding himself in the 1v1, and with a comfortable round lead, TeddyRecKs wanted to toy with his opponent, ‘Intrinsticc’ by going for a melee kill. But, before he could make a move, the round suddenly ended, with the kill feed showing that Intrinsticc had somehow fallen off the map – a seemingly impossible feat on a ground level map like Firing Range. Thankfully, Intrinsticc solved the mystery for everyone by uploading his point of view to Twitter for all to see. As he turns, presumably to head in the direction of the A bomb site, his character his swallowed up by the ground beneath him, and he helplessly falls to his death, losing the round and the match. THIS GAME IS TRASH https://t.co/KcH1VRyhsL pic.twitter.com/tTXYSGUJFe — :syringe::syringe: (@Intristicc) November 22, 2018 With some attention now brought to the bizarre bug, hopefully Treyarch will patch the issue quickly. Firing Range SnD was taken out of the CWL ruleset in the V1 update, meaning we won’t see any of these shenanigans at a professional level, thankfully.

Richard Lewis Claims CWL Franchise Spots Have Already Been Offered to OWL Teams, Activision Also Targeting New Investment Esports journalist and former host Richard Lewis has said during a recent livestream, that the Call of Duty World League is set to be franchised, with spots having already been offered to Overwatch League (OWL) teams. During a live stream of the ongoing FACEIT CS:GO London Major, Richard Lewis was discussing with guests Activision Blizzard’s Overwatch League, an already franchised league, with each organization tied to a city. Lewis says that when Blizzard were organizing the OWL, they offered franchise spots in a Call of Duty league, as extra incentive for investors. He goes on to say that the potential investors in the Overwatch League wanted assurances that if and when a Call of Duty franchised league began, they would retain their city link. “[Activision] were offering – back when they were struggling to get VC groups to invest in the Overwatch Leagues – they were offering franchises in a Call of Duty league that didn’t even exist yet as extra leverage. That was one of the big stickling points for a lot of these [investors]. They were, for example: ‘We’re the LA team, but we’re not the LA team for Call of Duty? Just for Overwatch? We want to be the LA team for all Blizzard IP. If you start running a sick Hearthstone league, our player is the LA player.’ And Activision Blizzard were like: ‘Well no, because it’s going to limit how many people are going to come in.’ So there was a lot of back and forth. And in the end, the people that they did want to invest – i.e. not some of the third rate esports teams, […] they basically said to the bigger ones, ‘when we do the franchising in this Call of Duty league, we will give you the team that fits into your region as well.” Finally, he also says that while the Overwatch League investors targeted by Activision were mainly mainstream sports consortiums, the investment plans for a Call of Duty league involve targeting ‘entertainment consortiums’. Lewis suggests that consortiums, like the one ran by boxer, Floyd Mayweather, could be the type to invest. “What they want to do for the Call of Duty league, they’ve said they’re looking at the ‘entertainment consortiums. It’s interesting actually, there’s a lot of sports stars that are trying to get in, I heard Floyd Mayweathers got a consortium going around. But yeh, they want to get entertainers in, and have these groups of entertainers that band together and create these weird little funds and little groups. And they think it will be a great fit for Call of Duty, because there’s a lot of overlap with hip-hop culture.” Of course none of this information is official, but Lewis is a trusted journalist with years of experience in the esports industry, and through connections has access to certain insider information. The reveal for the upcoming 2019 CWL season is set to take place on September 19, live from Treyarch studios. While there is little expectation that franchising will be announced for this coming season, there is a possibility that future plans will be revealed as well.

Richard Lewis and H3CZ reveal what could hold franchising back in Call of Duty Eleague/Charlie IntelEsports journalist Richard Lewis has, again, spoken about the possibility of franchising in professional Call of Duty during an appearance on OpTic Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez’s Eavesdrop Podcast. It is believed franchising in Call of Duty has been considered by Activision for a few years and the idea was recently talked about after the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – something Lewis had already reported on earlier. Plenty of esports titles have already moved or are considering a move to a franchise structure and Call of Duty is no different. Many fans and pundits believe that it’ll happen in time for 2019’s CoD release following the competitive scene’s change to a 5 vs 5 model for the Black Ops 4 season. On Episode 12 of H3CZ’s Eavesdrop Podcast, Lewis speaks on why he thinks regional franchising in the game wouldn’t be successful and what Activision would have to do to make a franchised CoD league work. Lewis said: “I think one of the big failings of the Overwatch League is this idea of enforced regionality because one of the beautiful things about esports compared to regular sports is that you don’t need to have the regionality. We’re global.” Equating that to Call of Duty, Lewis doesn’t believe that a regional system would work – giving the example of confining top organizations like OpTic Gaming and FaZe Clan to one city and alienating parts of a pre-existing fanbase. “Imagine if you were LA OpTic, just imagine that. All the fans around the world of OpTic, how many are you isolating with that. And then here’s the other problem with regionality, I don’t know if Call of Duty and regionality is a good fit at all.” (Timestamp for below video of 48:03 for mobile users) “If they try and shoehorn that [regionality] in when they eventually do franchise, because I’m pretty sure it’s gonna happen – when they franchise Call of Duty like they do Overwatch – none of this ‘let’s build new brands’ bullshit,” added Lewis. “Let the great Call of Duty teams be the great Call of Duty teams with their already great fan bases and let them compete in a structured environment. That’s all you need to do to make Call of Duty great.” Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd

Reworked MW3 LMG is now one of the best weapons in multiplayer A surprise patch for Modern Warfare 3 saw several weapons buffed, nerfed, and even a few entirely reworked. One of the LMGs to receive such a rework has been transformed into one of the best guns in MW3. Following the initial Season 2 update on February 7, Modern Warfare 3 developer Sledgehammer Games released another surprise patch on February 13. This was not a minor patch either with seeing several weapons being rebalanced with notable buffs being given to the Striker 9, Longbow, and WSP Stinger. However, it was none of these weapons that benefitted most from the patch but instead, an LMG that has not only gone on to dominate Warzone but also emerged as a top-tier option in multiplayer. Reworked LMG is amongst MW3’s best weapons The February 13 patch saw the TAQ Evolvere receive a massive rework that fundamentally changed how the previously overlooked LMG functions. Both its default ammunition and 5.56 Belt conversions got overhauled with the former affecting Warzone and the latter giving the LMG a spot in the multiplayer meta. The changes to the 5.56 Belt were as follows: Increased movement speed benefit by 16%. – Added 40% hipfire spread reduction benefit. – Increased aim down sight time benefit by 15%. – Increased aim down sight movement speed benefit by 17%. – Added rate of fire benefit at 857rpm. – Decreased maximum damage from 34 to 30 (-12%). – Decreased medium damage from 30 to 24 (-20%). – Increased head, neck, and upper-torso damage multipliers from from 1.1x to 1.2x (+9%). – After the rework, equipping the 5.56 Belt results in the TAQ Evolvere transforming into a highly mobile, rapid-fire LMG that is devastating at close to medium range. In fact, it has a TTK of just 210 ms in its maximum damage range, the fastest of any automatic weapon in MW3. Keep in mind that despite its impressive Aim Walking Speed, massively improved hip-fire accuracy, and faster fire rate, the TAQ Evolvere still has a relatively slow ADS speed. This limits its potential somewhat but it can still excel if used correctly. This buff hasn’t gone unnoticed with it currently being the fourth most used gun in MW3 with a 7.16% usage rate as of February 16, according to WZRanked. That places the TAQ Evolvere behind only the SVA 545, WSP-9, and MCW.

Reverse Sweep returns for CDL 2022 season with Enable, ACHES, Censor & Parasite Call of Duty LeagueCall of Duty legends ACHES, Parasite, and Censor are joining Enable on Reverse Sweep, Dexerto’s flagship CDL video series, for the 2022 season. Launched in 2021, Reverse Sweep provides in-depth analysis and unfiltered opinion on the weekend’s Call of Duty League action. The new line-up of talent will join host Enable to provide the last word on the weekend’s play and look forward to upcoming fixtures. The first episode of the 2022 season launched on Tuesday, February 8, and you can watch it on Dexerto’s Youtube channel. With episodes based around the Call of Duty League calendar, the Reverse Sweep hosts will discuss the biggest storylines and give their hot takes on the CDL action from now right up until the CDL Championship in August 2022. Mike Kent, Co-Founder and Director of Content at Dexerto, said: “Nobody knows competitive Call of Duty content quite like Dexerto, we’ve been the premier destination for years and we only strengthened that with the launch of Reverse Sweep in 2021. Now, with the additions of the no-holds-barred trio of ACHES, Parasite and Censor joining Enable, the show is going to reach new heights and entertain fans all throughout the Vanguard season.” All episodes of Reverse Sweep will be available on the Dexerto Call of Duty YouTube channel, Dexerto.com, and all major podcast platforms.

Reverse Sweep Prize Picks: Major 1 Qualifiers, Week 4 Call of Duty League/PrizePicksSponsored by PrizePicks The Reverse Sweep team have selected their best picks for PrizePicks’ Call of Duty League daily fantasy, as the final week of Major 1 qualifiers gets underway. Dexerto’s flagship Call of Duty League show, Reverse Sweep, is back for the 2024 season, and this time, PrizePicks are helping the team flex their analytical muscles. Crunching the numbers and analyzing the matchups, Reverse Sweep have come up with their key picks for Week 4 of Major 1 qualifiers, one week before teams head off to Boston for the first LAN of the season. Here are their picks. Accuracy (vs LA Guerrillas) Maps 1-3 kills: 46.5 — LESS Accuracy isn’t best known for his slaying abilities, and despite LA Guerrillas not being the toughest competition, the Reverse Sweep team don’t have high hopes for his chances of accruing a lot of kills. Accuracy has one of the shortest lines this week at 46.5, but they expect him to get less than that across the opening three maps. Lucky (vs OpTic Texas) Maps 1-3 kills: 48.5 — LESS Miami Heretics’ fortunes appear to have turned in Week 3 of Major 1 qualifiers after a brilliant start to the season. While MettalZ has been a standout performer, teammate Lucky doesn’t quite have the same firepower, so the Reverse Sweep team expects to see him fall short of his line against OpTic Texas. Kenny (vs Miami Heretics) Maps 1-3 kills: 50.5 — MORE Kenny has been somewhat of a surprise for OpTic Texas this season so far. With high expectations on his superstar teammates, Kenny was expected to be the ‘Steady Eddie’ of the team, leading them but not absolutely firing on the slaying front. Instead, he’s been frying his opponents with ease, and the RS boys expect this to continue against a struggling Miami Heretics, getting more than 50.5 kills in maps 1-3. CleanX (vs New York Subliners) Maps 1-3 kills: 53.5 — MORE CleanX has been one of the best-performing SMGs in recent years, highly regarded among his peers as one of the most efficient slayers and team players in the world. Reverse Sweep have selected him to put in yet another defining performance against Seattle Surge, going above his 53.5 kill line in maps 1-3, and given his performances so far this season, it’s hard to argue against that. With this 4-leg Power Play, you can 10x your investment, so don’t forget to check back after this weekend’s matches to see how the Reverse Sweep picks went and to find out who they’re backing next week! Make sure to use code REVERSESWEEP when you sign up to PrizePicks for a first deposit match up to $100.

Reverse Sweep: LA Thieves DOMINATE! Kenny’s Role Swap = KEY? | CDL Major Review In the latest Reverse Sweep episode, hosts Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price, Ian ‘Enable’ Wyatt, Christopher ‘Parasite’ Duarte and Doug ‘Censor’ Martin, break down Los Angeles Thieves’ historic Major 4 win, New York Subliners in the grand final. LA Thieves arrived in New York, the Subliners’ home turf, and took the trophy in an intense final, making history for the team by achieving their first win in franchise history. LA Thieves proved everyone wrong! LA Thieves came out on top in their battle against New York Subliners, proving their ability to actively adapt and overcome their competition. After also defeating table-toppers Atlanta FaZe twice, they’re finding form at the perfect time. Whilst discussing the win on Reverse Sweep, ACHES praised the team, stating: “LA Thieves were on another level this weekend, we’ve never seen them play like that before!” Why did Atlanta FaZe fall short? Following Atlanta FaZe’s strengths in recent Call Of Duty matches, many fans predicted for them to be champions once again coming into this event. However, they fell short once again, with the Reverse Sweep crew discussing what exactly is going wrong for the 2021 world champions. Delving into their poor performance, Parasite commented: “Their struggles to win finals, or at this tournament, even get there, is worrying to me ahead of Champs. At the Majors they keep falling short, I think their issue, is getting their superstars to play well.” Enable added: “They were nowhere near the form they needed to be to win this Major.” Ultimately, to overcome their existing issues, the Reverse Sweep boys hypothesized that the team need to expand more on their knowledge of Vanguard, and how to use it to their advantage. The latest Reverse Sweep episode also covered the strengths shown by Crimsix and Kenny throughout Major 4, and the status of each team ahead of Champs. Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Reverse Sweep: COD NEEDS This LAT-FaZe Rivalry! | CDL Major Review In the latest Reverse Sweep episode, hosts Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price, Ian ‘Enable’ Wyatt, Christopher ‘Parasite’ Duarte and Doug ‘Censor’ Martin, discuss the ongoing Atlanta FaZe and LA Thieves rivalry following LA Thieves’ domination in the Call Of Duty League Championship Final, as well as the future of competitive Call Of Duty ahead of Modern Warfare 2. Los Angeles Thieves came into the Call Of Duty League Championship Finals showing their continued strengths, and ultimately conquered the number one seeded team, Atlanta FaZe, in the grand final. LA Thieves’ continued dominance Prior to Call Of Duty Champs, LA Thieves were on the brink of falling short, and missing out on qualifying for playoffs, however, during Major 4 they overcame their inconsistencies, and were crowned champions, paving the way for them to later go on and win the entire Championship tournament. When discussing their strengths on Reverse Sweep, Censor explained: “Getting aggressive, winning your fights and getting everyone hyped up. That’s the energy you need if you want to win the entire tournament. Half of the battle is the preparation and the skill, as well as having the right group of guys, but the other half of it is turning up on game day and taking the trophy, which they did. I don’t think every competitor has that team mentality and dynamic.” Looking into the future of COD esports… Many players have complained about the lack of competitiveness seen in Call Of Duty Vanguard, mainly due to the game’s unpredictable maps and spawns. Ahead of upcoming title Modern Warfare 2, our hosts discuss the changes they would like to see made within the game, to make it a better and more competitive game than Vanguard. Enable said: “I just hope the game has good maps. I think the last two games have had horrible maps, they’ve been horrible to watch, and play. I hope that the new maps have colour, which supposedly they do. I just want good maps, anything else you can fix.” The latest Reverse Sweep episode also covered the strengths shown by players such as Kenny and Drazah, the changes OpTic Texas need to urgently make, where Atlanta FaZe fell short, and more! Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Reverse Sweep: Can Seattle Surge keep up With OpTic/FaZe? | CDL Major Review In the grand final of Toronto Ultra Major III, Seattle Surge were crowned champions after dominating a five-match series versus Atlanta FaZe, achieving a 5-3 win. In this week’s Reverse Sweep episode, the boys discuss Seattle Surge’s victory against the world’s highest-ranking team (according to world rankings), Atlanta FaZe, in the finals of the Toronto Ultra Major III, the penultimate event ahead of the Call of Duty Championship. On this week’s episode of Reverse Sweep, hosts Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price, Ian “Enable” Wyatt and Christopher “Parasite” Duarte, break down the current state of Seattle Surge against dominating teams Atlanta FaZe and OpTic Texas. The downfall of Atlanta FaZe After losing at the Toronto Ultra Major III, there is an ongoing discussion among fans, about what is causing Atlanta FaZe to fall short. One of the major talking points surrounding the subject is the lack of dominance expressed by aBeZy in recent matches, in comparison to the strengths he showed playing during the Call Of Duty: Cold War era, with fans speculating his lack of enjoyment for Call Of Duty: Vanguard, and it’s competitive format. Alongside the possibility of a collective mental block for the team, following their three consecutive losses at major events this year. It’s hard to predict the future for Atlanta FaZe, and what changes they will make off the back of their recent losing streak to remain as the number one team. Vanguard breeds unpredictable results Another possible cause for the unbalanced matches within Call Of Duty esports right now, is the state of Call Of Duty: Vanguard itself. With its unpredictable and random spawns, prompting players to complain of poor competitive gameplay, the top teams are being kept on their toes. In the previous five major CDL events, we have seen the outcome of five different winners, further backing up the unpredictability of the game itself, and teams prepare against this. Kickoff – Toronto Ultra Major I – OpTic Texas Major II – LAG Pro Am – New York Subliners Major III – Seattle Surge5 Different Winners. Call Of Duty Vanguard. — Kevi 🍀 (@KeviSkillz) June 6, 2022 Ultimately, it could be argued that it’s a mix of both the game, and the high competitiveness of the CDL this year, with a minuscule skill gap between the top teams. This week’s Reverse Sweep also covered OpTic Texas and Atlanta FaZe’s strengths, as well as the future of players such as Shotzzy and Prolute… Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Reverse Sweep Call of Duty League Prize Picks: Major 3 Call of Duty League/PrizePicksThe Reverse Sweep team have selected their best picks for PrizePicks’ Call of Duty League daily fantasy as Major 3 gets underway in Toronto. Dexerto’s flagship Call of Duty League show, Reverse Sweep, is back for the 2024 season, and PrizePicks is helping the COD quartet flex their analytical muscles a little. Crunching the numbers and analyzing the matchups, Reverse Sweep have come up with their key picks for Major 3. Vikul (vs Atlanta FaZe) Maps 1-3 kills: 47.5 — LESS Miami Heretics have failed to win a map on LAN this season so far, and the Reverse Sweep team don’t have the highest of hopes for them at Major 3 either. With a line set at 47.5 against the best team in the game, Vikul could struggle to get things going in their opening match of the weekend. Scrap (vs Seattle Surge) Maps 1-3 kills: 55.5 — MORE One of the best assault rifle players in the world, you can always count on Scrappy to rack up the kills for Toronto Ultra. Facing off against a decisively mid Seattle Surge side, the Reverse Sweep boys think he’s going to find form straight from the jump and exceed his kill line. Breszy (vs Toronto Ultra) Maps 1-3 kills: 46.5 — LESS Breszy has struggled to get things going since joining Seattle Surge, and rarely leads his team in kills. Will that change at Major 3? It’s unlikely, especially with an opening-round matchup against Major 1 winners Toronto Ultra. Pred (vs Carolina Royal Ravens) Maps 1-3 kills: 55.5 — MORE Pred is a star in his own right, but surrounded by three other demons, he’s looking like he could take on just about anyone on the battlefield right now. Against Carolina Royal Ravens, the Reverse Sweep lads expect Pred to surpass his kill line of 55.5, likely sending Clayster & co. down to the Loser’s Bracket. With this 4-leg Power Play, you can 10x your lineup, so don’t forget to check back after this weekend’s matches to see how the Reverse Sweep picks went and to find out who they’re backing when Major 4 starts! Make sure to use code REVERSESWEEP when you sign up to PrizePicks for a first deposit match up to $100.

Reverse Sweep Call of Duty League Prize Picks: Major 2 Qualifiers, Week 5 Call of Duty League/PrizePicksSponsored by Prize Picks The Reverse Sweep team have selected their best picks for PrizePicks’ Call of Duty League daily fantasy, as the fifth and final week of Major 2 qualifiers gets underway before teams had to the Miami LAN. Dexerto’s flagship Call of Duty League show, Reverse Sweep, is back for the 2024 season, and PrizePicks is helping the COD quartet flex their analytical muscles a little. Crunching the numbers and analyzing the matchups, Reverse Sweep have come up with their key picks for Week 5 of Major 2 qualifiers. Here are their picks. Attach (vs Seattle Surge) Maps 1-3 kills: 51.5 — MORE Despite Vegas not being in great form, Attach has been one of the best slayers in the game, with a top 10 KD going into the final week of Major 2 qualifiers. For this reason, Aches and co. expect to see the veteran star putting up serious numbers against Surge. Huke (vs Vegas Legion) Maps 1-3 kills: 50.5 — MORE In recent seasons, Huke has struggled at times to live up to his “Huke the Nuke” moniker, though the Reverse Sweep team expect that to change against a struggling Vegas Legion side. 50.5 is a high line for Huke to live up to, but with an average of 48 map 1-3 kills, it’s only a small boost from where he is usually at. Kremp (vs LA Guerrillas) Maps 1-3 kills: 49.5 — MORE Kremp has helped LA Thieves improve since joining the team for Major 2, and despite their struggles against their local rivals throughout the CDL era, the Reverse Sweep team expect to see Kremp frying. Crossing the 50 kill mark would make for a solid outing for Kremp, and help the team in their push for winner’s bracket qualification. Assault (vs LA Thieves) Maps 1-3 kills: 45.5 — MORE The Guerrillas, much like the Thieves, have struggled to get much going this season so far, but will be hoping to continue their reign of dominance over LA this weekend. Assault could be the key here, going toe-to-toe with the Thieves ARs, and the Reverse Sweep crew are predicting him to surpass his 45.5 kills line. With this 4-leg Power Play, you can 10x your investment, so don’t forget to check back after this weekend’s matches to see how the Reverse Sweep picks went and to find out who they’re backing next week! Make sure to use code REVERSESWEEP when you sign up to PrizePicks for a first deposit match up to $100.

Reverse Sweep Call of Duty League Prize Picks: Major 2 Qualifiers, Week 4 Call of Duty League/PrizePicksSponsored by Prize Picks The Reverse Sweep team have selected their best picks for PrizePicks’ Call of Duty League daily fantasy, as the fourth week of Major 2 qualifiers gets underway. Dexerto’s flagship Call of Duty League show, Reverse Sweep, is back for the 2024 season, and this time, PrizePicks are helping the team flex their analytical muscles. Crunching the numbers and analyzing the matchups, Reverse Sweep have come up with their key picks for Week 1 of Major 2 qualifiers. Here are their picks. Simp (vs LA Thieves) Maps 1-3 kills: 53.5 — MORE Simp has been regarded as one of if not the best Call of Duty players of the Modern Warfare 3 season so far, and it’s not hard to see why. As a top slayer in the game, the Reverse Sweep crew have selected him to go over his line against LA Thieves. FeLo (vs LA Guerrillas) Maps 1-3 kills: 46.5 — LESS FeLo and the Carolina Royal Ravens have struggled to really get anything going this season so far, and with FeLo not best known for his slaying, the team have selected him to get less than his 46.5 line. With this 2-leg Power Play, you can 3x your investment, so don’t forget to check back after this weekend’s matches to see how the Reverse Sweep picks went and to find out who they’re backing next week! Make sure to use code REVERSESWEEP when you sign up to PrizePicks for a first deposit match up to $100.

Reverse Sweep Call of Duty League Prize Picks: Major 2 Qualifiers, Week 3 Call of Duty League/PrizePicksThe Reverse Sweep team have selected their best picks for PrizePicks’ Call of Duty League daily fantasy, as the first week of Major 2 qualifiers gets underway. Dexerto’s flagship Call of Duty League show, Reverse Sweep, is back for the 2024 season, and this time, PrizePicks is helping the team flex their analytical muscles. Crunching the numbers and analyzing the matchups, Reverse Sweep have come up with their key picks for Week 3 of the Major 2 qualifiers. Here are their picks. Reverse Sweep CDL Prize Picks Simp (vs Minnesota Røkkr) Maps 1-3 kills: 46.5 — MORE Simp has been regarded as one of if not the best Call of Duty players of the Modern Warfare 3 season so far, and it’s not hard to see why. Simp’s 3-map average so far this season is 52, which makes 46.5 (MORE) feel like a very safe bet. Owakening (vs Atlanta FaZe) Maps 1-3 kills: 46.5 — LESS On the other side of the server, Owakening will be loading in against Simp and his Atlanta FaZe cohorts, looking to get Rokkr’s Major 2 split back on track. That said, his slaying hasn’t quite matched what it has been in previous seasons, and so the Reverse Sweep team are expecting him to get LESS than his 46.5 line. Insight (vs Seattle Surge) Maps 1-3 kills: 46.5 — LESS Insight has been one of the best players in MW3 so far, but his value lays far more in other factors than just raw slaying. While Surge aren’t the most formidable foe, the crew expects him to get below his 46.5 kill line in the opening three maps. Breszy (vs Toronto Ultra) Maps 1-3 kills: 47.5 — LESS The new man on Seattle Surge, Breszy will be coming up against the best team in the game, and Aches and co. don’t have high hopes for him. With a kill line of 47.5 — just above that of Insight — the Reverse Sweep boys aren’t holding out much hope, opting for the LESS. With this 4-leg Power Play, you can 10x your investment, so don’t forget to check back after this weekend’s matches to see how the Reverse Sweep picks went and to find out who they’re backing next week! Make sure to use code REVERSESWEEP when you sign up to PrizePicks for a first deposit match up to $100.

Reverse Sweep Call of Duty League Prize Picks: Major 2 Call of Duty League/PrizePicksSponsored by Prize Picks The Reverse Sweep team have selected their best picks for PrizePicks’ Call of Duty League daily fantasy, as Major 2 in Miami, FL, is finally upon us. Crunching the numbers and analyzing the matchups, Reverse Sweep have come up with their key picks for the opening round of Major 2. Here’s what they’re going with. Attach (vs Toronto Ultra) Maps 1-3 kills: 50.5 — MORE Vegas have been looking seriously impressive of late and Attach has been one of the best slayers in the game, with a top 10 KD going into the LAN. For this reason, Aches and co. expect to see the veteran star putting up serious numbers against Major 1 winners Ultra. CleanX (vs Vegas Legion) Maps 1-3 kills: 53.5 — MORE CleanX is in the MVP conversation this season so far and is consistently slaying out no matter the opponent — and Aches and co. are not expecting that to change any time soon. While Vegas have been showing signs of improvement, CleanX could be the star to bring them back down to earth and rack up the killstreaks. Sib (vs Boston Breach) Maps 1-3 kills: 49.5 — MORE Sib has slotted well into the Subliners team and brings more slaying power than Priestahh did in his championship-winning tenure on the team. Against a Boston Breach side that has failed to find its footing, the Reverse Sweep crew expects Sib to go over the 49.5 kills mark. Shotzzy (vs Miami Heretics) Maps 1-3 kills: 53.5 — MORE Shotzzy has started to show signs of his older self in recent weeks, with OpTic Texas in fantastic form as he heats up individually. He’s expected to continue that against a very beatable Miami Heretic, and the whole team could put up serious numbers if their form continues. Cellium (vs LA Thieves) Maps 1-3 kills: 47.5 — MORE Cellium has had the best KD in the Call of Duty League consistently for the last few years, and is showing no signs of slowing down. The lads expect Cell to surpass his 47.5 line against a struggling LA Thieves. Afro (vs ATL FaZe) Maps 1-3 kills: 47.5 — LESS Afro has been having a rough go of things this season and has struggled to find the top form he achieved in previous seasons. The Reverse Sweep team expects that to continue at the Major, believing Afro will miss his very short line. With this 6-leg Power Play, you can 25x what you put in, so don’t forget to check back after this weekend’s matches to see how the Reverse Sweep picks went and to find out who they’re backing next week! Make sure to use code ReverseSweep when you sign up to PrizePicks for a first deposit match up to $100.

Reverse Sweep Call of Duty League Prize Picks: Major 1 selections Call of Duty League/PrizePicksSponsored by PrizePicks The Reverse Sweep team have selected their best picks for PrizePicks’ Call of Duty League daily fantasy, as the first LAN of the season gets started. Dexerto’s flagship Call of Duty League show, Reverse Sweep, is back for the 2024 season, and this time, PrizePicks are helping the team flex their analytical muscles. Crunching the numbers and analyzing the matchups, Reverse Sweep have come up with their key picks for Winner’s Round 1 of CDL Major 1, as teams finally get to fight for some silverware. Here are their picks, with none of their selections expected to go above the line. Assault (vs Atlanta FaZe) Maps 1-3 kills: 44.5 — LESS Assault has long struggled to really find his footing in the Call of Duty League, failing to regain the form of his 2018 Champs MVP victory. In LA Guerrillas’ opening match of the Boston Major, they go up against an Atlanta FaZe side with a flawless record so far — and the Reverse Sweep team expect him to struggle against the likes of Cellium and Drazah. Arcitys (vs Toronto Ultra) Maps 1-3 kills: 44.5 — LESS Once one of the greatest ARs in the game, Arcitys is another player that has struggled to live up to his prior form, and found himself on teams that don’t quite match the old eUnited or Atlanta FaZe sides that were so dominant. He’s been picked to go under the 44.5 kill line between Maps 1-3 againt Toronto Ultra, who will be heavy favorites in this matchup. Lucky (vs OpTic Texas) Maps 1-3 kills: 44.5 — LESS Lucky mustered 42 kills against OpTic Texas in Week 4 of qualifiers as Heretics dismantled them in 3-0 fashion, despite averaging around 48 in prior matches. The Reverse Sweep team are expecting Lucky to have a similar game in their opening Major 1 rematch against OpTic, going for less than 44.5 kills. Accuracy (vs New York Subliners) Maps 1-3 kills: 45.5 — LESS Accuracy has been a consistent pick for the Reverse Sweep team, with little expectation on him to exceed his average statlines each week. This is exacerbated further as he is set to take on one of the best teams in the game and reigning world champions New York Subliners. With this 4-leg Power Play, you can 10x your investment, so don’t forget to check back after this weekend’s matches to see how the Reverse Sweep picks went and to find out who they’re backing next week! Make sure to use code REVERSESWEEP when you sign up to PrizePicks for a first deposit match up to $100.

Reverse Sweep Call of Duty League Prize Picks: Major 1 Qualifiers, Week 3 Call of Duty League/PrizePicksThe Reverse Sweep team have selected their best picks for PrizePicks’ Call of Duty League daily fantasy, as the second week of Major 1 qualifiers gets underway. Dexerto’s flagship Call of Duty League show, Reverse Sweep, is back for the 2024 season, and this time, PrizePicks are helping the team flex their analytical muscles. Crunching the numbers and analyzing the matchups, Reverse Sweep have come up with their key picks for Week 3 of Major 1 qualifiers, as we fly into the holiday season. Here are their picks. Estreal (vs Atlanta FaZe) Maps 1-3 kills: 47.5 — LESS In his rookie season at LA Guerrillas, Estreal has some pressure to prove that he belongs in the big leagues, and one of his biggest tests will be how he performs against dominant teams like Atlanta FaZe. The boys on Reverse Sweep don’t have high hopes this week, however, as they expect him to fall under his line of 47.5 kills in the opening 3 maps. CleanX (vs Seattle Surge) Maps 1-3 kills: 54.5 — MORE CleanX has been one of the best-performing SMGs in recent years. While his stats don’t always show that, and other subs have higher KDs, there’s a reason he’s so highly regarded among his peers as one of the most efficient slayers and team players in the world. Reverse Sweep have selected him to have a standout performance against Seattle Surge, going above his 54.5 kill line in maps 1-3, and given his performances so far this season, it’s hard to argue against that. Arcitys (vs Toronto Ultra) Maps 1-3 kills: 47.5 — LESS On the flipside of this fixture, the team does not see Arcitys having the best time against Toronto Ultra. Coming up against the Ultra AR duo of Scrappy and Insight is always going to be a tough task, but they don’t see Arcitys fully being up to it on the slaying front, predicting him to get less than 47.5 kills in the first three maps. Accuracy (vs New York Subliners) Maps 1-3 kills: 45.5 — LESS Accuracy isn’t best known for his slaying abilities, and against the reigning world champions, the Reverse Sweep team don’t have high hopes for his chances of accruing a lot of kills. Accuracy has one of the shortest lines this week at 45.5, but they expect him to get less than that across the opening three maps, especially given Rokkr’s rough 0-3 start to the season. With this 4-leg Power Play, you can 10x your investment, so don’t forget to check back after this weekend’s matches to see how the Reverse Sweep picks went and to find out who they’re backing next week! Make sure to use code REVERSESWEEP when you sign up to PrizePicks for a first deposit match up to $100.

CWL Caster Revan not returning to the desk for Black Ops 4 season Former professional Call of Duty player John ‘Revan’ Boble has announced his departure from MLG and the CWL ahead of the start of the Black Ops 4 season. Revan, with experience as a player at the professional level, was regarded by players and fans as one of the most insightful casters and analysts, able to translate in-game action and strategy to make easy for viewers. However, fans of Revan will be disappointed to hear that he will no longer be part of the broadcast team for CWL events this season, and is currently looking for other opportunities. It is in fact the second time that Revan has left a position within MLG, as after a stellar year of commentary in the Black Ops III season, Revan did not cast throughout the following season of Infinite Warfare. During this time he completed his studies, graduating from Stony Brooke University with a Chemistry degree in early 2018, after a return to casting for the CoD: WWII season. Revan was expected to continue in his role for the Black Ops 4 season and beyond, but announced on November 14 that he would not be returning as a caster, and was looking at opportunities. Looking to explore all options for the upcoming season as I will not be returning as a caster for Black Ops 4. I want to thank everyone at MLG/CWL & the viewers for the memories & support over the years. It’s been one hell of a ride and an unforgettable experience. — John Boble (@RevanJB) November 14, 2018 The circumstances around his departure are unclear, with many fans disappointed and surprised by the news, as he was always a fan favorite. Professional players too were surprised, with Team Envy captain Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price calling him “one of the best”. Revan could potentially seek out coaching postilions within a professional team, or otherwise work within in an esports organization. It is also possible he looks at casting opportunities in other titles, having casted at a Runescape event this year. Fans will be hoping he stays within the Call of Duty space however, and potentially returns at some point in the future to provide his unique insights on the analyst desk.

Return of Warzone’s MP7? Breaking down JGOD’s favorite sniper support loadouts YouTube, JGOD / ActivisionAs Call of Duty: Warzone’s meta shifts around in Season 4, a fan-favorite classic may be making a return. JGOD broke down the best sniper support loadouts and Modern Warfare’s MP7 made the cut. Sniper support is an important role in Warzone. While players typically run an AR primary for medium-to-long range and an SMG (or shotgun) secondary for close range, things change when you’ve got a sniper in hand. With the Kar98k and Swiss K31 being so strong currently, people are looking for the best gun to pair them with. It used to be the M4-A1, then the RAM-7, then, most recently, the Milano and XM4 — but those all got nerfed. Following Season 4’s huge batch of changes, YouTuber and Warzone guru JGOD explored all sniper-support classes. Of seven final candidates, he honed in on the three best sniper-support loadouts: Cold War AK-47, Milano, and MP7. Warzone’s best sniper support loadouts: AK, Milano, MP7 As you can see in the picture above, JGOD breaks down the TTK for all seven considered classes (including the RAM-7, M4-A1, XM4, and FARA 83). While he looks at all body parts in the video, chest shots feel the most relevant given how often people aim there. Each of the three best loadouts have different specialties. The AK-47 is the best when only shooting limbs and the strongest with chest shots from about 23-30 meters, but it suffers from a small mag size and tough recoil. Interestingly, the MP7 jumps into viable territory with everything else getting nerfed. The classic Modern Warfare SMG has the fastest stomach TTK by far and fastest chest TTK — both up until about 15 meters. The Milano, however, appears to be the most balanced option of all. It has a great TTK up until about 23 meters, after which it drops, but becomes better than both the MP7 and AK past about 30 meters. If you want an SMG with the recoil control to handle business a little closer to medium range, the MP7 therefore looks like the best option. But, if you want consistency at all ranges and aren’t weirded out by the open bolt delay, the Milano is probably your friend. You can see JGOD’s preferred classes for each gun in the screenshot and video, but you can also refer to our loadout sheets (including JGOD, Aydan, and more streamers) if you want to mix things up.

Retired pro Censor teases a return to competitive CoD with a top organization Former FaZe Clan, compLexity and Lightning Pandas player Doug ‘Censor’ Martin continues to tease a possible return to competing, following his retirement after the CoD: WWII season. Initially planning to compete in the Black Ops 4 season, expected to be a part of the new Evil Geniuses lineup, it was a surprise when Censor announced what was his second retirement from pro CoD. It is believed that his spot on EG was nearly official, but a last minute choice to recruit Tyler ‘FeLo’ Johnson instead, forced Censor out. However, following the first event of the season, Censor said on Twitter that there are teams that “need my help”, and followed up with a YouTube video stating plainly that he wanted back on the FaZe roster. FaZe have officially traded Anthony ‘Zinni’ Methodz to G2, replacing him with Cellium, but that doesn’t mean Censor has no options. Rumors sparked that Evil Geniuses were looking to make a change, after EG player Renato ‘Saints’ Forza was spotted practicing with Pittsburgh Knights – meaning a slot is potentially available, and EG player John ‘Xotic’ Bruno hinted at Censor with this picture posted to twitter. At first, it seemed more likely that Xotic was just trolling his followers rather than making a meaningful hint, but Censor himself responded. Fuelling speculation, the three time champion quoted Xotic’s teaser with a hint of his own, using the hashtag ‘#Rostermania’. This too could very easily be a joke, intended to get Censor’s fans’ hopes up, but it is not as unrealistic as it sounds – if EG really are making a roster change for Saints. Now former G2 player Ricky ‘Ricky’ Stacy has stated that he is still looking for options, so it appears EG are not making a move for him instead of Saints. Ricky was in fact also spotted practicing with Pittsburgh Knights. Another option for Evil Geniuses would be Brice ‘Faccento’ Faccento, but he too claimed he was a free agent, so EG are perhaps not making a move for him either. EG coach John ‘Revan’ Boble even wished Faccento good luck. So who knows, perhaps Censor will end up on the Evil Geniuses roster after all.

Retired CS:GO AWPer Skadoodle takes his accuracy and sniping skills to Black Ops 4 Recently retired CS:GO professional Tyler ‘Skadoodle’ Latham may have stepped down from full time competition, but his AWP skills are legendary and, judging by this clip, transferable to other shooters. Skadoodle, who retired from competing after in October 2018 following Cloud9’s win at the ELEAGUE Boston Major in January, is now turning his attention to full time streaming. With a large Twitch following already built up from his time as one of the best known players in North American Counter-Strike, he has a strong platform to build on and follow in the footsteps of players like Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek. Like shroud, another former Cloud9 player, Skadoodle’s skill and accuracy with a keyboard and mouse are rivalled by only the very best, no matter what game he’s playing. Trying his hand at the recently released Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Skadoodle goes on a tear with the Paladin sniper, the Annihilator and even a tomahawk kill, just for good measure. And in typical Skadoodle fashion, he did it while hardly saying a single word, reacting with only “that was sick”, when his run was finished. With his focus now fully on full time streaming, fans of Skadoodle from CS:GO and new fans too may get to see him play a variety of games, with his laid back style and skill in game strikingly similar to shroud in a number of ways. More: CS:GO Halloween update allows players to become Ghosts, adds spooky Cobblestone rework – Patch notes – You can watch Skadoodle stream regularly on his Twitch channel, where he still streams CS:GO, plus new games like Call of Duty, particularly the battle royale mode ‘Blackout’.

Retired CoD pro Censor calls out Parasite for talking trash about his Black Ops 4 skills Talking smack has always been part of the competitive Call of Duty culture, but it can sometimes come back to bite the player who’s doing the talking. This was the case for longtime pro player Chris ‘Parasite’ Duarte, who was put in an awkward spot after being hilariously called out by fellow veteran Doug ‘Censor’ Martin. During a recent stream, Parasite was clipped talking smack about Censor’s apparent lack of ability in competitive Control. “Last night I played Doug for $100 in amateur-10s bro and he was getting like 1900 damage on Controls bro, I was crying,” he said while laughing. Turns out it was Censor who would get the last laugh as he posted a video on Twitter showing a match of Control between the two players in which Parasite was dead last on his team with a low score of 1600, less than half of the 3685 score that Censor got. “Throw some respect on my name Parasite,” Censor tweeted. “I’ve played competitive Black Ops 4 for 10 hours and I’m already twice the player as you.” As expected, the tweet got a lot of reaction on Twitter as competitive players and fans alike were laughing at the hilarious way that the clip had been edited. Parasite himself also commented on the video, laughing it off and reminding Censor that he had still lost the wager: “Bro we won the series and you still owe me the other $50 from the $100 you bet me.” Throw some respect on my name @Parasite I’ve played competitive BO4 for 10 hours and I’m already twice the player as you :right_bicep: pic.twitter.com/5mHU77ngGt — FaZe Censor (@Censor) January 23, 2019 Overall, this was some good-natured banter and ribbing between two players who have been around the competitive Call of Duty scene for as long as anyone. Unfortunately, both will not be competing professionally this season as Parasite’s squad failed to qualify for the CWL Pro League while Censor remains retired.

Retired CDL pro Methodz gets Modern Warfare 2 ranked hackers banned live on stream Activision/Boston BreachHackers have become one of the most infuriating parts of any online game, and Call of Duty is no exception. While Warzone battle royale has been a haven for hackers for years at this point, they’re now also plaguing ranked games, and former pro Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni did what he had to do to get two banned live on stream. Cheating has always been a problem in CoD, but this was exacerbated massively with the launch of Warzone in 2020, forcing Activision to develop their Ricochet anti-cheat as a means to counter the problem. While Ricochet definitely improved the state of Call of Duty, hackers still get through as new cheating software gets through the gaps and the anti-cheat has to learn how to find and ban them too. This has become an increasingly annoying problem to deal with in ranked play since that launched in Modern Warfare 2, especially in the higher ranks where hackers typically cheat to reach to play against the pros. Unfortunately for Methodz, he came up against two suspected hackers while on his ranked play grind, and both of them got banned during their matchup. As the game reached its end, it looked like one of them might have got away with it, having taken the loss and the game readying to go back to the lobby. Methodz said that he’d already got one banned, before the second player was removed right at the end, adding: “That is two cheaters getting live banned, ladies and gentlemen.” There’s not much more enjoyable than reporting someone for cheating and seeing them get banned live, in-game, and that must be accentuated even more when you’re grinding for high ranks. The pros themselves do have direct links to Activision employees to pass on names of suspected cheaters, as long as they can provide proof, so it’s no surprise to see people like this get hit with the ban hammer so quickly.

Repullze slams Caldera for changing Warzone’s gameplay: “This year has been horrible” YouTube: H3CZThe removal of Verdansk was a necessary-but-controversial decision from the Warzone developers, but Repullze is of the opinion that changing the map has done more harm than good for the battle royale. There aren’t many names in Warzone that can rival that of the Baka Bros. Diaz, Repullze, and LuckyChamu made themselves a household name in the early days of the game and they’ve kept up that level of success ever since. While Warzone is the title that put them on the map, Repullze claims that the game has taken a significant nosedive since the implementation of the pacific-themed Caldera and he’s also detailed some more specific grievances he holds with the title. Repullze claims Caldera ruined Warzone’s combat flow The Baka Bro opened up about his thoughts on the game during his appearance on The Eavesdrop Podcast with OpTic H3CZ. Some time after the legendary esports owner asked about how Repullze got his start, the conversation meandered to how he feels about the game at the current moment and nothing was held back at that point. “I can 100% objectively say that Caldera is nowhere near as good as Verdansk,” he said. “When you play competitively, the flow of Verdansk is amazing. It’s like you’re able to go from fight-to-fight-to-fight…[Caldera.] it’s a running simulator.” It wasn’t all negative though as both the Warzone star and the ’42-year-old phenom’ both had high praise for the newest map Fortune’s Keep, praising it for the amount of “finesse” options available thanks to the close-quarters and fast-paced gameplay. As we draw closer to the release of Warzone 2 it looks like FK may be the only thing that keeps some of the biggest names in the scene playing the game that they love.

Reports claim H3CZ to keep LA OpTic spot – NRG to sell Huntsmen CDL team H3CZ / CDLAccording to a report put out by Esports Talk, NRG might part ways with their Call of Duty League team, Chicago Huntsmen, in order for the franchise’s CEO, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, to hold onto the OpTic Gaming brand. [jwplayer qYU9URvL] H3CZ’s recent reacquisition of OpTic Gaming from Immortals Gaming Club has sent the Call of Duty League scene into a bit of a whirlwind, and we now may know what could come of it when the dust finally settles. With the OpTic brand tied strictly to the CDL, if Rodriguez is to maintain ownership of it and not have to sell it, then NRG could put their Chicago Huntsmen franchise up for sale instead. According to sources close to Esports Talk host ‘Jake Lucky,’ the league office is requiring franchises to stay at the city they were originally assigned to, which means that H3CZ’s supposed “Chicago OpTic” dream can’t come to fruition. “It seems that the league itself may not even allow the OpTic brand to leave the city of Los Angeles,” he said. “Apparently the league is making it so these brands have to stay with their established cities, which means the Huntsmen would have to stay in Chicago and OpTic would have to stay in LA. “I’ve been told, NRG would, in fact, acquire the OGLA team and spot, and thus sell the Chicago Huntsmen to anyone else, or a newcomer, or a new round of investors who wants to come in the league. “Apparently, H3CZ supposedly wanted ‘Chicago OpTic’ to be a thing, but it wasn’t allowed by the league because OpTic has to stay with that LA branding. So, NRG has to acquire the OGLA spot, and with it OpTic Gaming, and sell Chicago Huntsmen to any newcomers.” Of course, if this was to come to fruition, it would raise massive questions about the roster situations on both teams, especially considering that Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell just left OGLA for Huntsmen this offseason. “There is no guarantee that the roster swaps would happen,” he added. “That means, whoever comes in and takes over the Chicago Huntsmen, they would get Scump, FormaL, Dashy, and Envoy, and instead, H3CZ and NRG would be operating with the current OpTic boys.” However, sources close to the situation have advised Dexerto that H3CZ would be able to keep his team intact if these transactions were to happen, meaning the likes of Scump and FormaL, who joined Huntsmen partly because of Rodriguez’s presence, will be able to stay with the CEO. Esports Talk also mentioned that 100 Thieves CEO Matt ‘Nadeshot’ Haag was “all in” to purchase the OpTic spot but was tied down by the organization’s board and their financial obligations. While not confirmed, it appears that the plan may have been for Nadeshot and 100T to purchase that Los Angeles CDL slot and rebrand it to “LA Thieves,” while H3CZ would take his beloved OpTic branding back to Chicago, which seems to have fallen through considering the latest reports. Of course, 100T could still go for a CDL spot by purchasing and rebranding the Huntsmen, if NRG puts it up for sale, but for Rodriguez to hold onto the Green Wall, it appears unlikely that he’ll be able to do so in Chicago. As always, we will continue to update this article with more information as it becomes available.

Report: New Houston Outlaws owner to buy eUnited and Call of Duty franchise spot Francisco Suarez/ESPAT Media/BlizzardNew Houston Outlaws owner Lee Zieben is reportedly acquiring eUnited eSports Ltd., and is also set to acquire the Houston spot for the upcoming Call of Duty franchise league starting in 2020. As part of the purchase of Infinite Esports & Entertainment, Immortals Gaming Club acquired both the OpTic Gaming and Houston Outlaws brands, but were required to sell the latter as they already have an Overwatch League team in the LA Valiant. As reported by ESPN, the buyer is Lee Zieben, a Houston real estate investor, who has agreed on a $40 million deal set to be completed in “late August”. According to a report from the Houston Business Journal, who also corroborate that the Zieben Group has purchased Houston Outlaws, the investment firm is also acquiring eUnited eSports Ltd., who compete under the eUnited brand. eUnited won the 2019 CWL Championship, as well as the CWL Finals, finishing the Black Ops 4 season as the undisputed number one team in Call of Duty. Additionally, HBJ reports that Zieben has submitted a bid to acquire the Houston spot for the franchise Call of Duty league. Existing Overwatch League team owners get first dibs on spots for the Call of Duty league, and so Zieben will likely have the first pick on a Houston spot, should his bid be successful. Sources say that Zieben is “in the process” of raising $50 million to finance an “esports-focused” holding company. HBJ report that the Houston real-estate investor has already secured funding from national sources, but is also looking for local Houston-based investment too. A Twitter account, believed to belong to Lee Zieben as it is followed by a number of Houston Outlaws players and staff (as first noted by CWLIntel on Twitter), was even Tweeting about the potential purchase of a Call of Duty team in July – coincidentally the same time that it was reported he had purchased the Outlaws. @TheRock I am purchasing two esports teams for the Overwatch and call of duty league. I am looking for strategic investors, would you be interested? Teams will qualify as an opportunity zone investment. We will have a player whos name will be “ Prime”. Lee@ziebengroup.com— Lee Zieben (@leezieben) July 18, 2019 eUnited has not ruled out a spot in the 2020 Call of Duty league, unlike 100 Thieves, who finished runners-up at the World Championship and confirmed their exit from CoD esports. So far, nine locations/franchises have been confirmed for the Call of Duty franchised league: Atlanta, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota, New York, Paris, Toronto and two Los Angeles teams. H/T: mannyanekal

Report: Immortals complete Infinite buyout; will keep OpTic Gaming brand MLGOverwatch franchise, Houston Outlaws, has been in doubt for a number of weeks as numerous reports suggested that Immortals and current OpTic Gaming CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez were in a bidding war for Infinite. On June 7 ESPN’s Jacob Wolf published a report stating that sources familiar with the deal had confirmed that Immortals Gaming Club had won the bid, acquiring Infinite Esports and Entertainment “for cash and equity worth $35 to $45 million.” H3CZ’s bid for Infinite Esports & Entertainment was reportedly beaten by Immortals. With the deal done, Immortals Gaming Club will also take control of OpTic Gaming and their League of Legends LCS slot but will reportedly have to facilitate a sale for the Houston Outlaws due to Immortals already owning the Los Angeles Valiant franchise in the Overwatch League. As for the future of OpTic Gaming’s other teams and the brand itself, Wolf reports that Immortals will have to complete payments for Infinite’s 2017 purchase of 90% of the company for a reported sum of $17 million. OpTic Gaming will now be added to Immortals Gaming Club’s ever-growing portfolio of esports organizations, teams and businesses which include MIBR, Los Angeles Valiant and Immortals themselves. Wolf states that Immortals are currently in discussions about purchasing a franchise spot for the Call of Duty World League in 2020, presumably hoping to attach the OpTic name to one of the city-based league spots. Read More: Censor continues to take shots at Crimsix – “When money’s on the line, I’ll always beat you” – OpTic’s minority owner, and longtime CEO, H3CZ reportedly “met with Leibman and Immortals CEO Ari Segal in Frisco, Texas,” to “discuss Rodriguez’s potential involvement in the OpTic Gaming franchise moving forward” on May 15 but whether or not that involvement will continue is currently undetermined. With H3CZ’s ongoing involvement anything but certain, the future of the OpTic Gaming brand remains up in the air. The future of the CS:GO roster is also uncertain given the fact that Immortals already own the MIBR Counter-Strike roster after purchasing the brand in 2018. For members of the Green Wall, OpTic’s ever loyal and vocal fanbase, answers about the future and confirmation of ESPN’s report will be waited upon with bated breath.

Activision denies reports that Jason Blundell was fired from Treyarch Call of Duty WikiActivision gave a Call of Duty Black Ops 4. According to GamingINTEL’s, Blundell was let go in early July, even though the news broke on July 24. Blundell is best known for his work on the Zombies game mode and he’s well-liked by the fan base so if his firing is true, it will come as a major setback to the mode going forward. Treyarch haven’t formally announced Blundell or any of the executives’ firings and it remains to be seen if they will do so, especially considering this happened weeks back, according to the story. There’s no one reason for what led to the firings but a separate account suggests that Blundell’s tendency to leak information led to his removal. YouTuber TheGamingRevolution alleges Blundell’s firing came as a result of the Black Ops 3/4 debacle along with his penchant for leaks while drinking. “Jason’s departure was mainly a result of the pre-BO3/BO4 campaign disasters and the last straw was that he kept drinking and giving away leaks whilst under the influence.” Activision fired around 10 Treyarch employees, including Jason Blundell. They’re pissed & fed up with Treyarch. Jason’s departure was mainly a result of the pre-BO3/BO4 campaign disasters & the last straw was that he kept drinking & giving away leaks whilst under the influence. — TheGamingRevolution (@TheGamingRevoYT) July 24, 2019 GamingINTEL says they are confident in their source but warn that since it hasn’t been officially addressed by Treyarch, it’s important to not take it as a complete fact right now. If it is true, then the Zombies mode will likely undergo some serious changes in the future as a person with a different vision will take control. Zombies is one of the most popular modes in the Call of Duty series so this will certainly be something to keep an eye on. We’ll keep you updated on where Treyarch or Blundell himself confirms the departure. In the meantime, it looks like the future of Call of Duty will look a lot different. Dexerto has reached out for comment on this story.

Report claims Call of Duty pulls in $3 million daily thanks to Warzone Activision[jwplayer SZm0PqRr]A new report has indicated that the Call of Duty franchise is making a bonkers amount of money every single day, with a huge contributing factor being Warzone’s microtransactions. Activision’s yearly-released FPS has been an industry giant for years now, and the advent of microtransactions have only caused the games’ profits to surge with more ways to monetize the experience. The new report comes from SlottyVegas, who have used information from Nielsen Super Data, Esports Earnings, Social Blade and Forbes to determine how much money Call of Duty is making each and every day. “We can exclusively reveal that Call Of Duty is making a staggering £2.4 million per day from physical purchases and online transactions,” the company said in a press release. When converted to USD, this means that Call of Duty is making $2.98 million a day. “That’s just over £1,600 per minute. During the past 80 days of lockdown, Call Of Duty has earned £194,204,059.15, helped in large part by its Battle Royale offshoot, Warzone,” they added. When converted, those numbers translate to $1,986 USD every minute and a whopping $241,160,270.20 in the last eighty days. That’s a lot of money to be made in part due to cosmetic upgrades that do not have any effect on gameplay. Given the value of Warzone, one has to wonder what the future of the battle royale will hold – especially with the next CoD, rumored to be named “Black Ops,” facing a possible delay. So far, there’s no indication as to when the next main entry in the series will be officially announced, or if a battle royale mode will launch alongside it – or later into its lifespan, as Infinity Ward did with Modern Warfare. One thing is for sure, though: Judging by these numbers, there is a lot of money to be made hanging in the balance.

Report: Call of Duty League will host fewer events than originally planned According to a new report from the Sports Business Journal, the inaugural season of the Call of Duty League in 2020 will not feature as many events as had been originally announced. Despite the 2020 Call of Duty League season being less than a month away from launch, Activision are still implementing last-minute changes with the hopes of making the CDL’s first season a success. Most notably, a recent bombshell announcement revealed that the regular season would be changed to the more familiar tournament-based format that CoD fans have become accustomed to over the past decade. However, according to a report from Adam Stern, an esports reporter for the Sports Business Journal, this massive change won’t be without any repercussions. Read More: Modern Warfare Dec 31 patch notes – In his December 31 tweet, Stern claimed to have learned from sources that the CDL is “expected to hold fewer events in 2020 than originally anticipated, as part of its switch back to a tournament model.” ‘@CODLeague is expected to hold fewer events in ’20 than originally anticipated, as part of its switch back to a tournament model. ➖ Move was made in part because some teams were becoming overwhelmed at the prospect of hosting both CDL and @OverwatchLeague events, per source. pic.twitter.com/j9Tdiky5lK — Adam Stern (@A_S12) December 31, 2019 According to Activision themselves, the change back to a tournament-based format means that “fans will get to see more matches and more teams competing at each home series weekend.” As a result, the 12-member franchises responsible for hosting these homestands will now have to accommodate for a larger number of matches than they’d originally anticipated. Read More: Scump confirms T2P merch plans with FormaL – Many of these organizations also own franchises in the Overwatch League, and as Stern’s tweet above suggests, they’re becoming “overwhelmed at the prospect of hosting both CDL and OWL events,” now that they know the CDL events will feature more matches. What does this mean for the 2020 CDL schedule? Activision are yet to respond to this report, so nothing conclusive has been announced in terms of what this could mean in regards to the 2020 CDL schedule. The original plan for the schedule, revealed on November 7, planned to host 22 homestands each weekend over the course of 22 weeks, with each city getting the chance to host two homestands, one in each half of the season. The schedule also included a Midseason Weekend and Championship Weekend on May 2 and August 9, respectively. However, Activision have since removed that schedule and the ‘EVENTS’ tab as a whole from the official CDL website, so the indication is that it could be considerably changed or even completely scrapped and redone. As always, we will continue to bring you the latest on this developing story as more information becomes available.

Report: Activision to delay CoD 2023 game & launch new F2P title ActivisionActivision will reportedly not release a mainline Call of Duty game in 2023, a move that would break the annual release streak since 2005. There will be no new Call of Duty game in 2023, according to a report from Bloomberg. Instead, Activision will continue to support its free-to-play battle royale in Warzone, along with the 2022 release in the reported Modern Warfare 2. A separate and yet to be revealed free-to-play title is expected to launch at some stage in 2022. There’s currently no telling what this free launch may entail. Call of Duty 2023 delayed Call of Duty 2023 – expected to be a Treyarch project – has been pushed back in its development until 2024. The report suggests Activision wants to prevent Call of Duty titles from conflicting with subsequent releases. That’s what the company believes contributed to Vanguard’s lackluster sales since it launched in 2021. Sources close to Dexerto have also confirmed that the report is accurate, meaning that 2023 will mark the first year in almost two decades that Call of Duty fans won’t have a mainline game to sink their teeth into. A new premium Call of Duty has come out every year since 2005. Next year’s offerings will include a new free-to-play game as well as content for Warzone 2 and 2022’s Modern Warfare. — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) February 22, 2022 Activision is still prepared to launch a new title in 2022, though there’s no indication of what this free-to-play project will look like. We do know, however, this new launch is separate from Warzone 2. Read More: Top 10 most viewed Warzone Twitch streamers – Despite reports that 2023 will be a ‘gap year’ for the franchise, an Activision spokesperson soon clarified that both “premium and free-to-play experiences” are on the way next year. “Reports of anything otherwise are incorrect,” the Activision statement read. “We look forward to sharing more details when the time is right.”

Replays Proved Doubters Wrong Leading FaZe Clan to Victory Over OpTic With Multiple Clutch Plays FaZe Clan’s James “Replays” Crowder has been subject to criticizm from pockets of competitive Call of Duty fans, but his performance vs OpTic will have reminded everyone why he is a World Champion. Some have suggested that Replays isn’t in the same bracket as other top AR players, and in some senses they are correct – he doesn’t put up the huge kill numbers like Rise Nation’s SlasheR or OpTic’s Octane. But Replays is a very different AR player to these two, and so comparing them on K/D ratio and slaying power alone is a wasted conversation. What Replays brings to a team is much more nuanced, but just as important. Up against OpTic in winners round one of the Stage Two playoffs, Replays was the factor for FaZe – it is hard to see them winning this series without his performance, as he made the big plays in games three and five to give them the win. Just as it looked like Tommy “ZooMaa” Paparratto had missed his chance to secure the Capture the Flag, and given OpTic the tying score in doing so, it was Replays who stepped up in the crucial moment. Shutting down both OpTic players as they attempted to pull away with the flag, Replays’ composure shone through, despite the pressure he won the gunfight against both Octane and Crimsix And despite taking a hammering in the game four hardpoint, Replays kept himself and his teammates composed for the game five Search and Destroy. His 1v2 clutch was likely the play of the series, as he completely outwitted Octane, rounding him to take Methodz off the defuse with only milliseconds to spare. Once again OpTic fought back, forcing a round 11, but once again Replays remained unwavering, making the smart play and dropping an artillery directly on top of Methodz, giving OpTic no chance in the round. He later explained on the desk after the match, that it wasn’t something practiced, but just in the moment he saw the opportunity, and despite the pressure of a game five round 11, Replays didn’t put a foot wrong. FaZe will take on Team Kaliber in winners round two, for a spot in the winners final, and if Replay can perform at this level again, many will tip FaZe to take it. Of course, it is a team effort, and will require all four of the players to be at their best to knock down a formidable tK roster. OpTic dropped to the losers bracket immediately, and will face UNILAD to begin what they hope will be a long losers bracket run.

Replays Explains Why FaZe Clan is Making Role Changes Ahead of CoD Champs FaZe Clan Call of Duty star James ‘Replays’ Crowder has explained why the team has switched up some roles ahead of the 2018 Call of Duty World Championship. The veteran player stated: “we are 5-13 in Hardpoint from Anaheim to Stage 2. We have won five maps since Anaheim in Hardpoint.” The CWL Pro League Stage 1 winner then went on to explain that the team decided to “try and go over VODs and figure out what the fuck was wrong with our gameplay because we couldn’t figure it out.” However, despite Replays noticing a lot of tendencies that other teams don’t do and making some changes, FaZe struggled at the Stage 2 playoffs, finishing in 5th – 6th place. Chris Explaining the Role Changes with @FaZeClan going into CoD Champs. pic.twitter.com/m4MipkacN0 — MrMoveSs (@TheMrMoveSs) August 5, 2018 The 21-year-old goes on to say “we come home from Stage 2, we start scrimming, and we still get absolutely fucking fried, we scrimmed eUnited or some shit and literally went like 2-14 in map count”. After making changes to their gameplay and seeing no improvements, Replays says “we decided that I think it’s time for a role change because we won five Hardpoints in the last three months of tournament situations”. Read More: Clayster Proposes Several Changes to Competitive CoD That Could Result in “Record-Breaking Viewership” During Black Ops 4 – The FaZe star was responding to questions after a message on Preston ‘Priestahh’ Greiner’s stream caught the attention of fans on August 5: “We felt that we needed a change, and it works for us, so trust the process. New roles as follows; Me – Main AR | Replays – Sub | Attach – Flex | ZooMaa – Sub” With the Call of Duty World Championship set to take place from August 15 – 19, the players have just two weeks to settle in to their new roles. FaZe Clan has been drawn in Group E for the $1.5 million event alongside compLexity Gaming, Enigma6 Group and Morituri eSports.

Call of Duty: How to get The Replacer as a playable character in Blackout One of the most recognizable figures in the Call of Duty franchise has been added as a playable character in Black Ops 4’s Blackout battle royale mode, and here’s how you can unlock him. The Replacer, played by actor Peter Stormare, is a fictional character created as part of the marketing campaign for the second, third, and fourth installments of Call of Duty’s Black Ops series. As his nickname suggests, the premise of The Replacer is to complete people’s everyday responsibilities, such as doing their jobs, chores, and other duties, so they can spend more time at home playing CoD. UPDATE – MARCH 19 The Replacer was added as a playable character in Blackout on March 19. It is first available on the PlayStation 4 only, as per Sony’s exclusivity agreement with Activision, and will become available on the Xbox One and PC on March 26. The Replacer is here to win. Play as The Replacer in Blackout, available now on PS4, other platforms to follow. #BlackOps4 pic.twitter.com/Jm5aFsVQIn — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) March 19, 2019 Currently, the only way to unlock The Replacer is to purchase the new Replacer Bundle for 1100 CoD Points ( ~ $10 USD) in the Black Market. The bundle contains the character, the Swordfish MKII Signature Weapon that grants 25% extra XP per kill, and five tiers for the currently ongoing Operation Grand Heist content stream. ORIGINAL STORY – MARCH 14 It appears that the iconic character could be making its way into Blackout as a playable character, as some players have noticed an animated version of him featured on the main menu of Black Ops 4. Seeing as how the characters that get displayed on the main menu are usually playable, people are already getting excited at the possibility of playing as The Replacer in-game. The video also featured a surprise cameo appearance from popular Twitch streamer Dr DisRespect, who rode alongside The Replacer in an armored vehicle that he had forgotten to properly shut. The addition of The Replacer wouldn’t really come as a major shock, considering how Treyarch have never shied away from using real life people as characters in their games. The most recent example of this was the addition of actors Kiefer Sutherland, Helena Bonham Carter, Brian Blessed, and Charles Dance in the “Dead of the Night” Zombies story. If The Replacer does get added, the only question will be concerning its availability, as some players are speculating that it could be a Black Ops Pass exclusive.

Repeat winners take down $50K MFAM Warzone tournament: Full Results Activision / FaZe ClanNick ‘NICKMERCS’ Kolcheff ran another $50,000 MFAM Warzone Gauntlet on Tuesday, May 26, and even with a slew of top pros and streamers involved, the favorites who won last time came out on top again. While no ‘official’ Warzone tournaments are being held, community members are taking it upon themselves to host them, with KEEMSTAR’s Warzone Wednesday replicating the former glory of his Fortnite Friday tournaments in 2018. NICKMERCS’ turn has also organized the MFAM Gauntlet, pitting some of the best Warzone players in the world against and alongside Call of Duty pros, famous streamers and young, up-and-coming talent, with $50,000 on the line. With players such as Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter, Turner ‘Tfue’ Tenney and NICKMERCS himself taking to Verdansk, you might have expected some of these top pros to take the win. Read More: Grau or M4A1 in Warzone: Which is better? – In the end, it was a group of Warzone phenoms that went on to win it all – and not for the first time. Beating the pros for the second consecutive MFAM Gauntlet, Evan ‘SuperEvan’ Moore, Frozone, Ampz and Etrain grabbed the $24,000 winners prize. $50,000 MFAM Gauntlet recap The tournament saw 21 teams comprised of some of the biggest names in Call of Duty, Warzone and battle royale face off, and it didn’t disappoint. To qualify for the bracket, each team participated in a “bot race” for three hours, simply having to get as many kills as possible in the time allotted, with eight teams able to qualify and start making money. At the end of the three hours, 13 teams were eliminated, with several familiar faces left. Vikram ‘Vik’ Singh Barn’s team, himself and WarsZ multiple-time Warzone Wednesday winners, found themselves among the elite, alongside pro player Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman, Dr Disrespect and 100 Thieves CEO Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag. Of course, fame does not equal prowess, and that was proved when Team SuperEvan took down everyone in their path to win the top prize yet again. Here’s how the standings looked. $50,000 MFAM Gauntlet final standings While the eventual winners may not be the biggest in the esports or streaming worlds, most of the names that crop up at the top are ones Call of Duty fans will be familiar with. After winning twice in a row, it’s impossible to say the first was a fluke for SuperEvan, Frozone, Etrain and Ampz. They’re clearly top-tier talent, and Warzone might just be what makes them as famous as the rest of their competitors. Assuming Nick runs the MFAM Gauntlet once again in June, all eyes will be on this group to win once again, and now the pressure really is on.

Renetti finally hit with massive nerf after destroying Warzone lobbies ActivisionThe Renetti has been dominating the Warzone meta for a few weeks, and now, the devs have rolled out a nerf for the weapon to bring it back down to earth. When using the right attachments, the Renetti became one of the best weapons to have in Warzone, shredding apart lobbies and causing a lot of ire in the community. Because of this, fans have been demanding a nerf to the gun to bring more balance to matches. While initially upset by the lack of a nerf in the last patch, Warzone players can now rejoice as the devs have pushed the nerf out to everyone. Here is the breakdown on what is changing for the Renetti: JAK Ferocity Carbine Kit Max Damage decreased to 28, down from 36. – Min Damage decreased to 24, down from 28. – Max Damage Range decreased to 12.44 meters, down from 17.52. – Lower Torso Multiplier increased to 1.1x, up from 1. – Arms and Hand Multiplier increased to 1.1x, up from 1. – – Overall, the nerf is decreasing the damage that the Renetti can do when equipped with the JAK Ferocity Carbine kit. This is a big change, as this damage output was a major issue that the Warzone community had with the gun. Of course, there is a small bump to its multiplier with Lower Torso, Arms, and Hand. However, this boost seems to be small enough to not have too much of an impact on the moment-to-moment gameplay. Hopefully, this nerf will be enough for the community to feel like the Renetti can no longer dominate the meta as it was before.

Renegades announce new CoD roster ahead of second Challengers season Renegades/CDLEsports organisation Renegades have revealed their Call of Duty roster for the second season of the CDL’s Challengers Series, including players from last year’s Paris Legion roster. [jwplayer qYU9URvL] The switch from the Call of Duty World League to the Call of Duty League represents the greatest shake-up competitive CoD has ever seen. While latter tournaments in the CWL involved an amateur tournament running parallel to the main one, the introduction of Challengers’ Series gives a greater formalisation to competition below the best of the best. With franchised spots in the CDL costing millions, it’s no surprise that some big name esports organisations have found themselves competing in the Challengers Series. One of these orgs is Renegades, the Detroit-based esports team that has come in and out of competitive CoD in recent years. On October 31, they announced their CoD roster for the upcoming Black Ops Cold War season, which will be the second season of the CDL and its accompanying Challenger Series. Perhaps the biggest name in the new roster is Luke ‘Louqa’ Rigas, who represented Paris Legion in the CDL last year. It was an up-and-down year for the Paris Legion, who managed a second place finish at the online CDL Week 12 London event. He is also joined by ex-Paris teammate Conrad ‘Shockz’ Rymarek, who is best known for his five years with Australian organisation Mindfreak from 2014 to 2019. Rounding off the roster are Lincoln ‘Fighta’ Ferguson and Amer ‘Pred’ Zulbeari, making a fully Australian roster. The nationalities of all players means they will likely compete in the APAC region of the Challengers Series. Introducing the Renegades Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Roster! #RNGFAM @Fighta71 @Pred_RNG @ShockzCR @MF_Louqa pic.twitter.com/dhVVFtT3xn— Renegades (@Renegades) October 31, 2020 While Shockz and Louqa come off the back of mixed fortunes in the CDL, Fighta and Pred both joined Renegades in January of 2020. In the somewhat weaker field of APAC competition, their Renegades roster dominated the region’s Challenger tournaments during the Modern Warfare season. Replacing half the team with CDL standard pros means it’s likely we’ll see similar domination this year, barring any shock performances from the other APAC teams.

Renamed Warzone 2 Operator launches with major oversight as devs forget subtitles ActivisionA renamed Warzone 2 Operator, Izzy, launched with her former controversial name as devs seemingly forgot to change out the name in her subtitles. On July 1, Izanami was meant to be part of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2’s Season 4 release as one of five new operators joining the mix. However, soon after her reveal, players noticed an issue. When spelt backward, Izanami’s name spells “I’m a Nazi”. It’s worth noting that the character was initially named after the Shinto deity Izanami-no-Mikoto. Regardless of its backstory, devs decided to rename her to Izzy to avoid controversies ahead of her release. The character finally arrived with the Season 4 mid-season update, Season 4 Reloaded, with a new name in the Izzy Operator Bundle. However, despite the change on promotional material, the devs seemingly forgot to change out her subtitles as well. First pointed out in a post in the Warzone subreddit, Izzy’s subtitles still have her initial name, Izanami, despite the devs renaming all other texts referring to the original name. Subtitles in Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare typically include the name of the Operator before the voice line to differentiate between characters and to avoid any confusion among players. However, despite the renaming, all of Izzy’s voice line subtitles still attribute the dialogue to Izanami, which may be the only reference left in the game to her original name. It is possible that the changes could not be made in time as Izzy’s renaming was a sudden affair after players noticed the unfortunate anadrome of her name. Though it’s also plausible that subtitles were simply overlooked when changing from one name to the other. We’ll be sure to update you here should this issue be resolved in the near future.

Relive the Warzone Nuke Event & Verdansk ’84 map reveal from start to finish ActivisionCall of Duty: Warzone Season Three has officially launched, with two days of events leading up to the Verdansk ’84 reveal! From experiencing Operation Sunder nuking Verdansk in Part I to detonating it yourself on Rebirth Island for Part II, here’s how all of the action went down. Warzone fans have been dying for a new map for what feels like ages now. And, on April 22, they got their wish. But first, they had to literally die for it — as April 21’s Warzone update, the Nuke Event, forced players to fight through a zombie-infested Verdansk for the last time. Now, after two days of events, modern-day, pre-nuke Verdansk is gone (and permanently, according to Raven Software). Instead, it’s been replaced with a 1984 version of the map (pre-pre-nuke Verdansk, anyone?). Oh, and Season 3 officially launched sometime in between the events. To get there, players had to fight through modern-day Verdansk and modern-day Rebirth Island, all leading to a wild time-traveling cutscene. If you missed the chaos live, here’s how it all went down. Day 1 Timeline: Warzone Nuke event On the first day of the event, NICKMERCS was streaming on Twitch for around an absurd 400,000 people. While his video recaps the biggest moments, here’s how the full day played out: 3:00 PM ET Right on cue, a new playlist update was added to Warzone, titled “Destruction of Verdansk Part 1.” 3:04 PM ET Just like Shipwreck was when it was added to Season 2, players quickly discovered that every POI was crossed-out (indicating the presence of zombies). Every POI’s name is now crossed out like Shipwreck was when it first got added!#WarzoneNukeEvent pic.twitter.com/JoagQrRvnH — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 21, 2021 3:10 PM ET “Call of Duty: Server Warfare” became a running meme across social media as thousands of players struggled to play the new playlist due to server crashes. Eventually, the devs dropped a hotfix to limit players per match — at which point the game could actually be played to completion. 3:20 PM ET The “Destruction of Verdansk” playlist was no fluke, after finishing the playlist, a wild cutscene showed fans that Verdansk got nuked! Tons of streamers were playing live and had some nutty reactions to the map’s demolition. 🚨 BREAKING: VERDANSK HAS BEEN NUKED! #WarzoneNukeEvent ☢️ (via @drdisrespect) pic.twitter.com/bQYly8yFXb — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 21, 2021 3:40 PM ET After completing the “Destruction of Verdansk Part 1” playlist, players got a free calling card. 5:07 PM ET Just after the Part I playlist officially ended, a new playlist update appeared: “Aftermath – Rebirth Island.” 5:20 PM ET Dropping into the new “Aftermath” playlist, players discovered that Rebirth was now in night mode — featuring a new POI (Control Center), where Construction Site used to be…and a glimpse of the nuclear mushroom cloud above Verdansk off in the distance. First look at the new night version of Rebirth Island in Warzone 🌙 There’s a new POI too, called Control Center – here’s what’s inside: pic.twitter.com/1oJpyg50Nv — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 21, 2021 https://twitter.com/WarzoneNewz/status/1384997590559825925 10:40 PM ET After all of the “Aftermath” activities got experimented with, fans discovered a brand-new ‘Rebirth From the Ashes’ Warzone website (with a countdown to when Season 3’s kickoff). 11:10 PM ET Around 11 p.m., the patch notes for Season 3’s launch officially came out — and they featured some wild buffs and nerfs to the game’s guns. 🚨 MAJOR weapon changes in Warzone Season 3 – tons of buffs and nerfs: • FFAR, M16, AUG all nerfed • LC10, Krig 6, QBZ buffed • Devs “”keeping a close eye”” on AMAXFull patch notes: https://t.co/EwS1HVI1LH pic.twitter.com/beg6GlARCu — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 22, 2021 12:15 AM ET After Season 3 finally launched, no changes were made to the playlist, but CoD started throwing out some map teasers for Day 2. Day 2 Timeline: Verdansk ’84 reveal 11:00 AM ET After hours of people figuring out teasers and leaks throughout the night, the developers got Day 2’s action kicked off in flashy fashion — with a star-studded, celebrity trailer that shows off glimpses of the new Verdansk map. 🚨 BREAKING: New #Warzone Season 3 trailer! It’s the celebrity trailer that was leaked a few weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/LoYoiovvxe — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 22, 2021 1:25 PM ET Within a couple hours of the event’s start time, a new cinematic trailer also dropped for Warzone and Black Ops Cold War Season 3. This one showed a look at the 1984 Verdansk map at the end, building up more hype. https://twitter.com/DexertoIntel/status/1385283733054529537 3:00 PM ET At 3 on the dot, the devs put out tweets telling players to return to Rebirth Island. Once they signed in, Verdansk’s finest discovered a new playlist called “Destruction of Verdansk: Part 2.” That playlist let players nuke Verdansk before time-traveling to…’84 Verdansk. 3:20 PM ET One of the first thing players found out when dropping into ’84 Verdansk? A brand-new Gulag with OG roots — as, to the delight of Black Ops II fans, it’s a remake of Standoff (which can also be found as a POI somewhere in Farmland). 🚨 THE NEW #WARZONE SEASON 3 GULAG IS STANDOFF! Details & walkthrough: https://t.co/38EKfWCj4k pic.twitter.com/7XG9I4UU9V — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 22, 2021 3:25 PM ET Players also discovered a whole set of new POIs, including Summit (which replaces Dam) and Airport Factory. SUMMIT IS NOW A POI IN #WARZONE! The iconic Black Ops map has replaced Dam in Verdansk ’84! pic.twitter.com/KNtkRh9ElF — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 22, 2021 3:30 PM ET While some locations were torn down (like Stadium), others simply returned to clean 1984 glory — including the No. 1 hot spot Superstore. Superstore looks a lot different in Verdansk ’84! All of the destruction has been cleaned up and everything is a lot neater and more organized. pic.twitter.com/8k3GEjlqA6 — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 22, 2021 3:35 PM ET To the delight of some and sadness of others, Raven Software announced that the OG, pre-nuke version of Verdansk will never be playable again. 3:38 PM ET Players found their way to a completely new POI. Named Grid Array, the location is huge and could be a ridiculous spot for snipers. Introducing Grid Array, another new #Warzone POI that features a MASSIVE structure visible from all around the map! pic.twitter.com/1A5YChuyMr — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 22, 2021 3:50 PM ET Another interesting feature, players were excited to find out just how vibrant Verdansk ’84 is. As it turns out, that’s because it’s springtime — and Verdansk will be going through seasonal changes from now on. If you’re noticing a lot more green around the map, that’s not by accident 🌺 Verdansk ’84 is currently in Springtime & there will be regular environmental changes from season to season in #Warzone. pic.twitter.com/pvGdjcx4J9 — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 22, 2021 4:40 PM ET Wrapping up two days of events, Warzone’s final Season 3 playlist, the “Hunt for Adler” LTM, went live. This requires players to find various pieces of intel for a new skin as the Black Ops Cold War-blended story continues. New Hunt for Adler event is now live in #Warzone & #BlackOpsColdWar Season 3! Players will need to find pieces of intel in either game to unlock new exclusive rewards 🔎pic.twitter.com/UHdbKOI8iA — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 22, 2021 And there you have it, that’s how Warzone fans played through modern-day Verdansk getting nuked, then nuked it themselves on modern-day Rebirth Island, until they eventually teleported back in time to a 1984 version of the now-classic map. What comes next, only the developers know. But, with the Hunt for Adler LTM and other pieces of intel piling up, the battle royale’s storylines are only continuing to deepen. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @Dexertointel for all the latest Warzone Season 3 updates, news, leaks, and more, especially as we move deeper into Season 3.

Launch date announced for major update and first Double XP event in Black Ops 4 Call of Duty developers Treyarch have revealed that a major update is coming to their newly released Black Ops 4 title, along with the game’s first Double XP promo event. In a tweet put out on October 18, it was announced that a “substantial” update to Black Ops 4 will go live on October 19, and will affect all three modes of the game – Multiplayer, Blackout, and Zombies. “Tomorrow, we’re releasing a substantial update to Black Ops 4 with a host of improvements, fixes, and additions across all modes, including new stability for Zombies.” The full patch notes for the game update are not expected to be released until it goes live, and the exact launch time for the patch has not yet been announced by Treyarch. Read More: Treyarch developer gives incredibly detailed reply to user who thought they died to a glitch – However, in a Reddit post on October 17, Treyarch did detail some aspects of the game’s three modes they have been monitoring ahead of this update, which could give a major clue for what players can expect. Tomorrow, we’re releasing a substantial update to #BlackOps4 with a host of improvements, fixes, and additions across all modes, including new stability fixes for Zombies. We’ll also kick off our first 2XP Weekend, along with 2XP Nebulium Plasma in Zombies! More details soon. — Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) October 18, 2018 In addition to the major update, October 19 will also see the start of the first ever Double XP weekend in Black Ops 4. The 2XP will be active in Multiplayer and a 2XP Nebelium Plasma event will also be taking place in Zombies. The Double XP event is expected to be live until Monday, October 23, although the exact start and end times have also not yet been announced. Treyarch noted that more details would be announced soon, so stay tuned to our Twitter page @DexertoINTEL as well as our Call of Duty page. We will provide more information, including start and end times, full patch notes, and any other relevant details as Treyarch announce them.

Release Date and Time for the CoD: WWII ‘United Front’ DLC #3 for PS4 SHGThe third DLC pack for Call of Duty: WWII called ‘United Front’ will be launching late June 25th/early June 26th for the PS4 console. Players will have online access to all of the Mulitplayer maps for the new DLC at 12 AM ET (26th) / 9 PM PT (25th), when developer Sledgehammer Games is expected to release an update to make it live worldwide. Players can download the United Front DLC ahead of time, so that they can access it right away when it goes live. Furthermore, all those who are located in regions outside of North America can actually play the DLC right now. However, online access for the Mulitplayer maps will be restricted until the worldwide live update is released. Read More: Patch Notes for the June 25th Call of Duty: WWII Update – Cavalry Division, New Basic Training Abilities, and More! – As has been the usual for WWII as well as the previous few Call of Duty titles, players on the Xbox One console will have to wait an additional 30 days before they will have access to the United Front DLC pack. United Front is the third DLC pack to come out for CoD: WWII, and it features three new multiplayer maps (Market Garden, Stalingrad, Monte Cassino), a new War Mode map called ‘Operation Supercharge’, and a new Zombies adventure titled ‘The Tortured Path.’ A brand new Zombies trailer was released on June 25th and can be viewed below. For further details about the DLC, visit the United Front page on the official Call of Duty website here. Take a treacherous voyage to infested lands. Venture into The Tortured Path, a completely new terrifying story for Call of Duty: WWII Nazi Zombies, arriving June 26 to PS4: https://t.co/xzdoG2ZadB pic.twitter.com/8S9Ystwgmd — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) June 25, 2018

Regain after regain: Clayster has shown he is Call of Duty’s GOAT CDLProfessional Call of Duty’s ‘greatest of all time’ (GOAT) debate usually comes down to three men: Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow, Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter or James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks. What these debates lack, though, is an awareness of the impact the players have had beyond their own successes. On April 25, a new look New York Subliners consisting of Asim, Mack, Hydra and Clayster took on Atlanta FaZe, the roster that has dominated the overwhelming majority of the Call of Duty League’s opening two seasons. 19 year old Hydra was making his debut in the CDL, but there were no signs of nerves as a cohesive and spirited New York showing saw off Atlanta in a tight five-game series. It was a solid performance from Clayster as well, who began his competitive CoD career in 2010, when teammate Hydra was just eight years old. So solid, in fact, that CDL caster Miles Ross tweeted the NYSL AR veteran after the game, asking him “How the f**k are you playing like this at 28 years old? Goat things.” The Wins Vince Lombardi once asked: “If it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?” As applicable to CoD as it is to any other sport, the winningest tables put Crimsix as a clear winner with 36 total tournament wins. The top four, in fact, are the OpTic dynasty roster that came to dominate Advanced Warfare, Black Ops III and Infinite Warfare: Scump has 29, Karma 24 and FormaL 23. Clayster is in fifth, with 19. Three of those, though, are World Championship rings. Only Crimsix and Karma can match that. Clayster’s first came in Advanced Warfare, when he was part of the Denial Esports roster that knocked OpTic Gaming into the Losers’ Bracket. Just 7 months previously, he had been dropped from the Greenwall because of their mixed fortunes in Ghosts. Competing alongside an 18 year old Attach, JKap and Replays, he took the roster under his wing, finished the tournament as MVP and boasted a stellar 1.31 K/D. Then came his major struggles. Two years on a stagnant FaZe Clan roster led many to write him off. There were glimpses of his incredible talent in Black Ops III and Infinite Warfare, but there was never the cutting edge that saw him put a Denial roster on his back. A shift to eUnited failed to arrest the slump, at least initially. WWII came and went, with the roster failing to capitalize on promise and being eliminated in fourth at CoD Champs. 2018/19 brought Black Ops 4, and a transition to five-man rosters. Four years on from his first World Championship, Clayster found his second. The explosive nature of Simp and the tactical nous of aBeZy and Prestinni flourished under the watchful AR gaze of Clayster and Arcitys, and eUnited deservedly found their way to the top. Seismic changes to the league (and the world) followed, and Clayster found his way to Dallas Empire. The switch to online competition didn’t dampen the fire, and the franchise purchased by Envy saw off Atlanta FaZe in the Grand Finals. 5 years after his first World Championship, Clayster got his hands on a third. The win put himself and Crimsix alongside Karma, as the only men to ever win three rings. No dynasties, no wins in two years on FaZe, no super-teams, no problem. The Teammates Karma’s three rings have come with 8 different players: KiLLa, MiRx, Parasite, ACHES, TeePee, Crimsix, Scump and FormaL. One of those players (MiRx) was a rookie when he won his ring. Crimsix’s three rings have come with 9 players: ACHES, TeePee, Karma, Scump, FormaL, Shotzzy, Huke, Clayster and iLLeY. Two of those (Shotzzy & iLLeY) were rookies when they won their rings. Clayster’s three rings have come with 11 players: Replays, Attach, JKap, Arcitys, Prestinni, aBeZy, Simp, Shotzzy, Huke, iLLeY and Crimsix. Three of those (Simp, Shotzzy & iLLeY) were rookies. Not only has Clayster won Champs with a wider player pool than either Karma or Crimsix, he’s done it with more young, unproven rookies as well. Dropped by OpTic Gaming, Clayster found himself on a Denial roster with 6 major tournament wins between his three teammates. When eUnited won the Black Ops 4 CoD Champs, Clayster’s teammates had 6 major tournament wins between them. For comparison, when OpTic Gaming won the 2017 CoD Champs, they had 80 major tournament wins between the four of them. Clayster has an undeniable knack of getting his rosters to perform at a level greater than the sum of their parts. The Regains When Dexerto broke the news in September 2020 that Clayster was to be dropped by Dallas Empire, just a month or so after winning his third ring, there was an effluence of acrimony, confusion and sympathy. The man himself tweeted frustratingly about the reports, but there was a quiet determination tangible in his comments. Hurt? Maybe. Disappointed? Almost definitely. Finished? Not a chance. The regains have become a staple of Clayster’s career, and there always seems to be one shortly after a low ebb. Dropped by OpTic at the end of Ghosts, he moved to an Envy roster that was mediocre at best. Six months later, his Denial roster knocked OpTic into the Losers’ Bracket and won Champs. A 1.31 K/D and MVP award suggests Clayster was playing with a point to prove. A similar story comes after FaZe Clan, where the roster never quite made the most of strong foundations. A move to eUnited didn’t bring immediate success, but there was no panic from Clayster. Keep the head down and work, and success will come like it has before. And it did, in the form of Black Ops 4’s Champs. Then a move to franchises? A move to online play? A move to Dallas? Okay, keep the head down and work, cue third ring. There are still questions about Dallas’ decision to drop Clayster, especially considering the mixed form of the team and their replacement of Huke with FeLo. What is clear, though, is that it gave Clayster another point to prove. The Legacy Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola talks of Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa as the best football manager in the world. Not because of his trophies (or lack of them), but because he undeniably improves the players he works with. The story of Clayster is similar. Attach, Simp, aBeZy, Shotzzy and iLLeY all flourished alongside the veteran AR. Shotzzy was even crowned the league’s MVP. Some credit must go to Crimsix for this too, but Clayster’s involvement in Attach’s AW growth, aBeZy’s rise to prominence with eUnited, and Simp’s MVP Black Ops 4 season are too noticeable to dismiss as coincidence. A similar example came on April 25, with a debutant in Hydra standing up against Atlanta FaZe and more than holding his own. It’s a New York Subliners roster that has 1 tournament win between Asim, Mack and Hydra. And here they are, topping groups and beating dominant forces in professional CoD. We’ll see if it lasts, but Clayster has precedence. He exudes confidence; a composed (albeit passionate) head that strives to conquer the best, no matter who he’s playing with. Improving those around him, getting the overall output to be greater than the sum of its parts, shrugging off disappointment and coming back stronger next time. These are GOAT things.

Reedy insults qualified team after missing out on CWL Pro League Professional Call of Duty player Jordan ‘Reedy’ Reed has hit out at MLG and the CWL format in a series of tweets, after failing to qualify for the CWL Pro League. Reedy and his team, playing under The Imperial, placed 6th in their group, missing out on the chance of qualifying for the 2018 CWL Pro League. It was a close call, as both The Imperial and 5th placed team Movistar Riders finished with a 2-4 record, but the Spanish side took the spot thanks to their head-to-head record vs The Imperial. Following his team’s elimination from the qualifier, Reedy took to social media to express his discontent with the format, even calling one of the qualified teams, Midnight Esports, “shitters”. Because there is only one stage of the Pro League this year, there are no second chances for many of these players, whose competitive options are now limited to the open events and qualifying for the world championship. Reedy feels that despite the five day LAN qualifier, it still isn’t as robust a system as he would like. Team owner confirms franchising will come to Call of Duty next seasonMidnight player Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon didn’t take kindly to Reedy’s insult, and hit back, saying “we could have beat your team with our hands tied behind our back.” we could have beat your team with our hands tied behind our backs, lmao. — Dylan (@DylanEnvoy) January 20, 2019 Update, 10:50AM EST: Reedy’s organization, The Imperial, have publicly stated that they do not condone the Tweets which are circulating, stating it is “not in line with The Imperial’s standards or morals.” We are aware of the tweets circulating around. We would just like to say that we condone any behaviour like that and it does not stand in line with The Imperial’s standards or morals. The support our fans have shown us this event has been appreciated. #TheImperialEmpire :fire: — The Imperial (@theimperialgg) January 20, 2019 Update, 3:30PM EST: Reedy has now apologized for his comments and deleted his original Tweets. He states that he will make a YouTube video to clarify his thoughts. Former professional player turned analyst at MLG, Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker, also disagreed strongly with Reedy, saying this was the best system for qualification that had ever been in place. No system is perfect. This is the best qualification system that MLG has ever done. LP didn’t win a series. No way you think that is the fault of the system — Jonathan Tucker (@PacmanJT) January 20, 2019 Reedy wasn’t done either, as he closed his rant by suggesting that the Midnight Esports players wouldn’t still be playing in the league in two months time. Who wants to put a bet on, that all of them mightnight players aren’t playing in the league in 2 months lmao. — Reedy (@Reedy_1905) January 20, 2019 The format for qualification has generally been well received by other players and by the fans, although having only one stage for the Pro League does leave any teams that miss out feeling hopeless for the rest of the season.

Reedy announces new roster for Black Ops 4 Former Epsilon eSports Call of Duty player Jordan ‘Reedy’ Reed announced he has a full roster looking for a new organization. After being released from Epsilon’s EU team on August 31st, Reedy has been a free agent and now appears to be ramping up his efforts to find a team. Joining him on the roster are Stephen ‘Vortex’ Allen and Billy ‘Hawqeh’ Harris, who were both released from the Epsilon roster with Reedy. The other two spots on the roster will be filled by Tom ‘Moose’ Handley, who competed alongside Reedy for Epsilon eSports back in the Black Ops 3 season, and Bjarne ‘Denza’ Sleebus, who played for Team Vitality last season. This roster has been playing in MLG GameBattles under the name CuDi Boyz and won the competition held on October 28th. So myself @SteVortex @Hawqeh_ @BSDenza and @Mooseman95 will be looking for a org for the upcoming season. We have 252k Pro points leading into Vegas, 100% will be in the 8 team play in for pool play. Any questions feel free to dm or email JordanReed16@hotmail.co.uk — Reedy (@Reedy_1905) October 29, 2018 This roster is a direct result of some organizations reevaluating their place in competitive CoD. Both Vitality and Epsilon’s EU team have attended the Call of Duty Championships the last three years but the future for both organizations remains up in the air. More: Activision to Launch Team Sales for Call of Duty World League, Calls Franchising a Building Block for Esports – The expanded 5v5 rosters have made finding players a tougher challenge this year and the looming franchising may pose a hurdle for these fringe Call of Duty organizations.

Reddit User Leaks Potential ‘Blackout’ Battle Royale Information in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Weapon Rarity, Healing Options, Specialist Abilities, and Much More! More possible information has been revealed regarding the ‘Blackout’ Battle Royale mode set to be included in the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. With Black Ops 4 set to launch on October 12th, only small amounts of information have been announced by Activision and Treyarch regarding the new ‘Blackout’ mode, even with a massive amount of hype from community members surrounding the topic. Various potential leaks have made their way into the public eye regarding Blackout, including the claim that the mode will have 60 players, as opposed to other Battle Royale titles incorporating 90 players or more. On July 17, a Reddit user by the name of Omnipotentem posted a supposed leak for Blackout on the Black Ops 4 subreddit page, which included claims about player count, health, weapon loot rarity, and much more. The full post can be viewed below. [Leak] Blackout Information – Map, Health, Armor, Weapons, Loot, and more “Largest map in Call of Duty history, but lots of focus on verticality. As seen in the teaser, the map features pieces of iconic maps from previous games. Nuketown is located in the middle of the map as an island, surrounded by water, set after the nuke is dropped. The layout and theme of Nuketown in Blackout is similar to that of Nuketown Zombies from Black Ops 2. – Aiming for at very least 50 players, currently testing 64 players right now with plans to increase if possible. – Health is 150HP, replenished via scavengable Medical Kits. Equipping scavenged Armor allows the player to take 1 extra shot, Armor Piercing Rounds will counter the effect of Armor. – Limited Inventory slots, increased space via scavenged Backpacks. – Weapon loot has rarity, depending on the rarity your weapon will have different attachments (Higher Rarity = Better/More Attachments). *Subject to change, there are currently talks about attachments being scavenged rather than rarity-dependent. – Consumable abilities such as the Multiplayer Specialist Abilities. For example, Torque’s Portable Barricade with 1x use, Ruin’s Grapple Hook with limited uses, and Nomad’s Dog which can be commanded to follow the player or guard an area. – Equipment such as the Recon RC, an RC-XD without explosives, can be scavenged and give the player an advantage. Currently, a Monkey Bomb equipment which doesn’t explode can be found, likely a placeholder for a Decoy Grenade. – Land, air, and sea vehicles as seen in the teaser. The ATV is the only fully-functioning vehicle in the current build. – The Storm/Gas mechanic is currently a simple visible wall that closes in on the map. – While players simply parachute into the map. *Subject to change, talks of moving to a spawn-in system similar to Call of Duty: Online are happening.” – As of writing, it should be noted that nothing has been confirmed by Activision or Treyarch, with all leaks being speculation. We will continue to provide more information as it is made available. Source: Reddit

Reddit user explains why this OpTic CoD team’s start is different from last year’s OpTic Gaming’s Call of Duty team has had an incredibly strong start to the Black Ops 4 season, but many in the competitive scene are being careful not to get too overconfident. Despite the fact that OpTic have won the first two NA CoD World League 2K Series tournaments of the season, many are pushing the argument “well we know what happened last year.” OpTic went into last season as the overwhelming favorites to win numerous trophies but ended up finishing the campaign without a major tournament victory and two mid-season roster changes. However, Reddit user ‘FFrostur‘ is not buying into the theory that OpTic can fall apart like they did last year. To back up his argument, the Redditer has posted three reasons for why he believes this season’s OpTic team will not suffer the same fate. The first point he makes is that last year’s roster did not practice much outside of playing together during these 2Ks, which ultimately led to their well-documented shortcomings at major events. He contends that this year’s squad is different because it has been “grinding the hell out of the game, especially Scump. He’s probably grinded it more than any pro not named Dashy.” The second point is that the team, and OpTic fans in general, went into the start of last season very overconfident that no team could match them, mainly because of the fact that so many other major teams were frantically making roster moves while the Green Wall stood pat. This season, however, OpTic was fully in on RosterMania, recruiting standouts TJHaly and Dashy and bringing back fan-favorite Karma. In his final point, the Redditer contends that last year’s team hated each other. While no one officially has said the words, it’s generally accepted that there were heavy disagreements and discord between the players, some of whom allegedly did not get along. This year’s squad seems to be gelling perfectly with each other, and their chemistry has been through the roof so far. OpTic’s fate this season remains to be seen, and wariness of overconfidence is a good mindset to have for the players and their fans heading into the first season. With CWL Vegas just around the corner, the Green Wall will have a huge chance to prove that their online exploits have not been a fluke and that whatever was going on last season has been fully taken care of.

Red Reserve’s Rated shuts down ‘CoDBurner’ claims about CWL Pro League spot The infamous CoDBurner has dropped new information regarding Red Reserve, a Call of Duty team currently in turmoil, but long time player Rhys ‘Rated‘ Price has shut down the claims. Red Reserve’s future in Call of Duty is currently up in the air, with two players announcing free agency shortly after the end of their cross-division split in the CWL Pro League. Matthew ‘Skrapz‘ Marshall and Trei ‘Zer0‘ Morris both announced they were looking for moves elsewhere, after the team wrapped up a three match losing streak in the league. CoDBurner claims about Red Reserve The notorious CoDBurner Reddit account, which is known for leaking insider roster information, previously claimed that Skrapz was being targeted by Team Envy, but that his buyout was extortionate. However, with Skrapz now stating that his buyout is only $10,000, some are questioning both the legitimacy of the CoDBurner’s information, and whether it means the Envy move is on the cards. On April 2, the CoDBurner made the surprising claim that Red Reserve were leaving Call of Duty altogether, with the spot potentially going to an amateur team. 600Rated responds to CoDBurner claims Shortly after the posts, Rated made clear that the CoDBurner had some misinformation and called the mysterious figure an ‘idiot’ for spreading the misleading details. Assuring fans that “the spot isn’t going anywhere”, Rated promised that an amateur team would not be acquiring Red Reserve’s position in the league. 600This suggests that Rated will perhaps retain the spot along with the remaining Red Reserve players, Joseph ‘Joee’ Pinnington and Ben ‘Bance’ Bance, although this is not confirmed. For now, Red Reserve’s status as a CWL Pro League team, both as an organization and for the players, is uncertain, but fans shouldn’t have to wait long to see how everything falls into place.

Red Reserve’s Rated reveals new details about ongoing CWL roster drama One of Call of Duty’s biggest organizations Red Reserve have been experiencing major issues of late, and now it seems like some players are picking up the pieces of the unfortunate fallout. After some of the Red Reserve players announced their decision to become free agents, numerous questions arose about the status of the org and their coveted Pro League spot. It looks like players are going to start heading in different directions now as Rhys ‘Rated’ Price seems to have the core components for a new team already in the works. Completely new beginnings Since news got out of the org’s status, some players had been really vocal about their intention to move one from each other. During a Twitch Chat interaction, Rated confirmed that he already locked in four players to start a new team and was in hot pursuit of a fifth. “Have you got a 5 man team confirmed,” Twitch user ‘dateless_’ asked Rated. “4 nearly 5,” Rated said in reply. “… I’m still with [Joseph ‘Joee’ Pinnington] but I guess that’s common knowledge at this point lmao.” Possible Pro League trades and moves Rated went on to say that he thinks Team Reciprocity will stay put in terms of making any changes from the collapse of Red Reserve. Though he did hint at a Pro League appearance for exciting young player Alex ‘Alexx’ Carpenter. At only 19, Alexx adds incredible value to squads looking to build a resilient team which could be right up Rated’s alley. Red Reserves Pro League Spot Any org would love a chance to compete in the CWL’s regular season and with Red Reserve seemingly dismantled, teams are sure have inquired about purchasing their way into the league. Along with his update, Rated said that FaZe Clan have yet to finalize the acquisition of Red Reserve’s place in the Pro League. However, he thinks that FaZe will “probably” be buying the spot in the near future. More: -Rated says Reciprocity isn’t making a change as far as he knows. Dylan confirms the same in the chat -Rated says Alexx will be in the league and says “wink wink” -Rated says FaZe hasn’t bought the Red Reserve spot “yet”, but it will “probably” happen. — CWL INTEL (@INTELCallofDuty) April 6, 2019 Team in shambles Though Red Reserve fielded an incredibly talented Black Ops 4 team, the organization came under fire recently after news broke that its management had failed to pay players and staff. So far their Black Ops 4 roster have been reportedly gone unpaid since December 2018, eventually leading to some players seeking other options in search of new orgs. In the midst of the Pro League season, the CoD team have been kicked out of the team house which is under Red Reserve CEO Patrik ‘Gordo’ Andersson’s name who notified the team he would no longer be paying for it. While the Red Reserve saga seems to be coming to a close soon, there’s no telling what else might come up as players and teams look to recover from the turmoil.

Red Reserve’s Rated Dominates Team Envy in the CWL Pro League: “Every play I made was just the right play” Red Reserve’s strong start to Stage 2 of the CWL Pro League for Call of Duty: WWII continued against Team Envy, thanks in part to Rhys ‘Rated’ Price’s incredible Search and Destroy performance. Both Red Reserve and Splyce had moments of brilliance during the first half of the Call of Duty: WWII season but most pundits would argue that Red Reserve was the number one team in Europe following the conclusion of Stage 1 in the CWL Pro League. However, the team still fell short of claiming a major title and they decided to make a switch ahead of Stage 2 by bringing in UNILAD’s star player, Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall, as a replacement for Joshua-Lee ‘Joshh’ Sheppard. So far the change seems to have been a success. Red Reserve has dropped just one series, a surprising 3-1 loss to Evil Geniuses, but they’ve looked imperious in the rest of their matches. Read More: CWL Pro League Stage 2 Recap for Day Two of Week Two – Scores, Match Recaps, and Live Standings – Wednesday, May 23rd, saw them take down both Echo Fox and Team Envy in 3-1 fashion with all four players having their moments of excellence in both series. However, Rated was playing particularly well and completely took over the London Docks Search and Destroy against Envy with an incredible score of 19-6 which ended with an impressive three piece to close out the game in a round 11 decider. Following the match, Rated spoke to Jessica Brohard and explained that sometimes in Search and Destroy “everything you do is just working” and that all of his plays seemed to pay off. He also explained that their only map loss in the series, the Capture The Flag, came down to some communication issues with small talk and that they are working to cut out the little mistakes that always come with a new roster. Red Reserve now sit at the top of Division A with a record of 5-1 and a win against FaZe Clan on May 24th would see them retaining that spot heading into Week 3.

Red Reserve’s future in jeopardy after sudden flurry of player and staff departures [UPDATING] A cloud of uncertainty has suddenly formed around prominent esports organization Red Reserve after several key members of their staff announced that they were leaving the org. Major questions are being raised about the org’s future in esports, with many speculating the owners of the org may be leaving the world of competitive gaming and looking to explore other industries. Several of the org’s official esports teams and players in Call of Duty, CS:GO, and Rocket League have been tweeting about the situation, with all signs pointing to the likely possibility that they’ll all be needing a new home in very near future. In fact, the news seemed to start surfacing when pro CoD players Rated, Bance, and Skrapz, all started tweeting out about the situation, with Rated lamenting about his luck. Read More: Crimsix hits out at negative OpTic fans who make “ignorant comments” towards other players – “When you just think your day couldn’t get any worse, boom!” said Rated. “When am I going to being the unluckiest guy on this planet, do I have to relocate to Mars? Someone throw me a bone.” As for what exactly is going on, Rated went on to explain that no one with insider info was allowed to reveal anything to the public, but he made it clear that he and his teammates had been “done dirty.” Some may have already seen something like this coming ahead of time, when CS:GO pro player ‘Disco Doplan’ and the entire Triple Trouble Rocket League team parted ways with the org. In Triple Trouble’s case, the roster was released from their contracts on February 7, while Doplan was the one who terminated his contract after it was breached by Red Reserve. As of yesterday I officially terminated my contract with Red Reserve after a breach from their side. I will be looking for a new team during February/March while I work to improve both in and outside of the game.I’m hopeful and excited to see what 2019 has to offer! — Disco Doplan (@disco_doplan) February 8, 2019 All of this seems to fall in line with the speculation Red Reserve are simply abandoning their ties to the esports world and looking for other, more lucrative ventures. Some are theorizing that the owners have financially gained all they can from esports and are now planning on shifting their focus to the entertainment side of the company, which they’ve have been increasingly expanding. I think I have pieced together what has happened with Red… Not a money issue at at all, just new owners gaining what return it can from the esports side and moving more toward the established side… Really scummy move to do it suddenly since you can see the hires they’ve made. — Feenix McNoob | Alastair (@FnxMcnoob) February 9, 2019 Of course nothing can be known for sure until the organization makes a formal announcement, which should be coming soon considering how quickly the situation has come light. Make sure to monitor this article and follow us @Dexerto to keep up-to-date on everything that’s going on with Red Reserve.

Red Reserve’s Call of Duty team announce new location in United States Red Reserve’s Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris and Rhys ‘Rated’ Price have confirmed that the team has secured Visas and will be moving to the United States for the Black Ops 4 season. The British players took to Twitter to announce the good news, after being told by customs official during the WWI season that they could no longer travel on tourist visas. They additionally confirmed that the team will be moving into a team house located in Texas once they arrive stateside. P1 Visas have been approved for me & the team, house being situated in Texas cannot wait to get next year started, thank you to @RedReserve for everything. — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) October 3, 2018 Fellow Red Reserve player Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall specified in his own post on Twitter that the house will be located in Dallas, which has become a hub of sorts for various esports organizations. P1 Visas done and dusted for me and the squad! Getting a house in dallas with th team & gassed for BO4 ⏳♠️ — skrapz (@skrapzg) October 3, 2018 The Red Reserve roster will be comprised of Skrapz, Zer0, Rated, Ben ‘Bance’ Bance, and Joseph ‘Joee’ Pinnington as the competitive format as switched to 5v5 for the Black Ops 4 season. Since Red Reserve has retained three members from their roster during the WWII season, they will automatically qualify for pool play at CWL Vegas in December. Along with the change in team size, the CWL has also implemented a rule change that will allow players to cross regions without any limitation. The rule change has led many organizations to form multinational rosters and move their players to the United States in preparation for the new season. With Red Reserve and many other teams moving to America, you can bet that the competition will be as fierce as ever once the season begins in a couple months.

Red Reserve’s Bance announces surprising roster update following CWL Fort Worth Just hours after the conclusion of CWL Fort Worth, Ben ‘Bance’ Bance shocked the Call of Duty community by announcing his free agency. With CWL Fort Worth in the books and Luminosity Gaming crowned champions, the attention was turned back towards cross division play at the CWL Pro League. It looks as though at least one team will look a lot different once that begins, though, as Bance announced that he would soon be a free agent. Bance quickly followed up his initial tweet with another letting his fans know that it wasn’t bait and for any teams to hit him up. The move is a bit surprising given that the team finished in the Top 6 after finishing at the top of Pool B. Things become even more curious due to the fact that the roster lock is already in affect, which means that teams will not be able to add any new players at the time being. This likely means that Red Reserve’s substitute, Conrad ‘Shockz’ Rymarek, will slot into the main roster once the Pro League resumes on March 25. Of course, CoD players have been known to make claims such as this one in the past, only for things to eventually shake out and stay the same. To his credit, though, Bance once agains assured fans that this was not bait and that he indeed would not be competing in the Pro League once cross division play starts up again. Everyone commenting bait, this is not. I won’t be at the cross division. If anyone wants to sort anything just hit me up. — Bance (@Bance) March 18, 2019 All we can do at this point is wait and see if any more official news surfaces in the coming days.

Red Reserve Survives eUnited to Reach CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs Lower Bracket Final Red Reserve has eliminated eUnited from the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs. In the first match of championship Sunday, Red Reserve were able to leverage Hardpoint superiority to emerge victorious and become one of just three teams remaining. Red Reserve hit the ground running on Sainte Marie du Mont Hardpoint, pushing a pace that eUnited couldn’t match. With a big performance from Rhys ‘Rated’ Price behind aggressive SMG play from the rest of the team, Red Reserve claimed a dominant 250-113 win to kick off the series in their favor. Red Reserve seemed set to keep up the momentum with a fast opening round of London Docks Search and Destroy, but eUnited found their balance quickly this time. The North American squad responded with a dominant game of their own, comfortably claiming a 6-2 victory to tie up the series. On Flak Tower Capture the Flag it was eUnited who put in an incredibly quick first capture, but Red responded quickly with a flag of their own. The game ultimately came down to an intense overtime which Red Reserve clinched to reclaim a series lead. Unfortunately for eUnited, that meant their tournament life was on the line in Hardpoint. Though the map changed to London Docks, the result was much the same as the first game, with Red putting up a massive lead that proved insurmountable, despite eUnited’s best efforts in the closing minutes. With a 3-1 victory, Red Reserve advances to the lower bracket final, where they await the loser of the winner bracket final between Rise Nation and Team Kaliber. eUnited is eliminated from the competition in fourth place. Red Reserve 3-1 eUnited HP Sainte Marie du Mont 250-113 SND London Docks 2-6 CTF Flak Tower 3-2 (OT) HP London Docks 250-188

Red Reserve teammates Skrapz and Rated lock horns as CWL roster drama heats up Red Reserve despite rumors they may sell up. After weeks of speculation, Skrapz announced on April 1 that he had become a restricted free agent and was free to begin discussions with other squads. However, he has been unable to move prior to April 5, the date on which the current roster lock would be lifted. What did Rated and Skrapz say? With the conclusion of the cross-divisional portion of the Pro League, teams found out their fate for CWL London’s pool play stage. Rated tweeted his joy at the draw around Pool C – which will include eUnited, Red Reserve, Team Envy and Evil Geniuses. The Welshman stated that the draw for the pool “couldn’t have gone better” and while he doesn’t know exactly what team he’ll be playing for, he’ll get to play the “biggest yes man in the scene” – although he refrained from naming who he was talking about. don’t know which team I’ll be on In C yet but I get to play the biggest yes man in the scene cannot wait. — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) April 5, 2019 Rumors have suggested that Skrapz is set to join Team Envy once the roster lock is lifted, yet his reply to Rated’s celebration may have poured cold water over that move. Skrapz took issue with the set of tweets seemingly aimed in his direction, replying: “Yes man? You best hope you get on Envy, otherwise, you’re on a flight back home. Good luck fella.” you’re the fakest guy in the scene relax yourself little boy, you couldn’t get above T12 before I gave you the biggest blessing of your life I’ll be just fine without you. — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) April 5, 2019 The reply from Skrapz sparked an even bigger, and more personal exchange, as Rated shot straight back by calling Skrapz the “fakest guy in the scene,” and that he’ll be “just fine” without playing alongside Marshall after “blessing” him this year. “I blessed you with a league spot this year because we wouldn’t have even qualified if I wasn’t about!,” replied Skrapz. “I got myself where I am today. Was fun playing with you until I told you I didn’t wanna play with you.” I blessed you with a league spot this year because we wouldn’t have even qualified if I wasn’t about haha! I got my self where I am today. Was fun playing with you until I told you I didn’t wanna play with you :punch: — skrapz (@skrapzg) April 5, 2019 Rated and Skrapz dispute possible roster change While the pair traded personal blows, they finished up by debating roster moves – including questioning what each other had said regarding potential transfers. Rated continued his ‘yes man’ description of Skrapz, as he said: “You never told me you weren’t playing with me, you told me you were, just like you told everyone else. Like I said, you’re just a yes man.” Skrapz disputed that retort by stating: “I told you if Envy wanted me and you to go there I would have played with you. [Good Luck] with everything.” I told you if envy wanted me and you to go there I would have played with you. GL with everything. — skrapz (@skrapzg) April 5, 2019 It remains to be seen just who the pair will be playing for once CWL London rolls around on May 3. One thing that is clear, is that if they do lock horns on home soil, it’s set to be a heated personal match-up regardless of who they play for.