Author: Nik Ranger

Red Reserve Show Fight Ahead of the 2018 CWL Championships Despite a third place finish at the CWL Stage 2 Playoffs, the Red Reserve squad looks confident going into this year’s CWL Championship. The European side failed to make it to the Grand Final of the tournament on July 29, after losing 3-1 to Rise Nation for the second time over the weekend. The same Rise team also defeated Red in both the Winners Bracket Final and Grand Final at CWL Anaheim. Although the players were understandably disappointed with their final result, it hasn’t put a dampener on their spirits for the CWL Championship, which takes place at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus from August 15 to 19. The biggest competition of the year will see one of 32 teams crowned the winner and take a share of the $1.5 million prize pool, as well as an all-important championship ring each. Rhys ‘Rated’ Price believes the European roster has a good of taking the title, with strengths in every game mode and map. Though mistakes have been made at previous tournaments, like struggling to adapt mid-round, he says the same thing will not happen at the CWL Championship. Probably the best chance myself or any of my team are ever going to get to get a ring,need to just polish everything up for Champs, we are good at literally every map and mode which makes us super scary we’ve been sloppy in a different mode each event, that won’t happen at Champs — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) 30 July 2018 Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall commented on the high placings the squad has had during its two events together since he joined at the beginning of May, as well as the fact that Rise are the only team to have defeated it so far. He hasn’t been put off though, showing his confidence for the biggest tournament of the year by saying he can’t wait. GGs Rise, lost 3-1 finished 3rd, been to 2 events as a team & they are the only team that have beat us. Champs it is, I can’t wait :punch:⏳ — skrapz (@skrapzg) 29 July 2018 2 events as a team, 2nd then 3rd … the next one only makes sense :shrug:♂️:raised_hands: — skrapz (@skrapzg) 30 July 2018 Joseph ‘Joee’ Pinnington also acknowledged the team has struggled against Rise Nation on a number of occasions without coming out on top. While Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris noted how well the roster had managed to do in a short space of time, as well as sharing his hope that 2018 would be his year. Impressive what the squad has done in such a short time, one more event, biggest one of the year, hope to make it one to remember. — 0 (@TreiZer0) 30 July 2018 It’s not just the players who are looking forward to the CWL Championship, as Red Reserve’s CEO, Patrik Andersson, also joined the conversation, saying the team would be gaining even more focus ahead of the event. With Red Reserve already looking strong, could we see the roster put in the extra time and become the first European World Champions?

Red Reserve Qualify for the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs European based Call of Duty team Red Reserve have officially qualified for the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs. The org became the first team from Division A to clinch a spot in the postseason on the virtue of picking up their ninth win in Stage 2. Coming into Week 6 of the Pro League, Red Reserve led Division A with a strong 8-2 record, and would need just one win or a loss from one of the lower teams to qualify for the Playoffs. However, they did not wait around and instead took the initiative, winning their first match of the day 3-1 against the winless Epsilon eSports team. Currently sitting atop our division with a 9-2 record, we have officially clinched a spot in the @CODWorldLeague Stage 2 Playoffs. Three matches left in the season! pic.twitter.com/IkOGoMVGvP — Red Reserve (@RedReserve) July 3, 2018 With their ticket to the postseason stamped and ready, Red will now look to ensure that they finish the regular season first in Division A. Their remaining matches are against Team Kaliber, Team EnVy, and Splyce, and they will clinch the first seed if they win all three. The CWL Pro League features a total of 16 teams divided into Divisions A and B, with the 8 teams of each group playing each other twice. While every team receives a base cash prize for participating, the top four teams of each Division qualify for the Playoffs, where a whopping $500,000 prize pool will be up for grabs.

Call of Duty: Red Reserve players respond to allegations of stream sniping against OpTic during CMG ProDown Skrapz | DexertoRed Reserve’s Call of Duty players have responded to accusations of stream sniping in an online tournament. The UK squad, now based in Las Vegas, were facing off against OpTic Gaming in Sunday’s CMG Prodown event when they fell behind 4-0 in a game of Search and Destroy on Payload. They clawed their way back to 4-4 before finishing up with a 6-4 comeback victory. After dropping their 4-0 lead, OpTic players stopped their pre-round call outs of strategies and tactics – leading some viewers to suggest that the Red players were stream sniping. OpTic players who were streaming the event – Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell – admitted to using a stream delay of 23 seconds to prevent any sort of stream sniping in Search and Destroy. Although OpTic’s Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter did not have a stream delay in place and cut away from streaming the game, both he and Scump defended their opponents and stated that Red’s players would not have been stream sniping. Taking to Twitter after the game, Red Reserve’s Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall responded to the accusations, stating: “I’d rather walk on glass for 30 seconds than stream watch in a pro down, this is practice & you guys have seen my set up.” I’d rather walk on glass for 30 seconds than stream watch in a pro down, this is practice & you guys have seen my set up :joyful: — skrapz (@skrapzg) December 3, 2018 However, the Brit couldn’t resist posting an image making light of the situation moments later, showing multiple devices tuned into different OpTic streams! The popular player’s caption simply said: “SIKE” Teammate Rhys ‘Rated’ Price, added: “Are people fucking retarded? ooo I really want to win the CMG Showdown so bad I would stream snipe so I can get to a $200,000 CWL event next week and get fried, dumb idiots.” Are people fucking retarded? ooo I really want to win the CMG Showdown so bad I would stream snipe so I can get to a $200,000 CWL event next week and get fried, dumb idiots. — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) December 3, 2018 The UK team saw the funny side of the incident despite eventually losing the series to OpTic in a 4-2 map count. They will continue their run in the tournament on December 3 against Team Reciprocity in the losers semi-final. The winner of that match-up will face 100 Thieves in the Losers Finals for a chance to play OpTic in the Grand Finals.

Red Reserve Pay Hefty Price for Skrapz in Trade with UNILAD – Joshh Expected to Move Again The on going rostermania in the European Call of Duty scene is causing the formation of some very interesting teams, with latest involving Red Reserve and UNILAD. Earlier on May 3rd, Red Reserve announced Joshua-Lee “Joshh” Sheppard would depart, replaced by former UNILAD player Matthew “Skrapz” Marshall. Neither Red Reserve or any other potential team have announced Joshh’s destination, but sources have confirmed to Dexerto that Red Reserve paid UNILAD a considerable fee for Skrapz, in addition to the transfer of Joshh. According to our source, Red Reserve paid £60,000 plus the transfer of Joshh’s contract in order to acquire Skrapz’ services. This leaves UNILAD now in control of Joshh’s contract, however he will not take Skrapz’ place on the starting lineup for Stage Two of the CWL Pro League. Joshh will instead be traded once more from UNILAD, to Splyce – who UNILAD reportedly beat out of the deal with Red Reserve initially. We would like to thank @BsportJoshh for everything he has done for us this year. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.#RESERVED pic.twitter.com/USEDRZ1syL — Red Reserve (@RedReserve) May 3, 2018 To fill out their own roster, it is rumored that UNILAD will recruit former Cyclone player Zach “Zed” Denyer. Red Reserve (Confirmed) Trei “Zer0” Morris – Rhys “Rated” Price – Matthew “Skrapz” Marshall – Joe “Joee” Pinnington – Splyce Jordan “Jurd” Crowley – Ben “Bance” Bance – Dylan “MadCat” Daly – Joshua-Lee “Joshh” Sheppard – UNILAD Esports Bradley “Wuskin” Marshall – Sean “Seany” O’Connor – Alex “Alexx” Carpenter – Zach “Zed” Denyer –

Red Reserve Eliminates Defending Champions FaZe Clan for CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs Red Reserve have eliminated FaZe Clan from the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs. With a 3-1 victory, Red have denied the Stage 1 champions the chance to defend their title in Stage 2. The series opened up with a strong win for Red Reserve, a comfortable 250-184 Sainte Marie du Mont Hardpoint. FaZe Clan looked in trouble on London Docks Search and Destroy, relinquishing the opening three rounds to Red Reserve, but once they got on the board FaZe pushed their momentum relentlessly. Six straight rounds locked up a 6-3 win and tied the series at 1-1. A low-scoring Flak Tower swung the series back in Red Reserve’s favor, with neither team able to make much headway for the majority of the game. In the end, Red Reserve’s single flag capture was enough to take a win. An incredibly tense Gibraltar Hardpoint ended the series. FaZe and Red went back and forth throughout the map, neither team able to find a significant lead. In the final rotation it looked like FaZe Clan were in position to lock it down, but Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris came up clutch with big plays on opposite ends of the map to steal the map for Red, ending the series 3-1. Call it a Zer0 flank! @TreiZer0 just SHUT IT DOWN as @RedReserve eliminate @FaZeClan.https://t.co/pUVEvOiNYf // #CWLPS4 pic.twitter.com/01AdEP9Er2 — MLG (@MLG) July 28, 2018 FaZe Clan’s run ends here with a 5/6 placement. Red Reserve advances to the lower bracket semi-finals, where they await the winner between eUnited and UNILAD. Red Reserve 3-1 FaZe Clan HP Sainte Marie du Mont 250-184 SND London Docks 3-6 CTF Flak Tower 1-0 HP Gibraltar 250-231

Red Reserve Edge Out Echo Fox to Stay Alive at CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs Red Reserve edged out a tough series against Echo Fox to stay alive in the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs. Red got out to a strong start by taking a 2-0 lead, but a turn-around from Echo Fox forced the European side to fend off a reverse sweep with a narrow fifth-game win. The match kicked off on Ardennes Forest Hardpoint, and though the lead changed hands several times it was Red Reserve that took control as the game came to its conclusion, booking a solid win to kick things off. Sainte Marie du Mont SND was a back-and-forth affair, neither side ever taking a large lead in the game. The two teams ultimately traded back and forth all the way to a round eleven, where it was Red Reserve that came up clutch to reach match point in the series. Red almost ended it in the third game, a tight Ardennes Forest CTF that went to overtime after a 1-1 end to regulation. It was Red that captured the first flag of OT, but with more than four minutes to work with Echo Fox were able to respond with a faster capture of their own, extending the series. London Docks Hardpoint was in many ways a mirror of the opening game. Both teams kept themselves in contention throughout most of the map, but this time it was Echo Fox who found the final push they needed to secure the victory, forcing a deciding fifth game. Search and Destroy offered another intense showdown between these two teams, this time to decide the series on Ardennes Forest. In the end, Red Reserve took it 6-4, securing a 3-2 victory and a spot in the next round of the lower bracket. Echo Fox’s tournament, meanwhile, ends here. Red Reserve Echo Fox HP Ardennes Forest 250-195 SND Sainte Marie du Mont 6-5 CTF Ardennes Forest 2-2 (OT) HP London Docks 197-250 SND Ardennes Forest 6-4

Red Reserve CoD Player Skrapz Is Hilariously Forced to Ride in a Car With a Random Family and a Kid Who Bites His Bag Sometimes people have bad days in which everything seems to be annoying and go against them. For Red Reserve professional Call of Duty player Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall, July 26th was definitely a day that he would rather forget. Needing to get back to his room from the MLG Arena in Columbus, OH, Skrapz decided to call a location-based transportation service called Uber. However, he apparently chose the wrong option and ended up having to ride along a host of other people rather than getting his own, personal driver. Read More: NAMELESS Calls Out Pro League Teams For Not Showing Up Early to Practice – “Truly mind blowing” – Unfortunately for Skrapz, the people he was riding with was a random family that included several small children, and he had to sit next to one of them for the duration of his trip. In a couple of videos that he posted on his Twitter page, he documented the conditions of his car ride, including the horror of annoyance that he had to endure at the hands of the young child he was sitting next to. The first video shows the interior of the crowded vehicle, and the child pulling away at his bag and shorts, all of which is comically enhanced by the hilarious look of delirium on Skrapz’s face. I ordered another uber, I’m now in the car with a fully family and a kid biting my bag. LOST FULL pic.twitter.com/FIzbKalU7D — skrapz (@skrapzg) June 26, 2018 Having been fed up by the torment, Skrapz, who is known to be a comedian at times, flashes a slight middle finger at the child next to him, and even he could not hold back his laugh at the debacle. This of course all happened after Skrapz and his Red Reserve team got reverse swept in their first match of the week at the CWL Pro League, adding a whole dose of insult to injury.

Red Reserve Call of Duty players allegedly made homeless as organization’s issues continue Members of theCall of Duty team have claimed that they were told to leave the team house in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the organization is no longer able to pay for it. UPDATE – April 5, 4 PM PT Just over 24 hours after members of Red Reserve began reporting that they were being forced to leave their team house, player Rhys ‘Rated’ Price tweeted out that Denial Esports Zachary ‘ZachehCEO’ Smith had paid their rent for this month, allowing the players to not have to rush or panic as they began the process of moving out. “Appreciate the love the community has given today,” he tweeted. “Not been an ideal situation all year for ourselves. Would like to thank ZachtehCEO for helping us out and paying for the house for the month, so we aren’t in a rush or panic to get everything out. Had no reason to help!” Appreciate the love the community has given the team today not been an ideal situation all year for ourselves, would like to thank @ZachtehCEO for helping us out and paying for the house for the month so we aren’t In a rush or panic to get everything out had no reason to help! — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) April 5, 2019 ORIGINAL STORY Red Reserve are widely considered to be one of the biggest names in Call of Duty esports, with their teams regularly making deep runs into the latter stages of tournaments. However, 2019 has been a turbulent year for the organization in and out of game, and it seems that things may have gotten worse for the them and their European lineup. What’s going on with Red Reserve’s team house? Red Reserve’s Call of Duty team were based in the United Kingdom as they competed in World War II, but moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States ahead of the Black Ops 4 season. The entirety of the team have been living in their Las Vegas teamhouse when not taking part in the CWL Pro League in Columbus, but it appears that this will no longer be the case according to player Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris. On Friday, April 5, Zer0 tweeted: “Been told by the team owner to leave the house we are staying in, because they couldn’t pay for it. I don’t know how or why we are in this situation. I guess we’ll see what the streets of Las Vegas are saying.” Been told by the Red owner to leave the house we are staying in, because they couldnt pay for it, idk how or why we are in this situation or how ive even been able to keep it under wraps, guess we’ll see what the streets of las vegas are saying. — treiboi carti (@TreiZer0) April 5, 2019 Rated claims Red Reserve owe money Rhys ’Rated’ Price went on to accuse the organization of failing to pay the players’ salaries for a “couple months,” and also claimed that each player is owed $40,000 in prize money that has yet to be paid. Hasn’t paid us salary in a couple months, owes us 40k prize money each.. I’m waiting for the cameras to bust in & tell us we’ve been framed not to mention we all have entire set ups in the house. https://t.co/OETZU9NQhA — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) April 5, 2019 A member of Red Reserve also wrote that the organization hadn’t paid staff since December. Staff haven’t been paid since December either, it all needs to come out to be honest. — Joe Hayter (@Joe_inertia) April 5, 2019 Call of Duty caster Alan ‘Bricey’ Brice said that there were more problems within Red Reserve that have yet to be revealed, tweeting: “There is even more to this, by the way. [Zer0] is just being professional and trying to sort things out.” “It really is a disgrace, disgusting behavior on the part of the owners who have mismanaged a situation so badly.” There is even more to this btw. Trei is just being professional and trying to sort things out. It really is a disgrace, disgusting behaviour on the part of owners who have mismanaged a situation so badly. https://t.co/8PAIdV3MIE — Brice (@Bricetacular) April 5, 2019 The Call of Duty community steps in to help the players Following reports that the Red Reserve players had been asked to leave their team house, many members of the pro community reach out to offer any and all help they could muster. From eUnited pro James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks to caster Clint ‘Maven’ Evans to Splyce co-founder Marty ‘Lazerchicken’ Strenczewilk, there’s been no shortage of support from the community. It sounds like you’ll have things sorted out, but we have an extra bedroom in Dallas if something falls apart. You’re welcome anytime, but you’ll be required to carry me in Blackout daily. Hope things work out well and quickly for you > — Clint Evans (@Maven) April 5, 2019 We also have spare apartments for our boot camps out here in Rochester. Available if you need in a pinch — Splyce/Defiant Marty @PAX (@Lazerchickenzzz) April 5, 2019 Same for me bro, got a spare bedroom, if you need a spot to crash I’ll run it by the misses! — eU Clayster (@Clayster) April 5, 2019 Here’s another, such a surreal feeling nothing but thankful. pic.twitter.com/kgmLChAkmq — skrapz (@skrapzg) April 5, 2019 What has happened at Red Reserve? Red Reserve appeared to be in trouble back in February, when a number of staff and esports teams left the organization amid rumors of issues at the team. Since then, the team has continued to compete in the CWL Pro League, but on April 1, a number of Red Reserve Call of Duty players announced they were now restricted free agents, and searching for a new organization to compete for. Read More: FaZe Clan could purchase Red Reserve’s spot in the league. – What has caused this situation at the organization has yet to be confirmed, but it seems that the rumors that Red Reserve are looking to get out of esports may have some credence. Dexerto have reached out to Red Reserve for comment.

Red Reserve blame players for CoD exit despite owing thousands The company behind Red Reserve’s Call of Duty team, Red Reserve AB, have officially ‘discontinued’ operations in CoD esports, after a turbulent Black Ops 4 season, but the players are apparently still owed money. Red Reserve‘s all-British roster started out the new Black Ops 4 season full of optimism, moving into a team house in Las Vegas and managing to qualify for the CWL Pro League. However, internal team issues and organization troubles have led to the team’s total collapse, with all players now officially free agents. Red Reserve AB blame player ‘performances’ and high salary demands Although it has been expected for some time, the Board of Red Reserve AB, a subsidary of Red Reserve Entertainment, officially announced that they were ending their activities in Call of Duty esports on April 15, via a press release, and appeared to lay blame largely with the players. Read More: Sources: FaZe Clan and Denial CWL Pro League lineups revealed following Red Reserve split – Translated from Swedish, the press release states: “the operating cost of the team due to the players’ high salary requirements is far too high,” as well as calling the market “immature”, specifically “poor profitability.” The statement also cites “mutual discord” between the players, and therefore did not “perform the absolute top results that are necessary to justify further investments.” It’s true that members of the team have publicly displayed their personal grievances with one another, although it doesn’t explain the missing salary and prize pool money which they claim to be owed. Currently, Red Reserve’s CWL Pro League spot is set to be sold to FaZe Clan, who failed to qualify for the Pro League through the ‘Last Chance Qualifier’ in January. Now-former Red Reserve player Rhys ‘Rated’ Price claimed on April 5 that the organization still owed the players $40,000 in prize money, and had not received salary in two months. Hasn’t paid us salary in a couple months, owes us 40k prize money each.. I’m waiting for the cameras to bust in & tell us we’ve been framed not to mention we all have entire set ups in the house. https://t.co/OETZU9NQhA — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) April 5, 2019 These tweets were posted on the same day that the team were kicked out of the Las Vegas team house, essentially left to fend for themselves in a country that was not their home. It was also claimed that a number of Red Reserve staff had also not been paid, and that communication had broken down within the organization. Former players Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall and Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris are expected to form part of the new FaZe Clan lineup, while their former teammates Joseph ‘Joee’ Pinnington, Ben ‘Bance’ Bance and Rated are expected to join Denial eSports.

Red Reserve Announce Major Roster Change Ahead of CWL Pro League Stage Two The announcement that European Call of Duty fans have been waiting on has finally come, as Red Reserve reveal a major shake up to their roster. After weeks of speculation, rumor and, to be honest, complaining from professional players, it looks as though the European CoD scene is finally getting things rolling. At the center of much of the speculation was UNILAD’s star player Matthew “Skrapz” Marshall, who has made it very clear that he was moving elsewhere. Finally all the speculation can be put to bed, as the move has now been announced by Red Reserve, that Skrapz will replace the outgoing Joshua-Lee “Joshh” Sheppard. Presumably, Skrapz will be filling a similar role to Joshh’s previous, as the support slayer backing up the fast paced Joe “Joee” Pinnington. It is currently not announced where Joshh will end up, possibly moving the opposite direction in a straight trade for Skrapz, but we will keep this article updated as more is announced. We’re excited to welcome @SkrapzG as our new fourth, We are looking forward to what our team can do for the rest of the season.#RESERVED #RRCOD pic.twitter.com/SBp2Be8ukb — Red Reserve (@RedReserve) May 3, 2018 Red Reserve and UNILAD are in different divisions for Stage Two of the CWL Pro League, meaning that they will not face each other in the competition until playoffs – should both teams make it there. The two sides will have a chance to face off at the upcoming CWL Anaheim tournament though, were Skrapz’ twin, Bradley “Wuskin” Marshall could face off against his brother – a match up the pair have placed a $1000 wager on. One can’t help but think Red Reserve have managed the better end of the deal regardless of where Joshh ends up, with Skrapz being likely the hottest commodity in European CoD currently. He will need to prove that he can play at the same level when surrounded by other heavy slaying superstars such as Trei “Zer0” Morris and Rhys “Rated” Price.

Reciprocity’s coach ShAnE reveals a surprising connection to UNILAD The newly-minted Team Reciprocity coach Shan ‘ShAnE’ McKerral recently revealed that he’d been coaching the UNILAD players since CWL Anaheim. The veteran pro player has been in the scene since 2013 when he was one of the captains of Epsilon Esports, and was most recently seen competing in the United Kingdom National Circuit. Prior to his National Circuit runs, ShAnE was seen with the now-disbanded Renegades EU when the team competed at the CWL Dallas and New Orleans Open events at the beginning of the 2018 season. ShAnE made a surprise return to the scene this week when it was announced that he was the coach of Team Reciprocity for the upcoming Black Ops 4 season. While the move may have come as a bit of a shock, it makes a lot more sense now that ShAnE revealed he’d been coaching UNILAD since CWL Anaheim in June. That UNILAD roster included the trio of Bradley ‘Wuskin’ Marshall, Sean ‘Seany’ O’Connor, and Zack ‘Zed’ Denyer who also signed with Team Reciprocity earlier this week. I’ve been coaching the UNILAD CoD team since Anaheim behind closed doors where the players were kind enough to pay me out of their own salary Just wanted to give a massive thank you to @ChadLarsson for his professionalism and making this the smoothest off-season ever! — ShAnE (@SHANEE) October 1, 2018 Not only was he coaching the team “behind closed doors,” but the UNILAD players were actually kind enough to pay ShAnE out of their own salaries, something we haven’t ever witnessed in the Call of Duty scene. The work surely paid off since Team Reciprocity brought ShAnE on board for the upcoming season. Sounding off in the replies, both Zed and Wusking made it clear that they were happy to have helped out their coach. Team Reciprocity will make their debut at CWL Vegas in December and are expected to make the CWL Pro League for the Black Ops 4 Season.

Reciprocity owner calls out New York CoD franchise for trying to poach players Freepik/ Call of duty / chad larssonCall of Duty League’s New York Franchise for allegedly trying to poach their players. Following their success with NYXL in the Overwatch League, Sterling VC, which is backed by the owners of the NY Mets, invested millions to bring a new Call of Duty franchise team to New York. With the inaugural year of the franchised Call of Duty League set to kick off with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, teams such as the NY organization are already looking to acquire some of the best players for their starting rosters in the CDL. The New York organization, who was among the first five franchised slots to have been announced by Activision, already looks to be assembling their roster ahead of the final tournament of the 2019 season. On August 7, Team Reciprocity owner Chad Larsson called out the NY franchise team on social media for attempting to “poach” their players via private messaging. The Las Vegas based owner reached out requesting that the New York organization contact them directly about their interest in Reciprocity players, who are currently in preparation for the CWL Championship 2019, rather than attempting to privately communicate with the players, without permission. @CWL_NYC Hello, thanks for your interest in some of REC’s Call of Duty players. If you would like to discuss opportunities. Please email us, I would appreciate you contacting us directly instead of sending private Twitter DM’s to our players. Thanks. — Chad Larsson (@ChadLarsson) August 8, 2019 “I would appreciate you contacting us directly instead of sending private Twitter DM’s to our players, thanks,” Larsson wrote. Although it is unclear which players have been targeted by the New York organization, many fans expect Dylan to be a high priority for future franchise teams, with some of his recent performances and having some of the highest K/D stats currently in the CWL. However, Team Reciprocity’s players have a more pressing matter ahead, with the 2019 CWL Championship only a week away from kicking off at the Pauley Pavillion in California on August 14. They will be looking to improve on their recent fourth place finish at the CWL Finals in Miami in hopes of picking up their first major international trophy and share of the $2 million prize pool.

Rebirth Island’s dynamic weather in Warzone explained ActivisionWarzone Season 3 Reloaded is bringing some big things to Rebirth Island, namely a new dynamic weather feature. So here is everything you need to know about it. Season 3 Reloaded is fast approaching on May 1, and with the update comes a lot of new content for Rebirth Island. From the new Heavy Armor Public event to new secrets dotted across the map, there’s plenty being shaken up. One of the more notable changes will be the new dynamic weather added to the Island. So here is everything you need to know about the unique system. How does Warzone’s Rebirth Island dynamic weather work? The new dynamic weather feature will occasionally change the weather in matches on Rebirth Island. The weather conditions are: Dark overcast – Sun setting – Light sea fog – The new weather changes will allow players to experience the map in different ways in multiple lighting situations. However, the devs said in their Warzone Season 3 blog that these changes will not impact the visibility of your squad and enemies. “The visibility of your squad and enemy players is always of overriding importance, as this weather mainly serves as pleasing new ambiance to the backdrop you’re fighting in.” Essentially, the weather changes are mostly for aesthetics and shouldn’t impact gameplay. Despite only impacting the ambiance, the devs did tease that unique items will be spawning in during the weather events. But they have yet to fully explain what the unique items are, so we will update you here when we know it. The dynamic weather feature will not always be turned on, as the devs said in the blog that it will mostly be sunny as per usual. As for how long the weather changes will last, it will vary. For some instances, the weather changes can last the entire match, and other times it can just change part way through a match.

Rebirth Island is “completely broken” and giving Warzone PC players wallhacks ActivisionA number of Call of Duty Warzone players have complained that Rebirth Island is “completely broken” as PC players can see through pretty much every wall. When Warzone was first launched in March of 2020, it came with just the one map – Verdansk. Though, with the integration of Black Ops Cold War a new map, Rebirth Island, has also been available. The map is much smaller than Verdansk and is inspired by the Alcatraz map from Blackout in Black Ops 4. It makes for quicker games, but the map does have issues. Players have reported that loadouts constantly drop outside of the map and certain buildings can be seen through thanks to clipping bugs. However, PC players can now see through pretty much every building, giving them free wallhacks in matches on Rebirth. Reddit user ElMontoya flagged the issue on March 20, showing that they were able to see through staircases in certain buildings. This, he recognized, wasn’t fair. In a longer video posted to his YouTube page, the problem was much larger than just a few staircases. The player could see into everything, including the bunker in the middle of the map. He was worried he might get banned for wallhacking, but it also had a funny side as, when his team won, ElMontoya was flown away in an invisible helicopter. He and his pals aren’t the only ones to have had recent issues with Rebirth Island though. Reddit user PadoOne was sent back to the main menu after being hit with an airstrike, despite being inside a building. Others noted that they’ve been having similar issues too. “This happens daily on Rebirth and in multiple buildings. It’s so infuriating,” said one. “That happened to me on Verdansk last night,” added another. In terms of having free wallhacks, that issue can be solved with a simple disconnect and restart of the game. However, not everyone is going to be as sporting as ElMontoya. As for being downed from airstrikes while in a building, that’s a problem for Raven to solve, and players will be hoping these issues are addressed sooner rather than later.

Rebirth Island & Fortune’s Keep reportedly being removed with launch of Warzone 2 ActivisionBoth of Warzone’s popular ‘small’ maps, the classic Rebirth Island and the newer Fortune’s Keep, are reportedly set to disappear with the launch of Warzone 2 on November 16. Over the past two and half years, Warzone players have been dropping in to just two full-size Battle Royale maps in Verdansk and Caldera. Accompanying them along the way has been Rebirth Island and Fortune’s Keep, two smaller layouts designed for a faster pace and reduced lobby sizes. For many, these smaller alternatives are the main draw in Warzone today. Thousands jump online night after night just to tear through the chaotic fun of these bite-sized BR maps. However, with the launch of Warzone 2 this November, it’s unclear if fans will have any smaller locale on offer. As the new Al Mazrah map comes into focus and the original Warzone reportedly pivots to ‘Warzone Caldera,’ insiders have suggested both Rebirth and Fortune’s Keep will vanish amid the transition. “Rebirth Island and Fortune’s Keep will be removed from current Warzone following the release of Warzone 2,” prominent CoD insider ‘TheGhostOfHope’ shared in a September 27 tweet. “This isn’t a joke. They’re actually being removed.” At this stage, it’s unclear what might become of the fan-favorite maps if this claim holds true. We could see both transition to Warzone 2 over the coming months, driving players to install the sequel, or we could see them disappear indefinitely like Verdansk. All that seems certain is the original Warzone will no longer provide access to the smaller maps after November 16. This could be to help reduce the original game’s file size, or it could simply be to allow Caldera its very own space amid the reported renaming. Obviously, do take this early information with a grain of salt for the time being as nothing has yet been made official by Activision. Though should this hold true come Warzone 2’s launch, it appears just two maps will be available as 2022 winds down. Caldera in the existing application, and Al Mazrah as part of the sequel. As for when a smaller map may arrive, the very same leaker has pointed towards the middle of 2023 as a safe bet. So fans of the more close-quarters, Resurgence-style gameplay may be waiting for months to recapture the experience.

Rebirth Island finally has its first Solo playlist 15 months after Warzone arrival ActivisionRebirth Island fans are being spoiled with Warzone Pacific’s Season 2 Reloaded update as not only is the smaller battle royale map changing with new POIs and features, but the first-ever Solo playlist is finally locked in as well. When Rebirth Island arrived in December 2020, it came in as a smaller map allowing for shorter matches than the regular Verdansk experience. As a bite-sized experience with less ground to cover and a reduced lobby size, the pace is significantly different from a standard game in ordinary battle royale playlists. In the 15 months we’ve had Rebirth in rotation, it has only ever been playable as part of a team. Be it Duos, Trios, or Quads, standard Rebirth playlists and even the Resurgence mode have always featured teams. Though history is finally being made in the Warzone Pacific Season 2 Reloaded patch, as a Solo playlist has been locked in. A unique Resurgence Solos playlist has been confirmed for Rebirth Island this season. With the spotlight on Rebirth and its many upgrades in the latest patch, it’s a fitting time to introduce the first-ever Solo mode. This means individual players can quickly load into a round of Rebirth action without needing anyone else to fill. If you’re just looking to boot up Warzone and get into some gunfights as soon as possible, this is the mode for you. Given the pace of Rebirth, a Resurgence variant for Solos only makes sense. This gives everyone in the lobby multiple chances, opposed to just having a single life. It’s currently unclear if the new Solos variant features a 40-player lobby or if the number will be adjusted either way to balance the individual experience. The first-of-its-kind Solos mode should help fill a number of gaps in Warzone today. Not only can it serve as a great warmup before you team up with some friends, but the individual playlist should also be another great option when it comes to leveling guns. The Resurgence Solos mode is expected to arrive on Thursday, March 24, as part of the first playlist refresh after the Season 2 Reloaded patch.

Rebirth Island fans thrilled with Warzone Season 2 schedule: “Massive W” ActivisionCall of Duty: Warzone Rebirth Island players feel like they’re in paradise as the Season 2 schedule revealed that all party sizes will be available for over a month. Rebirth Island is an extremely popular alternative to the standard battle royale mode in Warzone. With loads of action and respawns, it creates endless fun for players. Despite receiving heavy criticism when it was released, this has been the backbone of Warzone as it hasn’t undergone any game-defining changes. While there is usually a rotating playlist that would feature either Duos, Trios, or Quads, Season 2 is going to let players pick whichever they please and fans are loving it. All Rebirth Island modes available for entirety of Warzone Season 2 Raven Software said they were going to work on improving playlists and it seems that they are keeping that promise. 💥 With the launch of #Warzone Season Two on February 14th, here’s a first look at the Playlists you can expect for the next five weeks! Lock and load. It’s going to be a good time. 😎 pic.twitter.com/JEBNtfaXw7 — Raven Software (@RavenSoftware) February 11, 2022 In a tweet on February 11, Raven Software hyped up the new season by showcasing the Warzone playlists for the next five weeks. The biggest thing that players noticed was that Rebirth Island Duos, Trios, and Quads is listed under every single week. This means that it will for sure be in the game until the Reloaded update. Fans couldn’t contain their excitement as many took to Twitter to celebrate what they are calling a “Massive W.” FIVE WHOLE WEEKS OF 3 REBIRTH OPTIONS WOOO Kiss me, Raven — KRNG – BearPig (@BearPigCentral) February 11, 2022 Streamer BearPig was so hyped for this he even asked Raven Software to kiss him. Not only are the modes sticking around, the island is also set to receiving some changes by the midseason update. It’s an exciting time for the Warzone community and as the devs continue to improve their game, the fans are showing their gratitude.

Rebirth Island could be ‘ruined’ by one big change in Warzone Season 3 ActivisionCall of Duty fans are begging the Warzone devs to not “ruin” Rebirth Island now that they’ve finally revealed when the small battle royale map will make a return. Warzone has had a few different maps over the last few years, and it’s a close fight between Verdansk and Rebirth Island as to what is the most popular map. Even though both maps have been missing for quite some time, being replaced by the likes of Al-Mazrah, Urzikstan, Ashika ISland, and Vondel, they have been confirmed to return in Modern Warfare 3’s integration with the battle royale. Rebirth, the smaller of the two, is first up as the devs have finally confirmed that the Alcatraz Island-inspired map will be returning on April 3 – the same day that Season 3 finally launches. Even though the early images of the map suggest that nothing has changed, players are still concerned that Rebirth will be ‘ruined’ like Fortune’s Keep, after the devs decided to make sweeping changes to the Resurgence map earlier this year. “The less they change, the better,” one player said. “Please don’t ruin it Activision,” another added. “This gives me hope they haven’t butchered it. Hope it plays the same or at least similar,” another commented. Others noted that the swimming mechanics that now play a big part in Warzone will be the downfall of things. “Swim mechanic will ruin this map. Final circles will be ruined with Aquaman playing Finding Nemo,” said one. “The swimming is so dumb I wish they’d just turn it off for this map,” another added. As noted, there haven’t been any changes actually revealed yet as we’re just dealing with teaser images for now. However, it wouldn’t be a shock to see some changes incorporated. It just remains to be seen if they’ll be as ruinous to Rebirth as some fans fear.

Rebirth Island best landing spots for Warzone Season 1 Treyarch/ActivisionWarzone Season 1’s Rebirth Island map has arrived and there’s a range of new areas to explore, but which are the best landing spots? Where you decide to land in a battle royale map has a huge impact on whether you go onto win the match. Finding loot as fast as possible is the key to survival and the only way you’ll be coming out with the victory. This is particularly important in Warzone’s new Rebirth Island map. Unlike Verdansk, Rebirth Island only hosts 40 players maximum but the map is significantly smaller. This means the gameplay experience is chaotic and fast-paced, so finding a weapon as quickly as possible is a must. Let’s check out the best landing spots we’ve found on Warzone’s Rebirth Island map. Security Area Located in the South-West corner of Rebirth Island, Security Area has everything a player needs to start a match off properly. With an easy to access Buy Station, multiple vehicle spawns, and a helicopter, there’s plenty of options for players once they have gathered their loot. However, if you’re not a fan of immediate chaos, then maybe steer clear of this location. By Rebirth Island’s standards, Security Area is relatively isolated and will leave you to battle it out with any other squads who dropped into the area. The location isn’t abundant with loot, but as it’s a contained space, squads who look to play aggressively and kill enemies will leave Security Area on track for the win. It’s worth noting that the helicopter spawn will be heavily contested by squads so keep your eyes to the skies. Chemical Engineering If you’re looking for a location that provides a bit more high-tier loot, then Chemical Engineering may be the perfect landing spot. Found in the North-East of Rebirth Island, Chemical Engineering will certainly be more consistent and less chaotic than Security Area. The four-story office building that can be found in the area is a particularly great spot for finding high-tier loot. Not to mention there’s a Buy Station nearby which is key on Rebirth Island, as there are very few compared to Verdansk. Prison Block It would be rude not to include the central and high-risk landing spot that is Prison Block. If you’re a fan of Stadium in Verdansk, then this location will provide you with the frantic and fast-paced gameplay you’re used to. This area is for the players who looking to take endless gunfights at the start of the match and clear out the competition. Although it’s a risky option, if you’re successful you’ll guarantee yourself all the resources needed to pick up the victory. Read More: Best MAC 10 loadout in Warzone Season 1 – On top of this, Prison Block’s central location offers players a view of the entire map and is ideal for fans of Snipers. There’s no doubt this area isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you excel at winning gunfights then it’s the perfect landing spot. Bioweapons Lab If you’re looking for a location to lockdown with your squad, Bioweapons Lab may be the perfect landing spot for you. As this is a popular area, they’ll likely be a number of squads you’ll need to defeat right after the drop. After that, you’ll be able to control one of the floors and dominate any enemies attempting to enter the building. A great strategy is to control the roof as it offers a useful vantage point across the map and means you can take out any enemies redeploying. It’s worth noting that Bioweapons Lab is located on the edge of the map so you may have to travel a long distance to catch up with the ring. Living Quarters Living Quarters is located in the South of the island and is made up of four small buildings all in close proximity. Although each of the buildings doesn’t contain an enormous amount of loot, all four will easily gear up an entire squad. On top of this, at Living Quarters, you have the high ground over enemies down in the Security Area. Don’t be afraid to shoot down on squads below to pick up some easy kills. Finally, there’s a Buy Station right outside the buildings so picking up a loadout drop shouldn’t be too difficult. Hopefully, this has given you a good idea of where you want to land in your next Rebirth Island match. Try out each of the locations and see which one best suits your playstyle. No landing spot will guarantee you victory, but choosing the right area is important for setting yourself up to get there.

The real reason for Scump’s CoD skills? Fan works out ridiculous stat OpTic Gaming / Scump TwitterA Call of Duty fan analyzed OpTic Gaming’s Seth ‘Scump’ Abner’s storied pro career and found a bizarre correlation that might have the star player rethinking his choice of eyewear when big tournaments come around. Regardless of what era in Scump’s career we point at there are bound to be troves of highlights to sift through that the pro player has produced. While there’s no questioning Scump’s impact on any given matchup, an incredible find by one fan could give Scump a major point to consider during primetime events. In a Reddit post, user ‘vonsyy’ reviewed the tapes to see how Scump performed “on major LAN events” consisting of prize pools of $10,000+ or if held by a “significant Tournament organizer.” But what intrigued the researcher was if Scump’s choice of wearing glasses or contacts during those events had any impact on his performance, leading to an amazing conclusion. The Redditor sifted through numerous VODs of Scump’s major events since Black Ops 1 all the way to Black Ops 4, and averaged the pro player’s placements in those tournaments while noting if he had worn glasses or not. While vonsyy admitted there could be an error or two with some of the evidence, it still paints an interesting picture of how the pro has performed with respect to his choice of corrective lenses. The data points to Scump performing better when he goes into the match with contacts, seeing as some of his lower placements came when wearing glasses. Should Scump wear glasses during CoD events? Although the findings are an incredible feat of research with a unique twist from vonsyy, it doesn’t seem like this could be completely conclusive since there are hundreds of factors that determines a team’s placement in an event. But it seems as if the findings were enough to amusingly convince some fans that when a big even rolls through, Scump is better off ditching the eyewear. Despite how weird the stat is, Abner himself responded, explaining he was thankful that the fan took the time to do the maths, as he does actually feel a difference when he plays with or without his specs. Am actually very thankful he did. I personally feel very different with and without them on. — Seth Abner (@OpTic_Scumper) May 9, 2019 “Petition to not allow scump to wear glasses,” Reddit user ‘Mohno02’ joked. Even though Greenwall fans will take Scump on their team regardless of what he wears on the stage, the findings can give the pro an intriguing correlation to mull over for upcoming events.

[UPDATED] Razer Twitter Potentially Drop a Big Hint That Karma Could be 100 Thieves Fourth Player * Update: After this article was published, Team Razer have now unfollowed Karma on Twitter. This could be a result of the speculation caused by initially following him, along with the other 100 Thieves CoD roster members. The Call of Duty community continues to speculate on who 100 Thieves will recruit as their fourth and final player to the roster, and Team Razer’s Twitter activity may provide some insight. Team Razer is the esports focused account of Razer, the gaming hardware company, known for gaming laptops, keyboards, mice and more, and they are a proud sponsor of 100 Thieves. The account mainly follows only teams it sponsors, and their respective players, which also includes Rise Nation, and a number of Overwatch League teams. On September 1, only a matter of hours following the announcement of Sam “Octane” Larew on 100 Thieves, Team Razer followed all three of the new 100 Thieves roster – plus Karma. As you can see below, the players were followed all at one time, which adds to the possibility of Karma being on the team – but of course, it doesn’t confirm anything. It also aligns with the Team Razer’s account previous Twitter activity of following players in bunches, when they sign for a team Razer sponsors. For example, when 100 Thieves announced its Clash Royale team, the Team Razer account immediately followed all four players on the roster. While this is only speculation, we do know for certain that 100 Thieves founder Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag is aware of the team’s need for someone in a leadership role. Call of Duty Off-Season Rostermania Transfer Hub *UPDATING* Even if it is three time world champion Karma, 100 Thieves’ business still might not be over, as the community waits to see if competitive play will remain 4v4 or move to 5v5.

Raven Software QA workers close to unionizing as NLRB approves of election Raven SoftwareContinuing the Raven Software unionization saga, a landmark ruling has been reached. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has permitted the voting for union to commence, with a result to be announced in May. The Game Workers Alliance is the formal name for the union currently in the process of being formed by Raven Software employees. This is the company responsible for testing heavyweight title Call of Duty: Warzone. The formation of the union puts strong power in the hands of the 21 Raven Software employees who are looking to unionize following a strike earlier in 2022. GWA took to Twitter to announce the news, declaring “National Labor Relations Board rejected Raven Software management’s attempts to undermine our efforts to form a union.” We are pleased that after reviewing the evidence, the National Labor Relations Board rejected Raven Software management’s attempts to undermine our efforts to form a union. It’s now time for Raven management to stop trying to prevent us from exercising our rights. — Game Workers Alliance 💙#WeAreGWA (@WeAreGWA) April 23, 2022 After initially urging Activision Blizzard to recognize the union voluntarily, Raven Software went on an extensive campaign seeking to bust the union before it even came into existence. The company took a number of employees from part to full time in early April, along with a $1.50 an hour raise, but excluded anyone seeking to engage in a collective bargaining agreement. With those measures all but having failed with the NLRB ruling, Activision Blizzard made this comment to The Verge: “While we respect the NLRB process, we are disappointed that a decision that could significantly impact the future of our entire studio will be made by fewer than 10% of our employees.” “We believe a direct relationship with team members is the best path to achieving individual and company goals.” “”I’m forming this union because I want Raven to continue be the best place to make a career in game dev. We want job stability and to be included in conversations that involve our department.”” -John, owner of Ali, Bubby, and Daisy pic.twitter.com/a1r9Nl8nUS — Game Workers Alliance 💙#WeAreGWA (@WeAreGWA) April 14, 2022 Activision Blizzard are continue with its attempts to quell any chance of a collective employee agreement. “We are reviewing legal options regarding a potential appeal,” it concluded. With Microsoft on the tail end of a huge purchase of Activision Blizzard, the impact of the union formation, and the vote up to May 20 has the potential for a huge shakeup in the gaming industry.

Raven Software job listing hints at studio developing future Call of Duty campaign Raven SoftwareA Raven Software job listing suggests that the team is looking to bring in talent to help with Campaign animation for a future Call of Duty title that may not be Warzone 2. Raven Software has operated as a support studio throughout much of the Call of Duty franchise’s historical run. From working on DLC in early titles like Black Ops and Modern Warfare III, the studio really stepped out of the shadows with Modern Warfare Remastered before taking over the spotlight entirely as co-developers of Warzone with Infinity Ward. Now, with Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 right around the corner, a job listing on the Careers section of their website suggests they’re tackling their biggest project yet. Raven Software might be leading development on another Call of Duty Campaign The listing relates to a Lead Campaign Animator, desirably with “Experience in first-person shooter (FPS) games and extensive knowledge of the Call of Duty games”. It also states candidates should have “a strong knowledge in creating in-game animations and how [to] blend [these] with the game narrative to bring epic moments to the game.” While past contributions in the CoD franchise have been largely support, the listing may hint at a larger role for the studio moving forwards. Raven developing their own CoD may seem unlikely now, but it is also possible that they are taking the reins for CoD 2024’s Campaign, which is thought to be Treyarch’s next installment in the franchise. There is also the chance that this is simply related to Warzone 2. While we don’t know much about the story surrounding the game, each new season did bring a new layer to the interconnected story of the first game, and it would make sense for the sequel to follow suit. If it is related to a new game, however, we likely won’t know much about it for a few more months if trends from past development cycles hold up. Of course, there will be plenty of distractions to be had when MW2 hits shelves at the end of October.

Raven QA workers urge Microsoft to support Activision-Blizzard union Raven Software / MicrosoftThe QA division of Raven Software, responsible for looking after Call of Duty battle royale Warzone, have urged Microsoft to recognize their union during the Activision-Blizzard merger. The 15 workers fear the proposal will quash any collective bargaining agreement. Workers at Raven Software, responsible for helping with the development of Call of Duty: Warzone, have been pushing through a unionization effort since a number of layoffs in December 2021. After promises of better pay from Activision, several workers were let go as Warzone pushed towards its big Pacific launch. Activision stated it “notified 20 temporary workers across studios that their contracts would not be extended.” The team of around 40 QA developers staged a walkout just days before the content drop, which lasted into the new year. A group of the workers also pushed for unionization, uniting as the Game Workers Alliance (GWA) in January 2022. While Activision-Blizzard is yet to formally recognize the union, the workers are taking steps to ensure it lives past the $70 billion merger with Microsoft in 2023. 15 workers have written an open letter to Microsoft asking them to pressure Activision-Blizzard into formalizing that collective bargaining agreement. The letter, obtained by Axios, will be published in March 27’s edition of the Seattle Times, where Microsoft is based. “The majority of quality assurance employees at our location have signed union authorization cards and we have asked Activision-Blizzard to recognize our union with the Communication Workers of America,” it opens. “We recently learned that as part of their proposed merger, Activision-Blizzard must seek Microsoft’s approval to voluntarily recognize or enter into a collective bargaining agreement with us as a union.” The merger proposal states that Activision-Blizzard will not “voluntarily recognize any labor union, works council or similar employee organization or enter into a collective bargaining agreement” unless it’s “approved by Microsoft”. The proposal also states that neither Activision-Blizzard nor Microsoft “is a party to any collective bargaining agreement” at the time of filing back in February. A version of the letter is also slated to run in Microsoft’s backyard this weekend in the Sunday edition of the Seattle Times pic.twitter.com/e1sHUSKFLY — Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) March 24, 2022 The workers asked whether Microsoft “would approve voluntary recognition if asked” and what conditions Microsoft would impose on the collective bargaining process. “We are asking Microsoft to tell Activision-Blizzard’s management to stop the union busting campaign that is being waged against us and to authorize and encourage them to voluntarily recognize our union,” the letter concludes. In a statement to Axios, a Microsoft spokesperson said “Microsoft will not stand in the way if Activision Blizzard recognizes a union. “Microsoft respects Activision Blizzard employees’ right to choose whether to be represented by a labor organization and we will honor those decisions.” Activision-Blizzard has previously made statements condemning the union movement, stating that while it respects employees’ rights, “all of this could hurt our ability to continue creating great games.”

Raven finally respond to “broken” Warzone battle pass in Season 2 ActivisionRaven Software has finally responded to fan complaints about the battle pass leveling in Warzone being “broken,” as the devs looking to implement a fix. Warzone’s battle pass system has gone through plenty of ups and downs since it was first implemented as a part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, with players having praised the devs for new cosmetics, but having also gone after them because of broken weapons over the years. While leveling up the battle pass can be a bit of a grind at the best of times, the Warzone Pacific Season 2 Reloaded update appeared to make things a little more difficult. Many fans reported that the battle pass had become “broken” following the update, as they were simply unable to progress, or they were receiving far less XP than they were supposed to be getting from matches. A double XP weekend was tossed into the mix by Raven, seemingly as a way to right things, but players have continued to complain about a lack of movement on their battle pass. As a result, the developers have confirmed that they’re finally investigating the issue as of March 31st, flagging the problem both on Twitter and their public Trello board. “We are investigating an issue where some players aren’t receiving the correct amount of Battle Pass XP,” they said, though there is nothing much beyond that. ❗️ We are investigating an issue where some Players aren’t receiving the correct amount of Battle Pass XP. Trello:https://t.co/0kvoktrR77 — Raven Software (@RavenSoftware) March 31, 2022 In response to them finally flagging the issue, some players have suggested that the devs should hand out some free tier skips on top of them fixing things, just to tide over those players who have suffered. Of course, that decision falls on Raven, and it remains to be seen as to whether or not they’ll compensate those players. Though, who knows how long it’ll take them to fix the issue in the first place.

Raul Menendez actor Kamar de los Reyes dies aged 56 Black Ops 2/delosreyeskamar | InstagramRaul Menendez was one of the most iconic villains in the Call of Duty series, and a critical part of the storyline for the Black Ops series. Kamar de los Reyes, the actor whose likeness and voice was lent to the character, has died at age 56. For many who grew up in the so-called “golden age” of Call of Duty, getting the game and jumping right into the campaign was a must. The CoD games were long held up as the bar every other game had to reach as a AAA blockbuster game with big set pieces and an intricately woven storylines. One of the most iconic characters from the series was Raul Menendez, a villain who played a major role in the series and was even playable for one of the missions. Sure, hey may have been a villain, but the performance behind his character made him an incredibly charismatic and likeable villain that players grew attached to despite only being a main character in Black Ops 2. Kamar de los Reyes, the man who brought Menendez to life, has passed at age 56 after a battle with cancer. Kamar de los Reyes dead aged 56 after a battle with cancer Kamar de los Reyes did a lot more than play the role of Menendez in Call of Duty. Whether it be his role as Antonio Vega in ‘One Life to Live’ and various other soap opera appearances to being in a stage production of Shakespeare’s, ‘The Tempest’, he’s been acting for decades in all sorts of genres. However, even a decade after his last appearance in the Call of Duty franchise, his performance as series villain Raul Menendez stood out to fans of the series enough that they took to social media to remember his impeccable performance. In a time before using motion capture for characters and hiring Hollywood actors for AAA game development was the standard, Reyes was one of the first actors to make a real impression with their performance. He really brought the character to life in a way that still holds up today. Considering there’s an ending for Black Ops 2 where Menendez lives combined with the fact that the character came back in Black Ops 4 and was mentioned in Cold War, fans were hoping that his character would make a return. However, it now seems that players want his performance to stand as it was rather than trying to bring the character back in the series in some way. This isn’t the first instance of a massively influential video game actor dying in 2023, either, with the passing of Lance Reddick hitting the gaming community hard. In both cases, at least their performance can live on forever.

Rated’s Girlfriend Reveals Why the Red Reserve Star is Refusing to Take a Break from Playing Call of Duty Rhys ‘Rated’ Price’s girlfriend has revealed that the Red Reserve star has reconsidered his decision to take a short break from Call of Duty after thinking about what his competition might be getting up to. Rated and Red Reserve have proven themselves to be one of the very best teams in Call of Duty: WWII, finishing second at the last major event, CWL Anaheim. The European squad won’t be happy until they reach the top, though, and that will mean dethroning a Rise Nation team that has looked imperious in recent months. Rated’s girlfriend took to Twitter on July 9 to show just how serious the Welsh player is about achieving that task after he decided not to take the week break from playing that he had originally planned. Read More: Sledgehammer Releases Hilarious Parody Video “Investigating” Clayster’s Ardennes Forest Tree Conspiracy in CoD: WWII – When she asked him why he was no longer taking the time off, the Assault Rifle star stated that he had looked at himself and thought “Well is Gunless playing?” “”What you streaming, fortnite?”” -“”Nah, CoD, got s2 and Champs coming up!”” “”Thought you said you weren’t going on CoD for a week”” -“”Yeeaaah, but then I looked at myself and thought, Well is Gunless playing?”” hahahaha @Rated_COD — Kazii ♡ (@RiotKazii) July 9, 2018 Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman is Rise Nation’s Flex Player and considered by many to be the best player in the game by a comfortable margin. The Canadian’s dedication to practice has quickly become one of the main talking points in competitive Call of Duty as he reportedly plays around three hours of public matches each day before other teams are even getting online to look for scrims. Read More: Awesome Statistics Show Which AR Players are the Most Dominant on Ardennes Forest Hardpoint – With Stage 2 playoffs for the CWL Pro League and the 2018 Call of Duty World Championship still on the horizon, it looks like Rated has decided he is going to match Gunless’ work ethic for the foreseeable future. Red Reserve topped Division A in Stage 2 of the CWL Pro League with a score of 11-3 and Rise Nation currently sets atop Division B at 6-1; everything appears to be lining up for yet another showdown between the two titans at the Stage 2 playoffs.

Rated under fire for ‘apology’ to former Denial CoD roster Call of Duty professional, Rhys ‘Rated’ Price has faced criticism for a now-deleted tweet in which he apologized to the dropped Denial players, but ended with a taunt to his ‘haters’. After weeks of speculation, it was confirmed that Red Reserve would be leaving the Call of Duty World League due to a lack of finances with a number of their players opting to join Denial Esports. Denial dropped their entire CWL roster to bring in Rated, who was joined at the organization by his former Red Reserve teammates Ben ‘Bance’ Bance and Joseph ‘Joee’ Pinnington. Rated apologizes to former Denial roster Rated shared his condolences with the dropped roster in a tweet, which has since been deleted, but insisted he had to put his own interests first. “I understand it’s bad on the French,” he said. “We felt super bad about the situation, but we have just as much right to be in the league as them.” Though his apology seemed genuine at first, Rated ended the tweet by telling fans to “get off his dick and tickle his balls instead”, following recent criticism directed towards him. 600Rated responds to fan criticism The manner of his apology was heavily scrutinized on Reddit, with Rated being accused of being “insufferable”, among other things. Rated revealed that the tweet was deleted to avoid a fine from the CWL but stated that he still feels the same way, and would send the same message out again regardless of the hate. One Reddit user slammed the new Denial member as “cocky”, to which Rated boasted that he was better than 99.9% of the world. Nevertheless, Rated will be hoping to put all the negativity behind him and look for a strong result during his first tournament with his new team at CWL London.

Rated sparks debate by claiming Dashy is most talented CoD player he’s ever seen CWL/MLGCall of Duty pro Rhys ‘Rated’ Price has sparked a debate among the community, after he suggested that OpTic Gaming’s Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell is the most “talented” player in the world. As CWL Anaheim reaches its climax, there has been much debate surrounding the performances and talents of the competitors, as the best players in the world battle it out for their share of the $325,000 prize pool. However, veteran Welsh CoD star Rated believes there is one player who is a cut above the rest. On June 15, he tweeted that he’s not sure he’s ever come up against a more talented CoD player than Dashy, as the Canadian continues to put up impressive numbers. 600Prior to the Black Ops 4 season, Dashy had been on the fringes of competitive CoD, playing for Complexity during WW2, but finishing a disappointing 13-16th at the Call of Duty Championships in 2018. However, he was given his shot at the big time when he moved to OpTic Gaming in September 2018, alongside veterans Crimsix, Scump and Karma. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength, and Rated believes that OpTic’s “gamble” has already paid off. Rated’s tweet was overtly complimentary, as he likened Dashy’s control of the Maddox RFB to having the “Grip II” attachment, as well as saying that he “might be better” than Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper was during Infinite Warfare. He also said that he doesn’t know if he’s “ever seen someone with so much talent”. Dashy btw lmfaooooo, he has a grip 2 Maddox I don’t know if I’ve actually ever seen someone with just so much talent In CoD, closest is IW Formal & he might be better it’s absurd.. baring in mind his best placement before this year was T16 like talk about a gamble paying off. — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) June 16, 2019 FormaL was widely considered as Infinite Warfare’s best player and one of the best individual performers ever, as his skill with the NV4 took OpTic Gaming to the World Championship, meaning Rated’s comparison is incredibly high praise. Analyst Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker and Splyce star Donovan ‘Temp’ Laroda weighed in on the debate, with Laroda arguing that IW’s FormaL and Huke in Advanced Warfare were “different talent wise”, and that Dashy isn’t quite there yet. great player but formal iw aw huke dashy are different talent wise, legit different — The Marksman (@Temp) June 16, 2019 The comments come after OpTic reverse swept Rated’s ‘Units’ side on Friday night, after the roster left Denial Esports. OpTic Gaming start Sunday in the losers’ Bracket, up against eUnited, the team who Units lost to as they were eliminated from the tournament with a top

Rated Hints at EU and NA Players Joining Forces Next Season Rhys ‘Rated’ Price dropped a potential bomb during his stream on July 23, implying more mixed region teams will happen for the Black Ops 4 season. According to Rated, a rule change for next season will make it easier for players from different regions to team up. Rated brought up the potential change while answering a question from his chat on stream. The rules are changing on that next year, so you’ll probably see a lot more mixed region teams next year. He caught himself from spilling too much about the change, saying he is not allowed to speak on it yet. Mixed region teams are an exciting prospect in competitive Call of Duty, due to European and APAC regions struggling to match the talent depth of North America. The elite teams of Europe no longer have issues competing with the top of NA, as Rated’s Red Reserve has multiple Grand Final appearances this season, but they are still limited when it comes to options for making roster changes. Red Reserve will look to become the first European team to win the Call of Duty Championships when they compete on August 15-19 in Columbus, Ohio. Rated was a member of the first EU squad to make a Grand Final at a Call of Duty World Championship, accomplishing the feat with Splyce during the Black Ops 3 season. If his prediction comes true, the Black Ops 4 Championship may have less regional bragging rights at stake.

Rated gobsmacked after Warzone wallhacks appear during his stream Activision / 100 ThievesOne of Warzone’s most experienced players, Rhys ‘Rated’ Price, was left speechless after Call of Duty wallhacks randomly appeared on his screen in the middle of a battle royale game in his most recent Twitch stream. As a former CoD pro and now one of Warzone’s highest-earning stars, Rated has seen and done just about everything. At least, that was the case until his most recent Twitch stream. After days of grueling competitions and even back to back event wins, Rated finally had a casual day ahead of him. Switching on his broadcast, he was in store for a casual session until his account was hit by what appeared to be a bizarre hack: seemingly out of nowhere, the Warzone pro was able to see enemies through walls. Cruising overhead in his chopper, he noticed a bright red outline in the building below. Much to the surprise of everyone watching along, and even Rated himself, wallhacks seemed to be in full effect. I promise you I can explain myself 🤐 pic.twitter.com/dqUezUir2Q — Rhys Price (@Rated_COD) July 19, 2021 “I’m f***ing cheating,” he repeated. “What the f*** is this?” In a matter of seconds, he was able to drop onto the roof and beam down the nearby enemy. All the while, Rated could see their every move through the walls between them. This wallhack appeared early into the match and again closer towards the end. Upon the second sighting of a ‘free kill’ Rated even joked that he was going to “get canceled”. He continued yelling as his teammate began questioning what he meant: “This guy’s red on my screen!” While he had a ridiculous amount of information on this target, was Rated actually given a boost by hackers? Or was this simply a rare Warzone bug? While nothing is concrete, it certainly appears to be the latter. As far back as April, players have reported a similar bug impacting their games. After a glitch in the gulag, players remain outlined when back in Verdansk. This outline is only supposed to show as the Gulag countdown ticks away. However, this bug causes it to stick with the player for the rest of the match. It’s likely what caused Rated to notice the same red outline on players in his lobby. Upon dropping into the gulag earlier in the match, he was instantly handed a win. This bug then caused his opponent to reemerge in Verdansk with his body highlighted through walls. It’s an extremely rare issue, hence why all three experienced pros in the lobby were left dumbfounded. Fortunately, it does mean there’s absolutely no risk of Rated’s account being flagged for a ban or suspension in the near future. Let’s just hope this ‘wallhack’ glitch doesn’t appear mid-tournament; there’s no doubting it would raise a few eyebrows!

Rare Warzone forfeit message is taking wins away from players MLG/Raven SoftwareWhile playing a game of Warzone, Thomas ‘Tommey’ Trewren and Ben ‘Almxnd’ received a weird forfeit screen in the final circle. Neither of them had seen it before, and it’s fair to say that they were left extremely confused. Warzone Season 2 has arrived, and as with every update, Raven Software has left easter eggs and clues around the map for players to find. From new buy stations that sell advanced level perks, to hints at an upcoming 80s themed Verdansk overhaul, there’s no doubt the developers have some big plans for the future of the title. Despite this, the two well-known Warzone players discovered another strange feature that they’d never seen before while playing a match on April 8. The scenario occurred in the final circle and involved them receiving a forfeit screen after the last opponent left the game. Warzone players receive “forfeit” screen in endgame circle The final circle of a Warzone match is incredibly tense, requiring a clear head to come out on top. Only one squad can pick up the win and secure the victory, though, or so we thought, as Tommey and Almxnd received a forfeit screen in the concluding moments of a match. After searching the entirety of the final circle for their opponent, both players received a countdown timer and a notification that their enemies were forfeiting the match. This was no doubt a result of the last team leaving the game during the final circle. What’s strange, though, is that neither of the veteran players had ever experienced this feature before, and were both left incredibly confused. Despite sticking it out to the end of the game, Tommey revealed that the match didn’t count as a win on his statistics. This is very strange, as you’d imagine they’d receive a victory for being the last players standing. It’s clear this is a feature that most of the game’s community haven’t experienced in the final circle. It’s hard to know whether this forfeit screen has been in the game since release, or was added in a later patch. Read More: Best M16 Warzone class loadout – Either way, it’s hard to understand why a player wouldn’t receive the win after their opponents leave the match. This is hopefully something Raven will looking into amending in the future.

Ranking leaked Call of Duty franchise team names from worst to best ActivisionOn October 9, the franchised Call of Duty League was officially announced, and before long the website had been completely swept for potential leaks – and they delivered. The team names were out before Activision had time to react, and some are definitely better than others. After the 12 names leaked, there’s been plenty debate over who has the best brand to represent each city. Some of these names are closely linked to the city itself, some take inspiration from their parent company, and some I just can’t quite work out. Although we haven’t seen any logos or official colors yet, I’ve taken a look at the team names (still technically unconfirmed too), ranking them from worst to best. Of course, this is totally subjective. 12. New York Subliners Subliners, as far as I can tell, isn’t even a real word. Which would be fine, were it not for the fact that the intended meaning behind the word – presumably to do with New York’s infamous subway system – is something that New Yorkers likely don’t want to be reminded of when they watch esports. 11. London Royal Ravens London Royal Ravens just raises so many questions. Most importantly, why Royal Ravens? What’s wrong with London Royals, or London Ravens? Both of these would be infinitely better than a combination of the two, mainly because having two words (three with the city) just seems unnecessarily clunky. 10. Los Angeles Guerillas Honestly, I don’t think this is terrible. I just think it’s incredibly bland – it’s entirely arbitrary and offers little more than a word loosely related to warfare. It’s uninspiring and sounds like it was just picked out of a hat. It’s fine, but that’s as much as I feel about it. Perhaps the logo will enlighten us more. 9. Atlanta FaZe Good work from Atlanta making the FaZe connection, earning them a history in Call of Duty that many of these franchises won’t have. But… it’s only FaZe. We’ve had them in Call of Duty for the past decade anyway. Nothing new here and no points for creativity. 8. Florida Mutineers This is a name that I think will grow on me, but for now, I don’t really feel anything towards it. I think when the branding is officially announced and explained, it could have a good story behind it, but I don’t feel that way yet. 7. Los Angeles OpTic Much like with FaZe, we’ve already had OpTic in CoD for as long as CoD esports has existed. It’s a name we’ve all become familiar with and, when new teams and brands are entering the space, it just seems a little boring and dated. 6. Chicago Huntsmen Chicago is likely going to be the crowd-favorite once the league rolls around, and NRG co-CEO H3CZ has seemed pretty confident in his branding choices – but I can’t help feeling a little disappointed. As with Mutineers, I think I’ll end up liking the branding, but Huntsmen seems pretty run-of-the-mill as far as team names go. 5. Minnesota Rokkr I feel like Rokkr (presumably stylized røkkr) has been incredibly underrated in discussions since names were leaked. It’s odd, but it’s unique, and that gives Minnesota something interesting to work with when it comes to branding and potential support. The word, an old Norse term linked to twilight and the end of the world according to Wiktionary, has links with Minnesota’s NFL team, the Vikings, and is intrinsically linked to Minnesota as a whole. 4. Toronto Ultra The top four in this list are what I consider to be the “top tier” of names. Truthfully I’m not blown away by any of these names but Ultra is the first of four that I believe is solid as it stands. It sounds like a real team name, which I can’t say for a lot of these. One can only hope the fans don’t end up being referred to as ‘the Ultras’ – definitely some negative connotations there. 3. Dallas Empire Dallas Empire is nice. ‘Empire’ would really work with most cities – I know I would’ve liked this for New York. But Dallas definitely works too, and certainly gives some grandiosity to the franchise. 2. Seattle Surge Seattle Surge beats Dallas Empire for just one reason; alliteration. Even if it wasn’t, I still think Surge is a solid name: it sounds like something a professional gaming team should be called. I can’t say the same for Guerillas or Subliners, unfortunately. 1. Paris Legion Good work, Paris. Although I don’t think the competition is fantastic, you’ve got the best name in the franchised Call of Duty League. It sounds regal, it sounds important, and it sounds like a team you should be afraid to come up against. Hopefully the team can live up to the standards of the name. There’s my personal list; I think the top three or four names are all interchangeable and could easily justify putting any of them in that top tier, but for me, Paris just about takes the cake with Legion. It’s worth remembering that these names haven’t been confirmed yet. Although it seems likely that they’re correct, we should wait until each team’s official announcement before judging them.

Ranking all Warzone Cold War seasons from worst to best ActivisionActivision’s Call of Duty: Warzone continues to be a mammoth force in the battle royale world. After a strong 2020, Warzone kicked off 2021 with the help of the Black Ops Cold War integration. So we’ve gone through all six seasons of Warzone in 2021 and ranked them from worst to best. At one time, Fortnite was the undisputed ruler of the battle royale genre. But along came the gritty, expansive violence of CoD: Warzone to shock the system. Activision’s project has been led by Raven Software, and Warzone’s 2021 has been on a serious roller coaster ride. From Scump’s shocking World Series of Warzone tournament win, to Hollywood crossovers, to countless examples of cheating and hacking, Verdansk has seen it all. But, the fictional map is coming to the end of its journey, set to be replaced by Caldera in Warzone Pacific. So it’s time to look back on 2021, and specifically the six seasons of Warzone since the Cold War integration. Here is Warzone Seasons 1-6 in 2021 ranked from worst to best. Warzone Cold War Seasons ranked in 2021 6. Warzone Season 2 A definitive burst meta defined most loadouts in Warzone Season 2, as did a complimentary MAC-10. It definitely became grating to be killed by either an AUG or M16 from range or drilled by a MAC-10 up-close. Also, Warzone Season 2 signaled the end of present-day Verdansk with the season becoming infested by Zombies. The overbearing contamination warnings culminated in a lackluster 2-day special ‘Destruction of Verdansk’ event, bringing to an end the most disappointing Warzone season of 2021. 5. Warzone Season 1 DMRzone. Probably the only season of Warzone in 2021 that was completely dominated by a single weapon. There were huge questions about how the Cold War integration would affect Warzone, and this was why. A perfectly serviceable Marksman Rifle in Cold War became the bane of every Warzone player. Not only that, but the original Warzone kind of lost its identity here with multiple BOCW weapons becoming the meta. We also said goodbye to the OG Gulag, to the disappointment of many. A huge plus for Season 1 though was the inclusion of Rebirth Island as it finally gave players some extra content and variation in their gameplay. 4. Warzone Season 5 Hacking was at an all-time high in Warzone Season 5 with many players, pros, and streamers leaving Verdansk for Apex Legends. Not only that, but it felt like a bit of a by-the-numbers season. New Perks were long overdue in Combat Scout and Tempered and the meta was incredibly balanced, but that was countered by quite possibly the worst event Warzone has ever seen – The Numbers event. Although credit has to be given to Raven Software’s inventive game mode – Iron Trials ’84. Delivering a stern Warzone test for all players that raised the TTK and forced players to make the most of loot to survive. 3. Warzone Season 4 Introducing the Red Doors, mysterious gateways to glorious treasure and goodies. They certainly added a fun touch to Verdansk, as did the new Payload mode. But it was clear at this point that Warzone was starting to become riddled with cheaters and hackers that were determined to spoil the fun for everyone else. Other than that, Season 4 was just solid. The meta was as open as it had ever been and satellite drops added a bit more character to the map. 2. Warzone Season 6 If it wasn’t for the excessive presence of hackers, Cold War and Warzone’s final season might have actually gone down as the best. Being so far into the game’s lifespan now, Warzone has many different game mode variations for players to enjoy: Battle Royale, Rebirth, Payload, Clash, Iron Trials, and the spectacular new Operation Flashback option. Flashback is a celebration of many of Warzone’s popular elements including Nakatomi Plaza’s Vault and in-game events. The randomized nature of the events makes it a blast, the ground loot is a lot of fun, and being in Season 6, there are now a ton of perfectly balanced guns to pick from. Also, players seem to absolutely love it! Not only that, but we got the OG Gulag, a cool but flawed The Haunting event, and long-awaited access to the bunkers. 1. Warzone Season 3 The best season honor goes to Warzone Season 3. After a year in Verdansk, it was time for the map to undergo serious cosmetic changes or introduce another entirely. Raven Software did change a few POIs and rearrange the map to an extent, but it didn’t quite represent the game-changing update fans were hoping for. The obnoxious sun glare didn’t help either. Despite the AMAX becoming king of the meta, Warzone Season 3 still felt new and exciting. A refreshed map changed up rotation, strategies needed to be rethought, and the Swiss K31 finally gave the Kar98k a worthy adversary. Additionally, the Season 3 Reloaded update was incredible as it welcomed the 80s Action Hero event. Activision acquired two huge licenses in Die Hard and Rambo, let players become John McClane and Rambo, and slapped Nakatomi Plaza in the middle of the map. Its Vault, side missions, and towering presence drastically altered the dynamic of battle royale. This season felt the freshest of 2021, and we feel was probably the best Warzone season of the year. There’s certainly been a lot to debate about Call of Duty: Warzone in 2021, and things are only just getting started. Warzone Pacific will hopefully be exciting – more so with the arrival of the new RICOCHET anti-cheat software. We’ll see what 2022 has in store!

Ranking all of Modern Warfare’s multiplayer maps Modern Warfare’s multiplayer maps have been massively talked about in the Call of Duty community, with many players critical of Infinity Ward’s designs. Here, we rank all of them. Multiplayer maps are one of the most important aspects to any Call of Duty game. Looking back at the most fondly remembered CoD games – Black Ops II, Black Ops III and Modern Warfare 3 – all boast seriously fun, fast-paced multiplayer maps. While Modern Warfare’s maps are undoubtedly inferior to the likes of those titles, not all of them deserve to be criticized. Here, we’ve ranked all of Modern Warfare’s multiplayer maps, based on flow, enjoyment and re-playability. We’ve not bothered with Gunfight or Ground War only maps, and have stuck to the multiplayer maps that feature in the normal CoD game modes. Finally, the list is of course completely subjective. Different players enjoy different maps, and the game modes players opt to play will definitely impact this. If I hate a map and you like it, that’s okay. Neither of us need to scream at the other via Twitter. 11. Aniyah Palace The most frustrating thing about Aniyah Palace is its potential. While some maps – think Stonehaven from Ghosts – are just drab and terrible, Aniyah Palace is aesthetically creative and looks awesome. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. While the palace itself could make a cool setting, the decision to include a considerable amount of land either side of the palace does little but hinder the map. Read More: Top 10 best Call of Duty maps of all time – The ridiculous size acts as a sedative to any flow Aniyah Palace could have, as players are forced to run towards middle map, but end up gunned down by players cozied up in the palace itself. Long story short, it’s just way too big. It’s unsurprising that the map was added to Ground War in December 2019, as Infinity Ward try to find relevancy for the giant wasteland that is Aniyah Palace. 10. Euphrates Bridge Similar to Aniyah Palace, this map is built around a focal point; this time in the form of a giant bridge. While this has worked in some previous CoD titles, it doesn’t work here. Once again, Infinity Ward’s inclusion of pointless wasteland either side of the bridge merely means players are desperate for cover, and are relentlessly picked off by snipers camping in spawn or on the bridge. Again, it’s just way too big. It’s maps like Euphrates Bridge that causes players to ask: “What were they thinking?” It’s reminiscent of Gustav Cannon from CoD: WWII – and that’s about the most scathing comment I can come up with. 9. Grazna Raid One word springs to mind when thinking about Grazna Raid: messy. It’s a bit too big, but this is worsened by the abundance of lanes, angles, windows and buildings. While the move away from 3-lane maps for Modern Warfare was welcomed by some, maps like Grazna Raid are good examples of why a limit of 3 can be a positive. The abundance of buildings and routes make consistency as impossible to find as enemy players. Go to cross a road and you’ll be shot from one of ten possible hideouts. Go to flank an enemy and you’ll be shot in the back by an enemy sitting in their spawn. Someone should have let Infinity Ward know that, sometimes, “less is more.” 8. Arklov Peak In my mind, there’s a pretty sizeable jump from Grazna Raid to Arklov Peak. In other words – this map’s not terrible. It’s still probably too big and could benefit from fewer buildings, but it undoubtedly retains a flow that the previously mentioned maps lack. Frustrating aspects include the massive open space in front of the church, with barely any cover. Similarly, like many other Modern Warfare maps, the number of angles players have to consider is way too high. Regardless, I maintain that it’s a lot better than the aforementioned maps. 7. Piccadilly In terms of aesthetics, Piccadilly is probably the best map in Modern Warfare. The vibrant screens and deep blue combine to make a beautiful setting. Sadly, it’s not quite matched by the gameplay. While the map is much faster paced than some others, its creativity can also be its downfall. The entirety of mid-map is made up of buses which, while in keeping with its London-theme, probably do not suit a CoD map. Similarly, it struggles to balance its verticality. The scaffolding on one side is undoubtedly a power position, as is the window in the sports shop, and the large open spaces allow players to be picked off from far too many angles. Perhaps most egregious are the spawn traps, which Infinity Ward made some tweaks to, but are not resolved entirely. It deserves credit for its look and fast pace, but it lacks the consistency and flow to make it anything better than mediocre. 6. Azhir Cave While a number of Modern Warfare maps have moved away from CoD’s 3-lane formula, Azhir Cave has retained it to a greater degree. Despite this, it struggles in its execution. The cave itself can get a bit messy and confusing, with Infinity Ward struggling to balance open caverns and narrow choke points. Similarly, the map’s other lanes sort of blend into one, lending itself to uneven gameplay. It’s equally easy to dominate on Azhir Cave as it is to be dominated. It’s not terrible, but it’s another Modern Warfare map that struggles to be anything more than average. 5. St. Petrograd The only part of this map I have a serious problem with is it’s very middle. I know maps are meant to have chaotic areas – but it’s nearly impossible to do anything in mid-map without being shot from one of the many angles available to players. Whether it’s an enemy from the overlooking windows, the nearby train tracks or the canal-side, trying to capture B-flag is more difficult than finding someone who likes Aniyah Palace. Other than that, I don’t have many issues with this map. There’s a really good variety of gunfights available. The train tracks lend themselves to some long-distance engagements, while the buildings themselves are conducive to close-range combat. It’s a map anyone can thrive on, regardless of play-style. That’s something that should be praised, regardless of how unwell mid-map makes me feel. 4. Rammaza Rammaza is the first map on this list that I don’t have any major problems with. It’s a smaller map, complemented by its tidy three-lane structure. There are some issues in the scaffolding/construction area of the map, around where the ‘A’ bomb site is, but these are minor when considering the rest of the map. Creatively designed, the map is bright and colorful, with masses of variety to its gunplay. The verticality adds a new dynamic to much of middle map, but in a way that feels fair. Its 3-lane structure enables a flow that many other maps lack, and its contained environment makes it feel like a typically fun CoD map. 3. Gun Runner Taking the bronze medal in our list is Gun Runner. This map, like our other favorites, has a nice variety to its gunplay. Its a medium-sized map, but its excellent design means it stays fast-paced, but never quite descends into chaos. This consistency is something a number of Modern Warfare maps lack. The warehouses enable close-range gunfights, well-complimented by the more open areas, like the train tracks or mid-map. However, these areas are well balanced, and neither feels too strong for its own good. There are one too many camping spots and some spawn issues, but it’s otherwise a very strong map. 2. Hackney Yard Our silver medallist is the second Modern Warfare map set in London, and the only one to do the English capital justice. While Piccadilly excels in its impressive aesthetics, Hackney Yard is suitably drab and depressing to reflect the gunfight taking place there. However, its design is nearly impeccable. 3-lane and small to medium-sized, it has the perfect amount of verticality and fluency. It enables players to move very freely, easily scaling walls and buildings if they desire. This enables creative plays from competitors and rewards intelligent, innovative ideas. In other words, there are very few spots where players are forced down one route or to one choke point. It is, overall, an excellent map, and would not be out of place in a game as good as Black Ops II. 1. Shoot House Our gold medallist will not shock anyone who’s played Modern Warfare’s multiplayer since November 8. Added in response to fan criticism over map designs, Infinity Ward’s reply was spot on. The addition of Shoot House can be compared to Nuketown in the way in which it has affected Modern Warfare’s online play. The Shoot House 24/7 playlist has more or less been a mainstay since its implementation, and for good reason. The small 3-lane map is exceptionally well made. Intended to be organized chaos, it manages to be just that. Some maps in CoD – *cough* Shipment *cough* – are anarchy, and meant to be that. While maps like that are fun, it’s nigh on impossible to find consistency on a map so small. Shoot House bucks that trend. It’s small enough to be rapidly-paced and consistently fun, but designed well enough to avoid dissolving into carnage and frustrating players. It suffers from spawn issues, sure, but Modern Warfare suffers from spawn issues. Shoot House was a perfect response to the calls for smaller, 3-lane maps. More like this please, Infinity Ward. That rounds off our ranking of all Modern Warfare’s multiplayer maps. What would you change? Tweet us @DexertoIntel to let us know your rankings!

Ranking all of Black Ops Cold War’s multiplayer maps TreyarchMaps in Call of Duty are as important as ever — a sure-fire way to ensure the game’s multiplayer remains fresh and enjoyable. Much has been said about the Black Ops Cold War maps since launch so we’re ranking them all based on flow, design, and replay-ability. Looking back at the best Call of Duty titles – Modern Warfare (2007), Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops II – the common thread among all of them is some stellar multiplayer maps. From Shipment to Highrise to Raid, the best Call of Duty games feature some truly memorable maps. General opinion suggests BOCW’s maps are solid if unspectacular; an improvement on last year’s Modern Warfare but not necessarily matching the high standards we know Treyarch can reach. Maps like Fringe and Firing Range are the pinnacle of CoD maps, and we can hope to see some of them later in the year. We’ve not stuck the large-team maps in our list, focusing instead on the sixteen in standard 6v6 multiplayer. That means all eight base maps, and the eight maps added since launch. The maps will be ranked down from 16 to 1 and we’ll update this list in the future as more maps are added. We know, for example, that Hijacked is coming in Season 4. Finally, this list is of course subjective. Different players enjoy different maps, but we’ve tried to gauge opinion and collaborated our views to produce this overall list. 16. Miami Bottom of the list is Miami. This overly large, overly dark map is incredibly frustrating to play whenever it comes up in the rotation. It’s a struggle to pick enemies out in the murky environment, and there’s also huge variety in different areas of the map. Go through one of the buildings and you’ll probably be gunned by a camping shotgunner, go through the beach or mid-map and you’ll probably be gunned by an unseen opponent in the darkness. This is the exception to the comment that Black Ops Cold War’s maps are solid, and should have been taken to the map abattoir long ago. 15. Armada Just one spot above Miami is Armada, a large boat map that features a bizarre hole in the middle. We’re not quite sure why it’s there. Sure, rappelling around the map is fun enough, but the ridiculous number of levels and angles lends itself to seriously uneven gameplay. The only reason it’s above Miami is because it’s bright enough to actually see your enemies. 14. Satellite Next up on our list is Satellite. The best part about this map is its generally fast pace. It’s not the biggest map, so you shouldn’t have any issues finding enemies to shoot at (or to shoot at you). With that being said, one half of this map is sand dunes, and it’s a nightmare. The dunes don’t provide nearly enough cover to make many parts of the map feel safe, so expect to be eliminated by a distant head-glitching sniper at least a few times per game. 13. Cartel Next up is Cartel. A lot of this map flows nicely and has a variety of sight-lines and lanes that lend themselves to different play-styles in a way that feels balanced. The issues with this map almost all revolve around its center. The elevated hut gives campers way too much protection, and the array of bushes do nothing but allow players to vanish in and out of the shrubbery. Trying to capture Flag B is a stressful chore, and CoD should never feel like that. 12. Yamantau The first DLC map on this list, spot number 12 is occupied by Yamantau. Set on the eponymous mountain, its medium size and snowy environment are reminiscent of Array from Black Ops. It’s not quite as strong as the Black Ops classic though, with a few issues over lines of sight and repetition prominent after a few games. It’s not bad, but it’s nowhere near the levels Treyarch have proved themselves capable of. 11. Diesel Another Season 3 map, Diesel dropped back in April of 2021. Again, as is indicated by its position in this list, it’s a fun-enough map, even if it doesn’t pull up any trees. It’s certainly a more solid map than some of Black Ops 4’s DLC maps, like the awful Lockup and Casino. We’d like more balance in its lanes, with some very close quarters and others incredibly bare and open. Barring that, it can be enjoyed, but it’ll never go down in CoD history. 10. The Pines The Mall at the Pines is the setting for The Pines map, added on December 16 alongside Season One of Black Ops Cold War’s content. There are shades of Black Ops II’s Plaza in this map, utilizing dark blues and snowy outdoors for this New Jersey shopping centre. It’s a three lane map that’s creatively designed, with a nice mix of open areas and smaller, closed one. However, it struggles to balance levels and open areas, with far too many head-glitches making a number of areas incredibly frustrating to try and push. The amount of times you’ll die to enemies above you is sure to get on your nerves, even if there’s a lot of promise in this map. 9. Garrison Set in Hannover, Germany, Garrison is about as middle of the road as CoD maps can get. It’s fine, and there are no real issues with it. It’s not a stellar map, but it also doesn’t have any major weaknesses. There’s probably a few right angles too many, but it has a nice flow and is small enough to stay fast-paced. In a word, solid. 8. Checkmate In terms of aesthetics, BOCW’s Checkmate is deeply reminiscent of the original Modern Warfare’s Killhouse. It’s set in a large warehouse and caters to a nice variety of gameplay. The plane lends itself to some close-quarters action, while the longer lines of sight down the left mean snipers can prosper too. While this kind of thing was an issue on Satellite, it works nicely on Checkmate and feels consistently fun, regardless of your weapon of choice. 7. Express Express is one of many Black Ops II maps brought into Black Ops Cold War, and it eclipses most of the maps from the 2020 title. The LA train station is as fun and well-designed as ever, even if the ability to be run over by trains can still be annoying. Read More: 7 best Call of Duty Warzone players – It’s not quite as good as Nuketown or Raid, but the map comes from arguably the best CoD of all time, so it’s hard to argue it’s not a top-tier map. It says a lot about the general trajectory of CoD maps over the last few years that many of our top 8 from BOCW are re-skinned fan favorites. 6. Moscow Taking the sixth spot in our rankings is Moscow, another BOCW map that featured in the game’s beta. This is the epitome of a vibrant, three lane map, the likes of which have cemented Treyarch as the best CoD map designers. It flows very nicely but always remains consistent, meaning good players prosper and campers are punished. Mobility too, is key on Moscow, with plenty of walls and windows to mantle to ensure you dip in and out of the action as you want. It’s very good, but lacks the organized chaos of our top five maps. 5. Apocalypse Apocalypse is, so far, the strongest original DLC map in Black Ops Cold War. It’s similar to Madagascar from Black Ops 4, but it’s small and actually fun. Its strength has been realized in its addition to the CDL’s map pool going forward, even if just for Hardpoint. While this map blends a lot of layers, its tight design means clever play is rewarded, rather than just being shot in the back by unseen foes. 4. Nuketown ’84 As you’d expect, we’re big fans of the fifth iteration of Nuketown. It’s a colorful, vibrant take on an absolute CoD classic. Barring some issues with ‘out of the map’ glitches, it’s as solid, fast-paced, and downright enjoyable as its always been. Organized chaos has long been a fan favorite, and that’s exactly what Nuketown ’84 has brought to Treyarch’s 2020 title. 3. Crossroads Crossroads originally sat at the top of our original list, but it’s since been dethroned by the Black Ops II maps that Treyarch have added. Regardless, this map is small and really fast-paced, but well-designed enough to ensure it never dissolves into the kind of anarchy that frustrates players. The three lanes have the perfect amount of crossover, encouraging creative movement, and rewarding smart play-styles. It’s also a great map to look at, with the snowy scenery making the perfect backdrop for some Cold War skirmishing. 2. Standoff Standoff, like many Black Ops II maps, is in the Call of Duty Map Hall of Fame. It’s no surprise then that it leapfrogs every Cold War map, and nestles itself at second place. The three lanes are as fun as ever, blending the perfect mix of gameplay and fast pace. There’s a reason it’s an all-time great. 1. Raid Long time readers of our Call of Duty content will know that, back in October 2019, we ranked Raid as our best CoD map of all time. It’s no surprise then that, as an identical remake, it eclipses any new map we’ve seen in Black Ops Cold War. The three lanes are as fresh as ever, and gameplay feels incredibly fast-paced but always consistent. Any play-style can be rewarded on Raid, provided you do it well. It will take something truly remarkable to knock this off our top spot as this list is updated. That rounds off our ranking of BOCW’s multiplayer maps! Be sure to check back to this page as more maps are added and be sure to tweets us @DexertoIntel to let us know your thoughts.

When is Ranked Play coming to Modern Warfare? Everything we know so far Call of Duty players are eager to test themselves in a more competitive ruleset, with CDL now underway. So, when is Ranked Play mode coming to Modern Warfare? The Call of Duty League began on January 24 in Minnesota, as fans tuned in to see the very best of what Call of Duty has to offer. However, there is currently no in-game facility for casual and hardcore players alike to try their hand at a more competitive ruleset. Those seeking a more competitive experience than public matches in Modern Warfare currently have to utilize third-party services, such as MLG’s Gamebattles. The success of ranked play in previous games has helped to bolster interest in the competitive scene, which is more important now than ever before with the new franchised league. Infinity Ward, not Treyarch Surprisingly, Infinity Ward has never had a dedicated competitive mode in any of their games. Ever since Treyarch brought League Play to life in 2012, Sledgehammer Games are the only other developer to integrate a competitive mode in Call of Duty with their version titled ‘Ranked Play.’ Despite Infinity Ward’s lack of in-house competitive support, they have created some of the most iconic Call of Duty esports titles. Surely the stars have aligned this time, with Activision’s CDL starting during Infinity Ward’s flagship title reboot? Is Ranked Play confirmed? During an interview with Game Informer back in August 2019, Infinity Ward’s Multiplayer Design Director, Joe Cecot, was questioned on whether Ranked Play would be released from the get-go. Cecot’s answer appeared to suggest that Ranked Play would lineup with their season-based content release: “That’s something that’s really important to us, and we’re working on, but as we’re finishing up the game, we’re figuring out what’s on it and what’s not. “We have a pretty aggressive post-launch plan. So we have a bunch of pieces we can play with, but we don’t know what’s going to be on yet.” Subsequently, Cecot was prompted on what can be expected from a competitive mode in Modern Warfare, to which he responded that Infinity Ward had been “working closely with esports guys” to iron-out the creases. Discussion begins at 26:17 mark for mobile users. Leaker claims Ranked Play is “being worked on” Apart from official announcements, there have been a couple of leaks about Ranked Play too. Notorious Modern Warfare leaker TheGamingRevolution claims that he was able to have a Q&A with one of his sources from Infinity Ward. One of the questions asked pertained to Ranked Play, and the supposed source gave an answer back in November. “CDL / Ranked playlist is being worked on. It should come out towards January.” Of course, January has come and went, and there’s still no ranked play. When will Ranked Play be in Modern Warfare? At the time of writing, there is no set date announced for Ranked Play in Modern Warfare. However, with the Call of Duty League now in full swing, it would be logical for Infinity Ward to implement this sooner rather than later. Season 2 is set to start in February, and Cecot drew parallels to their post-launch plan when prompted on when Ranked Play would make an appearance. Activision and Infinity Ward might well have something in the works for the start of Season Two.

Every Warzone Gulag ranked from worst to best ActivisionThe Gulag is an integral part of Warzone. You never want to end up there, but the opportunity to come back and re-enter the battle is often the difference between a win or a loss. Here, we’ve ranked the Warzone Gulags from worst to best. You’ve got to enter the Gulag with a random weapon and simply win a 1v1 gunfight — but it’s never quite as simple as that. There’s always a strategy to winning your Gulag, and it can be as infuriating as it is exciting. That said, with the Gulag changing every season and shifting the gameplay, some are better than others. Here, we’ve ranked every single Warzone Gulag so far in order from worst to best. 6. Rebirth Island Gulag This Gulag quietly disappeared from Rebirth Island and the Resurgence modes, but it’s fair to say that it wasn’t particularly warmly welcomed by players anyway. Read More: Top 20 highest earning Warzone players – It was particularly easy to hide in a corner and camp from spawn, and the intense lack of cover outside of the very central part of the map made fights here a bit boring. 5. Rush (Season 5 Gulag) This recreation of Rush in Gulag form has been a big swing and a huge miss. There’s so much going on that it’s almost impossible to feel satisfied with the gunfight, no matter which way it goes. Remove some of the mess and this could be a decent Gulag, but there’s simply too much going on, leaving gunfights feeling incredibly random and more like you’re navigating a maze. 4. Hijacked (Season 4 Gulag) The Hijacked Gulag was definitely a grower, and one that many Warzone players’ perspectives changed on throughout the season. While many fights simply came down to whoever could hop over to the head glitch and get their gun up first, there were several power positions across the map that simply came down to players’ awareness and ability to make plays. 3. Gulag Showers (Season 1 Gulag) The Gulag Showers were the original, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they were the best. Of course, they were fun, but far from perfect. Read More: Ultimate Warzone event calendar – More often than not, winning in the Showers came down to fortunate timing and a bit of luck — there wasn’t a real ability to make plays or prove to your opponent that you’re an outright better player. That’s where a Gulag like Hijacked or Standoff excelled. 2. Standoff (Season 3 Gulag) Standoff provided a good mix of open space and cover positions, allowing gunfights to play out more naturally and not end with one player feeling like they’ve been screwed over by the game. The level of risk vs reward was actually greater than most Gulags, too, especially with the flag placement being open from almost any angle. 1. Nuketown (Season 2 Gulag) For many, Nuketown was one of if not the best Gulag Warzone has had, and not just because of the familiarity of the iconic map. The options were almost endless in this Gulag, with positional play and strategy absolutely paramount. It was impossible to hide in, which always guaranteed action for even the slowest players. With Warzone Season 6 right around the corner, we’ll be getting a new Gulag in Warzone any time soon. Hopefully it’ll play out a little bit nicer than the Rush and Rebirth Gulags, and with the theme of classic Black Ops maps always seemingly the focus point, there’s a plethora of options to choose from.

Random Warzone player outplays CDL pro in finesse of the century Call of Duty League / ActivisionThe Call of Duty League is over and that means CDL stars are jumping into Warzone. But, as the Minnesota ROKKR’s Priestahh found out the hard way, Verdansk is full of crafty finessers these days. The ROKKR earned $410,000 in CDL 2021, winning a tournament against the best CoD players in the world and coming in fourth during CDL Champs. They’re professionals and Preston ‘Priestahh’ Greiner is one of the team’s stars. Unfortunately, while Priestahh is nasty at the game and earned Warzone world records in the past — Verdansk has changed. The pro found that out quite quickly in his first day back in the battle royale, as potential victims proved… elusive. Instead of getting easy kills, Priestahh found himself outsmarted and swindled like some sort of GTA NPC. First day back on Warzone and @Priestahh already getting swindled 😭pic.twitter.com/GbxjpzBbX3 — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) August 26, 2021 As can be seen in the clip, Uncle P saw a guy in the middle of nowhere on his UAV, just asking to be killed. So the pro drove pulled up, unconcerned about incoming grenades thanks to a Trophy System. Next thing you know, as Priestahh jumps out to start shooting, there’s an explosion, smoke, and… poof, the player is gone. A moment later, the ROKKR flex realizes that he’s been robbed in broad daylight: “Wait what … What the f**k am I playing, this guy just hijacked me.” Yes, the player tried C4’ing P’s car, only to end up in the car and driving off into the sunset. And just like that, Priestahh was robbed of a kill, a car, and all hope for composure. As commenters have pointed out, it’s possible that this was an elaborate finesse or an accidental one. The button to enter a vehicle is the same as the one to detonate a C4, so they could have just mistakenly hopped in and proceeded to run with it. Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, one thing is clear: there’s a long break until the CDL returns and these pros should be ready for some absolute shenanigans now that they’re back in Verdansk.

RamboRay Column: Our biggest threat is ourselves Dallas Empire[jwplayer VwDa3xvd]Raymond ‘RamboRay’ Labussiere is the head coach of the Dallas Empire, the No. 2 seed for the Call of Duty League Playoffs and one of four remaining teams for Championship Weekend. In his Dexerto column, he discusses what it will take for the Empire to come away with first place’s $1.5 million at Champs. At this point in the year, the difference between the better teams and the middle-of-the-pack teams isn’t as great as it was at the start because everyone has a general understanding of how to play the game at a high level. During Champs, it’s really a matter of who performs best each day. That’s why it’s super important to be consistent and be in a place both mentally and physically where you show up to play and are ready to go. This could be a little biased, but I strongly feel that we are the best team in the game when we’re playing at our best. I don’t feel like there are teams out there that can really take us out consistently, besides FaZe. FaZe is probably our closest rival right now — if we were to play 50 times when we’re both at our best, it’d be pretty close, I feel like we’d win roughly 60 percent of the time. It’s a little cliche, but I feel like our biggest threat, at this point in the year, is ourselves. A lot of people can say that, but more so in our case because when we’ve played at our best, we’ve looked unbeatable. Still, there are a few things we, the Dallas Empire, need to clean up to make sure we are at our best and put ourselves in the best position we can be to win Champs. Communication Number one is communication. I feel that’s the biggest issue we had in the last event: the hecticness of communication and scrambled voice comms. When things aren’t going our way, when we’re in bad situations or just getting out-slayed, our comms aren’t at their peak, which makes it more difficult to manage ourselves out of those situations. Instead of just calling out enemy locations when we’re dying, we should be focusing on the grander scheme of the game. We know this, but executing this in the moment isn’t as easy as it sounds. I was in our Teamspeak listening to our comms while the team played last weekend. During Game 5 vs Toronto, @Huke went HUGE for this 1v2 clutch and everyone went nuts. This is another unforgettable moment added to my career full of memories. Love my team. pic.twitter.com/fkBTcWCjSZ — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) August 25, 2020 If a player repeatedly calls out a play he’s making or an enemy’s position, that blocks the communication line for something else happening somewhere else on the map. So one of the things we try to do is make sure that we’re amplifying things that need to be amplified. For example, the minimap already shows an enemy shooting so we try not to amplify callouts for that player’s position, unless it’s really important in that moment. And this isn’t me saying our comms are bad, but when they’re not at their best they can affect our play. That’s why we try and maintain our communications at a level where things are digestible and consistent, even when the game isn’t going our way. When our communication is on, I feel like it’s by far the best in the league. Routing The second thing that to me, as a coach, we’ve been struggling with is consistency in routing, and that is the hardest thing to solve. As much as we try and have everyone thinking the same way, each player has their own way of seeing things and certain players feel like certain plays at certain times are more correct than others. Throne Moments #2 ft @iLLeYYY #TakeTheThrone x @JackLinks pic.twitter.com/b8sLWM2K4U — Dallas Empire (@DallasEmpire) August 18, 2020 For example, five players may be in specific positions and we make a really good play where everything went perfectly as planned. But then we encounter that same play, same scenario, in a second rotation of that map or in a different game, but different players are in those five positions — there will be sometimes differences in the decisions made. Certain players just have tendencies, whether it’s to be aggressive, take long flanking routes, or play the front part of the engagement pattern, which makes it difficult to be consistent. But it’s really important that players make similar decisions on what we feel is right, so that the players around them know what to expect. That’s why we try to buckle down and make sure that we’re doing those small things right, so that the bigger pieces we need to win the game kind of just fall into place. Those tendencies also play a role on the good side of things to ensure we aren’t predictable, so again, this isn’t all bad, just sometimes doesn’t cater to consistency. That’s where small talk and communication come into play, ensuring that we’re on the same page and are maneuvering, routing around the map the way we need to be to play our best.. If you’re communicating well then typically the routing mistakes you make aren’t as impactful, and vice versa. Putting it all together during Champs There is a difference this year in the game we play and how this game affects decision-making and how playing the game the optimal way isn’t really what everyone perceives it as based on past Call of Duty titles. “Brainless” is the wrong word because there is a lot of thought that goes into it, but, often, shutting off, gunning forward, and winning your gunfights is the best way to play. This is not about revenge. This is about legacy. We’re here to take the throne.#CrownedVictorious pic.twitter.com/bB8rZhPXB4 — Dallas Empire (@DallasEmpire) August 13, 2020 Every player needs to show up to play their best at the same time. This is really where, typically, the team that shows up and wins an event is a team that has the most players play at a level that is higher than what they were expected to play at. That’s the difference at this time of year when teams are so close on the decision-making front and game understanding. There are a few things that we do better than other teams, but not really enough to make a huge difference. It’s really a matter of whoever’s shooting really well can typically win.

Is Rambo coming to Warzone? CoD players discover crossover clues in potential teaser Carolco Pictures / ActivisionJohn Rambo’s thirst for violence may soon have the cinematic icon dropping into Call of Duty Warzone, with players discovering subtle hints from Activision pointing to the First Blood star’s arrival in Verdansk ‘84. When it comes to 1980s action flicks, there might not be a more violent figure than Rambo. Sylvester Stallone’s war hero has ravaged through countless foes across five movies and now, he might be dropping into Warzone. Over the past few weeks, players have been able to nab a quick overview of their battle royale stats on Twitter. Through the #WarzoneReport hashtag, millions are sharing their lifetime achievements. This social media trend led players to first notice the subtle Rambo teaser. Warzone teases Rambo in Season 3 “Does anyone know SURVIVORJOHN#1009062?” Call of Duty’s official account asked on May 5. John being Rambo’s first name is certainly a strong connection. Along with some of the more absurd stats you’ll ever see, players are taking these hints as an indication that Rambo is on his way. Over the course of just five games, the mysterious account appears to have racked up five wins and a whopping 552 kills. Naturally, they did so without a single death, leading to an ‘infinite’ K/D ratio. https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/1390080646836461568 While the stats themselves are outrageous, they could be authentic to Rambo’s cinematic history. Five games is equivalent to his five feature films. Seven hours played matches up with the total run time of said films, and 552 kills is reportedly in line with Rambo’s total kill count. Read more: Highest earning Warzone players – It’s an oddly specific career overview for the official CoD account to promote, though it wouldn’t be the first time a movie icon runs rampant in Warzone. Rambo character basically confirmed: pic.twitter.com/tNwEKrtQhy — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) May 6, 2021 The likes of Jigsaw and Leatherface terrorized players last Halloween, perhaps setting the stage for more crossovers down the line. When will Rambo arrive in Warzone? For now, this subtle teaser on social media is all we have to go off. Therefore, it’s impossible to pin down exactly when Rambo might make his presence known in Verdansk. Given we’re still early into Season 3, however, there’s a good chance he arrives in the near future. It’s safe to expect a unique bundle in the store boasting a unique Rambo skin along with a few additional items. From blueprints to camos, you’ll likely be able to assume the role of Rambo in more ways than one. We’ll keep up to speed as more teasers come to light.

Rambo returns to CoD esports to join Dallas Empire Dallas EmpireCall of Duty legend Ray ‘Rambo’ Lussier has returned to the game’s esports scene after leaving his development position at Sledgehammer Games, joining CDL team Dallas Empire as a head coach and general manager. Rambo’s legacy in CoD esports is unlike any other, often considered one of the greatest minds in the game, he was fundamental in the esport’s development in the early days. He’s best known for his time on OpTic Gaming and Team Envy, and it is the latter he has rejoined, now under their CDL franchise, Dallas Empire. With eight major tournament wins, and a second-place at the 2014 World Championship, netting $200,000, his achievements only really tell half the story. His understanding of the game on a competitive level helped secure him a job as a designer at Sledgehammer after his retirement from competing, where he helped with map design for 2017’s CoD: WWII. When he left Sledgehammer on February 21, 2020, his next move was initially unclear. On March 3, he was confirmed as the new head coach and general manager for the Dallas Empire, Envy’s franchise. We’re excited to welcome Call of Duty esports legend @ramboray to the @DallasEmpire. He joins us as General Manager and Head Coach as we continue to #BuildAnEmpire. Make sure you follow him and wish him a Happy Birthday. pic.twitter.com/TD99EXq5yD — Dallas Empire (@DallasEmpire) March 3, 2020 Joining on his 31st birthday, Rambo retold his story of competing, becoming 2009 MLG national champions in CoD 4, all the way to joining SHG. “My job here as head coach is to make sure the players are prepared as much as possible, they understand everything they’re trying to do as a team and accomplish on the maps and various game modes,” he explains. He also aims to teach the younger players on the team, like Inder ‘iLLeY‘ Dhaliwal and Anthony ‘Shotzzy‘ Cuevas-Castro to prepare them for Call of Duty at the highest level. As for why he chose Empire, his affinity with the Envy brand has always been strong, and Rambo complimented Hastr0’s treatment of players and staff, saying he “could not be more happy to be back.” He has a tough task ahead of him with the Empire squad though, who have had a middling start to the 2020 season. They currently sit in 7th place in the standings after four events, with a series record of 3-4. The talent on the roster is undeniable, but getting them playing as a cohesive unit, especially in a LAN environment, will be Rambo’s challenge.

Rambo explains the reasons behind Dallas Empire’s success YouTube: H3CZIn the latest episode of Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez’s Eavesdrop Podcast, Dallas Empire head coach and general manager Ray ‘Rambo’ Lussier has explained what he believes to be one of the keys to Dallas’ success. Rambo officially joined the Empire in March 2020 after months of back-and-forth negotiations and a lengthy VISA application process, overseeing the squad prior to their first Home Series win in Los Angeles. Although it took some time to reach the success that seemed inevitable during pre-season tournaments and scrims, Rambo has explained one of the main strengths of the squad at throughout the early stages of the season. While explaining how working for Advanced Warfare and World War II developers Sledgehammer Games helped him develop his coaching and management ability – after admitting that he probably wasn’t that fun to play with – Rambo heaped praise on the younger Dallas Empire players. “Clay and Crim have done a lot with the young kids,” he said, speaking of CoD rookies Indervir ‘iLLeY’ Dhaliwal and Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro. “There are so many small things at a pro level that you need to be able to do that they don’t really understand even just yet.” Despite this, he said that Crimsix and Clayster have managed to teach them enough to play as someone much more experienced, with Crim and Clay productive in the way they speak, while “the young kids just listen and know they’re in a position to learn.” This combination of veteran leadership and young, raw skill seemed like a great mixture going into the season and, if Rambo’s praise of the young players’ abilities to listen and learn so efficiently is accurate, shows that they have the potential to be even better than they already are. It’s clear that Rambo still has a fantastic mind for Call of Duty, often heralded as one of the smartest to ever play the game, and iLLeY and Shotzzy will no doubt come out of this season as far better players than they could have imagined if they continue to take this opportunity to learn from some of the best. It’s not clear yet whether this will result in more championships – especially given the ongoing global crisis – but Rambo clearly believes this team has something that not many others do.

Rambo believes Pamaj could be deadly if he was to play on a competitive 5v5 team Retired Call of Duty pro Raymond “Rambo” Lussier shared his thoughts on OpTic Gaming’s Austin ‘Pamaj’ Pamajewon’s chances at playing in the new 5v5 format. The former CoD pro offered his opinion during a conversation on Twitter between Pamaj and FaZe Clan’s Thomas ‘ZooMaa’ Paparratto when ZooMaa was looking for someone to fill in during last weekend’s Black Ops 3 Throwback Tournament. “With some mentoring on positioning in respawn, you could legit be a top threat on any team with 5v5,” Rambo said in the tweet. With some mentoring on positioning in respawn, you could legit be a top threat on any team with 5v5. I’m predicting dedicated snipers in S&D with more people on the map, and i sure as hell wouldn’t want to go up against you with a sniper in your hands! — Ray (@ramboray) September 28, 2018 With Blacks Op 4 departing from the usual 4v4 action that fans and players have become accustomed in favor of a new 5v5 format, many are expecting the meta to shake up as the players adapt to a new playstyle. Rambo hints at one possible wrinkle in the form of a dedicated sniping role, as he’s “predicting dedicated snipers in S&D with more people on the map.” Such a change could be a big one in terms of roster balance since players have operated in a more fluid system up to this point, with players not committing to singular roles in a given match. Rambo wraps up the tweet by stating that he “sure as hell wouldn’t want to go up against [Pamaj] with a sniper in [his] hands.” Despite being considered one of the best in Call of Duty with a sniper rifle, the OpTic Gaming YouTuber has always preferred content creation over actively competing. However, that could change with this season’s new format, especially if teams are actively looking to pick up an accomplished player for a sniper role.

RAAL LMG disappears from Warzone and no one knows why Raven SoftwareCoD Warzone players have noticed that the RAAL LMG has disappeared from the game’s menu, but if you have a loadout set up, you can still use it. The arsenal of weapons in Warzone continues to get bigger and bigger with each update, with Raven Software adding at least one new weapon with each season. In total, with Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare, there are over 100 weapons in Warzone, and fans have suggested that Raven start trimming the fat, especially as they move to integrate CoD: Vanguard in the next few months and start adding more weapons with that game. The devs have stated previously that they’ve got no plans to start removing weapons for Warzone, but, players have noticed that the RAAL LMG has disappeared into thin air and haven’t got an explanation as to why. The powerful LMG disappeared in the late hours of October 7, with players noticing that it no longer appears in the battle royale’s gunsmith menu – even if you have a blueprint. Players quickly moved to quiz the game developers and content creators to see if they had any idea. Though, responses were mixed. Some suggested that it was because the weapon was glitching out, while others said that the menu was glitched, not the menu. “Anyone notice the RAAL LMG is missing now? That money spent I guess they decided we didn’t need (it) lol,” said one. “Literally just got the RAAL LMG obsidian this past week, please bring it back,” added another. The RAAL LMG has been removed from Modern Warfare and Warzone? — ModernWarzone (@ModernWarzone) October 7, 2021 Anyone notice the RAAL lmg is missing now? That money spent I guess they decided we didn’t need lol — Conner Kelderman (@ConnerKelderman) October 8, 2021 literally just got the RAAL LMG obsidian this past week @RavenSoftware please bring it back i don’t want my grinding to be for nothing — ➕$tayWht?➕ (@StayCalmBrice) October 7, 2021 In a further strange twist, players noted that if you have a loadout set up for the RAAL, it can still be used in-game – you don’t locked out from picking it or anything like that. Comment byu/FoulTarnished124 from discussion inCODWarzone While other weapons haven’t gone missing, players have reported that there are times when using the gunsmith menu where the game will kick you out – either going back to the main menu or crashing altogether. It remains to be seen when these issues will be fixed, and just when the RAAL will return.

Puckett hits back at criticism after calling out homophobia from CDL fans after Rambo defense Twitch: CallofDutyCall of Duty League desk host and veteran esports personality Chris Puckett has fired back at criticism levied against him in recent days after he called out homophobia in the community and faced backlash for it. On Sunday, January 15, the first week of CDL Major 2 qualifiers was nearing its end as Boston Breach faced off against the newly-formed OpTic Texas roster, with OpTic taking the bout 3-2 after much discussion around their roster moves, bringing Cuyler ‘Huke’ Garland in to replace Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell, beforehand. There were many memes flowing about head coach Ray ‘Rambo’ Lussier reportedly leaving scrims early to go bowling, an accusation made by Dashy in his tell-all Twitch stream, including from the broadcast itself, though mostly all in jest and lighthearted. However, once OpTic had notched their win against Boston, Puckett gave a short speech on how important it is that fans of the esport show respect to Rambo, given his accomplishments as both a player and a coach, as well as having worked developer-side on World War II. Shortly after said speech, Puckett put out a couple of tweets that suggested he had seen some homophobic comments made by members of the community after the fact. He said: “There’s no place for homophobia in this community or my timeline … don’t turn into a trash human because things didn’t happen the way you thought they would.” What followed, though, Puckett likely didn’t expect, as fans across both Twitter and Reddit hit out at him, accusing him of lying about receiving homophobic comments, or using it to cover up a segment that some fans didn’t like or thought was out of place. After receiving more abuse across social media, Pucket took to one of the Reddit threads about him to explain his thoughts and demand better from the community. “What pissed me off was the amount of ignorant tweets, chat replies, and twitch DM’s telling me to ‘get Ray’s c*ck out of my mouth,’ and to ‘get off his d*ck,’” he explained. “You can argue with my points all you want, but come up with something better than ‘how’d his seed taste.’ We’re smarter than that, and you are better than the behavior you show behind a keyboard.” Puckett didn’t address the situation again on either Twitter or Reddit, likely looking to put the situation behind him, but it certainly left him disappointed to see some of the comments that were made. After three weeks of Major 2 qualifiers, the 12 best teams in Call of Duty will be headed to Boston to fight it out on LAN for their share of the $500k prize pool.

PUBG Mobile streamer banned from event after playing CoD Mobile ShutterstockPUBG Mobile streamer Animesh ‘Thug’ Agarwal had his invitation to the PUBG Mobile India Tour (PMIT) revoked after he broadcasted a Call of Duty Mobile gameplay session. Known as a prolific mobile gaming content creator on YouTube, Thug has accumulated over 150,000 subscribers on the platform due to his entertaining and explosive gameplay, primarily in PUBG Mobile. With the release of Call of Duty Mobile on September 30, the handheld gaming phenom took his skills to the latest FPS title and broadcasted it for the world to see. Unbeknownst to the streamer, this move would be met with some severe consequences. In an October 17 tweet, Thug revealed that he had been uninvited from the Grand Finals of the upcoming PUBG Mobile event. “Lol @PUBGMOBILE_IN canceled my Invite to PMIT as a guest viewer, coz I stream @PlayCODMobile,” he explained, before jokingly asking if Call of Duty Mobile was on the lookout for Indian content creators. Lol @PUBGMOBILE_IN cancelled my Invite to PMIT as a guest viewer, coz I stream @PlayCODMobile . Hey @PlayCODMobile , you guys looking for content creators in India ? — ThugLife (@8bit_thug) October 17, 2019 Presumably threatened by the presence of the recently released Call of Duty Mobile, tournament organizers set out to punish the PUBG Mobile veteran in order to ensure that their title was at the forefront of the community. However, the inverse has since transpired. Whether other mobile gamers will be treated just the same, remains to be seen, however being punished for venturing into different mobile titles is entirely unjust. With the Grand Finals of the PUBG Mobile India Tour taking place on October 20, the event is set to boast a rough prize pool of $210,000 and will even feature mobile competitors from Thug’s very own team, 8bit. Read more: PUBG Mobile update 0.15.0 patch notes – 8BitRampage finished as the top seed coming out of Group B in the Group Finals. With a total score of 122 and 38 kills to their name, the squad will be looking to carry their momentum forward into the upcoming Grand Finals. It remains unclear if the tournament organizers will relent under the public scrutiny and rescind their actions to allow for Thug’s attendance. As an owner with a vested interest in the outcome of the event however, you can bet that he will be keeping a close eye on the action regardless.

ProoFy announces roster ahead of Black Ops 4 season Call of Duty veteran Jordan ‘ProoFy’ Cannon turned a few heads by announcing that he’d be competing for the Black Ops 4 season. ProoFy briefly played with eRa Eternity and UNiTE Gaming during the WWII season, but never caught much momentum before taking a step back from competing to be the General Manager of eRa Eternity. After being out of the competitive spotlight for most of that season, ProoFy announced on October 31 that he’d be teaming up with Jeremy ‘StuDyy’ Astacio, Devin ‘TTinyy’ Robinson, Mikhail ‘Blfire’ Glushenok, and Marcus ‘MBoZe’ Blanks for Black Ops 4. “Really excited for the future and couldn’t be happier with the team,” ProoFy said in his announcement Tweet. Squad going into Black Ops 4! Myself, @JeremyStuD @TTinyy_ @Blfire and @OpTicMBoZe really excited for the future and couldn’t be happier with the team. Looking for an organization to represent as well. Feel free to DM me and hearing out all offers. RT if possible, thank you! — Jordan (@ProoFJC) October 31, 2018 While the team has plenty of experience competing, they’ve mostly seen mixed results over the last couple of years. StuDyy was perhaps the most successful of the bunch, managing a respectable 9-12 finish at CWL Dallas with Ground Zero to open the WWII season. Blfire was last seen achieving a 21-24 finish at CWL Anaheim with Elevate NA before failing to make it to Champs. TTinyy didn’t manage to place higher than 33-40 during the WWII season, but he’s already been grinding Black Ops 4, picking up three Search & Destroy tournament wins already. MBoZe hasn’t played in the CWL since briefly teaming with Team Kaliber during the Black Ops 3 season back in 2016. Read More: Black Ops 4 game settings update for October 31 – Black Market updates and PC improvements – The players have yet to find an org to represent them for the season but are actively looking to get picked up ahead of CWL Vegas in December. Full Roster Jordan ‘ProoFy’ Cannon – Jeremy ‘StuDyy’ Astacio – Devin ‘TTinyy’ Robinson – Mikhail ‘Blfire’ Glushenok – Marcus ‘MBoZe’ Blanks –

Proof that the Mozu Pistol is the best gun in Black Ops 4 There are a multitude of weapon choices in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, but it looks as though the Mozu is at the top of the list. One of three pistols available in Multiplayer, along with the Strike and RK7 Garrison, the Mozu is not only the best weapon of its class, it may be the best overall. A Reddit user named ‘WhosDexx’ posted a video online showing a highlight montage of how he cleaned up lobbies using just the secondary weapon and nothing else. Of course the weapon was not bare, as the player stacked it up with an overpowered combination of attachments: Compact Scope, Speed Loader, Stabilizer, and Skull Splitter Operator Mod. The rest of his class was filled up with the Stim Shot Gear, Scavenger Perk 1, Ghost Perk 3, and Secondary Operator Mod as the Wildcard. The result was complete domination; the player was able to wipe out enemy player after enemy player as the Mozu proved itself to be an unmatched force. Perhaps the most important thing to note is the fact that the Compact Scope allowed the Mozu to be very effective at long range, despite it just being a pistol. One thing that immediately stands out in the video above is the fact that the player is clearly using a mouse and keyboard on console, which he confirms in the comments section of post. While controller users may find that the aim displayed can be hard to duplicate, it does not take away from the fact that the Mozu is a formidable option.

Promotional display for controversial Black Ops Pass is very good news for CoD: Black Ops 4 Promotional displays for the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 confirm that the marketing team have changed their stance on the controversial Black Ops Pass, making it available separately at launch. When the ‘Black Ops Pass’ for the upcoming release of Black Ops 4 was first announced, fans were no happy to discover it was only available with special editions of the base game. Not only that, it was also revealed that DLC packs would not be available to purchase separately, meaning the only way to get access to paid DLC was to purchase the Black Ops Pass as a one off. There was one positive to this approach; that DLC map packs would not divide up the player base between those who buy them and those who don’t, but it still felt like a ruthless tactic from Activision. Initially, it was stated that the Black Ops Pass would never be available as a standalone purchase, and this was then updated to say it “will be available as a standalone offering at a later date.“ It looks like pressure from the community has meant that it will now be available separately at launch, at least according to this promotional display, which states ‘Available 10.12.18″ 800The price of the Black Ops Pass is still unknown, but it is very good news that players will be able to purchase any version of the base game, event the standard, and still be able to enjoy all the paid DLC content. Interestingly, the Activision Support FAQ page still states that the Black Ops Pass will be available at a later date, but it is likely it has just not been updated. If you have already pre-ordered a standard edition of the game, it looks like there is no need to cancel and order a special edition if you want the Black Ops Pass, instead just purchase it separately at launch.

Prolute leaves Challengers team to fill in for iLLeY again on OpTic Texas Activision/OpTic TexasIndervir ‘iLLeY’ Dhaliwal has been dealing with a lingering thumb injury since Major Two in Minnesota and after another setback — a temporary roster change is being made before Major 4. Rostermania is in full swing for Call of Duty Vanguard and in another unsuspecting twist, Prolute is stepping back up for OpTic Texas as iLLey returns to the bench with a lingering thumb issue. iLLeY first missed the CDL Pro-Am Classic on May 5, and Jordon ‘General’ General filled in as an AR player. When the news came that Dhaliwal would be out indefinitely, the team made a bold move and brought in Challengers phenom Prolute. iLLeY returned to practice on June 16, but another setback has caused Prolute to rejoin the roster for Major 4 qualifiers that start on Friday. Prolute starts again for OpTic Texas CDL Intel first reported that there is a “very high chance Illey is being moved back to the bench and Prolute will start again.” Reddit user MisterMath was one of the first on the scene and they stated, “just looked up departures for American Airlines out of this airport and there is a flight that left around the time he posted this to Dallas.” These reports were soon verified as iLLeY himself provided a brief update on the OpTic Texas YouTube channel. Read More: CoD Vanguard Season 4 update patch notes – “At the moment, I don’t have too much pain,” he reassured fans. Rather, the issue boils down to a limited “range of motion” in his thumb. Having followed through with a new cortisone shot, doctors have informed him recovery time is often one month long. Given it’s only been a week at the time of announcing, this means iLLeY is yet unable to compete. “In the meantime, the boy [Prolute] is gonna be filling in,” he confirmed. “He’s gonna be holding it down until I get back to 100%.” Prolute left OpTic after Major 3 and joined a Challengers roster with Brack, FeLo, and Clayster. With his new Challengers team, Prolute made it to the Grand Finals of NA Challenger Cup number 12, but fell to the newly-benched Capsidal and his squad of former pros. Read More: Best Automaton Vanguard class loadout – The first set of qualifying matches for Major 4 begin on Friday June 24 and OpTic Texas plays Boston Breach at 4:30 p.m.

Programmer warns how easily Warzone hackers can create new console cheats ActivisionAs Warzone hackers continue to plague the Call of Duty battle royale, a programmer has shown just how easy it is for people to make them if they have the skills and that includes console cheats. The threat of console hacks taking over Warzone was a major story in early July after an anti-cheat watchdog warned that they were evolving. After videos of the cheats spread, Activision took action and eventually forced the developer to shut down before even more serious damage could be done to the already cheat-infested game. Now, a programmer has shown that the threat of console cheats is far from over. Twitter user and YouTuber ‘Sjas0a32’ showed off how AI can be used to detect enemy players. Consoles aren’t immune to Warzone hacks The craziest thing is that they were able to create and train the image recognition AI in just five hours. Read More: xQc confronts and exposes Warzone hacker – “I don’t know much about AIs, so clearly more talented people will develop console cheats that are almost impossible to detect. Too bad, but consoles will soon no longer be safe,” the user wrote in the video description. In other words, if an amateur can design something in five hours, what would happen if someone more skilled had time on their hands? It’s a scary thought. I created and trained the image recognition AI in 5 hours. It can recognize the COD opponents. This means that there will soon be console cheats :/, such one @Activision removed lately. Of course I wont make a cheat / share the source code. Lets Fight the Cheaters! @AntiCheatPD pic.twitter.com/Khl6ZGH0kd — Sjas0a32 (@sjas0a32) July 27, 2021 However, the programmer made it clear that they were very much against cheating in games. “This means that there will soon be console cheats such as one Activision removed lately,” they added, referring to the aforementioned story. “Of course, I won’t make a cheat / share the source code. Let’s fight the cheaters.” Basically, these kind of cheats use machine learning to send inputs to controllers with all players needing to do is aim in the general area of enemies. Microsoft and sony have full control over what input is allowed to the controller it doesnt take a rocket scientist to block input from spoofed input or enable some kind of tpm like chips within the controller for the next generation of consoles there is so many ways to stop this — Anti-Cheat Police Department 🕵️ (@AntiCheatPD) July 28, 2021 Sony and Microsoft urged to take action Luckily, even if someone wants to hack on console, it requires a lot of work. As Anti-Cheat Police Department explained to Dexerto, “You need a capture card, laptop with a good GPU or a PC with a good GPU that has very small latency.” This said, if console cheats do become a bigger problem, the solution may lie in next-gen hardware, AKA the PlayStation 6 and who knows how far away that will be. “Microsoft and Sony have full control over what input is allowed to the controller. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to block input from spoofed input or enable some kind of TPM like chips within the controller for the next generation of consoles. There are so many ways to stop this,” Anti-cheat PD wrote. In any case, the dangers of console hacks taking over gaming is still very much alive. Hopefully, console developers can take the steps needed to prevent it from being an even bigger problem.

Pro Warzone duo disbands after one player oversleeps $400k tournament Activision / PexelsA top-tier Call of Duty: Warzone duo has officially parted ways after one player slept through a $400,000 tournament. Since Blazt missed the start time for the World Series of Warzone, MuTeX is looking for a new teammate. The November World Series of Warzone tournament pit 75 duos against each other in a private lobby with $300,000 on the line. To cap it off, it allowed all 150 players to play a Solos match for $100,000. However, while other duos warmed up and got ready for action, Charlie ‘MuTeX’ Saouma was frantically trying to find his teammate, Rasim ‘Blazt’ Ogresevic. With the tournament scheduled to start for 3 p.m. ET, Blazt was nowhere to be found. Eventually, after an hour spent calling Blazt and his girlfriend, MuTeX was forced to play the first match by himself. Afterward, he found an organizer-approved replacement for the next matches. Sometime mid-tournament, Blazt finally woke up from a… 15-hour slumber. Warzone pro sleeps through $400,000 tournament update: @Blazt is safe, sound, and… well-rested pic.twitter.com/xeXeuNsXTA — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) November 17, 2021 As you can see in the embedded tweets above, MuTeX took to Twitter in confusion that his teammate was “MIA” for the big event. He tweeted at 3:03 p.m., past the intended start time for the event. Over an hour later, Blazt finally tweeted that he had woken up at 4:19 p.m. By that point, MuTeX had already been forced to play the first match as a solo in a private lobby filled with crack duos. Then, he’d found a new duo with which to play out the rest of the $300,000 portion of the event. Unsurprisingly, MuTeX and his new partner didn’t have the chemistry to beat out a lobby full of experienced teams. Afterward, he let Twitter know that him and Blazt were parting ways. Top-tier Warzone duo, MuTeX and Blazt, split up I will be looking for a new duo to compete with for the upcoming warzone events. I’d like to work on a solid partnership going into the new map. If you are interested please hit me up in the dms. — Charles (@MuTeX) November 18, 2021 MuTeX put out a simple statement on social media: “I will be looking for a new duo to compete with for the upcoming Warzone events.” Many are feeling bad about the situation, with fellow streamer Holly pointing out that people don’t realize how difficult sleep schedules are when you have a child. Blazt’s baby was born in July 2021, but he has maintained that his offspring didn’t have “anything to do with it.” Instead, the former pro explained in the replies that he didn’t set an alarm because he didn’t think he would sleep 15 hours straight.

Pro teams UYU and Midnight eliminated from CoD Champs 2019 MLGProfessional Call of Duty teams UYU and Midnight Esports have been eliminated from the CWL Championship 2019 on day two of pool play. While not considered to be among the top echelon of teams in Call of Duty esports, both UYU and Midnight Esports were in the CWL Pro League this year for a reason. Thus, coming into CoD Champs 2019, both were seeded as the second best team within Pools E and F respectively, and favored to be one of the two teams that would advance to the bracket stage. However, both sides saw their time at the tournament come to an abrupt end, as they ended up finishing in third place after the three group matches were completed. Read More: Final placements for CoD Champs 2019 so far – For Midnight, their 3-1 loss to 100 Thieves meant they would finish with a record of 1-2, not good enough to surpass amateur team Sicario Gaming for the second spot in Pool F. With the 3-1 loss to @100Thieves, @GGMidnight_ end their Champs run in pools.@Sicario_Gaming_ will be the second seed team heading out of Pool F.#CWLPS4 | #CWLChamps pic.twitter.com/AxfgEtMLnA — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) August 15, 2019 UYU were eliminated by Team Singularity, by far the biggest surprise of the tournament when it comes to amateur teams overachieving. Down 0-2, UYU were able to force a game five that would decide their fate, but their opponents proved to be too strong and skillful in the end, as they’ve done in all three of their matches. That’s it for @UYU, @SNG_Esports pick up the game 5 win and push @Luminosity into bracket play at CWL Champs! :projector:: The @ScufGaming Play of the Game with @InsightGawd’s nasty 1v2 clutch!#CWLPS4 | #CWLChamps pic.twitter.com/GoX9oC7zUO — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) August 16, 2019 The result was a rather heartbreaking one for the pro team, considering that in their previous match against Luminosity Gaming, they lost on a 1v1 situation in the 11th round of game five, when Methodz was unable to eliminated LG’s Skyz. The result not only kept LG in the game, but also put UYU in a must-win situation going into the final match, which ended up not going the way they would have hoped. Now, thanks to this incredible clutch by Skyz and Singularity’s upset victory, LG will finish second in the group, surviving by just the skin of their teeth to advance to bracket play. WHAT WAS THAT!!! :scream::scream::scream:@Luminosity survive one of the craziest round 11s ever thanks to a @CesarSkyz 1v2, they are still fighting at Champs!#CWLPS4 | #CWLChamps pic.twitter.com/uloBu3f0Ia — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) August 15, 2019 Keep up with all of the action live via our dedicated CWL Championship 2019 hub, which features four livestreams, updates scores, full schedules, Pool standings, final placements so far, and more. August 15 is the final day of pool play, with the knockout stage set to take place August 16-18, which will be open to the public.

Pro players respond after 15-year-old drops out of school to pursue pro Call of Duty After an aspiring Call of Duty player revealed he had dropped out of school at only 15 to pursue his dream, professional players stepped in to prevent him making a bad choice. 15 year old player ‘Loyal’ revealed to Twitter followers on January 10 that he had “convinced his parents” to allow him to drop out, saying “school will never determine your success.” Loyal, who plays for Decimate Youth, immediately had a number of responses, including from pro players, advising that he had likely made a mistake. No way I did it, I convinced my parents to let me drop out‼️ School will never determine your success — Loyal (@LoyalSZN) January 11, 2019 Call of Duty World League (CWL) rules stipulate that no player under 18 can compete in official CWL tournaments, meaning Loyal still has a few years at least of grinding at the amateur level. Team Envy player Justin ‘SiLLY’ Fargo advised that there are plenty of ways to still chase the dream of competing while also getting an education, as something to fall back on. Plenty of online HS courses that give you the same diploma as regular HS. Can’t really do anything post gaming w/o some schooling, just looking out — NV Justin Fargo uwu (@silly702) January 11, 2019 And it appears SiLLY was not the only pro to offer a word of advice to the young player, as Loyal also thanked Pittsburgh Knights player Casey ‘Pandur’ Romano and former Team Kaliber player Dylan ‘Theory’ McGee. Not only pro players were looking out for Loyal, as upcoming amateur players who are also looking to take the next step up to the professional scene advised against dropping out. Popular streamer and SnD star Nicholas ‘Equuip’ Viera explained that although he ‘respected the dedication’, it’s still important to have a back up plan. I respect the dedication to your goal but you 100% should do online school atleast b/c if this doesn’t work out then you won’t have even a high school diploma to fall back on. Hope the grind pays off though :call_me_hand::skin-tone-2: — Nicholas (@Equuip) January 11, 2019 Thanks to all the words of wisdoms from pro players and fellow aspiring pros, Loyal announced that he had reversed his decision to dropout. I have made my decision to just go back to school I wasn’t thinking right thank you to everyone for helping me love yall:heart:️ — Loyal (@LoyalSZN) January 11, 2019 Even professional players playing at the top level have managed educational success alongside their career in Call of Duty, namely 100 Thieves SlasheR, who won the 2016 World Championship with Team Envy, while completing a degree in robotic engineering. More: 100 Thieves’ SlasheR and other CoD pros want to see one major change in Black Ops 4 Multiplayer – Not only in Call of Duty either, as other FPS pros in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive have similarly played professionally at the highest level while also completing tertiary education – Finn ‘Karrigan’ Andersen and Sean ‘seang@res’ gares to name only two. The CWL’s ruling that players must be 18 to compete professional should help to curb the number of wishful players making the reckless decision to dropout of education solely to focus on competing.

Pro Players Have Their Say on Coaches in CoD Esports – Do They Really Make a Difference? After Evil Geniuses lifted the 2018 CWL Championship trophy on August 19, completing a remarkable run that saw the 30/1 shot upset the competition, their coach, Embry “Bevils” Bevil received high praise. EG’s captain and now 2x world champion Patrick “ACHES” Price said Bevils “was a huge part of our success”. His teammate Justin “SiLLY” Fargo, said having a coach “had the highest impact on us winning champs.” But not all teams have coaches, even at the highest level. In fact, neither of the teams with the most event wins throughout the WWII season – Rise Nation and Team Kaliber – had coaches. So how much difference does the coach really make? Does it depend on the team, the players and their perceived ‘need’ for another pair of eyes on their gameplay? Echo Fox player Donovan “Temp” Laroda, and Rise Nation players Daniel “Loony” Loza and Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat, discussed the topic briefly following CWL champs and EG’s historic victory. SlasheR: “The whole year coaches weren’t doing shit, and now all of a sudden we’re going to say coaches did something.” Temp: “tK and Rise won the most events, with no coach. EG went 0-20 in SnD, literally. It comes down to how the players perform at the end of the day.” Loony: “They just played well bro. Yeh, I’m sure the coach is the reason Assault had fucking LeBron numbers.” However, it has been pointed out that four of the top six teams at Champs all had coaches (EG, Luminosity, FaZe Clan and eUnited), so surely this isn’t purely coincidence? FaZe Clan player James “Replays” Crowder, who himself was previously a coach for the organization before returning to playing, disagrees with Temp and co., saying coaches are “super helpful”. This would align with the compliment SiLLY paid to his coach, Bevils. In a Reddit comment, SiLLY explained how he turned around the team’s fortunes, particularly Search and Destroy. “I think Bevils had the highest impact on us winning champs. We always have good vetos, and no other team has fresh SnD strats for every map. Having someone so intelligent in charge of what you do really benefits a team.” CWL rules do not permit coaches to be on stage during matches, which is different to many other esports. It wasn’t always the case either, and some want the rule overturned, including Bevils himself – and others, including CWL caster Ben “Benson” Bowe, are in agreement. Bevils recently did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit, answering questions from the competitive CoD community, where he explains his role within EG, and how he feels he contributed to their win. He credits the players largely, for showing him the respect needed for him to get his advice across, and putting aside ego, allowing themselves to be corrected. “I definitely felt valued and respected by the guys. I can’t give them enough credit for making me feel a part of the team and really valuing and trusting what I would tell them to do in S&D. […] The team showed me a ton of respect and that just speaks to their character. They believed in me and trusted in what I was telling them, especially regarding S&D. I really can’t thank them enough for believing in me and wanting to hear what I had to say.” The jury is still out on coaches in CoD generally, but there is no denying that Bevils had a massive influence on EG’s success, pushing them to a world championship win. The talent of the roster is undeniable too of course, but perhaps teams that are holding out on a coach will now reconsider.

Pro players debate who the best Black Ops 4 player is on the CoD Cast The CoDCast series has returned, hosted by former pro player turned analyst Anthony ‘NAMELESS’ Wheeler, and to kick off Black Ops 4, the guest debated the best player in the game following CWL Vegas. OpTic Gaming’s Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell is many fans’ pick, thanks to an incredible showing at Vegas that earned him the highest overall K/D and the MVP trophy. However, just because it’s what many fans believe, doesn’t mean the pro players agree, after all OpTic Gaming players can often be rated higher by due to fan allegiances. NAMELESS, hosting the show, kicked off the discussion by explaining that he believes the overall best player to be Luminosity’s Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman, saying it was “undeniable” – and his fellow analyst Jon ‘Pacman’ Tucker, agreed. However, Splyce’s Donovan ‘Temp’ Laroda disagreed, putting Dashy at number one, while Chris ‘Parasite’ Duarte contested “respawn player alone, Gunless is the best player in respawn.” However, 100 Thieves’ Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat had another player in mind entirely: “I actually put [Temp] is number one from Vegas – and you know I don’t gas Don very often. Gunless was certainly the standout player for Luminosity, and Temp for Splyce, but both teams fell short in the latter stages of the tournament, while OpTic went on to secure the win – and Dashy the MVP. The main claim to the throne for Dashy is not actually the event win or his MVP, but his remarkable K/D ratio for the event, averaging a 1.44 overall, followed by eUnited’s Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson with a 1.41. Gunless came in 3rd with a 1.31, and Temp 5th with a 1.28 – Lightning Pandas player Alex ‘Alexx’ Carpenter was 4th overall in K/D with a 1.35. But, K/D ratio’s can only tell half the story, and typically players with a stronger overall team will end with a higher ratio too, meaning Gunless’ 1.31 may be more impressive than Dashy’s 1.44, considering their respective team performances.

Pro Players and Casters Leak OpTic Gaming and Luminosity Roster Rumors on the CoD Cast The most recent episode of the CoD Cast was yet another gem, as fans were let in on plenty roster intel and behind the scenes knowledge. Started by former veteran player Anthony “NAMELESS” Wheeler, the show is live streamed on his Twitch channel, where he invites pro players and others from the Call of Duty esports community to discuss the scene. And of course, with the current hot topic in CoD being rostermania, there was no shortage of roster discussion – as well as a few intel leaks. At the center of rostermania is the rumored OpTic Gaming split, and potential for a swap between OpTic’s Matthew “FormaL” Piper and Luminosity’s Sam “Octane” Larew. There has been lots of evidence stacking up suggesting that this is a certain move, such as images of FormaL apparently scrimming with the LG roster, and Echo Fox player strongly hinting it on numerous occasions. And the conversations on the CoD Cast have doubled down on this, as caster and former pro Joey “MerK” De Luca all but flat out stated FormaL’s new team, as he stutters on the word “Luminosity”, catching himself mid sentence. “Some [FormaL fans] will still support OpTic, but some will say: ‘I’m not going to support OpTic anymore, I just support FormaL he’s my favorite player – I hope Lumi-, uh you know whatever team wins’.” The conversation throughout the CoD Cast also seemed to hint strongly that Octane and FormaL will be a straight swap, as the cast debated which players and teams would perform best elsewhere. The full episode of the CoD Cast featuring casters MerK and Clint “Maven” Evans, and pro players Thomas “Tommey” Trewren and James “Clayster” Eubanks can be watched below.

Pro player Attach reveals best PPSh class in Cold War Season 3 ActivisionDillon ‘Attach’ Price is one of the most accomplished players in Call of Duty, and with the new Season 3 update in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, he’s unveiled his best class setups for the new PPSh SMG. The PPSh-41 might be familiar to players who have been around for a few years, as it was the meta SMG back during World War II. Now, it’s returning in Cold War, with a slightly different look but the same ability to mow down enemies — providing you use the right attachments. Whether you’re looking to dominate public matches or fry in League Play, Minnesota ROKKR’s Attach has you covered for both. Best PPSh loadout in Black Ops Cold War Obviously some attachments aren’t allowed in the CDL, be it through official bans or Gentlemen’s Agreements (GAs), so the two builds look slightly different. Here’s how Attach sets up for both pubs and League Play. It’s worth considering, though, that these are only recommendations — at the end of the day, personal preference is the most important factor when putting these together. PPSh loadout for public matches Muzzle: GRU Suppressor – Barrel: 14.3” Extended – Body: Steady Aim Laser – Underbarrel: Spetsnaz Grip – Magazine: 55 Rnd Drum – Handle: GRU Elastic Wrap – Stock: Raider Stock – PPSh loadout for League Play Muzzle: Muzzle Brake – Barrel: 14.3” Extended – Underbarrel: Spetsnaz Speedgrip – Handle: GRU Elastic Wrap – Stock: Raider Stock – Timestamp 3:38 Obviously for that public match loadout you’ll need the Gunfighter Wildcard, whereas in League Play you’re best off taking Law Breaker. Pair your PPSh with a Diamatti and the equipment of your choice, and you’re on to a winner. A Trophy System should be taken at all times to simply protect you from grenades, while perks Scavenger and Ninja should keep you stealthy and in the action for as long as possible. If you’re looking to take the PPSh into Warzone too, make sure you check out the best loadout for the new SMG, because it looks like it could be set to take over the meta.

Pro League Teams Upset During First CWL Champs 2018 Games The 2018 CWL Championship has kicked off with several upsets, as Last Chance Qualifier teams took down CWL Pro League squads in the opening matches. Groups A and B kicked off the tournament, with all four matches featuring a CWL Pro League team facing off against a squad from the Last Chance Qualifier. The rigorous qualification and experience competing against the best teams in the world should put Pro League teams a cut above the rest of the field, but in the opening matches only one of them was able to secure victory – tournament favorites Rise Nation. Most notably, CWL Pro League Stage 2 champions Team Kaliber suffered an early set-back, losing to Lightning Pandas in their opening match. The Pandas came into the event off of an underwhelming Last Chance Qualifier performance, but looked in impressive form as Dylan ‘Theory’ McGee took revenge over his former team-mates. Meanwhile, both Epsilon Esports and Tainted Minds, 15-16 finishers in Stage 2 of the Pro League, missed their opportunity to prove their worth, each falling to LCQ challengers in their first matches. Both teams are now very much in danger of missing out on a playoff spot. Rise Nation 3-0 Brash Esports Brash Esports started strong with an impressive hardpoint performance, but Rise Nation pulled off an impressive come-back and then shut down the rest of the series comfortably. Heretics 3-1 Epsilon Esports It’s been an underwhelming season for Epsilon, and early indications don’t seem to point in favor of ending on a high note. Spanish squad Heretics came through with an impressive opener, handing Epsilon a defeat that could well cost them a playoff spot. Lightning Pandas 3-2 Team Kaliber The score-line might suggest a narrow upset, but if anything this series could have been even more convincing for Lightning Pandas. Only a first-map comeback for tK prevented a 3-0 sweep, and the final game was a dominant 6-0 victory for LP to secure the series. Lethal Gaming 3-2 Tainted Minds Lethal Gaming secured their spot at CWL Champs with back-to-back 3-2 victories in the LCQ, and they’ve now taken a major step towards a playoff spot with another against Tainted Minds. Coming up clutch in game five here means that a victory against Brash Esports would almost certainly secure Lethal a minimum top-16 placement, a career highlight for these players.

Pro League team Midnight forced to use substitute for CWL London Midnight Esports/MLGMidnight Esports are on the lookout for a substitute to compete for them at the upcoming CWL London event. Outside of the multiple Call of Duty rosters are pretty much set in stone, yet circumstances can arise where they need a stand-in player. In this year’s CWL Pro League, the majority of teams had a substitute player listed a part of their roster – with only OpTic Gaming being forced into using Tommy ‘ZooMaa’ Paparatto in place of Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell. Yet, it looks like Midnight may be forced to shake things up themselves. Which Midnight player will miss CWL London? Christopher ‘Parasite’ Durate put the call out on Twitter, looking for a fill-in. The one-time Call of Duty World Champion posted: “Midnight is looking for a substitute for CWL London. You will be compensated. Contact me for details if interested. SMG players preferred.” While Parasite did not reveal which member of his team’s roster will not be making the trip to London, many fans believe that Renato ‘Saints’ Forza, who has never competed outside of the United States, is the player who will be missing out. Midnight is looking for a substitute for CWL London. You will be compensated. Contact me for details if interested. SMG players preferred. — El Diablo (@Parasite) April 7, 2019 Has anyone offered to step in? Casey ‘Pandur’ Romano had been listed as the team’s substitute for the CWL Pro League, however, it seems unlikely that he will fill in considering Parasite is on the hunt for a temporary member. There are plenty of free agents in the Call of Duty scene but it remains to be seen just who will step up and answer the call for Midnight. A number of players threw their hat into the ring, including Michael ‘Spacely’ Schmale, who last played for Gen.G. and former Mindfreak star Cody ‘Excite‘ Rugolo. Who does Midnight play at CWL London? Whoever fills in for the North American squad won’t have much time to get to grips with their new surroundings, as CWL London kicks off in a less than a month’s time on May 3rd. It will not be an easy trip across the pond for Midnight, as they stack up in Group D of Pool Play against Team Heretics, UYU, and Excelerate Gaming.

CWL Pro League Stage 2 Recap for Day One – Scores, Match Recaps, and Live Standings The CWL Pro League has returned for Stage 2 as Division A teams got the action started on Day One of Week One. A total of five matches were played on May 15th, and one team has already gotten off to a fast, 2-0 start. The CWL Pro League Stage 2 features a total of 16 teams divided into two Divisions, with the top four team in each Division qualifying for the $500,000 Playoffs. With so many massive roster changes since the conclusion of Stage 1, many of the teams will put their new rosters to the test in what will most certainly be a long and highly contested competition. Read More: Enable Clutches-Up With Massive Three-Piece to Help Team Kaliber Take Hardpoint Against Splyce During CWL Pro League: Stage Two – One of the teams that came in having made a roster change was Red Reserve, as ‘Skrapz’ and the boys got their first victory of Stage 2 by beating fellow European team Epsilon eSports 3-1. That was followed by a match-up of yet another two teams who had made roster moves in Team Kaliber and Splyce, which tK took easily by a 3-1 margin. The third game of the day saw Evil Geniuses and Echo Fox square off, both of whom were also involved in the RosterMania shakeups. Echo Fox took this match-up with a tight 3-2 victory, which included a dominant 6-0 effort on the Game 3 Capture the Flag. Both Echo Fox and tK would play again on Day One in a five game thriller that involved tK making huge clutch plays on both Hardpoint maps to win 3-2 overall and finish Day One with a 2-0 record. Stage One champions FaZe Clan met the new look roster of Team EnVy and it was EnVy who dominated the match-up and swept the defending Pro League champs 3-0. – Below you can find all of the scores for the Day One matches, along with an early look at the Division A standings. For all scores, schedules, rosters, standings, and live-stream, make sure to visit our dedicated CWL Pro League Stage 2 hub. Tuesday, May 15th Scores Division A Standings –

Pro CoD Players Continue to Bait Fans With Potential Roster Moves – Nadeshot, Censor, Aches and More Rostermania is in full swing as players and organizations announce their new teams and leave their old ones. Fans love to track where their favorite players are going on a moment to moment basis, leading some pros to have fun with the process by teasing and trolling. For moves that were completed, you can check out our updated hub for Call of Duty Rostermania. For rumors, jokes and trolls, check out the tweets from CoD pros below. The fourth member of 100 Thieves remains a mystery, making this a very suspicious time for Nadeshot to reminisce about his good ole days with Scump. Scrolling through twitter during rostermania. pic.twitter.com/Z5zjBPyyzG — Patrick Price (@ACHES) September 1, 2018 Even the best AR in the world dreams of running a sub one day. Subs are more fun, plus 100 Thieves already has a main AR. Speaking of 100 Thieves, 100T Kenny chose a very interesting number of trophy emojis when responding to Nadeshot. Is there a free agent out there with three rings who might want a fourth? Slacked and Arcitys were a little more direct in their roster move tweets. Black Ops 4 competitive reveal will take place on September 19, which may lead to some more roster rumors or even finalized announcements. BO4 launches on October 12 and the first tournament of the year will be CWL Las Vegas on December 7.

Pro CoD Players Are Refusing Coaches Access To Spectate Team Scrims To Make Their Job Harder DexertoA new debate has struck up between professional Call of Duty players, as some teams are apparently refusing coaches to spectate team scrims, in order to make their job harder. A number of top teams including eUnited, OpTic Gaming, Evil Geniuses and Luminosity have recruited coaches or analysts as part of the competitive roster, in the hope of increasing the team’s knowledge of their own team’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opposition. With the intoduction of map vetos for the 2018 Call of Duty: WWII season, coaches will also take on the responsibility of ensuring they are aware of opposition teams best maps and veto accordingly. Obviously, this can provide somewhat of an advantage for these teams, but generally other teams have not been averted to them participating in scrims as a spectator. However, when eUnited coach and former professional player Brian “Saintt” Baroska claimed that teams were not scrimming the team if he was spectating, it became clear than some teams have enforced this as a rule. Teams Rise Nation and Team Kaliber seem to be in favor of restricting coach’s access, saying they are not going to ‘make their job easier’. There’s really pro teams in CoD that won’t scrim us if I’m in the lobby spectating — eU Saintt (@BrianSaintt) May 9, 2018 I mean we all 4 could just record our gameplay , it would make it more annoying but in end same results am I wrong — eU Tyler (@FeLo) May 9, 2018 Exactly lol guys getting paid to be a coach why would I make his JOB of researching and taking notes on a team easier. You want that information I’m not handing it to someone on a silver platter go work for it. — Lamar tK (@AccuracyLA) May 9, 2018 However, some others were against it, with Patrick “ACHES” Price, whose Evil Geniuses team recently recruited Embry “Bevils” Bevil as a coach, saying it was ‘weird’. But Accuracy claims that most other pro players are on his side of the debate, so perhaps it is only teams coaches who are in favor. Why would I make it easier for someone else to take notes on us when if they wanna do that they can record all of their POVs and have him review it then — Lamar tK (@AccuracyLA) May 9, 2018 If this is strictly enforced by lots of pro teams, it would certainly limit the effectiveness of team coaches, a role which has been employed more enthusiastically this year with the return to boots on the ground gameplay and map vetos.

Pro CoD Players are Convinced the Trees are Multiplying on Ardennes Forest Professional CoD star James “Clayster” Eubanks has spotted what appears to be extra trees near Cave on Ardennes Forest and now the entire Call of Duty community is questioning their eyesight. It all started when Clayster tweeted an image of what he thought to be an additional two trees, other pros immediately reacted with negative opinions on the changes. Trees on Ardennes are known to cause aim assist inconsistencies, so there was initial push back at more of them being added to the map. Some people welcomed the changes however, including a redditor who posted the updated map will play even better with the additional trees. oh boy we got what we always wanted, more trees to lose aim-assist on and stick nades to! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/adKiSvWlnO — eU Clayster (@Clayster) July 1, 2018 Things got a little confusing when John “Xotic” Bruno brought up an image from CWL Anaheim that showed the two “new” trees were there the whole time. Players and community members began to wonder if Sledgehammer snuck an update in before the tournament and nobody noticed. Before people got too angry about the allegedly sneaky ways of Sledgehammer, YouTuber Nero blew everyone’s minds by showing an image from November 2017. The trees were there since launch. Did the entire competitive community forget what a map looked like at the same time, or are we living in a simulation where Sledgehammer Games has the power to alter time and space as we know it? I don’t think anything new was added to Ardennes Forest lol – Image on the left is from Nov 16th, 2017. – Image on the right was taken 2 minutes ago. pic.twitter.com/KLuJgUoyXM— Nero (@NeroTweets) July 1, 2018 Fortunately, Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson has the very simple answer to why everyone was fooled by the trees. none of us knew what forest looked like cause slacked has been smoking out the map CRAZY SMOKES — eUnited Arcitys (@Arcitys) July 1, 2018 We suggest everyone take a breather and enjoy the trees, whether they have been there since November or not. You may want to toss a smoke over Bunker just to be sure, after all, this is what Ardennes looked like at CWL New Orleans.

Pro CoD players agree new ‘GAs’ in Modern Warfare for CDL 2020 Infinity WardProfessional Call of Duty players in the CDL have set out new ‘GAs’ (gentlemen’s agreements) between themselves for the rest of the Modern Warfare season, after much debate and controversy. There has been lots of discussion in recent weeks over some of Modern Warfare’s in-game mechanics, such as snaking and slide-canceling, with pro players arguing over what some call ‘broken’ features. After it was shared that players and coaches had been working on new ‘gentlemen’s agreements’, where teams handshake over not using certain features in competition, a list featuring the new changes was finally confirmed on May 26. Dallas Empire’s Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro was among the first to confirm the new GA rules during a livestream, explaining that Automatic Tactical Sprint, Merc Foregrip, and the Snaking mechanic had all been ‘GA’d’. “Auto Tac Sprint is GA’d, Merc Foregrip is GA’d and Snaking,” he explained, listing the new restrictions that the players had agreed upon. These changes are not officially enforced within the CDL ruleset, and there has been controversy in the past over whether such agreements should be allowed. The CoD stars were likely keen to get rid of Automated Tactical Sprint as it can be used to abuse the slide-canceling mechanic in Modern Warfare, giving players an edge in movement speed and making them harder to target in gunfights. While certain features such as Auto Tac Sprint and Merc Foregrip can be disabled prior to a match, Snaking can be much more difficult to enforce during competition. It has caused no end controversy when it has been GA’d in previous Call of Duty titles. While it is unclear how these changes will affect the current meta, Seattle Surge star Octane joked that teams such as Atlanta FaZe, who have been a consistent contender at events, were among the first to take advantage of these features and could be affected by some of the unofficial rule changes. Us not GAing 10mm/snaking/merc foregrip at the beginning of the yearUs watching Atlanta for 6 months pic.twitter.com/4WshdoukzU — Sam “Octane” Larew (@OctaneSam) May 26, 2020 One key feature that was also up for the gentlemen’s agreement debate was the 10mm mags attachment, which is often seen on the Mp5 for improved range during long-range fights, however, despite many claiming that it is overpowered, it seems to have escaped this wave of GA bans. Although some fans argue that GAs shouldn’t be permitted, others believe they are necessary to ensure fair and balanced gameplay. Because official bans will often take longer and require more bureaucracy, GAs are affective at bringing fast, small changes in time for tournaments. The Call of Duty League will return on June 6 for Minnesota’s Week 9 event, giving players a chance to compete with some of these new changes.

Pro CoD Player Replays Sets Up Discord to Organize High Level Ranked Play on WWII A new Discord chat for high level ranked players has been set up by FaZe Clan’s James ‘Replays’ Crowder. Ranked play has been a source of frustration for a lot of top players in CoD:WWII, mostly due to getting matched with teammates that don’t know higher level strategies. Replays’ Discord is an attempt to change that and become a place for Ranked players to team up. The requirements to get into the chat are steep, players will need at least a 2000 MMR score to enter. Those interested in joining the Discord will need to reply to the tweet below with with proof of their rank. The discord for the Ranked Play grinders has been made! Trying to keep it 2000 MMR and up. Let me know if you want an invite to the server! I’ll try and get everyone that I can! — FaZe replays (@JamesCrowder) July 5, 2018 Interestingly enough, Replays has a FaZe Clan teammate who does not meet the standards of his Discord. Despite this, it’s likely that Replays will make an exception for his Gold ranked teammate, however the rest will need at least 2000 MMR to try to get in. Scored between 0-3000, MMR is based on rank points that players earn when playing placement matches. Players can increase their MMR by winning more matches, but also decrease their rank if they lose. Read More: CompLexity Players’ Hilarious ‘Esports Dictionary’ Video Explaining Competitive Call of Duty Language – Replays is a former Call of Duty Champs winner for Advanced Warfare, taking home the championship with JKap, Clayster and Attach under Denial Esports. After partially retiring following the Black Ops 3 season, Replays returned to join FaZe Clan for the start of CoD:WWII, finishing 4th at CWL Dallas and winning the CWL Stage 1 Playoffs.

Pro Call of Duty team brutally roasted after using AI to announce new roster Twitter: Vegas LegionA Call of Duty League team, Vegas Legion, has been brutally roasted by CoD fans and fellow orgs alike for using AI-generated art to announce their new roster. We are just a month away from the first online qualifiers for the first Major of CDL’s 2024 season, and that means rosters across the League are getting finalized and approved by the League. As we draw nearer to the Modern Warfare 3 season, squads are getting announced every other day. Latest to enter the spotlight was the Las Vegas Legion on November 13, announcing Attach, Nero, Standy, and Purj as the starting four. However, the big news was overshadowed by the announcement tweet itself, which used AI-generated portraits of the players, sparking criticism from the community. Unlike other teams who created elaborate videos to announce their rosters, Legion decided to go for a simpler route, announcing the team with pictures instead. Pictures made with the help of AI. As you can guess, the decision to use AI did not go unnoticed by the community at large, with many pointing out the differing aspect ratios each portrait has, and the inconsistent background colors. Not to mention the incorrect details, like giving Attach ear rings. Despite comments praising the new roster, many criticized Legion’s use of AI. Using AI for a roster announcement is baffling,” said gursh, a content and social lead for FaZe Clan. “So many talented designers out there you could just slide a few bucks man what the f***.” Tee, a former graphic designer for Legion reacted to the announcement negatively, saying, “So in the end AI really did take my job.” She continued, “It’s just upsetting that nobody gains anything from this, no artist or designer gets to leave their mark in the CDL. There’s just an AI stain instead.” Other CDL teams also got in on the grilling, with Atlanta FaZe and Seattle Surge mocking the Legion and their use of AI and the franchise’s historically poor performance in the league. Despite the already rocky start to the roster’s beginnings, Attach said of the new team, “AI pics is crazy, but I’m excited to be teaming with Standy, Nero, and Purj. It’s going to be an amazing season.”

Pro Call of Duty players set to add new attachment to gentlemen’s agreement Professional Call of Duty players are set to add one of Black Ops 4’s most used attachments to their gentlemen’s agreement: Stock II for the Saug 9mm submachine gun. The Saug 9mm quickly established itself as the most popular submachine gun in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, with many players stating that it is the most powerful weapon in the game. Popular because of its incredibly high rate of fire, players are able to kill their opponents quickly with this weapon, without giving up any mobility or speed due to the weapon’s submachine classification. It seems that Call of Duty pros intend to make some changes to the weapon, with many players like Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Ian ‘Enable’ Wyatt discussing the adjustments while streaming on Thursday, January 24. Specifically, players want to ban an attachment that they feel makes the weapon too powerful compared to the other guns currently used in the competitive meta. Chris ‘Parasite’ Duarte agrees with the sentiment, stating that he believes the Stock II attachment “needs a nerf or needs to go,” and saying that it allows players to jump shot with accuracy, strafe 70% quicker and enter the prone position seamlessly while firing. Maddox needs a nerf QD 2 does not. Stock 2 needs a nerf or needs to go. It allows you to jump shot accurately, strafe at 70% increased speed, prone seamlessly. Grip 2 is fine only useable gun isn’t even multi purpose it’s buns at anything except headies and wallbanging. — Christopher Duarte (@Parasite) January 25, 2019 When Brandon ‘Nelson’ McKinney said he thought that they should ban all overpowered weapons instead of an attachment from one, Parasite reiterated that the Saug is still good without Stock II, and claimed that while the attachment isn’t necessary in the game “it sure is incredible.” We aren’t banning a gun. The saug is good without stock 2. The Maddox is ok without qd2 and the icr is unusable without grip 2. Which means the saug is actually the best weapon. Stock 2 isnt necessary but it sure is incredible. The others are needed for the weapons to be relevant — Christopher Duarte (@Parasite) January 25, 2019 The item is set to be added to the list of rules agreed upon by the pro players separate from the official Call of Duty World League ruleset. These are often called gentlemen’s agreements as the rules are not officially enforced, but it is considered to be poor behaviour if a player were to break them. While discussions continue surrounding the attachment, so far no pro player has officially stated that the rule has been agreed upon, meaning it will be interesting to keep an eye on the classes of submachine gun players when the CWL Pro League kicks off on Monday, February 4.

Pro Call of Duty Players Debate the Potential for 5v5 Competitive in Black Ops 4 Now a two time world champion, Patrick “ACHES” Price sparked discussion once again around the potential for 5 man teams in competitive play for Black Ops 4, after he explained why he is against the proposal. Since it’s inception, even as far back as CoD4 promod, Call of Duty esports has always been a 4v4 experience, but some are wondering if that could be about to change. In past games, public matches have typically been 6v6 (with ground war playlists increasing to 9v9), but Black Ops 4 has cut this down to 5v5 for the first time. That means standard, public match modes such as TDM, Domination, Search & Destroy and so on, will be played 5v5 by default. There is a ‘Chaos’ playlist, which supports 6v6, non-objective modes like TDM and Kill Confirmed. The game has been designed ground up for 5v5, from the maps, to the specialist picks. Dan Bunting, co-studio head at Treyarch, explained that they wanted to slow things down just slightly to promote more meaningful decisions, tactical play and communication. But of course, competitive play already does all of these things, primarily because it is 4v4. The argument for moving to 5v5 largely centers around making it more appealing to casual players, by making less separation between public matches and competitive matches. Evil Geniuses’ ACHES however, thinks this is a naive hope at best. He also explains that thinking 5v5 will mean more opportunities for amateur players is ‘delusional’. Other top professional players were largely in agreement with ACHES too. Team Envy’s Martin “Chino” Chino explained that the competition would become heavily one sided, with power rosters forming, and other teams being left with lesser options. MarkyB, although he would prefer 4v4, does reckon that more talent could be found from lower down the levels, if 5v5 was brought in. Red Reserve’s Rhys “Rated” Price however, thinks that the European scene particularly would be effected negatively by such a change. FaZe Clan’s Tommy “ZooMaa” Paparatto didn’t give his view one way or the other, but rather simply wants to know sooner rather than later if a change is coming. The CWL and esports reveal will take place from Treyarch’s studio on September 19, shortly after the Blackout Battle Royale beta. There are also murmurs of possible esports plans for Blackout itself, considering the burgeoning battle royale competitive scene with the likes of PUBG and Fortnite.

Pro Call of Duty players bash UYU for controversial roster change just days before CWL Pro League UYU’s announcement of a roster change for the Call of Duty pro team has created a heavy stir of controversy as several prominent pro players have publicly lashed out at the org. On January 30, UYU announced that Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni, their newly acquired substitute for CWL Pro League, was to be promoted to the starting team, trading places with Tristan ‘Spoof’ Green. This immediately garnered a negative reaction from the community since the news had come as a total surprise to Spoof, who will be losing his status as a pro player without having played a single pro match. Some of the biggest names in the scene were quick to take shots at the org, calling them unfaithful and bashing them for turning their backs on a player who had been a big reason why the team had qualified for the Pro League in the first place. Things got even messier when Spoof revealed that the players’ had decided to pick up Parasite as their substitute, not Methodz, but the organization’s higher-ups overruled that decision and went with the latter. We chose Haggy and UYU chose Methodz. Said it would help with sponsorship requests equating to more money for us (Being an underpaid team) Team had no idea UYU’s plans for it until last night then they voted me out. — TRISTAN (@TristanSpoof) January 30, 2019 This decision was openly questioned by Team Envy’s Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price, who surmised that the org had ulterior motives to making this move. Haggy has a much bigger following than Methodz on almost every platform, you had to know something was fishy from the RIP https://t.co/fbEn1apH4y — Patrick Price (@ACHES) January 30, 2019 Red Reserve player Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris was not very kind in his assessment of UYU, calling it a “dodgy place to be.” Interested to see what will ho on during the league, UYU seems like a dodgy place to be. — Trei S0ngz (@TreiZer0) January 30, 2019 He also was very concerned about the lack of job security for competitive CoD players, claiming that many organizations will look to profit from players then leave them in the dust. Cant buy abit of security for players nowadays orgs be real booky in 2019 teej, tryna secure a bag then dip on everyone — Trei S0ngz (@TreiZer0) January 30, 2019 OpTic Gaming’s Seth ‘Scump’ Abner responded to Zer0’s tweet with a prediction that a roster change this early would only spell doom for everyone else that’s currently on the UYU roster. They dropped one before any matches lol. It’s gonna be a ffa after the unlock date — Seth Abner (@OpTic_Scumper) January 30, 2019 Scump’s OpTic teammate Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly also responded to Zer0, and expressed his agreement by using a classic British slang that means “dodgy.” Parasite, the player who was supposedly in line to join UYU as their Pro League substitute, had a long series of tweets reacting to the whole fiasco. This is a business yeah I’d be mad if it happened to me because I’m passionate about my job but regardless it’s a business and it should work like one. Still feel bad for anyone that gets left out but it is what it is bros. https://t.co/n1WGOdpNik — Christopher Duarte (@Parasite) January 30, 2019 If this happened to me id be mad at my organization and the players for the decision NOT THE RULES. NOT CWL. NOT MLG https://t.co/nzMWKROLCV — Christopher Duarte (@Parasite) January 30, 2019 That’s the last ill speak on the situation. I feel bad for players that get left out of situations like this. But like I’ve come to learn from the countless times I’ve been dropped on my ass, protect yourself in your contracts. Have a good day everybody. — Christopher Duarte (@Parasite) January 30, 2019 Here are other reactions from some of the biggest names in the competitive CoD community, virtually all of whom were very displeased with UYU’s decision. Methodz is my guy, but you guys as an organization are whack af to bench anyone if you qualified through pools and not even bracket. — OpTic Ral (@Rallied) January 30, 2019 They were getting smoked and turned it around through crazy clutches. Spoof has been an AM for years and finally qualifies just to be robbed like that. That’s actually disgusting IMO. YEARS of grinding to be dropped for 150K more followers. WHACK. — OpTic Ral (@Rallied) January 30, 2019 With all this uYu talk, great time to promote my latest YouTube video!https://t.co/eStaDuLqqG pic.twitter.com/caUnfHu7al — eU Clayster (@Clayster) January 30, 2019 This has always been a possibility in every pro league, every year, only thing that stops orgs from dropping players in this way is a contract clause. I also hope UYU as an org never finds success or support because regardless of legality and rules, its a dick move. :smiley: — John (@JohnnyisTsunami) January 30, 2019

Twitch reverses 7-day ban for Call of Duty pro FormaL Call of Duty pro Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper has been banned by Twitch and doesn’t seem to know the reason why. UPDATE – October 21 at 5:46 PM EST FormaL has been unbanned on Twitch. Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau had reported that Twitch suspended FormaL because a subscriber/another streamer of his used a slur on stream. The ban was set to last seven days, which would have meant the CoD pro would have been banned during the launch of Modern Warfare. Dexerto has confirmed Slasher’s report directly with FormaL. It’s unclear why Twitch decided to reverse the decision. Twitch has suspended professional Call of Duty player Formal’s channel 7 days — through the launch of Modern Warfare — for a subscriber/another streamer of his used a homophobic slur on stream while playing together, according to a source — Rod Breslau (@Slasher) October 21, 2019 Original story follows The 2017 World Champion MVP seemingly discovered his fate after a Twitter account that keeps track of Twitch suspensions tweeted that he had been banned. However, it seemed as if this was the first time he was finding out about the ban as he replied “what” to the tweet, suggesting he had no idea about the ban. A few minutes later, the COD pro tweeted that he was confused as to why he was banned, but would let his followers know more once he did. There’s no indication on how long the ban is for and his channel isn’t accessible on the website, meaning that the pro had indeed be banned. However, it is very possible that the ban was done in error. Back in September, TimTheTatman, an extremely popular streamer was banned by Twitch for mere seconds before being unbanned by the site. It’s possible a similar mistake could have happened with FormaL. The ban comes at a very difficult time for FormaL as Modern Warfare is scheduled to release on October 25 and could prove to be quite lucrative for the top Call of Duty streamers. Prior to the ban, the World Champion had hit 20,000 subs on the streaming platform where he primarily played Blackout. According to the third-party stat-tracking website TwitchMetrics, the CoD pro has the most-watched Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 channel on the site and is the 99th most-watched English language channel. He also has quite the following with 378,820 followers on Twitch and nearly 850K on Twitter. Whatever the case, hopefully the issue can be resolved before the launch of Modern Warfare. Dexerto has reached out to FormaL for comment.

Are Private Matches available in Warzone 2? Devs comment on custom lobby return ActivisionAfter months of waiting, a few false starts, and various other hiccups along the way, Private Matches have finally returned to Warzone 2. Here’s all you need to know about the custom lobby option in the Call of Duty Battle Royale. While it took quite some time in the original CoD Battle Royale before Private Matches were enabled, once they were, the option became extremely popular. Casual players could run experiments without risking their public stats, pros could run competitions online, and tournament operators could run the biggest events without worrying about factors out of their control. It was unanimously a great inclusion but with the arrival of Warzone 2 last November, the feature went missing. Much like Resurgence-style modes, smaller maps, and even playlists like Plunder, the BR sequel was initially absent of many staple components that thousands enjoyed on a daily basis. However, after months of delays, Private Matches have finally returned to Warzone 2. Here’s a full rundown on all you need to know. Private Matches are now available in Warzone 2 184 days since Warzone 2 launched, Private Matches were officially rolled out (properly this time) on May 18. Initially, it was unclear when custom lobbies would become available in the BR sequel. Early dev comments simply pointed to a release “in the new year (2023).” Although no specific date or even month was outlined, the devs did go on to add “early next year (2023)” as the rough timeframe. Private Matches briefly became available in February, though not without considerable issues. From lagspikes to game-breaking bugs, there wasn’t plenty of room for improvement. Things were so dire, in fact, Activision’s official World Series of Warzone event for 2023 was even postponed due to the ongoing problems. As a result, Private Matches were removed from Warzone 2 shortly after, only to return in a surprise May 18 update. For now, there’s no quite telling if every issue has been resolved, so we’ll have to wait and see just how stable they are this time around.

Pringles are giving away double XP for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 A select series of Pringles products can now award buyers with Double XP for the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The deal is good on all platforms, from the PlayStation 4 to PC and XBox One. The promotion is good from September 17 through December 31, and includes a total of four Pringles Mega Stack products in two different sizes, which are as follows: Pringles® Mega Stack Original (6.8 oz. & 7.2 oz.) – Pringles® Mega Stack Cheddar Cheese (6.8 oz. & 7.2 oz.) – Pringles® Mega Stack Sour Cream & Onion (6.8 oz. & 7.2 oz.) – Pringles® Mega Stack BBQ (6.8 oz. & 7.2 oz.) – The offer is only available through Wal-Mart stores. To redeem the Double XP, buyers must upload a picture of their receipt to Kellogg’s website within 30 days of the products’ initial purchase. Read More: Treyarch’s Vonderhaar gives update on Hardcore mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 for first time – One the receipt has been validated, buyers will receive a code for the game’s Double XP, which they can redeem on CallofDuty.com/Pringles. The Double XP will last for 15 minutes in-game per code. While products may only be purchased through December 31, the codes will remain redeemable until January 30, 2019. Read More: Both CoDBurners explain why Karma could be “screwed” if he doesn’t perform well for OpTic – This isn’t the only company shelling out some special promos for Black Ops 4, either. Burger King is likewise taking part in the hype – however, their promo is only available in Australia. If Pringles aren’t your thing, you can still cop Double XP through specially marked 24oz cans of Monster, as well as their 10-packs and 4-packs.

Prestinni reveals what inspired eUnited’s CWL Finals victory over Gen.G MLGPreston ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 4‘s fifth major tournament of the season, CWL Finals. CWL Finals played host to the Pro League Playoffs, with number one seed eUnited and number two seed Gen.G Esports squaring off in a tense final that saw Gen.G reset the bracket after coming from the losers side of the tournament. While momentum seemed to be with Gen.G, it was Prestinni and eUnited who ran out eventual winners, taking the second series 3-0 and securing James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks’ first tournament success in 1,400 days. When asked what eUnited did to swing the momentum back into their favor ahead of the second series of the grand final, Prestinni revealed that taking some time to recover between maps, a conversation and the crowd all played a part in their astonishing turnaround after being demolished in the first series. “We were flat. The energy wasn’t there,” explained the 21-year-old. “We went back, talked, regained, and listened to music and vibed a little bit. Got in that same mindset and reset, because the whole bracket was reset.” “The crowd were amazing, they did help us, but it wasn’t even that. We just had that talk, and it was like that (first) series never existed. We played the way we were playing the day before, we went back to our teamwork.” Prestinni also discussed the fear of losing another grand final this year, following defeats in Las Vegas and London: “I was sitting there thinking ‘I’m not looking forward to the disappointment tweet’, and I didn’t want to do that again, so I ended up turning up.” Finally the submachine gun player revealed how much the tournament victory meant to him, explaining that the tears he shed on stage, and behind the scenes flowed because winning the tournament “was the best feeling in the world,” and that winning with his brother Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson made it all the sweeter. Their victory at CWL Finals means that eUnited take home the $500,000 grand prize, and head into the season’s biggest tournament, CWL Championships, as one of the favorites to lift the trophy and be crowned 2019 World Champions.

Prestinni Ninja Defuses Through Artillery and Fighter Pilot vs OpTic Preston ‘Prestinni’ Sanderson won a pivotal Round 9 S&D by defusing the bomb through two scorestreaks against OpTic during a match in Stage 2 of the CWL. Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter was carrying OpTic Gaming through the Map 2 Search against eUnited, earning an Artillery Barrage and a Fighter Pilot for use in the later rounds. With the map score tied at four a piece and each team down a player in Round 9, OpTic planted on the A site. Crimsix dropped his Artillery over the bomb and OpTic moved across Archway Street to defend, assuming the scorestreak would prevent a defuse from the other side. eUnited saw that the bombsite was clear from any OpTic presence, with only the Artillery protecting the bomb. Prestinni decided to roll the dice and hopped on for the defuse in the middle of the Artillery Barrage, taking a significant amount of damage – but no direct hits. Not seeing any eUnited players from their position, OpTic panicked and Crim called in his Fighter Pilot. But it was too late as Prestinni finished the defuse before he could be spotted by Crim’s pilot. eUnited would take advantage of OpTic’s wasted streaks by winning the next round to go up 2-0, but OpTic would take the next three maps to complete the reverse sweep. This is not the first time an Artillery Barrage has been unkind to OpTic, as Dillon ‘Attach’ Price of FaZe Clan famously sprinted through one on a flank to win a 1v3 in the CWL Stage 1 Playoffs Grand Finals.

Prestinni hints at competitive CoD break following Seattle Surge release CDLFormer Call of Duty World Champion Preston ‘Prestinni’ Sanderson has hinted at a break from competitive CoD, following Seattle Surge’s decision to part with its entire CDL roster. While a season as disappointing as the Seattle Surge’s was bound to raise questions over the players’ futures, the west-coast org still shocked many fans of competitive CoD when, on August 20, they confirmed that their entire roster had been dropped. The news, coming halfway through the Call of Duty League Championships, resulted in acrimonious words from some former players, like Samuel ‘Octane’ Larew. CDL free-agent @OctaneSam with some… choice words for Surge management 😭 pic.twitter.com/blZZMYznXO — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) August 20, 2021 For Prestinni, though, the news saw him hint at his future away from competitive Call of Duty, following a couple of tough years in the new franchise-based league. “On a real note, I don’t know what I’ll be doing,” he tweeted. “So many things I wanna do and I’m not sure competing is at the top of the list at the moment. “I may be taking a break from it all for a bit to regain and maybe pursue other things within gaming! Not sure yet. Love y’all.” Ayo! On a real note, idk what I’ll be doing. So many things I wanna do and I’m not sure competing is at the top of the list at the moment. I may be taking a break from it all for a bit to regain and maybe pursue other things within gaming! Not sure yet. Love y’all ❤️😁 — Preston (@Prestinni) August 20, 2021 The 23-year-old experienced major successes prior to the CDL’s inception, winning a host of tournaments with eUnited, including the Black Ops 4 World Championships. However, his time in the CDL has been split between the Florida Mutineers, Chicago Huntsmen, and Seattle Surge, with none of the teams providing a long-term or particularly auspicious home. Sanderson did not offer any clues as to where his future lies if not competing, but he did rule out a role as a caster. I am not nearly talented enough and my anxiety would kill me on camera 😂no shot — Preston (@Prestinni) August 20, 2021 A number of ex-CoD pros have gone into content creation and Warzone, but only time will tell if that’s the path Prestinni opts for. His proven talent in esports means there will likely be opportunities to remain in the CDL but, after a couple of difficult and nomadic years, some time away from the highest level of CoD may be what’s called for.

Prestinni being benched by Florida Mutineers is no longer his decision ActivisionPreston ‘Prestinni’ Sanderson may not be competing under the Florida Mayhem banners anytime soon as the Call of Duty League franchise seems set on having him ride the bench moving forward. Having made the decision not to attend the Los Angeles Home Series event on March 7, the pro’s shoes were filled by competitive veteran Maurice ‘Fero’ Henriquez for the duration of the tournament where the squad finished in sixth place overall. In the weeks that followed, Call of Duty League events have been canceled and matches have been shifted online, however, Prestinni hasn’t been able to return to his starting role as the Mutineers look to proceed in a different direction. As the Call of Duty scene prepares for the transition to online-only matches, season standings could be thrown for a loop as certain rosters begin to shine brighter than ever before under the new format. The Florida Mutineers appear to have found their groove while scrimming online with Fero, as a March 22 comment from Prestinni revealed that he is still benched weeks after the LA Home Series. “Not my decision anymore to be benched. So no that’s not the case,” he chimed in on a since-deleted Reddit thread pertaining to his future with the Mutineers. As the former World Champion intentionally sidelined himself ahead of the LA event, Prestinni has seemingly had no say in jumping back up to the main roster since Fero officially joined the Mutineers on March 6. While CDL substitutes aren’t allowed to actively compete in the Challengers scene, Preston appears to have been keeping busy with another roster all the while. “Before people start coming at me about scrimming with a new team, it’s just a team for fun to pass the time,” he explained on March 21. “I’m still playing for [the] Mutineers,” he added, just 24 hours prior to commenting about the organization’s decision to keep him on the bench. Before people start coming at me about scrimming with a new team, it’s just a team for fun to pass the time. I’m still playing for mutineers. — Preston (@Prestinni) March 21, 2020 With no official word from the Mutineers on the matter, it seems all but guaranteed that their next online matches continue forward with Fero in the starting lineup alongside Colt ‘Havok’ McLendon, Chance ‘Maux’ Moncivaez, Cesar ‘Skyz’ Bueno, and Bradley ‘Frosty’ Bergstrom. There are no dates set in stone for the return of CDL action, but you can keep up to date with the current standings and roster movements using our dedicated hub.

Pre-nuke version of Verdansk will not be playable in Warzone again ActivisionWith Warzone Season 3 bringing Verdansk ‘84 and a whole host of changes to the battle royale title, you’re probably wondering whether you can go back and play the original Warzone map. Verdansk became a clear-cut fan-favorite in the battle royale world, with iconic POIs and locations. Of course, like any map, it had its issues, but the devs were clearly on to something when making it. That’s likely why, rather than completely destroying the map and making something new, Raven gave it a big overhaul instead. With a new Cold War theme, with seasonal changes and classic Black Ops maps arriving in Verdansk, Verdansk 84 definitely feels slightly fresher. But many players are already questioning whether the old map will be returning. If dropping in at Array like it’s 2010 again isn’t for you, or you just miss the old version of Downtown, you’re probably wondering whether you’ll ever get that back. To put it bluntly, that won’t be happening. The old Verdansk map was nuked — we all saw it — and what we have now is the sole version of Verdansk that will be playable until they decide to update the map again. During a press briefing with Raven Software, the developers confirmed this, saying that the original Verdansk map will never be playable in Warzone again. Of course, this is going to be sad news for any players who prefer the old map, but in terms of the narrative, it definitely makes sense. After all, Verdansk was literally nuked. While the phrase “never say never” is bandied about often in the gaming world, this definitely seems as definitive as it gets. It’s certainly possible that an LTM arrives in the game down the line that takes place on the old Verdansk, but we wouldn’t bet on it. For now, we’ve got to just appreciate the glory of Verdansk 84. Everything you need to know about Verdansk ’84 & Warzone Season 3:

Pre-Alpha footage reveals new look at fan-favorite Call of Duty maps Treyarch – Black Ops 2Newly released footage of a Pre-Alpha Call of Duty fans a new look at some of the most popular maps in franchise history. Released in 2012, Treyarch’s Black Ops 2 remains one of the most cherished years in Call of Duty history. A newly released video gives a fresh look at incredibly early versions of popular maps from the entry. From Standoff, to Slums and Raid, this unique trip down memory lane exposed some early renditions of popular maps, some of which remained largely intact while others had evidently seen drastic alterations. Made public on October 12, the YouTube channel ‘Prototype Preservation’ has showcased a Pre-Alpha version of Black Ops 2, touring 10 of the Treyarch-made multiplayer maps. Captured “almost a year before release,” the new glimpse highlighted how the Black Ops 2 menu looked long before launch, as well as just how similar some of the most popular maps remained throughout the development period. While all of the maps were mostly untextured a year out from the release date, the overall structure seemed to be set in stone for the majority of fan-favorite battlegrounds. Take Hijacked for instance, one of the most popular Black Ops maps to date. Known for its close-quarters engagements, the layout of the map Call of Duty fans came to enjoy, appears to have remained mostly the same throughout development. Even down to the ‘Vahn Boyage’ signage, paying homage to Treyarch Game Design Director David Vonderhaar. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the video overall is just how different Black Ops 2 was visually at this stage in development. While the title may run smoother at 60FPS with less details to load, there’s no denying the early lighting effects gave off a rather polished look. As Reddit user ‘COD4IW’ expressed, “Wow the lighting in Hijacked and Raid is beautiful, looks like current gen really. They should have kept the lighting like that.” It remains unclear just how this YouTube channel managed to acquire such an early look at Black Ops 2, especially considering the seven years that have now passed since its release. Perhaps this might open the door for fascinating looks at various other Call of Duty titles though, just to gain a newfound appreciation of the effort that goes into designing some of the most historic maps in the history of the First Person Shooter genre.

PPSh overtakes MP40 in Warzone meta after devs confirm accidental buff ActivisionThe PPSh has overtaken the MP40 as the most popular weapon in Warzone Season 2, after devs Raven Software confirmed they had accidentally buffed the Vanguard SMG’s damage above the rest of the field. On February 22, Raven promised that a nerf was coming to the PPSh, saying that they had given the gun an “unintended increase to both its base damage and location-based multipliers.” While the weapon had been growing in popularity, the MP40 was, for a very long time, the go-to weapon for any of the best Vanguard loadouts. Players started to realize there was something special about the PPSh, though, and throughout Season 2 the meta has slowly been shifting. This was only bolstered by the PPSh being floor loot in Rebirth Island, helping many players realize just how powerful it is. After a long time catching up to the fellow Vanguard SMG, the PPSh finally claimed the top spot according to stats from February 22-23. As shown by WZRanked, the PPSh-41 reached a 10.4% pick ratio in Warzone, increasing each day to finally take over the MP40. Meanwhile, the MP40 is down to 9.3% down from around 15% just a week prior. Not only that, but the KD difference is incredible. The PPSh is at an average KD of 1.29 — the second highest in the game, behind only the C58 — while the MP40 trails quite far behind at 0.98. Below the two Vanguard guns, the Modern Warfare Kar98k and Cold War Swiss K31 rifles are still as popular as ever, with Cooper Carbine AR also in the top five. While an exact timeline for the PPSh nerf hasn’t been provided, you can expect it to come sooner rather than later now that the devs have announced it. From there, it will be interesting to see how the meta changes once again.

Powerhouse sniper is topping Warzone win rate & KD charts Raven Software/ActivisionOutperforming meta ARs and SMGs in Warzone, a lethal Vanguard sniper has secured the top spot for both win rate and overall KD ratio. Back in the old days of Warzone on Verdasnk, there were only two meta snipers that players considered using in the Kar98k and Swiss K31. This all changed in Season 3 when snipers as a whole received a major set of adjustments, removing most rifles ability to one-shot to the head. However, this shift did make way for a set of powerful Vanguard snipers to finally steal the spotlight and one of them was of course the Gorenko Anti-Tank Rifle. This powerhouse sniper remains top-tier in Season 5 Reloaded and thanks to its overwhelming firepower, has now secured some of the best stats in Warzone. Best Gorenko loadout in Warzone Season 5 Reloaded Attachments Muzzle: Mercury Silencer – Barrel: 420mm Empress – Optic: 1913 Variable 4-8x – Stock: Reinforced Stock – Underbarrel: Bipod – Magazine: 13mm AM 10 Round Mags – Ammunition: FMJ Rounds – Rear Grip: Leather Grip – Perk: Focus – Perk 2: On-Hand – There’s nothing better than picking off foes at long range in Warzone and no weapon does it better than the powerful Gorenko. With a one-shot headshot at an unlimited range, hitmarkers are rarely an issue for the gun if you’re a sharpshooter and precise with your aim. The build above prioritizes stability and enhancing the gun’s already devastating damage, so there’s never a chance you’ll be lacking in firepower. As close-quarters skirmishes are not the Gorenko’s strong suit, we recommend running Overkill so you can utilize a meta SMG like the MP40 or Armaguerra 43. Anyone can call a weapon a powerhouse, but the Gorenko has the stats to back it up in Season 5 Reloaded. According to WZRanked, the sniper has the highest winrate in Warzone at 5.1% and it’s topping the KD charts as well with an impressive 1.4. So, if you’re looking for a lethal sniper to wipe out foes in the final hour of Warzone, this is the pick for you.

Powerful Warzone RAM-7 loadout literally has no recoil ActivisionCoD YouTuber Metaphor continues to break Warzone, this time with an insane RAM-7 build boasting zero recoil that’ll melt foes in seconds. MW3‘s highly-anticipated integration with Warzone headlined Season 1, with over 30 weapons added to the battle royale. Many of MW3’s heavy hitters from multiplayer are performing as expected, with the DG-56 and BAS-B shredding the competition. Aside from the awaited integration, a new battle pass joined the fold, introducing a new chapter of BlackCell cosmetics and weapons. The RAM-7 is one of the new weapons, and as more players get their hands on it, the more popular it’s becoming. And, one well-known Warzone player found a nasty build for the RAM-7, with laser-like recoil. Metaphor’s “no recoil” RAM-7 build For those unaware, Metaphor is a well-known presence in the Warzone community, as a content creator for Toronto Ultra. He’s put in plenty of time assembling meta Warzone builds, such as this MCW build that converts it into an SMG. His newest invention is this RAM-7 build with almost no recoil, which he shared in a YouTube video on his channel. A few players caught the build, and tested it out, with one sharing their results to the CODWarzone subreddit. Here are all the attachments you’ll need for this RAM-7 build, and a clip that demonstrates the build’s power: Muzzle: Casus Brake – Barrel: Cronen Headwind Long Barrel – Stock: HVS 3.4 Pad – Magazine: 60 Round Mag – Underbarrel: Bruen Heavy Support Grip – Sure enough, the clip shows the weapon melting training dummies, and the gun barely moves as it does. Of course, the downside is the iron sight for the RAM-7 is a bit iffy, and no suppressor doesn’t float everyone’s boat. Make sure to hop on the RAM-7 train while you can because sooner or later, a nerf might slip through the cracks giving Metaphor’s build a little more recoil.

Powerful Warzone pistol competes with meta SMGs with one key attachment Activision/WZStatsThere is an unexpected loadout in Warzone that is proving to be deadly and competing with meta SMGs in Season 2 Reloaded. However, it comes with a pretty big catch as it needs one key attachment. Whenever the Warzone devs have rolled out weapon balancing changes, they’ve given space for some underused, and in other cases, unique weapons to start creeping up in the meta. This is typically because they’ve been “overbuffed” or have a broken attachment. As soon as top players start adopting these powerful weapons, it doesn’t take long before the wider Warzone community starts using them as well. They can go from being slept-on to totally meta in the blink of an eye. There are some that, despite their deadly stats, prove a little harder for players to adopt. This can be because they’ve got a weird recoil pattern or they need an attachment that players simply won’t grind for. Best Renetti loadout in Warzone for Modern Warfare 3 Well, following the Season 2 Reloaded update, Warzone expert WhosImmortal has highlighted another one of these, as the Renetti pistol can compete with SMGs. That is the case so long as you’ve got the JAK Feroity conversion kit, however, as that gives it a “competitive TTK” with some popular SMGs. “They buffed this thing damage on the conversion kit and it can actually hold its own,” the YouTuber said. “I do think SMGs are a bit more reliable but it is certainly an option if you’re looking to build a loadout with a pistol as a secondary as opposed to a full-on primary with Overkill.” Muzzle: Sonic Suppressor XS – Underbarrel: Kimura Seraphic vertical grip – Magazine: 30-round mag – Rear Grip: EXF Eclipsor Grip – Conversion Kit: JAK Ferocity – Timestamp of 12:30 WhosImmortal noted that this build does extend that “competitive TTK” range, but you can remove the underbarrel or rear grip if you’d rather have an optic on it instead. The Renetti’s viability is another example of how diverse the meta currently is in Warzone, but that could always change with another set of weapon changes. So, be sure to hop on board now while it is a competitive option.

Powerful Warzone cheat gives mouse and keyboard players aim assist ActivisionA Warzone cheat is allowing mouse and keyboard players to use aim assist on PC without being banned, all by spoofing the game into thinking you’re using a controller. When it comes to mouse and keyboard versus controller, there’s one aspect that controllers have an edge in, its aim assist feature, especially in Warzone and MW3. This has been a long controversial topic ever since crossplay became standard, with MnK players feeling it’s too strong, especially for players with great mechanics, but controller players feeling that it allows for an even field against MnK’s ability to aim accurately. However, a new emulator has been flying under the radar which allows MnK players to use aim assist meant for controllers in games like Warzone. Highlighted by YouTuber jackfrags, with the help of a software named ‘reWASD’, it can spoof the game into thinking MnK inputs as a controller, allowing players to get the best of both. The software even has the ability to implement configs for no recoil scripts, which is obviously a problem in multiplayer games like Warzone or MW3. However, it’s not just Call of Duty affected, as jackfrags was made aware of reWASD’s existence through a The Finals video by ItsJustSneaky discussing the program and how players are abusing it. This also means games with strong aim assist for controllers on PC like Apex Legends could also be exploited using the software. The software currently isn’t being flagged by the anti-cheat just yet, as technically it isn’t software for cheating, rather it was made to solve accessibility issues. However, Activision has been working on banning third-party hardware and software like the Cronus Zen, so it may be a matter of time before reWASD is banned.

Powerful MW3 AR replaces RAM-7 as Warzone’s most popular gun after nerf ActivisionIn the wake of the Season 2 update nerfing the RAM-7, Warzone players have started flocking to a new Assault Rifle – and it’s one that you might not expect. Following the Season 1 Reloaded update back on January 17, a fair few Warzone experts and casual players believed that the battle royale’s meta had become more diverse than ever. There were plenty of competitive options to use, and there hadn’t been a crutch weapon like in previous seasons. The RAM-7, which was added earlier in Season 1, may have been the most popular of the guns out there, but it wasn’t the only way to victory. The Assault Rifle has since been nerfed in Season 2, with the devs reducing the Ram’s min and mid damage values by four and three points respectively. Those changes have paved the way for a new gun to take over as the game’s most popular choice – and it’s one you may not have expected. SVA 545 is Warzone’s most popular weapon for Season 2 As expected, the RAM-7’s nerf has seen it start to slip away from being the battle royale’s most popular gun but it hasn’t totally slipped away from the meta. In its place, however, now sits the SVA 545. According to WZRanked stats, the SVA has seen it’s interest double since the new rounds of buffs and nerfs were put into place – rising to around 24%. There has also been considerable growth in the second-placed WSP-9, as it’s up to almost 17%. That is an increase of over 11% prior to where it stood before the recent buff. The SVA has always been a competitive option for Warzone players, but it’s new distinction as the most popular gun in Urkizstan is certainly a step up. It remains to be seen if it’ll be a long-term thing or if it is just a fad, but for now, everyone loves the SVA.

Powerful Automaton loadout is already Warzone Pacific’s best weapon ActivisionYouTuber JackFrags has unveiled his Automaton loadout for Warzone Pacific Season 1, using the fast-firing Vanguard assault rifle to dominate the early weeks of Caldera. Call of Duty: Vanguard’s full integration with Warzone came on December 8, seeing all of its weapons added and the battle royale transition to a luscious, sun-soaked environment on a Pacific Island called Caldera. Naturally, players are still trying to figure out how the new weapons stack up to the old, and which are best to maximize their chance of winning. While early metas are still elusive, YouTuber JackFrags has found himself an early front-runner in the form of the Automaton, the fast-firing Vanguard assault rifle that is moderately popular in the annual title’s multiplayer. Best Automaton loadout in Warzone Pacific Using all ten possible attachments, Jack’s Automaton seeks to strengthen its strongest aspects – fast-fire rate, damage, and handling – while also trying to minimize the detrimental impacts of its weaknesses – accuracy, mag size, and recoil. It makes the Automaton a medium-range monster, capable of bettering almost any weapon at those distances. Regardless, it remains slightly weaker than some low-recoil ARs at longer ranges, simply because of its bounce and kick when firing fully automatic. JackFrags‘ full Automaton loadout is listed below: Muzzle: MX Silencer – Barrel: Anastasia Sniper – Optic: Slate Reflector – Stock: ZAC Skeletal – Perk: Tight Grip – Perk 2: Fully Loaded – Rear Grip: Polymer Grip – Magazine: 6.5mm Sakura 75 Round Drums – Ammunition: Lengthened – Underbarrel: Carver Foregrip – The key attachments here are the 6.5mm Sakura 75 Round Drums and the MX Silencer. The former will compensate for the Automaton’s incredibly fast fire rate and allow you to take down entire enemy teams without reloading, while the latter keeps you off enemy radars and makes detection much more difficult. It’s a behemoth of a class, and could well become the early meta in Caldera.

Potential Black Ops 4 Menu Music Appears to Have Been Leaked An audio file has surfaced on the internet that is rumored to be the menu music for the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. While the leak has not been confirmed via any of the official channels, many have reacted to it positively, commenting that it brings back memories of the classic Black Ops theme. This music is sure to add fuel to the fire of hype and anticipation for Black Ops 4, which the community is hoping will take Call of Duty back to ultimate prominence. Developer Treyarch also produced the previous game in the series – Black Ops 3 – which many consider to be the last truly great title in the fabled franchise. Read More: *UPDATED* New Reports Claim Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Will Be a Battle.net Exclusive and Could Feature Cross-Platform Play – However, there have been numerous pieces of intel about the game that have been leaked and reported on ahead of the reveal event. This audio file, if it indeed does turn out to be the menu music for the next title, is the latest in this series of leaks. This leaked Black Ops 4 Menu Music brings back a whole new set of BO1 Vibes. I’ll buy the game just to hear this when I go onto multiplayer. pic.twitter.com/AcWSG20HEf — Classy (@Classify) May 7, 2018 CoD: Black Ops 4 was announced on March 8th as the next title in the iconic first-person shooter franchise, confirming the preceding weeks of heavy rumors. The series’ vast player-base awaits in anticipation for the big community reveal event that is scheduled for May 17th, along with the game’s actual release on October 12th.

Post Malone trolls Treyarch’s David Vonderhaar during Black Ops 4 livestream Rapper and pop megastar Post Malone was joined by Treyarch design director and YouTubers LEGIQN and CouRage for same Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 multiplayer and Blackout action, and the musician was in a trolling mood. With Black Ops 4 launching globally on October 12, Activision has been acutely aware of the importance of streaming and YouTube as promotion, drafting in big name streamers like Shroud and Ninja. But, Post Malone is also an avid gamer, and even has his own Twitch channel where he has previously streamed CoD: WWII and PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds. He previously featured in Black Ops 4’s CODNATION campaign too. So, it was no surprise when Call of Duty drafted him in for a sponsored stream, playing alongside with Vonderhaar, but Malone isn’t exactly a ‘safe’ personality, who doesn’t hold back from saying how he really feels. He also isn’t the typical celebrity gamer who struggles to keep up with the more dedicated players, showing he clearly does play his fair share of games. But, when he received the message prompt following a multiplayer match asking him if he enjoyed the previous game, Malone made sure that Vonderhaar saw him press “no”. When playing some Blackout, Post Malone also pointed how ridiculously fast his character would run out breath when swimming underwater – “I can hold my breath in real life longer than that.” To which David Vonderhaar jokingly replied “God damn video game designers!” And the ‘Rockstar’ singer and rapper also had some highlight plays, and wasn’t holding back in telling the opponents exactly how I felt. We’re sure the live stream was marked for mature audiences only though. With the new Blackout mode directly competing with PUBG (Malone’s game of choice), fans may be in for some Blackout streams on his own personal channel, with his album release in 2018 well behind him. You can watch Post Malone’s full stream on the Call of Duty Twitch channel here.

Possible Specialist Outfits Revealed in New PS Store Ad for CoD: Black Ops 4 Deluxe Edition The CoD community has been given their first look at the possible Specialist outfits that will be featured in CoD: Black Ops 4. An ad for the game’s Digital Deluxe Enhanced Edition shows three specialists wearing different variations of the same outfit. The ad popped up in the Playstation Store on August 6, and was brought to attention on social media by ‘tytypandabear.‘ Here is a higher resolution version of the ad, with the bonus Specialist outfits shown in the middle panel. As of now, it is not yet clear exactly which editions of the game other than the Digita Deluxe Enhanced Edition. will include these Specialist outfits. It is also unknown whether these outfits will be exclusive to those who have certain editions, or if they will also be available for purchase in-game. Neither Activision nor Treyarch have confirmed or officially announced this new information, although, according to the game listings on the CoD website, bonus items are to be included in some editions of the game. Specialist outfits were a big part of the cosmetic aspect of Treyarch’s previous CoD title Black Ops 3. Some standard outfits were available after completing challenges, while most others could only be unlocked through Supply Drops. However, a feature was recently added to BO3 that allows players to purchase certain Specialist outfits directly with CoD points. Many felt that the feature’s inclusion three years after the game’s release meant that it was merely a trial run for BO4, although It remains to be seen whether that option will be included in the upcoming title.

Possible Black Ops Cold War scorestreaks leak includes old specialists Activision[jwplayer EM7ByTrZ] A Call of Duty leaker has revealed details for scorestreaks that could be coming in the next Treyarch title, Black Ops Cold War. With the annual release cycle slowly finding its way back to the top, Black Ops Cold War has been officially revealed and details are starting to pour out, be it through official sources or from leakers and data miners. While players expect Cold War to be a notable shift away from the Modern Warfare style of play, one major change fans have been heavily debating is the shift between scorestreaks and killstreaks. It seems that Cold War will be transitioning back to scorestreaks this year, meaning that players will also be rewarded for objective plays as well as getting kills. Specialists could return as scorestreaks As leaker Tom Henderson (formerly known as YouTuber Long Sensation) describes, we might be getting a lot of new scorestreaks this year — including the return of some specialist weapons from Black Ops 3 and 4 as streaks themselves. “A lot of the specialist weapons from BO 3/4 will be returning but as scorestreaks this year,” he said, in a tweet posted on September 2. “The Flamethrower, Hand Cannon, Bow, Grenade Launcher and Death Machine are currently on the list.” Henderson also added that there are currently 18 scorestreaks in Cold War, the same number as was in Black Ops 3. https://twitter.com/_TomHenderson_/status/1301120939032281088?s=20 That wasn’t all, though. Henderson also added that, for the first time in Call of Duty history, new scorestreaks could end up being added to the game throughout its life-cycle, rather than all being immediately available at launch, as there’s “still several more streaks that have been designed but not yet implemented.” This could also be the first year where we get new scorestreaks added throughout the games cycle, as there’s still several more streaks that have been designed but not yet implemented. — Tom Henderson (@_TomHenderson_) September 2, 2020 This would definitely be an interesting change to the game, and would keep content fresh as the year goes on, and could be implemented seasonally similar to how new maps, weapons and gamemodes as has been occurring in Modern Warfare. Obviously, as with all leaks, take all of this information with a pinch of salt. While Henderson has been reliable in the past and accurately leaked information regarding Cold War, that doesn’t mean it is a dead certainty, especially with how frequently scorestreaks can change in the development process and depending on how recent a build his information is from. That said, this all sounds extremely exciting as anticipation for the new game builds, and the implementation of specialists as scorestreaks is likely to please those who weren’t a fan of specialists in Black Ops 3 and 4.

Popular Warzone TikToker Sebas Beron joins Envy Twitter, @sebasberon1 / Envy GamingAfter signing the Botez sisters and BobbyPoff, Envy Gaming have announced a new addition to their Call of Duty: Warzone team — popular TikTok creator and Twitch streamer, Sebastian ‘Sebas’ Beron. As Warzone and TikTok continue their unrelenting drives upward in mainstream culture, Envy have gone ahead and signed a content creator with a foothold in both areas. Around one week after signing popular Warzone streamer BobbyPoff, the gaming organization brings on Sebas as their second creator from the battle royale. While Sebas hasn’t made a ton of money from tournaments, he has become more active in the scene. In 2021, he’s already played in the $250K Twitch Rivals custom and the $150K Dallas Empire Jack Link’s Invitational. The CEO of Hotmics has entered the chat… Welcome, @sebasberon1! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Zwdb1kkYhQ — ENVY (@Envy) February 26, 2021 Envy, who run the Dallas Empire and Dallas Fuel, among other teams, are known for a competitive pedigree in the gaming industry. Sebas, meanwhile, is best known for competitive, aggressive gameplay in Warzone and showcasing his personality and dance moves on TikTok. With over a million followers across his social platforms, the Colombian Warzone player is the latest character added to Envy’s growing content team. And he already started celebrating by joining BobbyPoff on Twitch for a day full of Verdansk slaying.

Popular Warzone streamer Fifakill banned on Twitch Activision/YouTube: FifakillOne of Warzone’s most popular and successful players and content creators, Ethan ‘Fifakill’ Pink has been banned on Twitch — and it seems to be for posting a picture in another chat. There are many great Warzone players around the world, but Fifakill ranks especially high on that list. Sitting in the 10 slot as the highest earner in the game’s history, he has a decent following when it comes to his social platforms. The ban happened during a normal stream for Fifakill on April 9. The pro was rocking around 3K viewers and playing the battle royale when suddenly everything went offline for him. To much of everyone’s surprise, Fifa revealed that he had been banned from Twitch and told Dexerto he had no idea why. Warzone star Fifakill banned on Twitch In a tweet, Fifakill broke the news to fans that he has been banned. On top of this, he wasn’t aware what the reason was, typing “WTF?” When visiting his Twitch channel ‘fifakillvizualz‘ it reads: “This channel is temporarily unavailable due to a violation of Twitch’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.” However, he has no idea what he did wrong. Not only was Fifa confused on the situation, many others were as well. Multiple people replied with question marks and tagged Twitch Support as the community believes it had to have been a mistake. Even fellow Warzone pro and streamer ShawnJ hopped in, tagging Twitch and their support saying in all caps, “HELP HIM PLEASE.” Pretty sure I was banned for posting a pixel-art image of a “party sausage” in Bread’s chat. Ban lasts 3 days so I’ll see you guys then I guess!❤️ pic.twitter.com/BWQp6kY8ZR — Fifakill (@Fifakill_) April 9, 2022 Fifakill tweeted a few hours after his initial ban, with what he believes is the reason. “Pretty sure I was banned for posting a pixel-art image of a ‘party sausage in Bread’s [bbreadman] chat.” According to him, the ban will last three days, so anyone looking for content on Twitch from Fifa will need to wait until April 12 as he serves his punishment.

Popular Warzone streamer caught in EngineOwning ban wave Activision[jwplayer WGyDcVLl] Activision and Infinity Ward have sent out another wave of bans across the Warzone community, this time for a service called EngineOwning, and popular Twitch streamer Nick ‘Wagnificentt’ has been caught in the wave. At this point, everyone knows that cheating and Warzone are a package deal. If you play on PC, you’re pretty much guaranteed to come across cheaters every few matches due to the lack of a solid anti-cheat system implemented in the game. While Activision deserves credit for cracking down on cheaters in a major way over the past few months, there’s no denying that it’s still a major problem for the game, one that they need to fix if they want it to be sustainable. Now, another service has been caught up in the ban. Cheats created by the company EngineOwning, which were previously claimed to be “undetected”, have now been detected by Activision. Vice is also reporting that around 20,000 people were banned during this sweep. This has already begun making waves on social media, particularly after popular Twitch streamer Wagnificentt revealed that he was one of the players banned on September 29. According to the streamer, he was “falsely banned,” and is “deeply confused” about the situation; however, a report published shortly thereafter by charlieINTEL claimed, according to a source, that Wag had indeed been targeted for using EngineOwning’s cheats in the battle royale. @ATVIAssist I just got falsy banned on WARZONE Account name is wagnificent! I’m deeply confused by this as I’m a streamer likes to thousands of viewers daily — Wagnificent (@Wagnificentt) September 28, 2020 Of course, the fact that he streams Warzone live to “thousands of viewers” doesn’t eliminate the possibility that Wagnificentt was using cheats. One of the biggest draws of EngineOwning’s products was that they’re supposedly “undetected,” meaning those in the audience wouldn’t be able to spot it on the broadcast. The streamer followed up his initial tweet with another post, which has since been deleted but once again claimed that he was not cheating and his reputation was at stake. What happened with EngineOwning? EngineOwning offered over 50 cheats for Modern Warfare and Warzone, including major ones like aimbots, wallhacks, and more – things that give players an insurmountable advantage over everyone else. After this massive ban wave, Modern Warfare/Warzone is currently the only game out of 14 games listed on EngineOwning website that has been labeled as “detected,” no longer claiming that their software could be hidden. Currently, it’s unknown whether or not a lawsuit will be brought against them, such as what Activision has done to other companies who offer such third-party services. As always, we will continue to update this story as it develops.

Popular Warzone SMG dominates again as “strongest” gun after Season 2 Reloaded changes ActivisionWarzone expert Metaphor has highlighted the “strongest” SMG in Season 2 Reloaded after a raft of changes, and it’s one that everyone has used at some point. When Modern Warfare 3 & Warzone Season 2 Reloaded was on the horizon, plenty of players were hopeful that the devs would finally nerf the problematic MTZ 762. They got that and more with a fresh round of weapon balancing, as the assault rifle was knocked off its perch. Since the midseason update, the Warzone meta has undergone yet another refresh. It’s still pretty diverse, with plenty of competitive options to satisfy anyone who doesn’t want to get bogged down by using just one dominant gun. The SMG category has also been shaken up, with the previously dominant BP50 no longer holding the close-range throne. Instead, that accolade goes to the Ram-9, as players are flocking back to it. Best Ram-9 loadout for Warzone in Season 2 Reloaded Warzone guru Metaphor has also highlighted the SMG, claiming it’s the “strongest” option in the close-range after all the Season 2 Reloaded changes, and it’s not just because some of it’s attachments were buffed. “The Ram-9, which I believe is the strongest SMG in the game right now,” the YouTuber said, noting that the aiming changes in Season 2 Reloaded have “thrown” a few things off. He added that the Ram-9 has leapfrogged the HRM as it doesn’t “hit like it used to” and has likely been hit with some stealth nerfs. Metaphor’s loadout can be tweaked in two different ways as well, changing the barrel depending on your playstyle. If you require more control, go with the Speedway V5 Short Barrel, but if you’re on top of things with recoil, use the Armistice Light Barrel. Muzzle: Purifier Muzzle Break – Barrel: Armistice Light Barrel – Underbarrel: OR-6 Handstop – Magazine: 50-round mag – Stock: HVS 3.4 Pad – The YouTuber’s take on things lines up with WZRanked stats as well, as the SMG has risen up to be the most popular close-range gun in the battle royale. It does, however, sit behind the SVA 545 when it comes to being the most popular weapon overall.

Popular Warzone hack accuser BadBoyBeaman exposed for “rage hacking” ActivisionCall of Duty: Warzone has a set of fans who accuse nearly all of the big streamers of cheating. Now, one of their most popular figureheads, BadBoyBeaman, has been exposed for “rage hacking.” A wise man once said “how the turn tables,” boldly paraphrasing a timeless quote: “How the tables have turned.” And, in the Warzone hackusation scene, that expression comes to mind — as the community has now come full circle. BadBoyBeaman is a YouTuber who creates content accusing Warzone streamers of hacking. His work has led streamers to offer him flights to come watch them play and led children to literally wear tinfoil hats. Now, in as poetic a turn of fate as humanly possible, BBB has been exposed for hacking. That is no typo — the guy known for raging against streamers was found “rage hacking.” And it was in his very own subreddit, no less. BadBoyBeaman exposed for hacking in Warzone Calling out “”cheaters”” while actively cheating. Cant make that up. 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/ZRT2Pr1dTz — James – JGOD (@JGODYT) November 16, 2021 Popular YouTuber JGOD was one of the first people to call BBB out on Twitter, after seeing tweets and a Reddit post about the situation. Funnily enough, that OG Reddit post was on BBB’s own subreddit: r/StreamersCheating. In the post, ‘Throwawayp2020’ explained that they found BBB’s Warzone stats, which they cross-referenced against his gameplay to confirm the user. These stats were obviously suspicious, showing games where he put up 38 kills with only 92 damage taken. The community immediately dove into the information, opening up layers upon layers of proof. When BBB denied the accusations in the Reddit post, another user — ‘doomguy332’ — brought up further evidence. https://twitter.com/raratoman/status/1460650770592940035 While BBB admitted that he tests hacks out for educational purposes, users have demonstrated that he cheated for 96 games in a two-week span. This is in combination with research into his teammates hacking as well. On BBB’s side, he continues to proclaim his innocence on Twitter and YouTube. But public sentiment doesn’t seem convinced. One user on his subreddit called him a “fraud” while another simply expressed shock at this table-turning story: “The rage hacker that accuses legit player, you couldn’t write it.”

Popular Warzone Field Upgrade returning in Season 2 and fans are delighted ActivisionFortune’s Keep has been confirmed to return in Warzone Season 2, but that’s not all. The fan-favorite map will also be joined by a popular piece of equipment. Warzone has undergone a litany of massive changes over the last few years. After starting off with Verdansk as the only map, the devs have added a handful of different battlegrounds since, including the likes of Rebirth Island, Fortune’s Keep, Ashika Island, Vondel, Caldera, Al-Mazrah, and Urzikstan. On top of the different maps, they’ve also innovated with different gameplay features and mechanics. Things like ziplines have been added to more easily navigate the map, you can revive teammates with buyback tokens, and so on. As changes have been made, some items and features have gotten lost in the shuffle – left on Warzone Caldera and not seen again in Modern Warfare 3’s update. However, that is changing for one particular Field Upgrade. Warzone’s PDS Field Upgrade confirmed for Season 2 With Season 2 on the horizon, the Warzone devs have confirmed that Fortune’s Keep will be returning in the new update. On top of that, they also revealed the PDS – Personal Decontamination Station – will also be making a return at some point in the new season. If you’re a newer player who is unfamiliar with the PDS, well, it’s a Field Upgrade that was introduced back in Vanguard and was placed down similar to a Trophy System. Once activated, the PDS would create a shield around you from the gas for around 15 seconds. This allowed players who were struggling inside the gas to redo their armor, take a break to plan their next move or get the drop on someone they were following. The return of the PDS has already been welcomed by many players, with some calling it a “big W” and feeling like the battle royale is going back to “prime Warzone.” As noted, the popular Field Upgrade won’t be available right as Season 2 starts, but at some point after the main update. So, probably in Season 2 Reloaded.

Popular Warzone cheating site taken down as fans hope for hacking purge Activision / pixabayAs Call of Duty: Warzone continues to deal with a plague of hackers, fans are excited by a glimmer of new hope: Activision have apparently shut down the website and Discord of a popular cheat website. It is no secret that the Warzone community’s wishlist has one clear item at the top: anti-cheat. Dissatisfied with infrequent ban waves and the lack of a rigorous anti-cheat, players want the hacking situation dealt with. And they may be getting their wish, as people noticed a popular hack website, “CrazyAim,” has completely vanished — Discord included. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but players are hoping it’s a sign of more to come. As noticed by accounts like CharlieIntel, CrazyAim’s entire site and Discord were seemingly taken down on August 4. Warzone hacker site taken down NEW: One of the Warzone cheat provider sites called “CrazyAim” has been taken down today. Their Discord server was also shut down. pic.twitter.com/J5uxiqfLNV — CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) August 4, 2021 Cheating websites have been taken down in the past, but most simply come back with a new domain. The hope here is that, since the Discord was also shut down, there’s an extra layer of vigilance that will make it harder for the company to resume operations. The situation also gained some visibility on Reddit, where many we’re glad to see progress — but ultimately worried not enough was being done. The majority of responses don’t seem convinced that there is a massive purge of hacking websites incoming, but there is some hope. While most note that there are a ton of more sites to deal with, popular Warzone YouTuber JGOD replied to CI’s tweet a simple gif of dominos falling. Cheat sites have quickly bounced back in the past, but this is a bigger take-down effort than those dealt with — given the additional Discord shutdown. Until an effective anti-cheat is introduced, this is simply what players have to hope for. If CrazyAim is the first domino to fall, then players hope it stays down and that the next targets are struck quickly. With streamers switching over to Apex Legends, this would be as good a time as any for Activision to bring their biggest hammer out.

Popular Warzone cheat sellers shut down by Activision ahead of RICOCHET launch ActivisionActivision is taking extra steps to prevent cheaters by shutting down another top Warzone cheat seller ahead of their anti-cheat system RICOCHET going live. Cheaters have run rampant in Warzone lobbies since the early days of the game with cheap hacks and even free trials being offered out by different cheat sellers. However, the end of the cheating crisis that caused many to fall out of love with Warzone is potentially not too far away. As Activision makes their final preparations to introduce the next year of Warzone content, which includes the release of a brand-new map and the launch of the RICOCHET anti-cheat, they’ve taken down another top cheat seller. On November 19, the moderators of the popular Golden Gun Discord server – known for its cheat selling – revealed that Activision had contacted them. Activision claims that Golden Gun is in violation of their ToS. As a result, the cheat sellers will no longer be supporting and developing cheats for any Activision game going forward. “Activision has contacted Golden Gun Admins and has claimed that Golden Gun is in violation of their Terms of Service. As a result, Golden Gun will no longer be supporting any Activision product and will be ceasing all development,” revealed the cheat sellers. The announcement also added that the reasoning has nothing to do with the upcoming release of RICOCHET anti-cheat, and it’s just a legal matter. “For those wondering, this has nothing to do with Activision’s Anti-Cheat and is entirely a legal matter.” From Golden Gun’s announcement, Activision will seemingly be looking to take legal action against them, similar to what they’ve done with other sellers. In October, French site X22 was sent a legal notice from Activision, effectively forcing them to stop operating. The Golden Gun website is now already inactive, displaying the message: “Golden Gun has ceased all development and operations due to ongoing legal matters with Activision.”

Popular ‘Theater Mode’ Feature Looks Set to Return for CoD: Black Ops 4 Theater Mode, one of the more popular features in Call of Duty, looks set to return in the upcoming Black Ops 4 title. The revamped menu for the Private Beta of the new ‘Blackout’ battle royale mode contains a new option for Theater Mode, which had not been there initially when the Private Beta was live for the Black Ops 4 Multiplayer in August. While this option is currently locked, it will presumably become enabled when the full game launches on October 12, or shortly thereafter. Read More: Treyarch’s Vonderhaar Announces the First Major Change Coming to Blackout After Hearing Community Feedback – The return of Theater Mode will be especially good news for both content creators and competitive players. Content creators will no longer be forced to use third party recording equipment to capture game-play, and can instead go back to using the Theater’s camera and speed tools to get the clips they desire. As for competitive players and teams, the feature offers an easy way for them to review game-play and improve their strategies while also studying the opposition. The lack of Theater Mode in both the WWII and Infinite Warfare titles was a major point of contention among pro players, who heavily relied on the feature to prepare for competitive matches and events.