Author: Nik Ranger

OpTic’s Scump frustrated at CoD esports disrespect after beating s1mple in ESPN poll Call of Duty pro CS:GO pro player Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev in an online poll, just because he competes with a controller instead of a mouse and keyboard. After defeating s1mple in a poll run by ESPN, the Call of Duty 2017 World Champion has described the backlash as ‘mob hate’, claiming that many people were writing off his achievements. Despite all of Scump’s successes in Call of Duty, he was disappointed to receive a number of comments which – he says – claimed he didn’t have a “fraction of the talent” s1mple does. “I was personally attacked by hundreds of people today because the esport I play, and have loved for a decade, is on console,” OpTic’s SMG slayer stated in a tweet on April 3. The pro player later explained one of his main frustrations. When CS:GO esports was less prevalent, he and other Call of Duty players never criticized the viewership, skill or accomplishments, but is now receiving that treatment himself from fans. I was personally attacked by hundreds of people today because the esport I play (and have loved for a decade) is on console. :clinking_glasses: — Seth Abner (@OpTic_Scumper) April 3, 2019 The wider esports community have since reached out to Scump to support him, including Team Envy’s Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price, 100 Thieves owner Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag and Jack ‘CouRage’ Dunlop. tournament checks cashing the same. Trophy hardware made of the same shit’ pic.twitter.com/xBoFi6Sni1 — Patrick Price (@ACHES) April 3, 2019 That’s not what bothers me. What bothers me is that when counterstrike wasn’t as prevalent during our run we never bashed or even thought about slighting their level of viewership, skill, or players past accomplishments. The internet just ticks me off nowadays with its mob hate — Seth Abner (@OpTic_Scumper) April 3, 2019 I think they just feel self conscious knowing they will never have the success, excellent gene pool, and incredible sense of humor that you have. — Jack “CouRage” Dunlop (@CouRageJD) April 3, 2019 Cloud9 CS:GO player Will ‘RUSH’ Weirbza also responded, explaining that the CS:GO subreddit, perhaps where some of the vitriol towards Scump was coming from, is “hive mind”. I know it’s not the top dogs talking down. Most esports professionals show respect as to the different skill sets and determination/mental fortitude required to play at that level. Just frustrating when it all floods in on one day. You know I got love for you — Seth Abner (@OpTic_Scumper) April 3, 2019 Scump might have hinted at potentially regretting his comments after generating so much attention, but because of the reach he has – over 2.1 million followers on Twitter – many of his fellow pros will be thankful that he spoke up against the hate. But, even if the hate continues, nobody can take away Scump’s achievements on his platform, in the Call of Duty competitive scene.

Scump & Formal explain how Cold War League Play could be fixed YouTube, heczTVReactions to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s League Play have been unenthused, but OpTic Chicago’s Scump and FormaL have singled out some ways to fix the unpopular system. [jwplayer HTC4QIpT] League Play did not exist at all in Modern Warfare 2019, although the game did have some Call of Duty League ruleset options. Understandably, the CoD community was very excited for Treyarch’s return and hoped that the competitive mode would be available to play in BOCW. When discussing how the ranked system should best be implemented, fans of the franchise had specified CoD WWII’s as the optimal version, with some noting Black Ops 2’s. Instead, not only did League Play launch months after the game’s release, but when it did, it was essentially a clone of the widely disliked Black Ops 4 system. During an OpTic Gaming roundtable, brand forces Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and Davis ‘Hitch’ Edwards discussed the League Play problem with the team’s renowned veterans, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper. Together, they raised some interesting solutions. Incentivize casuals with League Play rewards As the group discussed the players invested in League Play, they all agreed that the mode catered to the competitive base and does little to interest casuals. While Scump said he’s been enjoying it, it became clear that no one thinks it provides many incentives to less-competitive players. As an example, Hitch brings up “cool ranks,” which FormaL exemplified with Valorant’s Radiant and Immortal ranks — part of an Elo system he says “people are grinding for.” Past that, FormaL elaborates that cosmetic and in-game rewards like “gear” and “double XP” could make casuals more interested in the grind. Introducing a refined Elo system The running theme for the conversation is fixing the Elo system, with critiques ranging from the placement system to ranking and de-ranking opportunities. FormaL and Scump brought up early Halo and CoD: WWII as better options, with the latter proved by how valuable earning a top rank was for visibility in the community. Noting that WWII had a clearer system that changed your rank depending on wins and losses while weighing strength of opponent, Scump expressed obvious confusion: “I don’t understand. Everyone was saying like, ‘this is how it needs to be or it’s not going to be a ranked playlist’ and then they just dropped Black Ops 4 copy/paste.” In general, the group agrees that the current placement and ranking system fails to incentivize grinding as team success and strength of opponent are discounted and the mode doesn’t dynamically reward players with exciting ranks.

OpTic Scump becomes 1st Call of Duty pro to win on 10 different CoDs Twitter, @scump / Call of Duty LeagueFollowing the OpTic Texas championship in the Call of Duty League’s Major 1, Scump has become the first player in CoD history to win a major event in 10 different titles. It’s been a long and decorated career for OpTic Texas SMG Seth ‘Scump’ Abner. Whether you know him as Scumpii, ScumperJumper, or simply as the King – the CoD legend has been competing at a high level for over a decade. From his days with Team Obey on Modern Warfare 3 to his latest escapades with OpTic Gaming, the red-haired renegade has been an omnipresent figure in competitive Call of Duty. Now, with an OpTic win capping off CDL Major 1, the King has hit 30 major event wins. The achievement has made him the first player to ever win an event in 10 separate Call of Duty entries. OpTic Scump makes history with wins on 10 different CoDs 30 event wins and the 1st player in CoD history to win an event in 10 different games? Congratulations to @Scump on the milestones 👑 pic.twitter.com/lnxn8e5ZC5 — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) March 8, 2022 While the CoD GOAT conversation typically leans toward Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter, James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks, or Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow, Scump is always in the vicinity. The OpTic mainstay doesn’t have quite as many world championships, but his accolades are still nothing to scoff at. After winning Major 1 on Sledgehammer’s Vanguard title, Scump has now won 30 major events across 10 titles. The former is quite the milestone, but the latter is literal CoD history. Discussing this new benchmark on Reddit, fans were quick to point out just how ridiculous Scump has been. One user remarked: “12 years into competing and he’s still playing amazing,” while another noted that “10 different CODs is f**king nuts.” And for those wondering if Scump’s play is still matching the success, the statistics from the Major 1 cup tell an impressive story. The King posted a 1.13 K/D on the weekend (per BreakingPoint), good for 7th among all players and third among SMGs.

OpTic’s Scump reveals why he was “”aggravated”” after getting swept by 100 Thieves The CWL Pro League is well underway, with incredible headlines already coming together and OpTic Gaming’s Seth ‘Scump’ Abner offered his views on the “rivalry” between the Greenwall and 100 Thieves. Call of Duty is filled with incredible storylines that usually tend to stem from long histories of intense matchups or bad blood boiling between any given pair of teams. When it comes to OpTic and 100 Thieves, though, Scump thinks there isn’t much between the two sides to warrant such tension. In an episode of OpTic’s Vision series, Scump gave his thoughts on his team’s fresh 3-0 loss to the 100 Thieves during Week 6 of the Pro League. While he was “aggravated” after the defeat, it was more because of the fans than the match results. A 3-0 sweep frustrating for a different reason “After the match obviously I was pretty aggravated,” Scump said. “Just because everyone wants to see us lose to pretty much anyone, but if you’re a 100 Thieves fan and you play us, you hate us for no reason. ” Scump predicted that the shutout loss would lead people to believe the Greenwall couldn’t “hang” with the Thieves. He stated that the series between the two came down to multiple “small sequences” that he believes his team could easily clean up. Scump revealed he wasn’t sure that the exchanges between the two squads merited a connection that could be described as a “rivalry.” Instead saying it was a storyline people reached to “push” between the two star-studded teams. (Timestamp at 14:02 for mobile viewers) There is no rivalry “Just to speak on the rivalry with 100 Thieves,” Scump said. “There’s no rivalry. I mean, a lot of people nitpick like me and [Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter ] against [Sam ‘Octane’ Larew], you know [Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly] against [Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat]. I think our only rivals in the scene right now are [Team Envy] and [Luminosity Gaming], for obvious reasons.” Though the CoD World Champion did say he believed there was one person between the two orgs who sees 100T versus OpTic as a rivalry, saying: “I don’t really see it as a rivalry, I don’t think 100 Thieves sees it as a rivalry, either. But, I mean, [Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag] obviously wants to beat OpTic, so he’s gonna push that.” However Scump categorizes the matchup, both orgs are on a collision course for the next chapter in the series when OpTic Gaming goes up against the 100 Thieves in pool play at CWL London on May 3.

OpTic rebuild will be tempting for H3CZ – Richard Lewis Richard Lewis / H3CZAmid reports that Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriquez is attempting to reacquire the OpTic Gaming brand, Richard Lewis explains why the NRG CEO may choose to abandon ship and inject a new lease of life into the Greenwall. Fans were shocked when H3cz sold OpTic Gaming — the esports brand which he turned into one of the biggest organizations in the world — in 2017. He is now the CEO at NRG, the owners of CDL team Chicago Huntsmen. But now Hector is faced with the toughest decision since he decided to sell OpTic to Infinite… Stick or twist? Per a report citing sources close to the deal, H3CZ is primed to reacquire his beloved OpTic Gaming. Speaking on the matter, Richard Lewis believes that the NRG CEO has arrived at a crossroads. “If the deal goes through, and Hector gets the CDL slot… He has to get rid of that, or he has to leave the Chicago Huntsmen and NRG.” “”Does he walk away to rebuild OpTic up? I think he’ll be very tempted to and I think NRG will be a little bit nervous.”@RLewisReports delves into why @H3CZ may be tempted to save OpTic Gaming. 🎙️ Watch full video: https://t.co/SG0sG4z931 pic.twitter.com/ip0lLXutPE — Dexerto (@Dexerto) October 5, 2020 OpTic Gaming or Chicago Huntsmen? According to Lewis, Rodriquez described OpTic as “one of his kids,” which isn’t surprising, given that he was at the forefront of the brand’s expansion; rearing it from its infancy to the esports giant it’s become. “He loves it that much,” Lewis added. “It’s his brand. He couldn’t stomach what the Immortals group were doing to it, and he felt the same way most of you fans did, when he watched it become the shell and shadow of itself.” And with that in mind, Hector now faces a novel dilemma — return ‘home’ after building yet another Call of Duty giant with NRG, or stick to his guns with the Chicago Huntsmen and sell OpTic’s CDL slot to avoid the obvious conflict of interest. “Does he walk away to rebuild OpTic up? I think he’ll be very tempted to and I think NRG will be a little bit nervous.” Of course, only time will tell whether the reports prove to hold substance and the course of action Hector will take. But for now, long-time fans of the Greenwall are certainly excited at the prospect of returning to more familiar territory.

OpTic players reveal hilarious communication during Scump’s 1v1 clutch vs FaZe MLG/CWLOpTic Gaming’s Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter and Seth ‘Scump’ Abner have revealed the discussions that took place prior to the latter’s intense 1v1 clutch, which clinched the reverse sweep over rival organization FaZe Clan at CWL Anaheim. June 15 saw the first matches of the winners’ and losers’ brackets at CWL Anaheim, as pool play concluded late on Friday. One stand out encounter saw OpTic Gaming versus FaZe Clan, as the two juggernauts of esports met in the winners’ round one. It’s fair to say that the match did not disappoint. FaZe Clan came out swinging, taking the Frequency Hardpoint 250-93, followed by clutching up in Arsenal Search and Destroy Round 11, to lead OpTic 2-0. The $200,000 tournament takes place from June 14-16. OpTic came storming back though, taking the Gridlock Control around a huge performance from Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly. They backed this up in Map 4, taking the Hacienda Hardpoint, and setting up an epic Map 5 on Frequency S&D. The final S&D was as close as the series would suggest when, at 5-4 to OpTic, Scump stepped up and won the series, by eliminating McArthur ‘Cellium’ Jovel in a tense 1v1. After the match, OpTic players revealed what was said as Scump debated whether to challenge his opponent in the gunfight. The King comes in clutch! :crown: #CWLAnaheim pic.twitter.com/U0kqIhI3HF — DEXERTO Call of Duty (@DexertoIntel) June 16, 2019 Halo World Champion and ex-OpTic captain Tony ‘LethuL’ Campbell tweeted that “after the 8th shoulder peek I knew King Scump had him right where he wanted him. Either that or Crim said ‘you gotta go dumbass look at the clock.’” This prompted Crimsix himself to respond, saying that “he (Scump) asked to chall, I replied with ‘yeah, **** it’ then Damon goes ‘Well yeah, you kinda gotta go’”. Scump confirmed, explaining “I said ‘should I just ego chall?’ Whole team gave the green light so I said **** it”. He asked to chall, I replied with “yeah, **** it” then Damon goes “Well yeah, you kinda gotta go” LOL — Ian (@OpTic_Crimsix) June 16, 2019 I said “should I just ego chall?” Whole team gave the green light so I said **** it — Seth Abner (@OpTic_Scumper) June 16, 2019 The hilariously casual exchange reflects the communicative efficiency of OpTic’s CoD team, as well as Scump’s incredible confidence in even the most tense of scenarios. Despite the impressive clutch, OpTic could not make the momentum count, as they lost 3-1 to 100 Thieves in the winners’ semis and are set up for a difficult Losers’ Bracket run. Similarly, FaZe Clan are still in the losers’ Bracket, and will start their Sunday off against Enigma6.

OpTic owner H3CZ slams “offensive” CDL camos: “Who keeps choking?” Activision/YouTube: H3CZOpTic Gaming owner Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has slammed the new Call of Duty League skins in CoD: Vanguard, even calling them “offensive.” Alongside the launch of Ranked Play on February 17, the Call of Duty League skins started to appear and get shown across the internet, despite not actually being in the game yet. It didn’t take long for the skins to start appearing on social media and, inevitably, players and fans started clowning the new weapon camos. That’s not all, though — before long, the players and owners themselves were letting their feelings be known, and many weren’t impressed. Vanguard CDL camos… W or L? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/e9slYIximr — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) February 17, 2022 Many questioned why the camos were so generic and not unique for each team (besides the colors), with some insisting that each camo should at least have the team logo on it. Read More: CDL 2022 season: Standings & schedule – Of all the people to upset, though, OpTic H3CZ is one of the last people you’d want to, as one of the most popular personalities in the scene and owner of the most popular team. “I don’t know what’s more offensive, the way they titled our camo “Texas OpTics” or the way they designed our camo,” he said, before following up with a tweet asking “who keeps choking?” I don’t know whats more offensive, the way they titled our camo “”Texas OpTics”” or the way they designed our camo… C’monnnnn man. — OpTic HecZ (@H3CZ) February 18, 2022 It didn’t take long for Vanguard developers Sledgehammer Games to address H3CZ’ concerns, though perhaps not as much as he would have liked. They confirmed that they had a fix in the works for the ‘Texas OpTics’ name given to the camos that would be implemented “as soon as possible.” We have a fix for this error that will be implemented as soon as possible.https://t.co/78NkzVi2pM — Sledgehammer Games (@SHGames) February 17, 2022 It’s unlikely they completely change the weapon camos now, but at the very least we should see OpTic Texas camos before too long — and not Texas OpTics.

OpTic Owner H3CZ Reacts to Difficult CWL Season, Poor Champs Placing, and Rumors of Scump Retiring VisionIt has been a week since OpTic Gaming were eliminated of the 2018 CWL Championships, and yet the wounds feel as fresh as ever for the org’s players, members, and vast fan-base. After failing to get out of the group stages at Champs, OpTic finished a competitive season without a major tournament win for the first time in recent memory. In the first episode of ‘Vision’ since that calamity in Columbus, owner and CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez opened up about the disappointing event and season, admitting that he had totally different expectations coming into WWII. “There is a lot of pressure for you to come back and be the first team to do back to back wins, and I thought we had that. We were going back to boots-on-the-ground. Seth was a monster, Crimsix, Karma, Formal, all literal gods on boots-on-the-ground. Ghosts, you know, they were the team. For me, this year is one of those years where you literally just have to put it behind you. Because if you dwell on it, I’m not saying don’t learn from it, but if you dwell on it, you might get infected with the ‘loserness’ of that year.” However, despite the results being far from ideal, H3CZ was willing to accept them and admit that even the best and strongest organizations have some years of difficulty and hardship. “I gave myself and the team the benefit of ‘you know what, we’ve had an incredible, incredible career.’ We’ve been the most dominating team for a very, very long time. We have the dynasty team that was solidified by winning Call of Duty Champs. Not only that, but we help the Call of Duty scene grow to what it is today. So it was bound to happen at some point or another for us to have a bad year. It happens to everyone!” H3CZ also discussed the rumors that were flying around about longtime OpTic pro player Seth ‘Scump’ Abner possibly retiring after the WWII season. Scump finished the season without a trophy for the first time in his competitive career, even admitting that his poor play at times cost the team a chance at winning. it was only recently that Scump confirmed that he will be returning for the Black Ops 4 season, H3CZ claims to have never been worried about it, and instead looked ahead to the upcoming season as one of bounce-back and resurgence for his captain and team.“I’m hopeful for the future. I knew that Scumpy wasn’t going to retire. I knew that for a fact. I wouldn’t let him. He can retire when he wins another championship or another ring, okay? That’s when he can retire. Until then, you think I was going to let him retire as a loser? Fuck that! Pardon my French! Forget that! No way, there was no way I was going to let him do that. Black Op 4 though…”

OpTic or coL? Clayster and H3CZ debate the greatest Call of Duty dynasty of all time eUnited’s James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks has gone back and forth with OpTic’s CEO, Hector Rodriguez on which legendary Call of Duty roster had the most dominant run. Since the OpTic roster changes back in May of 2018, which saw the departure of Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper and Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow (temporarily) from the team, the competitive Call of Duty community has been debating which team has had the most impressive dynasty: compLexity or OpTic Gaming? This debate resurfaced once again when former compLexity star, Clayster, took to Twitter to share a step by step guide on “how to trigger your followers”. In which, he also included a jab at his current rivals in OpTic, jokingly stating that “optic gaming are geeks”. The 2015 Call of Duty world champion then moved on to share the final step in his list, claiming he saved the best for last, “the coL dynasty was far better and more dominant than the OG dynasty”. OpTic Hecz was quick to respond, saying: “biased. and incorrect.” before inviting Clayster to join him on the Eavesdrop podcast where they could discuss the matter further. Got two more for yah: 4) fortnite is dead 5) blops2 league play sucked ass— eU Clayster (@Clayster) February 25, 2019 The compLexity and OpTic dynasties both won Call of Duty World Championships during their runs. Some would argue that coL’s era of dominance was more convincing, while others would point at the longevity of OpTic as a clear indicator that their dynasty was more impressive. Clayster later conceded that, although he felt the coL dynasty was more dominant in their time at the top, he thought that OpTic Gaming’s dynasty roster was “more talented” and “more accomplished”. The pair then settled on a plan to record an episode of the Eavesdrop before CWL Fort Worth takes place in March, as Hector asked Clay to record it “when you come for the camp.” It appears the eUnited team will be once again boot camping with OpTic Gaming, as they have done previously before the inaugural event of the season, CWL Las Vegas. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

OpTic Might Turn to TeddyRecKs and Lethal Gaming for Help in Search and Destroy OpTic Gaming and Lethal Gaming could be set to help each other to practice and improve ahead of 2018 Call of Duty World Championship. Lethal’s Ted ‘TeddyRecKs’ Kim suggested that his team would help a pro roster to improve their Search and Destroy play in return for advice in respawn, and it looks like Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and OpTic might take him up on that offer. Responding to TeddyRecKs’ original Twitter post, Scump said “banging your line” and it isn’t such a far fetched idea to believe that the reigning World Champions would be open to the thought. if any pro teams will help our respawn game we will help your snd game in return bang my line — Ted :clap: (@TeddyRecKs) July 30, 2018 OpTic Gaming has struggled to find success throughout the Call of Duty: WWII season, even after adding Sam ‘Octane’ Larew and Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni to the roster in May. One of the biggest criticisms of the former kings has been their poor performance in Search and Destroy, and their inability to win a single S&D map at the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs only served to compound that. Meanwhile, Lethal Gaming is made up of players that are best known for their Search and Destroy ability and recently qualified for the 2018 Call of Duty Championship through the LCQ. Lethal has been drawn in Group B with Rise Nation, Tainted Minds and Brash Esports for the $1.5 million event, while OpTic Gaming’s players will begin their title defense in Group H against Evil Geniuses, Elevate, and Supremacy. While the two teams could potentially meet one another in the later stages of the tournament, the potential benefits of a practice agreement could certainly outweigh the negatives. After a year of struggles and disappointments, it is clear that the OpTic players need to try something drastic if they want to hold on to their crown.

OpTic LA’s SlasheR slams “unacceptable” Modern Warfare online matches IG: OpTicGaming/CDLOpTic Gaming LA’s Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat has slammed Modern Warfare over the internet conditions in which players have to compete in the Call of Duty League, following the inaugural season’s move online. There has been significant debate about the CDL’s transition to online play only, with a host of pro players arguing that there are far too many inconsistencies and server issues for the season to be legitimate. Others, however, make the case that it’s the only way competition can continue given the ongoing global crisis. SlasheR, veteran AR for OpTic Gaming Los Angeles, comes down on the side of the former argument, and has slammed the CDL as his side’s struggles go on. Despite, on paper, boasting one of the best rosters in the whole league, the OpTic Gaming LA roster have struggled to put any sort of winning run together. These issues have continued into the ongoing CDL Chicago, where a 3-1 loss to the LA Guerillas saw the Green Wall eliminated without winning a match. While they have struggled both online and at LAN events, SlasheR has hit out at the CDL over recent online conditions, arguing they are completely “unacceptable” and impossible to compete under. “This is just unacceptable,” he said, in an April 25 tweet. “When does the next Black Ops game release? Gotta mark my calendar”. Next year’s CoD title is developed by Treyarch and, while not thought to be a direct sequel to Black Ops 4, is thought to be tied into the series in some way. This is just unacceptable. When does the next black ops game release? Gotta mark my calendar — Austin Liddicoat (@SlasheR_AL) April 25, 2020 SlasheR’s criticism is aimed at Modern Warfare’s online servers which, despite recent adjustments to try and make them more suitable for competitive play, many claim are still struggling to offer totally lag-free experiences. SlasheR also states that the lag was so bad, his team were asking to end the game early, as well as sarcastically providing a map to highlight the distance between Los Angeles and Chicago. We are also screaming mid map SND for a ref to end the game after round 2. ROUND TWO !!!!!!!!! “We cant end it” — Austin Liddicoat (@SlasheR_AL) April 25, 2020 The tweets follow complaints from CDL Chicago’s Friday competition, in which SlasheR asked how players are supposed to perform at the highest level while on 100 ping. How does one perform at the highest level on 100 ping? Asking for a friend — Austin Liddicoat (@SlasheR_AL) April 25, 2020 In response to the complaints, Joe ‘MerK’ DeLuca, ex-pro CoD player and current broadcaster for the CDL, said: “There’s nothing anyone can do, we would all love to be on LAN”. No, it’s more like there’s nothing anyone can do, we would all love to be on lan. — MerK (@JoeDeLuca) April 25, 2020 It is an undoubtedly tricky situation for the CDL to balance. There is no real prospect of LAN play returning anytime soon, but SlasheR is clearly of the opinion that the CDL’s online environment could be drastically improved. The ongoing struggles of OpTic Gaming Los Angeles have led some to speculate about upcoming roster changes. Of the five players currently starting for the Green Wall, four won at least one tournament in last year’s Black Ops 4. It is a truly bizarre series of events, as five of the world’s best CoD players struggle to win a single map.

OpTic LA, London & Paris drop players from CDL rosters OpTic GamingIn a day full of roster moves the Paris Legion and London Ravens have dropped their full teams from the 2020 Call of Duty League season, and OpTic has parted ways with four of its players as well. With one single tweet on September 8, the Legion announced they had released all five of the players on their roster from the organization headed into the offseason. All of the Legion’s players will be free agents for the offseason. There are rumors that the league will lower each team’s minimum player-count requirement from seven to five (four starters and one sub), which might have made several of the pros expendable. PARIS LEGION DROPPED PLAYERS Denholm ‘Denz‘ Taylor – Luke ‘Louqa‘ Rigas – Conrad ‘Shockz‘ Rymarek – Zach ‘Zed‘ Denyer – Paul ‘Breszy‘ Breszynski – Maik ‘Phantoms‘ Schmitz – Matthew ‘KiSMET‘ Tinsley – Official statement : We want to thank all of these fantastic players that fought until the last second of the season with pride. We wish them the best of luck in the future. #EnGarde pic.twitter.com/ofdrhoeQQB — Vegas Legion (@LasVegasLegion) September 8, 2020 A similar story seems to have played out across the English Channel with the Ravens, who also parted ways with the entirety of their 2020 roster on Sept. 8 as well. The timing of these announcements isn’t a coincidence at all: per the league’s offseason roster rules, any player not signed to an extension between September 6-13 automatically becomes a free agent. LONDON RAVENS DROPPED PLAYERS Matthew ‘Skrapz‘ Marshall – Thomas ‘Dylan‘ Henderson – Bradley ‘wuskin‘ Marshall – Trei ‘Zer0‘ Morris – Rhys ‘Rated‘ Price – Dylan ‘MadCat‘ Daly – Byron ‘Nastie‘ Plumridge – We want to thank our players who represented London with pride. We appreciate the contribution that @skrapzg, @DylanCOD_, @wuskinz, @Trei, @RatedCOD, @MadCat & @Nastiee made in our inaugural Call of Duty League season. We wish them all the best in their next ventures. pic.twitter.com/U5UVmu5p8O — Carolina Royal Ravens (@RoyalRavens) September 8, 2020 While the European teams were busy cleaning house, the LA OpTic announced roster moves of their own – the release of substitute player Brandon ‘Dashy‘ Otell, as well as Jevon ‘Goonjar‘ Gooljar-Lim, Martin ‘Chino’ Chino, and Darien ‘Hollow’ Chverchko, Read More: When will vehicles return to Warzone? – Dashy was the hero of LA’s crosstown playoffs match with the Guerillas, when he subbed in and helped OpTic narrowly avoid the upset. It’s obvious he can play, so it will be interesting to see where the Canadian could end up next season. A huge shoutout and thank you to @DashySZN. Young in your career, you’ve made an incredible impact on the Call of Duty scene. No doubt you’ll dominate wherever you land. We wish you the best of luck going forward 💚#OGLA pic.twitter.com/6mLlS3OQr2 — OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTic) September 8, 2020 What’s next? Right now, London and Paris could very well be heading into the 2021 Black Ops Cold War season with a brand-new starting lineup, unless they decide to bring back any of their former pros. As per league rules, however, players cannot negotiate deals with new teams until September 14, so it will be at least a week until we see any news on new signings. As always, you can keep up with all of this offseason’s roster changes, player signings, and more via our Call of Duty League Rostermania hub. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter @DexertoINTEL for all the latest news, team changes, and more.

OpTic Kenny fears diving and shooting may be too overpowered in CoD Black Ops 6 ActivisionOpTic Gaming’s Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Williams had an opportunity to play Call of Duty Black Ops 6 early, and the Call of Duty League pro is worried that the new diving and shooting mechanic might be too strong. During an OpTic Gaming GameChat podcast episode, Kenny claimed that the diving and shooting mechanic is overpowered in CoD Black Ops 6. He gave an example of a player aiming down a hallway and getting taken down too quickly by an enemy who dives across the room. “Being able to dive and shoot, Kenny said.” We told them you have to nerf it because the dive is so fast from the other POV.” Amer “Pred” Zulbeari chimed in and expressed concern that pros might decide to GA the feature. GA stands for gentlemen’s agreement and occurs when pro players agree to ban something from the CDL. “I can see diving and shooting being GAd because if it is the same as when we played it was broken,” Kenny responded. As for Omnimovement, Kenny believes everyone will like the new feature, and it will be viewed as one of the best additions in recent history. As explained in the reveal blog, Omnimovement makes it possible to sprint, slide, and dive in any direction. Combined with the diving and shooting mechanic, operators will have a full 360-degree range of motion. “I think all of us will love omnimovement,” Kenny claimed. “Once you get it down, this is what the game was supposed to be years ago, and how was this not a thing for years.” Kenny also praised Treyarch for creating great maps catering to competitive CoD and making the time-to-kill speed “perfect,” as it wasn’t too fast. Players will get a chance to play the upcoming title during an upcoming beta. Treyarch also plans to give fans a look at gameplay during CoD Next on August 28. We expect the event to follow a similar format to previous iterations and include live gameplay from some of the 16 new multiplayer maps. Black Ops 6 officially launches on October 24.

OpTic keep rolling; Gen.G, Heretics clinch Playoff spots – CWL Pro League July 2 recap and highlights MLG – Twitter / Gen.G TwitterThe final week of the CWL Pro League passed its halfway mark on Tuesday, July 2, leaving just two more days of matches in the regular season. As the regular season of the CWL Pro League draws to a close, more and more teams are finding out their fate when it comes to qualifying for the Playoffs at the upcoming CWL Finals event. After four more cross-divisional matches were played on July 2, all of the Playoff spots from Division B were wrapped up, leaving just one more spot in Division A to be decided in the coming two days. Midnight sweep Heretics to keep initiative The first match of the day saw Division A’s Midnight Esports cast aside Team Heretics 3-0 to keep their grip on the fourth and final top-four spot in Division A. The win improved Midnight to 11-9, keeping them one game ahead of Team Reciprocity, ahead of their difficult matchup against eUnited tomorrow. It got scary for @GGMidnight_, but they close out the S&D to go up 2-0 vs @TeamHeretics. https://t.co/NKHQSgV6Gh@ScufGaming Play of the Game: @Zaptius and @SaugaRoyalty combine for a 2v4 round win! pic.twitter.com/rbFfYVMvAv — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) July 2, 2019 OpTic barely edge out Elevate in five-map thriller OpTic continued their blazing roll in the Pro League after beating Elevate 3-2 in a match that went all the way to a game five, round 11. The win improved the Green Wall to a 16-4 record, by far the best in Division A and tied with eUnited for tops overall. Although Elevate came into the match already eliminated from top-four contention in Division B, they pushed the CWL Vegas champs to the brink, who were saved by this miraculous 2v5 ninja-defuse play by Seth ‘Scump’ Abner in the final round. WHATTT!!! :shocked::shocked::shocked:@OpTic_Scumper sticks the defuse as @OpTicGaming 2v5 clutch for the WIN! pic.twitter.com/tqgmYQGOZS — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) July 2, 2019 Reciprocity keep Playoff hopes alive versus Envy Both Team Reciprocity and Team Envy came into their July 2 matchup knowing that a loss would eliminate them from finishing in the top four of their respective Divisions. The series went back-and-forth, much like the OpTic-Elevate match, going all the way to a game five, round 11. Read More: OpTic Gaming become LA CWL franchise team, Gary Vee & WISE Ventures secure Minnesota Call of Duty spot – In a thrilling ending, Reciprocity’s clutch gene proved too strong for Envy to handle, as they pulled the 3-2 win to stay just one game behind Midnight for the fourth spot in Division A. Envy, on the other hand, were eliminated from top-four contention, giving the fourth and final Playoff spot to Heretics, despite their loss earlier in the day. ROUND 11 MADNESS!!! @TeamReciprocity win a WILD final round to defeat @Envy in the series! Envy are out of playoff contention with the loss, @TeamHeretics will be the fourth team out of Division B! pic.twitter.com/mBYVRhEXmL — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) July 2, 2019 Gen.G clinch Playoff spot against eUnited The final match of July 2 pitted the two teams that had come in second at the previous two major tournaments, as Gen.G looked to clinch a Playoff spot with a victory. After a very strong start saw Gen.G take a 2-0 lead, eUnited came roaring back to take the series to a deciding fifth map. However, the CWL Anaheim finalists were able to stop the comeback right there, handing eU their first loss in 10 Pro League matches and clinching the third Playoff spot in Division A. Give em all to @ColtHavok! He shuts down the S&D with an ace, @GenG up 2-0 on @eUnited! https://t.co/NKHQSgV6Gh #CWLPS4 pic.twitter.com/BB7kzUY7uS — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) July 3, 2019

OpTic Karma stuns Nadeshot and Cloakzy with “inspirational” Warzone 2 clutch ActivisionDamon ‘Karma’ Barlow is one of the greatest players to ever grace Call of Duty and his most recent Warzone 2 clutch left Nadeshot and Cloakzy completely mindblown. Karma is a three-time Call of Duty World Champion and even though he’s been retired for two years he hasn’t lost a step when it comes to absolutely dominating lobbies in both traditional multiplayer and Warzone 2. He’s far beyond needing to prove himself to anyone at this point and his skills are widely known, but sometimes he reaches levels that even his ultra-talented peers can’t believe, and that’s exactly what happened when Nadeshot and Cloak watched him clutch a game that would have been impossible for most. Karma’s ridiculous Warzone 2 clutch shocks his friends OpTic’s resident GOAT was left in a desperate situation. The only man alive for his squad, there were still five teams on the hunt for victory. Trapped inside a building with the gas at his back, Barlow quickly collected a full kill on one player before heading to the roof and jumping down to confront his victim’s teammates. He effortlessly cleans up the next two before limit-testing himself by challenging a third player who had already landed some shots on him. The unlucky player on the other end was no match for him though, and again Karma repositioned, this time under a nearby highway where another team had laid roost. As the gas threatened the players up above, a well-placed Precision Airstrike bought him enough time to understand where the last unknown players were posted up. After a quick series of nearly unbelievable gunfights, the legendary gamer was greeted with the Victory screen and a chorus of approval from his teammates. “Damon, you’re in the f***ng zone today!” Cloakzy said, with Nadeshot following him up and calling the performance “inspirational”. Barlow has made a career out of pulling off these kinds of plays, and with OpTic’s Call of Duty League roster struggles, it’s certainly enough to make one wonder if they should potentially be looking inward to find the answer.

OpTic’s Karma sends viewers into hysterics after hijacking Crimsix’s stream OpTic Gaming Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 star Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow decided he would be the star of Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter’s Twitch stream on Tuesday, February 12 when he took over his teammate’s broadcast. The pair have been reunited on the OpTic’s starting CoD roster for Black Ops 4, after Karma spent some time on the bench during the World War II season. Now back together, OpTic Gaming have seen immediate success, winning CWL Las Vegas with many fans praising Barlow for his performance. The pair are both currently in Columbus, Ohio, with Barlow and Porter sharing an apartment while they compete at the CWL Pro League. After OpTic’s match on February 12, Crimsix decided to boot up his stream and play some pick-up matches with other pro players. As Porter stepped away from his setup for a moment, Karma quickly swooped in and picked up the headset, claiming that he was going to be playing instead, as his fellow pro players laughed with delight. “Is Porter hosting?” asked Karma as he put on the headset. “I’m ready to play bro.” Barlow’s OpTic Gaming teammate Seth ‘Scump’ Abner, who was also in the call, was quick to respond, saying: “This guy’s out of control! Get him off the screen!” Crimsix found the funny side of the exchange, but eventually returned to his setup and ousted Karma, taking back control of his headset and his stream. OpTic Gaming’s CWL Pro League campaign has gotten off to an impressive start, despite an early loss to Midnight. Since the opening day defeat, OpTic have won four matches on the spin to move up to third position in Division A. The team will be back in competition on Wednesday, February 13 when they take on undefeated division leaders Gen.G Esports.

OpTic Karma reveals why he turned down an offer to join 100T during Black Ops 4 OpTic Gaming’s Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow told fans why he chose to stick with OpTic over joining the new 100 Thieves roster. It was a rough WW2 season for the three time CoD Champs winner and he was stunningly dropped by OpTic, but planned on returning to compete in Black Ops 4. Rumors circulated that 100T wanted Karma to join stars Slasher, Octane and Kenny for the organization’s return to CoD, but the move never materialized and he re-joined OpTic instead. While speaking on Dashy’s stream, Karma gave one of the reasons he turned down 100T. “They told me that Fero was going to be the flex and I’m like, listen dude… If I’m joining [100T], I am not running a sub,” said Karma. “I would’ve been a free kill on the map.” This was not the first time he spoke out about joining the new 100T roster, previously he mentioned holding out from a decision in an attempt to play with John – who ended up staying with LG. The move has worked out so far for Karma. While playing his preferred flex role for OpTic Gaming, the team won the first major of the year at CWL Vegas. Read More: NAMELESS and Clayster point out how easily unproved CoD players are getting on big name teams – Things were less smooth for 100 Thieves, who may have to switch up roles after the individually talented roster failed to look like a cohesive unit in Vegas. Although Karma may not want to be a main sub player in Black Ops 4, that did not stop Treyarch from allegedly naming an SMG after him. Next up for Karma and OpTic Gaming will be the Black Ops 4 CWL Pro League, which they automatically qualified for after winning CWL Vegas.

OpTic Karma reveals his pick for Call of Duty’s GOAT OpTic Gaming star Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow appeared on Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez’s 600 Seconds podcast to discuss his best and worst moments as a professional player, his three World Championship wins and his thoughts on who Call of Duty’s all-time greatest player is. Karma is widely recognized as one of, if not the greatest Call of Duty players of all time, with his three World Championship rings setting him apart from anyone who has ever played the game at a professional level. The Canadian has starred on a number of legendary rosters throughout his career, playing a major role in Fariko Impact’s Black Ops 2 success, while also being a member of two of CoD’s greatest dynasties, compLexity and OpTic Gaming. What were Karma’s best and worst moments in Call of Duty? During his experience on 600 Seconds, Karma briefly broke down some of the highlights and lowlights from his time as a professional CoD player. “Playing with Doug [‘Censor’ Martin], I was really mad,” stated the OpTic star when asked about tough moments. “The only other time was sad, but it opened my eyes. Playing in Raleigh in Black Ops 1, got my worst placing ever. It really opened my eyes.” Karma has had plenty of highlights in his illustrious career though, mentioning Black Ops 2 and Infinite Warfare World Championship wins as the best periods he has experienced in the game, ranking them above his Call of Duty: Ghosts Champs win, which he says: “felt like just another tournament.” Who is Karma’s all-time favorite teammate? The Canadian has no shortage of incredible teammates to list off when discussing his favorite ever teammate, but it will come as little surprise that Karma named the player he has teamed with longer than anyone as the best. “That’s easy,” Karma told H3CZ. “Ian [‘Crimsix’ Porter]. I don’t even know how many years we’ve played together. We’ve got to be the longest team of two people in Call of Duty.” Who is the greatest Call of Duty player of all time? With Karma disqualified from choosing himself as the answer to this question – although many would argue he is the undisputed best – Karma stayed in-house for his answer, going back to the well and selecting Crimsix as the greatest of all time. Karma said: “I’m picking Ian. He’s smart. That’s all I care about playing CoD. In my opinion, everybody can shoot straight, some might shoot are a little better. In the end though, it comes down to the decisions you make and that’s how I rate Call of Duty players.” Karma also touched on the prospect of franchising in Call of Duty, stating that he was unaware of the details regarding the prospect, but revealed that his biggest concern was that he hoped he didn’t have to move. Disclaimer: Hector Rodriguez is a minority shareholder of Dexerto LTD.

OpTic Karma proves he’s just as good on PC with Battalion 1944 clutch MLG / Bulkhead InteractiveThree time Call of Duty World Champion Damon ‘Karma‘ Barlow is best known as a console gaming legend, but his biggest fans know he’s just as skilled with a keyboard and mouse too, as he demonstrated on rising shooter game Battalion 1944. The OpTic Gaming star has been a professional Call of Duty player for almost a decade with 24 major championship wins to his name, but he hasn’t always been the “star” player on a roster. Rather, Karma is known for his intelligent and creative play, smart decision-making and a level of consistency unparalleled by many of his fellow pros – and these skills easily transfer to any game he plays. Whether it’s CS:GO, PUBG or even Fortnite Battle Royale, Barlow has always proven himself adept at grasping a game’s fundamentals, and instantly perfecting them. The newest viral shooter on Twitch in 2019 is WWII-themed FPS ‘Battalion 1944‘, which makes no attempts to hide the inspiration it took from Call of Duty and Counter-Strike’s gameplay. Of course, this means it’s well suited to Karma’s skills, and it didn’t take long for his teammates to have their minds blown, as he clutched a slick 1v2 with an excellent prediction, and perfect reactions and accuracy. It wasn’t Karma’s only insane play of the night either, as he showed off his sniping skills too. The CoD pro quickly worked out some sneaky lines of sight to line up the perfect shot to eliminate an opponent. Battalion’s primary game mode is largely inspired by Call of Duty’s ‘Search & Destroy’ and Counter-Strike’s Bomb Defusal, so a veteran like Karma would have felt right at home. Former CS:GO pro shroud explained that he thinks Battalion is the perfect mix of COD and CS, making it the “best FPS out right now” in his opinion. Clearly, there is something about Battalion that is appealing to these skilled players, and shroud himself even complimented its difficulty, skill gap and competitiveness. Karma is still competing full time in Call of Duty, so won’t be able to dedicate the time he might like to Battalion, but even just playing casually, his expertise is apparent for all to see.

OpTic’s Karma hints at team change ahead of Call of Duty franchising MLGOpTic Gaming’s legendary Call of Duty player Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow has teased what would be a major development regarding his future in the competitive scene. With the competitive Call of Duty landscape shifting dramatically to fit a new franchise-based model, the future is uncertain for many pro players. Some owners have started to announce their plans for the upcoming shift, however no players have yet to be formally announced for any of the nine teams. On September 8, Karma expressed that he was open to discussions with any and all Call of Duty franchise teams, although he did not go as far as to say he was a free agent, restricted or otherwise. Read More: Scump names his dream team – “If you’d like to contact me regarding the upcoming CDL season here’s my email,” he Tweeted late Sunday evening. If you’d like to contact me regarding the upcoming CDL season here’s my email damonrbbarlow@gmail.com — Damon B (@OpTic_DKarma) September 9, 2019 The situation for Karma and the rest of the Optic Gaming roster is muddled by the recent sale of OpTic parent company Infinite Esports & Entertainment to Immortals Gaming Club. Read More: Karma casts doubt over Optic’s future – Immortals acquired the OpTic brand in June, and purchased one of two Los Angeles spots in the new Call of Duty League shortly thereafter. According to league rules, teams that have players under contract from the CWL have the option of matching offers from other organizations, which begs the question of whether Immortals will do that in order to keep the powerhouse Green Wall roster intact. However, the three-time World Champion Karma might not end up being a part of their plans, as he followed up his initial tweet by revealing that he hadn’t heard much from his org. “I only put this because it seems things are happening and I haven’t even been contacted by (optic I guess),” he wrote. I only put this because it seems things are happening and I haven’t even been contacted by (optic I guess) — Damon B (@OpTic_DKarma) September 9, 2019 If Karma does end up parting ways with OpTic, he will leave a legacy that very few players could ever even dream of matching. Having joined the organization back in 2015, he became an integral part of what is known as OpTic’s dynasty roster, winning 14 major tournaments, including the 2017 CWL Championship, the first ever World Championship for the Green Wall. Keep track of all of the offseason roster moves and team changes via our dedicated Call of Duty franchising RosterMania tracker.

OpTic Huke played CDL Major 2 with wrong controller settings OpTic TexasOpTic Texas’ Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell revealed his teammate Cuyler ‘Huke’ Garland played CDL Major 2 with incorrect controller settings. Huke joined OpTic Texas during the Major 2 Qualifiers after Seth ‘Scump‘ Abner retired. The dynamic player made an immediate difference, as the new-look team went 3-1 in qualifying matches. Texas impressed again at CDL Major 2, placing fourth, but it wasn’t enough to keep the group together. OpTic replaced Indervir ‘iLLeY’ Dhaliwal with exciting Challengers prospect Dan ‘Ghosty‘ Rothe heading into Major 3 Qualifiers. Expectations are high for the Green Wall ahead of their first match on February 18, yet there is good reason to believe we haven’t seen Huke’s best yet. Dashy looked through Huke’s settings and unearthed a mistake that may have been holding the talented player back. Huke accidentally used MW2 Gyro aim CDL YouTuber TacticalRab broke down the situation involving Hukes setting issues. Rab claimed, “for a guy that can shoot incredibly straight with a really good shot, he was missing some serious shots at the major.” Modern Warfare 2 introduced a new gyro aiming system, and as it turns out, Huke accidentally used gyro controls during Major 2. Gyro allows you to aim by tilting the controller instead of using the traditional joystick method. For some games, gyro controls enhance the experience, but for a fast-paced FPS such as MW2, it only hinders your performance. Dashy appeared on the Flank and said Huke’s aim was messed up by inadvertently turning on Gravity Vector under the advanced controller settings menu. TacticalRab elaborated, “it doesn’t excuse some of the poor decision-making that Huke made at times, but it does give some credence to the idea that Huke is probably better, at least in terms of role ability, than he’s been showing lately.” After changing the setting, Huke dropped 33 kills against Pred, Asim, Envoy, and Prolute in a casual match. It is yet to be seen how much of a difference the setting will make when CDL matches start back up again.

OpTic H3CZ slams Call of Duty devs treating competitive CoD as an “afterthought” President of the OpTic Texas CDL franchise, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, claims the Call of Duty devs’ decisions and the lack of league play at launch is ruining competitive CoD, claiming the competitive scene is an “afterthought”. As we’re heading into the third year of the franchised CDL with the launch of Call of Duty: Vanguard, promises made by the devs to franchise owners have not been fulfilled. The lack of league play at launch year after year and game-changing additions being added to the game are examples that are negatively affecting the popularity of the CDL and competitive CoD generally. Halo Infinite’s launch was more successful than many imagined, and during episode 55 of the OpTic podcast on December 26, H3CZ went off on a tangent when comparing the successful Halo to Call of Duty. “You would not say Halo was going to have that good of a f**king launch. But what happened? Good product, good competitive settings, whatever the pro players are playing is something you can play when you launch the game with no problems,” said H3CZ. “Call of Duty has private lobbies with the f**king Krampus? We are a f**king second thought. I will lead again by saying that everybody at league level wants Call of Duty competitive to work,” H3CZ expressed, before hitting out at the developers for their lack of effort. “It’s the developers that are falling way behind and letting us down, period.” (Timestamp at 15:14) League play has been missing at Call of Duty’s launch for the last few years, which hinders professional players’ ability to practice before the start of the season. H3CZ touched on the issue: “I’m going to tell you what’s a problem. The game launched in November. Our first game is in January, in two months,” he raged. “No league play at launch either after year after year after year of people saying it’s coming – it’s never coming!” “Organizations are paying 10’s of millions of dollars to fund this thing, and there’s no end in sight of when we’re getting what they told us. Two years ago when this thing launched, I was told we’re going to have league play because it’s important! Three years in, season three of CDL is about to start and there’s no league play.” There’s less than a month to go until season three of the CDL kicks off. Hopefully, the devs don’t make any more game-changing decisions that’ll hurt competitive play before then.

OpTic H3CZ says CDL teams not consulted in YouTube exclusivity talks Activision/YouTube: HECZOpTic CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez claimed the Call of Duty League did not consult team owners on a potential return to YouTube. The Call of Duty League began exclusively streaming on Twitch at the start of the 2023 season after a three-year partnership with YouTube expired. Fans celebrated the move, and it paid dividends for viewership numbers. Just Under 193,000 viewers tuned in to the main CDL stream and separate watch parties during the season’s opening weekend. Viewership numbers received another boost when Seth ‘Scump’ Abner retired after CDL Major 1 and transitioned into streaming. His first CDL watch party on Twitch peaked at around 95,000. Despite bolstering a strong following on Twitch, sources close to the situation told Dexerto that the CDL is in talks to bring matches back to YouTube exclusively. H3CZ reacted to the news during Scump’s CDL Major 2 watch party and told fans he doesn’t believe the rumor is true. H3CZ gives his take on potential YouTube CDL takeover Sources told Dexerto that the Call of Duty League will be transitioning back to YouTube following Major 2 in Boston. During a live stream on February 3, H3CZ argued, “I don’t think that rumor is true because I don’t think that the league would not talk to their partners who paid a bunch of cash to be a part of this franchised league.” Scump asked if he would still be able to host CDL watch parties if the league switched platforms, and H3CZ responded yes. However, the OpTic Texas owner also half-seriously said, “this may be the last watch party ever.” Call of Duty community members reacted negatively to the rumor. Ben Nissim hosts CDL watch parties alongside former Call of Duty pros Thomas ‘Zooma’ Paparatto and Patrick ‘Aches’ Price. Nissim responded, “Probably helps keep the lights on, but this is a massive blow to the community that has helped bring massive viewership on Twitch.” LA Thieves player Sam ‘Octane’ Larew added, “If the CDL goes back to YouTube after all the positive growth from co-streams/Twitch culture, that’d be a huge L.” CDL content creator KeviSkillz argued, “The CDL was driven to near collapse under the previous YT exclusivity deal. The open move to Twitch and the emergence of watch parties saved us.” We will provide an update once the league provides more clarity after Major 2.

OpTic H3CZ reveals how franchised CoD league could kill players’ streaming careers YouTube: H3CZ / MLGHector ‘Call of Duty league could end the streaming careers of pro players should the league adopt the same rules as its Overwatch counterpart. CoD is set to move to a franchise model for the 2020 season, with teams currently bidding upwards of $25 million on locations as they attempt to secure their spot in the league. While teams are spending incredible sums to enter the competition, the OpTic Gaming CEO has revealed that the league could come at a significant cost to players if they implement Overwatch’s streaming rules, with stars like Seth ‘Scump’ Abner possibly forced to stop broadcasting completely. In the June 10 episode of his Eavesdrop Podcast, H3CZ discussed the prospect of Activision adopting rules which state that Overwatch players cannot steam within an hour of any League event starting or finishing, and also specify that no more than two OWL players can stream together at one time. “Obviously in Overwatch they’re not allowed to stream on certain days,” said the 39-year-old. “Overwatch hadn’t really developed a competitive culture like Call of Duty has. We’ve been able to raise the bar competitively. We’ve done more for competition than Activision did for competition.” “Yeah, they created the game, but we’re the ones who brought in the crowd. So when they franchise, are they going to tell Scump that he can’t make $190,000-a-month on Twitch anymore, and then they’re going to put a salary cap on top of that?” As it stands, Scump is able to stream whenever he chooses, as long as he is not playing in a CWL Pro League match which are streamed from the MLG Arena in Columbus, Ohio. If Overwatch’s streaming rules were introduced, he would no longer be able to stream OpTic Gaming’s practice, which takes up a large part of his day, and could also be unable to stream pick-up matches with other pro players. This would greatly reduce the amount of time pro players could spend broadcasting on platforms like Twitch, which will negatively impact their growth on the site, and the revenue they can make on it. Activision have yet to release a rulebook for the upcoming franchised league, but pro players will be hoping that the team behind the Call of Duty version will be more lenient than those who created the Overwatch handbook.

OpTic H3CZ reveals CDL LAN events will start during Stage 4 YouTube: OpTic ChicagoOpTic Chicago CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez may have accidentally leaked the fact that LAN will be returning to the CDL from Stage 4 onwards… and even hinted at when fans could be back in arenas. After it was recently announced that LAN would be returning to the CDL sometime during the season, no set dates were given and fans were left guessing. Now, though, it looks like we’ve got a much better idea thanks to H3CZ being perhaps more open than he should’ve been on the OpTic pre-show. Ahead of the Paris Home Series, H3CZ discussed the return of LAN, and gave fans some prospective dates to look forward to, as well. While discussing how LAN will come back and how much it’ll impact the game during the OpTic Preshow, H3CZ gave fans a bit more to look forward to across the coming stages. “We’ve just received some clarity on that [LAN],” he said. “We won’t see a LAN event until the following stage. And then after that, the next stage is the OpTic Chicago homestand. Yet to be announced as for where it is, not that it matters because no one’s showing up anyway.” Implying that there will be no fans at the upcoming LAN events in Stage 4 and onwards, Hector adds: “I don’t think that we’ll see fans until… maybe Champs. Maybe Champs.” Timestamp 11:34 Taking a look at the full CDL schedule, the Chicago Home Series takes place at the start of Stage 4, from May 27-30. Read More: The CDL team that can’t be stopped – If LAN is instead pushed back to the Stage 4 Major, this is currently scheduled for June 16-20, meaning we should expect the switch from completely online play to occur in mid-June. There are not yet any set dates for the Call of Duty Championship, but this usually takes place from mid- to late-August, meaning a couple of months and the possibility of restrictions easing up a little. Whether this means fans can attend and watch the games live is another question.

OpTic H3CZ explains why the CDL “isn’t ready” for more expansion teams Activision/YouTube: HECZWhile Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is one of the owners of the OpTic Texas Call of Duty League team, he’s revealed that he doesn’t believe the league is actually ready for more teams, as calls for expansion continue to grow. Since its inception, fans of the CDL have called for expansion, wanting to move up from 12 franchises to 16 or possibly even more, especially given the raw amount of talent in Challengers. That said, the league only recently found a buyer for its 12th spot after NRG pulled out of the league, with Oxygen Esports and Kraft Group joining up to start a Boston CDL franchise. While other parties have reportedly shown interest, with RISE Nation owner Rodger Saffold suggesting talks have happened as well as the possible Washington deal falling through, there have been no signs of expansion — and H3CZ thinks that’s for good reason. Speaking with OpTic Texas star Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro on the Eavesdrop Podcast, the 20-year-old SMG asked “Where’re the 16 teams?” H3CZ, as ever, was perfectly honest on his thoughts with Shotzzy. “Look, I don’t think that we’re ready for 16 teams,” he said. “I don’t think we’re ready, man. I don’t think the monetization ability is there.” With Shotzzy asking if that comes down to the likes of League Play, confirmed third game modes and other issues competitive fans have with the game, H3CZ expanded a bit. “We’re lucky and blessed to be one of the 12 teams, but there’s a slight disconnect even among teams. I see a lot of teams not putting the resources behind that they do.” Timestamp 1:00:21 He goes on to discuss the effort being put forth by certain franchises, saying that he finds it annoying when he visits a team’s YouTube channel and they haven’t uploaded for five months, among other things. While expansion seemed unlikely ahead of the 2022 CDL season — one that some consider “make or break” for the league — H3CZ’s doubts over the viability of expansion will definitely put a damper on people’s hopes for next year.

OpTic H3CZ demands move away from online CoD for Modern Warfare CDL season YT: OpTic NationThe climax of the Vanguard Call of Duty League season is fast approaching, but legend of the scene H3CZ has demanded major changes to next season’s format, specifically calling for an end to online matches in the Modern Warfare 2 season. The third Call of Duty League season is rapidly coming to a close, with only August’s CoD Champs remaining in pros’ calendars. After that, it will be transitioning to Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2, a title expected to be the only Call of Duty game for at least two years. As such, fans, players and owners have been sharing their thoughts of what needs to change going into the CDL’s fourth season since it replaced the CWL. For legend of the scene H3CZ, there’s one thing in particular that has to go for the MW2 season. H3CZ slams CDL: “How can you make it worse?” Speaking on episode 83 of the OpTic Podcast, H3CZ strongly criticized the League for continuing to force teams to play online Call of Duty, despite being a multimillion dollar competition. Online CoD has long been established as less consistent than LAN competition, where ping, lag and other variables do not have nearly the same effect. “But, I mean, in this league, how can you make it f**king worse?” he asked. “We’re playing online Call of Duty, still to this f**king day. We are over-practising… We’re going into season f**king four of this thing. If next year there is a single thought or mention or ‘we should do anything online related’, my hand is gonna be raised and I’m gonna say no immediately.” Timestamp: 23:22 He continued: “I have no patience [for it]. I just don’t want to. It doesn’t work though, the viewership doesn’t work… You know what else Scump? Who the f**k cares how much it costs? We’re the ones paying for it, not the League… So if we as an ownership group want this to not be online we have a hard say on that… How is it that we went backwards from MLG?” Scump and former CoD pro FormaL echoed H3CZ’ comments, although the OpTic Texas President did accept that others in the aforementioned ownership group do not agree with his position. Whether the CDL take on board H3CZ’ advice is another matter but many fans will doubtless agree with the legend of Call of Duty esports.

OpTic owner H3CZ demands Activision let CDL teams create their own camos YouTube: OpTic Nation / ActivisionOpTic Gaming owner Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has demanded Activision let Call of Duty League teams design their own in-game cosmetics after an “insulting” CoD Vanguard drop left a lot to be desired. It’s safe to say CoD Vanguard hasn’t had the best run when it comes to CDL cosmetics. First, it was the default team skins in Season 1 that copped a huge wave of backlash. Some pro players even thought the developers were “trolling” due to their lackluster appearance. Now, weapon camos have been in the spotlight for similar reasons. Since their unveiling in February, many have been critical of the singular weapon design that boasts different colors for each of the 12 CDL teams. Not only were the designs considered “offensive” by H3CZ, but they even put OpTic’s name down wrong in the store, leveling the biggest team in CoD as ‘Texas OpTics’ instead. As a result, the OpTic owner has now called for Activision to hand over control: “If they’re not gonna try, let us try,” he said on the latest OpTic Podcast. “I am insulted” Rather than unique designs for each franchise, all CDL teams received the exact same weapon camo with different colors. This is the main point of frustration. “If Activision gave us the template to do it, not only are we offloading work from them, essentially doing all the work they’re supposed to be doing, but we’re doing them a favor.” With every squad handed control of their own designs, H3CZ believes it would become “an immediate competition”. Every single team would be looking to sell their fans the “dopest” designs possible, he argued. I don’t know whats more offensive, the way they titled our camo “Texas OpTics” or the way they designed our camo… C’monnnnn man. — OpTic HECZ (@H3CZ) February 18, 2022 Instead, a single design is all fans have this year. As a result, the OpTic owner is already anticipating poor sales when all is said and done with the 2022 season. “[CDL skins] didn’t really sell that much,” he said, impersonating Activision. “No sh*t, you gave us a f**king acid trip throw up as a skin.” Read more: OpTic Texas CDL Major 1 – “Thank you for buying the skins,” he then said to loyal Green Wall fans. “You’re not necessarily buying them because they’re cool. You’re buying them because you’re supporting a bigger picture.” H3CZ discusses OpTic’s CDL camos at the 6:50 mark below. Imploring those in charge to “let [OpTic] do it,” H3CZ demanded not only the “opportunity to be creative,” but the chance to give their “best effort for fans.” After creating OpTic’s Halo Infinite skins from scratch, he certainly favors the manual “process” over that of the CDL’s. Whether things improve during Vanguard’s cycle remains to be seen. For now, H3CZ and competitive CoD fans alike will have to hope next year’s release is a step up in this department.

OpTic Gaming’s H3CZ confirms date and opponents for CoD bootcamp before CWL Las Vegas OpTic Gaming’s Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has confirmed when his new look Call of Duty roster will begin their LAN preparations for CWL Las Vegas and who they will be facing off against. While streaming team practice, OpTic Gaming Call of Duty captain Seth ‘Scump’ Abner confirmed that his teammates would be headed to H3CZ’s new office – the H3CZQuarters – for a few days of LAN practice. The new-look squad of Scump, Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter, Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow, Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell and Thomas ‘TJHaly’ Haly have dominated the early online tournaments in Black Ops 4 but have yet to experience the game on LAN. H3CZ confirmed that two Dallas based teams – Team Envy and eUnited – would be OpTic’s practice partners before Vegas. OpTic will be playing against Team Envy in a practice eClasico showdown on Saturday and Sunday – December 1st and 2nd. The Greenwall will then switch their focus to the new-look eUnited squad as the teams will practice together on Monday and Tuesday – December 3rd and 4th. (Timestamp for below video – 5:01) Scump and co have already faced off against both teams online, regularly practising against eUnited’s new roster. They have also done battle with Patrick ‘Aches’ Price’s Envy squad but not on the same almost nightly basis as they have with eUnited. However, the LAN practice will be vital for every team as the game can feel much different in an offline setting. The OpTic squad will then head out to Vegas on Wednesday, December 5, as they get into competitive action on Friday, December 7. They have already been drawn in Pool D alongside Splyce, G2, a play-in bracket team and an open bracket squad. Disclaimer: Hector Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

OpTic H3CZ claims to have discovered who CoDBurner is, drops cryptic clue The mysterious ‘CoDBurner’ may not be so mysterious after all, as OpTic Gaming owner Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez claims to have discovered their identity at CWL Vegas. CoDBurner was a mysterious Reddit user who popped up midway through the CoD: WWII season, leaking numerous roster moves, many of which turned out accurate. After building somewhat of a reputation for correctly predicting roster changes, behind the scenes knowledge, and even giving personal info about player salaries, the CoDBurner became a target as pro players and organizations grew tired of his antics. Their return to posting on Reddit came ahead of the Black Ops 4 season, once again anonymous, and a group of pro players set out to find out who it was, but to no avail. The CoDBurner is known to have attended events however, and it looks like H3CZ has bumped into them at CWL Las Vegas, but hasn’t revealed their identity. Perhaps weary of falsely accusing, H3CZ only gives away one rather odd clue – that the culprit enjoys drinking Stella Artois Cidre – and also says it is a ‘he’, not she. So I found out who the COD Burner was this weekend. CLUE: He gets drunk, and I mean DRUNK off of shots of Cidre. Yes… Stella Artois Cidre. pic.twitter.com/6b8wjN2G3m — Hector Rodriguez (@OpTicH3CZ) December 11, 2018 Unfortunately, unless you were with H3CZ on the evening in question, this doesn’t exactly narrow down the options. With no roster moves ongoing currently in the CWL season, the CoDBurner has gone into a hibernation of sorts, not posting any behind the scenes information. When the roster lock next opens however, fans will be anticipating the infamous account’s return, and some more speculation over their identity. Although perhaps if H3CZ really does know who it is, there won’t be many OpTic related leaks coming out. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

OpTic H3CZ claims Activision “gave up” on preparing MW2 for CDL 2023 season YouTube: OpTic Audio NetworkOpTic H3CZ has been critical of the Call of Duty League’s handling before and now he’s revealed his frustrations with Activison over the lead-up to the CDL 2023 season. There has been a storm of drama brewing in the Call of Duty League community over the state of Modern Warfare 2 ever since the Season 1 update. From the removal and subsequent reimplementation of the official CDL ruleset in private matches to a torrent of game-breaking Dev Errors that cause the entire application to crash, pros have had a tough time of things while trying to prepare for the upcoming Major 1 Pro-Am event in December. These problems have prevented teams from practicing altogether and now OpTic’s CEO has voiced his displeasure over how these problems have been handled by Activision. H3CZ slams Activision over Call of Duty League issues In a November 24 episode of the OpTic Podcast, Rodriguez started things off by addressing exactly how he feels about the state of the game. After asking MBoZe for a quick explanation of the ongoing private match issues, the head honcho went straight at Activision for allowing things to fall into such disarray. He first acknowledged that Warzone’s influence is much bigger than the CDL’s but then said that the way that the pro scene is treated is completely unfair. “The fact that they’re not even trying…I don’t understand why this is not a Defcon 5 situation and Activision says ‘you know what, we’re paying everybody overtime,’ get the private lobbies back in order before H3CZ and the boys start f***ing screaming again,” he said. He also referred to Scump’s looming retirement from Call of Duty as a sign of the times for the franchise overall, with Warzone streamer ZLaner agreeing that it’s a sad situation overall. Rodriguez went on to explain that he hasn’t taken part in a CDL meeting in over two years because he believes that lower-ranking employees are being used as shields for the people who have the power to get things in order. “I have many bones to pick with this league, man…We launched the game in advance so we could get the season started early, and what did we get?” Online qualifiers for the first tournament are set to kick off on December 2, so there’s not much time left for things to get straightened out ahead of the competition.

OpTic H3CZ Challenges ACHES Over 5v5 in Competitive Call of Duty for Black Ops 4 As the debate over moving to 5v5 for competitive CoD continues, owner of OpTic Gaming has revealed he is on the side of change, arguing with 4v4 proponent, Patrick “ACHES” Price. With public matches in Black Ops 4 shrinking to 5v5 from the tradition 6v6, there has been rumors that competitive play will attempt to smooth the lines between casual and competitive, by adding another player. Making CoD esports 5v5 would be one of the more drastic changes to the scene, probably ever, and would shake up roster decisions immeasurably, but not everyone is against the idea. ACHES, a veteran in the scene and now a 2x World Champion, has been tweeting daily that competitive should remain 4v4, but Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez is an advocate for 5v5, and debated with ACHES on the matter. Starting off with a simple ‘I disagree’, ACHES retorted by saying that “most non-players do”, as ACHES’ believes the negative impacts would effect players more than anyone else. He agreed however, that the “dialogue” between the decision makers and those who are affected by said decisions, is poor. YouTuber Drift0r also picked up on this point, voicing concern that players and organizations had been left in the dark up until this point, on whether the upcoming season will be played 5v5 or 4v4. The game itself releases on October 12, giving players and teams just less than a month before the game drops to make adjustments, should any major changes be announced. However, the first major event of the season is not until December 7, CWL Vegas, so there will be more time after release to make changes too.

OpTic H3CZ blasts “idiots” complaining about online CDL season Twitch: H3CZAs the Call of Duty League approaches two years of online play due to the global health situation, OpTic H3CZ criticized the league’s pros for their complaints about the lack of LAN play. Back in March of 2020, the CDL — like other esports leagues — had its events canceled due to the initial health crisis, later moving to online play. This created various issues when it came to the league’s competitive integrity in many pros’ eyes. Pro players voiced their concerns over the matter, such as the lack of “ability to get fully focused for a match,” and others. And with the 2022 CDL season that is set to begin on January 21, with the preseason Kickoff Classic also being online play with a one-week Major on LAN, the same conversations are being brought back up once again. Conversations that a particular CDL team owner is fed up with. OpTic H3CZ slams CDL pros for complaining about online play During his stream on December 29, the President of OpTic Texas and owner of OpTic, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, criticized pro players’ complaints about pro-CoD being mostly online play, stating, “It’s either you play online or you don’t f**cking play all.” A Twitch viewer asked if the league could potentially go online-only due to the global health crisis resurgence. H3CZ explained his viewpoint on the subject, as well as his thoughts on what the league’s players have to say. “It’s either you have your salary and get paid to play a video game, you get to compete for a prize pool, or we don’t,” he said. “We cancel the whole season — you don’t get paid your salary because the f**k am I paying you for? And you can just stream from your house, which you were gonna do anyway for competing.” H3CZ later added that, if he had it his way, he’d still be having LAN events given the option, but reiterated that players have two choices. “If you asked me if I had it my way, LAN. Obviously morons, idiots out there, stupids. Obviously, everybody wants LAN,” he said. “Are you gonna pick to compete, try to get some prize money, and get your salary? Or are you just gonna chalk the entire season, not get your salary [and] and not get any prize pool?” With the third CDL season on the horizon and the new outbreak taking its toll on the world, only time will tell if LAN events will be possible or if strictly online play will be implemented.

OpTic good luck charm? H3CZ buying team “$7K” custom Yeezys for CoD Champs Instagram, @hecz / Adidas / PexelsOpTic Chicago CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez may have found the team’s good luck charm. OpTic clinched their first top seed for a major this season and it all may be thanks to H3CZ letting star player Seth ‘Scump” Abner take his shoes. Things started to turn in favor of the CDL team when Scump was spotted wearing a pair of the Yeezy Foam Runners. While wearing them, OpTic went on to beat Atlanta FaZe for the first time this season and ended FaZe’s 12-game win streak. It didn’t stop there, Scump and the rest of the Chicago team would go on to defeat the London Royal Ravens and lock up the first seed in Group A. This is the first time this season the team achieved such a feat. These Yeezys have taken Twitter by storm and all because of Scump playing like his Infinite Warfare form. Before wearing the shoes the SMG slayer had a 1.01 K/D, but in Stage 5 “Foam Runner Scumper” has a 1.11 K/D. H3CZ dropping big money on good luck charm Foam Runner Scumper activated. It’s time for the Battle of the Brands, OpTic vs Thieves 🔥 (via @hitchariide) pic.twitter.com/BOd8T67te3 — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) July 24, 2021 The CDL team is looking for any sort of boost to push them over the top and lift a trophy this season. In his latest YouTube vlog, the OpTic owner showed viewers a clip telling Scump he was going to buy the whole team a custom pair of the Foam Runners — which have been the team’s spirit animal as of late. (For mobile users, segment starts at 2:20) In the clip you can hear H3CZ saying he is going to buy the whole team a pair to walk around “comfortably at Champs.” He also added they wouldn’t be your normal Foam Runners, they would be “OpTic custom ones, like f**king $7,000.” These shoes have been the hot topic of OpTic’s success in Stage 5 and H3CZ joined in on the fun tagging his star player on Twitter after the team locked up the first seed. OpTic is still looking for their first tournament win of the season and maybe it could all be on the back of an… interesting pair of shoes. While some say the kicks just look like expensive Crocs, there’s no denying the team’s recent form since the King started rocking them. The CDL Championship is scheduled to begin August 19, so H3CZ has some time to work out a custom pair with Adidas.

OpTic Gaming’s Scump reveals major role change during CWL Pro League With OpTic Gaming currently playing without Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell due to travel issues, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner has shed light on a change of roles on the team for the CWL Pro League. When it was first announced that Tommy ‘ZooMaa’ Paparatto would be stepping in for Dashy during the first two weeks of the CWL Pro League, many wondered how the SMG player would slot into OpTic’s lineup. While the team managed to get through their first two matches with a 1-1 record without changing their roles, that will change when OpTic Gaming takes the stage on February 6. In a tweet posted a few hours before their match against Evil Geniuses, Scump confirmed that he’d be running the Maddox instead of Saug 9mm during their next match. The move is one that many had speculated would eventually come since both Scump and ZooMaa usually run SMGs. With Scump now moving over to the Maddox, ZooMaa will likely able to move more freely in the role he’s most comfortable in. Since Scump announced the move on Twitter, it didn’t take long for Evil Geniuses’ Adam ‘GodRx’ Brown to notice it and reply, letting Scump and OpTic know that they’d be ready for the change. Given OpTic Gaming’s somewhat slow start to the CWL Pro League, the move should only help them get into a rhythm during the opening week. After beginning the Pro League with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Midnight Esports, OpTic were almost reverse swept by UYU on February 5 before holding on with a 3-2 win. The move seemingly paid off against Evil Geniuses, as OpTic picked up an easy 3-0 sweep. OpTic Gaming will close out their week against Team Reciprocity on February 7 at 1:30pm PST / 4:30pm EST / 9:30pm GMT.

OpTic Gaming’s Scump makes surprising comparisons between Dashy and FormaL Call of Duty pro superstar Seth ‘Scump’ Abner has played with many top level players in his long career as a member of OpTic Gaming. There is no doubt that two of the best players Scump has ever teamed with were Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper and Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell. Both players are widely considered to be among the best Assault Rifle slayers in the game, and it would be hard to argue against the notion that Dashy is currently the top player in competitive Call of Duty. In a conversation with CWL caster and analyst Clint ‘Maven’ Evans, Scump compared and contrasted Dashy and FormaL in terms of their demeanor and style of play. Many would be surprised to hear that Scump pretty much sees the two players in the same light, and he said very little that would suggest there’s much difference between the two. “Bruce [Dashy] is like the same as Matt when we first started team,” he said. “Great vibes, amazing teammate, always is going to go off, you never expect him to have a bad series, he’s just that good.” “I don’t really know what’s different. They’re very, very similar. Bruce’s communication is kind of the same; they’re both on the quiet side. It’s really weird, I mean, we’re going to keep grinding.” “They’re very very similar” – @OpTic_Scumper comparing @DashySZN with former teammate @FormaLhttps://t.co/NKHQSgV6Gh #CWLPS4 pic.twitter.com/dhfSOalJZO — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) February 11, 2019 It would be hard to miss Scump’s use of the phrase “when we first starting teaming” when he was describing the similarities that FormaL had with Dashy. At the risk of reading too much into that, it seems that the complimentary things Scump had to say about FormaL only applied to the earlier years of their tenure as teammates. Of course, it’s well documented that the two had a drastic falling out that led to FormaL being shipped off to Luminosity, although their relationship seems to have been mended since then. During their years as teammates, Scump and FormaL were part of arguably the greatest dynasty in Call of Duty esports, which culminated with the pair’s first CWL Championship win in 2017. While there is still a long way to go and a lot of CoD to be played, but there are signs that point to another OpTic dynasty in the making, but this time with Dashy at the helm.

OpTic Gaming’s Scump Makes Game Winning Play To Clutch Up Against UNILAD in CWL Pro League OpTic Gaming’s longest serving player Seth “Scump” Abner is a seasoned Call of Duty veteran and is used to clutching up in the big moments when his team needs him – with this insane hardpoint play against UNILAD just the latest example. The new OpTic Gaming roster, which recently recruited Anthony “Methodz” Zinni and Sam “Octane” Larew in place of the outgoing Matthew “FormaL” Piper and semi-retiring Damon “Karma” Barlow, have had their doubters since forming. And while it is still early days, the team certainly made a statement in their opening game of Division B, as they took out UNILAD – but it wasn’t an entirely comfortable affair. More: OpTic Gaming’s New Call of Duty Roster Displays Incredible Team Communication During an In-Game Listen-In – They did look peerless in the Search and Destroy where they swept UNILAD six rounds to zero, but things got hairy after UNI took the CTF. Now with a fighting chance in the series, UNILAD were better suited on the smaller, more SMG heavy map Valkyrie – a map many thought OpTic would struggle with due to role issues (having only two primary SMG players, as opposed to three). And despite taking a solid lead, UNILAD began to mount the comeback on OpTic and after taking full control of the ‘Operations Bunker’ hardpoint and getting three kills, it looked like they would force the game five. But, Scump had other plans, shutting down all three remaining UNILAD players in the hill and earning his side the final tick they needed to win. The play may have won OpTic the map and the series, but other top teams such as Rise Nation will perhaps see vulnerability in the new OG roster on Valkyrie hardpoint particularly. OpTic would have preferred to close out the map more comfortably, but cutting it close is what makes for these highlight reel moments. More: CWL Pro League Stage 2 Division B Recap for Day One of Week Three – Scores, Match Recaps, and Live Standings – And since Scump has faced increased criticism this year over his performances in CoD: WWII, this game saving play may go a long way to boosting his confidence and the ‘Greenwall’ supporters. Division B of the CWL Pro League resumes on Wednesday May 30th, with matches beginning at 2pm ET (7pm BST, 11am PT).

OpTic Gaming’s Scump gives his verdict on the Zero Specialist in Black Ops 4 The captain of OpTic Gaming’s Call of Duty roster, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner, has summarized his feelings about Black Ops 4’s new specialist, Zero, in a short but perfectly clear manner. Professional players discussing whether certain weapons, items or aspects of a Call of Duty game are overpowered is nothing new, but Zero, the new specialist that was added to Black Ops 4 on December 1, doesn’t even seem to require a conversation. Zero gives players the chance to use the ‘Disruptor’ EMP grenade, which renders nearby enemy equipment useless, and the ‘Icepick’, which is widely regarded as one of the most overpowered specialist abilities ever. Icepick is a hacking ability that allows Zero players to hack into any enemy scorestreak and take control of it – something that has both the public and competitive CoD community’s up in arms due to the fact that a player who has earned no streaks can randomly take control of an Attack Chopper. Scump, the 2017 Call of Duty world champion and one of the most decorated professional players in the franchise’s history, gave his verdict in a short Tweet on December 17: “Zero gotta go.” It’s unclear whether the veteran player is talking about removing Zero from the competitive rule set or the game entirely, but some pro teams already appear to be discussing gentlemen’s agreements not to use it. Given the fact that he Tweeted it after day one of the CMG ProDown, we assume that Scump was referring to competitive play. Gentlemen’s agreements have become a common theme in Call of Duty in recent years. When players believe an item is overpowered or unfair, they will often agree not to use it, even if the rules allow them to. Of course, there’s always a chance that Treyarch have heard the complaints of the Call of Duty community at large and that they are already working a a nerf for Zero. If that’s the case, we could see the Scump and other pro players, as well as casual fans, find a happy medium with the controversial new specialist.

OpTic Gaming’s New Call of Duty Roster Displays Incredible Team Communication During an In-Game Listen-In CWLThe CWL Pro League had a little more hype than usual surrounding it on May 29th as Division B kicked off their Day One of action. The extra excitement was, of course, for OpTic Gaming, one of the eight Division B teams participating in Stage 2 of the Pro League. Coming off one of the most publicized set of roster moves in Call of Duty esports history, OpTic fielded a new roster in an official CoD competition for the first time in over three years. The two newcomers Sam ‘Octane’ Larew and Anthony ‘Zinni’ Methodz featured alongside two of the organization’s greatest and longtime players, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter. The competitive CoD community waited in anticipation to see the Green Wall’s new look squad in action, which first came against the the European side UNILAD Esports. Read More: CWL Pro League Stage 2 Division B Recap for Day One of Week Three – Scores, Match Recaps, and Live Standings – Despite playing together as a squad for the first time at an official event, the players showed no signs of unfamiliarity or hesitation as they collectively dismantled UNILAD 3-1. Fans were given a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the new team as the CWL broadcast tuned in for an in-game listen-in with OpTic during the Game 1 Hardpoint on London Docks. How do you rate the comms (1-10) of the new #GreenWall squad? This is your @ASTROGaming listen-in with @OpTicGaming!https://t.co/pUVEvOiNYf // #CWLPS4 pic.twitter.com/4mykicmnmD — MLG (@MLG) May 29, 2018 The team’s communication was nearly flawless; they rapidly called out various positions and strategies without skipping a beat, which translated to a strong and victorious performance in-game. It appears that the players have put in a healthy dose of practice together, which Green Wall fans will love to see, considering that that the previous roster allegedly imploded because several of the players were skipping practice.

OpTic Gaming’s ‘Methodz’ Reveals His Full Class Setups for CoD: WWII OpTic Gaming pro player Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni has revealed his full, in-game class setup for CoD: WWII The newest member of the Green Wall’s CoD roster published a video on May 9th in which he goes into detail about all ten of his classes. After stints with Next Threat, Rise Nation, and Team Kaliber, Methodz joined OpTic along with Sam ‘Octane’ Larew in what became a very publicized set of roster moves. Now a member of the Green Wall, he has said that he will put in effort to expand the content creation aspect of his career, something which this latest video will certainly contribute to. Being that he is primarily an Assault Rifle player, nine of Methodz’s classes have one of three AR weapons (BAR, STG44, ITRA Burst). He does have one class in which he runs the PPSH-41 submachine gun, which he says that he uses for Capture the Flag on Flak Tower and Hardpoint on Valkyrie. Below you can find all of the class setups that Methodz uses when playing competitive CoD: WWII. Included in each caption are the attachments that may be hidden by his facecam. The entire class set up video, along with commentary and explanations, can be viewed below, or on Methodz’s YouTube channel here.

OpTic Gaming’s Methodz’ Insane 1v3 Clutch Was Play of The Day as Division B Returned to CWL Pro League Action ActivisionIt’s no secret that Anthony “Zinni” Methodz was not OpTic Gaming’s first choice replacement for Damon “Karma” Barlow, but he is proving he too can clutch up like the three time world champion, with this impressive 1v3. Returning to the MLG Arena for the second set of matches in Division A, OpTic Gaming sat in a fairly comfortable position with a 5-2 record. But, as Evil Geniuses will know, no position is safe and so it was vital OG got off to a good start to secure their place in the top four and a spot at playoffs. Coming up against Mindfreak, some may have expected their first match back in the league to be a foregone conclusion. But, it was far from it and required some heroics from OpTic players to get the job done. More: CWL Pro League Stage 2 Division B Recap for Day One of Week Seven – Scores, Match Recaps, and Live Standings – Firstly, it was Seth “Scump” Abner who had to step up on map one, hitting over 40 kills to lead his side to a 1-0 advantage in the series. Map two was closer, and it was Methodz 1v3 that stood as the play of the game, as he was left on his own with Mindfreak planting the bomb. Very similar to tK’s Lamar “Accuracy” Abedi’s 1v3 in Division A, Methodz took control of the A bomb site with precision shots with enough time left to defuse. OpTic went on to take the map 6-4, before Mindfreak bounced back on map three capture the flag. Another hardpoint win for OpTic gave them the series win though to remain in 2nd spot. They will face off against the other Australian side Tainted Minds next, and with TM languishing at the bottom of the division with an 0-9 record, it should be another OG win to challenge for the top spot. The loss for Mindfreak almost certainly puts them out of contention for a playoff spot, unless they were to pull off a miraculous recovery and other results go their way.

OpTic Gaming’s Methodz Does Hilarious Impression of CWL Caster Maven’s Love For Luminosity’s FormaL Dexerto/MLGThe OpTic Gaming and Luminosity roster swap involving Matthew “FormaL” Piper and Sam “Octane” Larew has caused a difference of opinion between fans, players and casters. While many think that both rosters improved, some argue that one team ‘won’ or ‘lost’ the trade. CWL caster, Clint “Maven” Evans has been known to be a supporter of FormaL – and with good reason, given his consistent MVP like performances in recent years – but some may suggest he has a touch of favoritism to his opinion. Of course there is no problem with that, but new OpTic player Methodz, who it has become known was not necessarily the first choice replacement for the semi-retired Damon “Karma” Barlow, has hilariously mocked Maven’s favor of FormaL. Due to his new position on the team, there is certainly some pressure for Methodz to prove he is the player able to help OpTic win championships, despite some peoples doubts. Maven, on a recent episode of Trading Shots, had this to say. “Up to this point, except for the most recent tournament, it’s been a kind of a three [SMG] meta for most maps, four even on some. So, [OpTic] wanted to get another aggressive strong sub. They were not able to do that, and you land with Methodz. Now, this is where I’m split, and ultimately why I’m overall going to grade it a B. Because if you are Methodz, could there be a role issue if the game picks up? Absolutely. But right now, two AR’s is working out with the current meta so you’re going to feel good there.” So in fairness, Maven wasn’t all doom and gloom about the new OpTic roster, but he did grade the Luminosity roster an A and that they won the trade, saying that FormaL would be out to “remind people he is god.” Methodz, when asked to do his impersonation of Maven, had this to say: We will of course see who is correct as both teams face off in Division B of the CWL Pro League, with matches beginning May 29th. Luminosity otherwise remained unchanged, meaning they held on to top SMG player Johnathon “John” Perez, who had been heavily linked with a move to OpTic. Division A matches will be up first though, with matches starting on May 15th.

OpTic Gaming’s Methodz Answers Questions on Health System, Blackout Battle Royale, and More After Playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 OpTic Gaming’s Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni has released a Q&A video about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 after getting his hands on it at the community reveal event. Methodz joined OpTic Gaming prior to the start of Season 2 of the CWL Pro League along with Sam ‘Octane’ Larew, replacing long term members Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow and Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper. On May 17th he got the opportunity to go out to the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 community reveal and got the chance to get some hands on experience with the game itself. Naturally, he was inundated with questions about everything from the new recoil patterns to the movement system and the time to kill given the new health values. Instead of answering the same questions hundreds of times, the CWL Atlanta MVP decided to release a video where he answered the most common questions, starting with the new health system with 150hp and manual healing. “I think people are definitely overthinking how drastic it’s going to be. It’s essentially just like auto regen but you actually have to trigger it and I think it’s gonna add for some cool plays. […] It’s a really fast process, it’s not like other games where you’re sitting there bandaging up, you pretty much stab yourself and your health starts going up.” Methodz does state that the time to kill does feel a little bit longer, noting that he felt it the most when using submachine guns. However, he sums it up by saying that the game feels like a Treyarch game, like “Black Ops 2.5”. He also confirms that the speed of the game is as fast as it seems in videos released so far but does note that this could change by the time the full game is released. “You gotta keep in mind we played a pre-alpha build so the game will change […] but the game was extremely fast. So you guys saw the slide feature, it’s pretty much the Black Ops 3 slide but it seems like it goes a little further and a little faster so I think, personally, there should be a tiny tweak to the slide”. Next the OpTic star discusses the new maps, saying that they feel like they have been designed for the 5 vs. 5 public matches that were announced during the reveal and says that they felt good so far. The rest of the Q&A discusses everything from player roles to new game modes, like Blackout Battle Royale, and the new specialists and attachments. The full video can be viewed below.

OpTic Gaming’s Kuavo savagely slams ROKKR pro after CDL Champs sweep Instagram, @kuavokenny [jwplayer qiSnM8TU] OpTic Gaming Los Angeles swept the Minnesota ROKKR and eliminated them from the Call of Duty League Playoffs before icing that bruising with some of the most brutal trash talk we’ve seen this season. Back in early August, OpTic Gaming posted a video making fun of the ROKKR, whose newest starter, Kaden ‘Exceed’ Stockdale, responded by insinuating that OGLA was getting beaten in scrims against Minnesota. OpTic’s Zack ‘Drazah’ Jordan and Kenny ‘Kuavo’ Williams took offense to that Tweet back then and, a few weeks later, got to put the nail in the coffin after drubbing Minnesota 3-0. At the time, it was actually Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat who got the most involved — noting how ridiculous it was for a recent pickup to talk trash over scrims. But that conversation took a much more intense turn after their postseason matchup played out. Unfortunately for Exceed, Drazah and Kuavo have a good memory and clearly remembered the earlier banter because they repaid it tenfold after their playoff blowout. Kenny hit Exceed with a “bye bye, stick to scrims” and included a picture of him hoisting a tournament MVP award from his dominant Team Kaliber days. Drazah, on the other hand, played it less chill, dropping a “3-0’d when it mattered, dogs**t f**k” on the recently defeated opponent. As far as trash talk and banter go, this has to be some of the spiciest we’ve seen all season — fittingly, given how important this time of the year is. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on which side you’re on, it appears that the OGLA boys kept the trash-talking there. Just as the ROKKR’s season is over, Exceed appears to be done with the banter too: in his postgame tweet, he gave props to the winners and focused on “looking forward to the future.” Heartbroken. GG’s to optic they played well. Lost every respawn by ourselves. Can’t believe it. Shoutout @ROKKR for helping live out my dream. They’ve been absolutely amazing. Looking forward to the future — Exceed (@ExceedLbX) August 22, 2020 As for how the rest of the ROKKR players responded to Kenny and Drazah trashing their teammate, publicly it was just Justin ‘SiLLY’ Fargo-Palmer who defended Exceed against Kuavo’s dig, letting the OpTic star know that he was being “toxic.” But Kuavo responded saying it was only directed at Exceed, not the rest of the Minnesota roster, so at least it’s not all bad blood. Regardless, it will be a long offseason for Exceed and the ROKKR, who finished tied for ninth in the Playoffs and ended their inaugural campaign on a CDL-record 10-match losing streak. You can watch all of the postseason matches live via our Call of Duty League Playoffs and Championship Weekend hub, which includes streams, the schedule, brackets, scores, and more.

OpTic Gaming’s Karma, Scump and Dashy weigh in on 100 Thieves’ roster moves The OpTic Gaming squad has weighed in on the recent 100 Thieves roster changes that shocked the the team had acquired Preston ‘Prietsahh’ Greiner from FaZe Clan. The shocking move came with just a week left until the start of the CWL Pro League, causing some backlash within the scene. Pros like eUnited’s James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks openly questioned 100 Thieves‘ CEO Matt ‘Nadeshot’ Haag on the change, as the two ended up in a fiery Twitter debate. Now, the OpTic Gaming boys have weighed in on the situation. Speaking after playing the new look team in practice, OpTic’s Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow stated: “Without Fero, I don’t know if any of them can gun me,” causing raucous laughter from his teammates. Read More: When will Black Ops 4’s v1.12 update release? – League Play updates, Blackout balancing, and more – “He was my hard counter,” Karma added. Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell and Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter quickly agreed with him, with Dashy adding “He was my hardest kill too bro” as Crimsix chimed in with “Hundred percent.” It wasn’t the only comment Karma had to make about the roster change. Earlier in the team’s stream, the three-time Call of Duty champion joked with Seth ‘Scump’ Abner about changing his role on the team, referencing 100 Thieves’ constant changes. After joking about swapping guns for the day, Karma added: “It’s crazy bro if I was on 100 Thieves I’d probably be on the fucking bench right now,” prompting laughter from both Scump and Dashy. The OpTic Gaming squad are clearly happy about their current roster and have reason to be after they claimed yet another ProDown tournament win on January 28. The stacked squad of all-stars will head into the start of the Pro League in Columbus, Ohio on February 4 with high hopes of more success there too.

OpTic Gaming’s Karma Reveals His Plans for The Future Following OpTic Gaming Split OpTic Gaming’s Damon “Karma” Barlow turned his stream on shortly after the Vision live stream which announced his replacement on the competitive roster, and explained his position. Despite expectations, Karma did not feature in the Vision. Fans were therefore left in limbo about his future. It was already unlikely that Karma would be moving to another team, and he has clarified that he will be stepping away from competing, for the time being. OpTic Gaming videographer Davis “Hitch” Edwards did later confirmed that Karma is still a member of OpTic, and is currently getting his contract as a content creator sorted out. You can read a transcript of Karma’s stream below. These past few days, that was me looking forward, I hope you can see how much I enjoy video games. I had a blast the last few days. The end of that vision is why you are not going to see me [stream was a black screen]. For the first time in 10 years, I am not going to play the rest of the season. Scary part is not many people come back. I had offers, I had a team I thought I could have won with. But there was a lot of variables to choose otherwise. The game was one, the multiple metas all the time. I would have liked to play at champs. I am not mad right now, I’m just pretty fucking sad. Been through a lot of shit with this team, a lot of good things. But it killed me. A fresh set of faces probably would have been good for me. The bad times with this team, mixed with this game, I just didn’t want to deal with this bullshit anymore. Rise will probably start t32 in losers bracket, epsilon probably be in losers finals. Between that game, all the bullshit – pretty much what they said in vision. Playing with two people who hate each other, and one who lags. Why would I want to play. I want to play, but I decided for the better of me right now, I shouldn’t finish out this year. It’s going to blow – get me to champs and who knows what could happen. Maybe nothing will happen again. Maybe you wont see me on the sticks. I would like to. I hope the next CoD isn’t a flop. But it depends, can I be successful doing what I’m doing the past two weeks? Or can I be more successful in CoD? Realistically I can probably do both. But who knows. You will hear a story, about how this all unfolded. To be honest it was pretty shitty for me. In the end it potentially fucked me. but maybe I landed down a better path. You will hear a story, but I will go about it in a good way. Swing by my stream. I will probably be live every single day. Shitty how it all happened, I am really disappointed in a lot of people. That’s the only thing I can say. But it will be better. It already is better. I haven’t had a laugh like I had in the past couple days the past 3 years. Only thing I can do is pray no one else gets three rings. You players out there better stop whoever has two from getting three. Because I don’t get to defend my throne this time. Whoever has two rings, just know they are getting the interim title. If that happens I will have to come back. I don’t know what else to tell you guys right now. That’s what’s up. I’m not playing, not right now. I will try to be around somewhere. But I’m just trying to stream man, I love streaming. I got to build. A lot of you probably expecting me to come on and say some crazy shit, but I don’t got any crazy shit to say right now. Will I be a big youtube icon? Probably not. Do I want to be? I dunno, look at Logan Paul and all them, I don’t wanna be that. I wanna be a big streamer, I love streaming. Come by and watch. Glad to see you all with me at the end, even though you roast me for 0.9s. Have you ever seen a more consistent 0.9 for three years? Thought not. Not even SpaceLy could do that. Sorry Mike. I Probably got as many 1.0+ as I do rings. Listen, if I don’t play CoD again, you motherfuckers better learn how to play the game right. Use your brain. Don’t be that guy, don’t be that fan. Stop hating on JKap’s. Don’t do that. Or TJHaLy, you know he gets turned on three times a map, but it’s ok. I think that’s it. If Vonderhaar doesn’t name a gun after me, I’m pissed. Two excerpts from Karma’s stream, discussing the OpTic split, and his plans for the future. For now, it sounds as though Karma plans to go all in as content creator playing a variety of games, at least until the release of Black Ops 4. If this is the last time we see Karma as a professional Call of Duty player, he will no doubt go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest player of all time. He of course won 3 world championship rings, as well as 23 LAN tournament wins – the third highest of any player.

OpTic Gaming’s Karma Has Regrets About How Things Have Unfolded – “I Feel Lost” Back in May OpTic Gaming announced its official roster moves for the remainder of the CWL second season, and now Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow has regrets about not joining another team. Karma and Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper are both no longer on the OpTic Gaming dynasty that dominated across the last several Call of Duty titles. The decision to make roster changes came after a series of disappointing placings during the Call of Duty: WWII CWL first season. More: White Supremacist Groups Reportedly Using Fortnite, Call of Duty and Minecraft to Recruit Young People – While FormaL was traded to Luminosity Gaming for Sam ‘Octane’ Larew, Karma was dropped from the roster and replaced by Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni. Looking back on the situation, Karma has regrets about choosing not to compete for the rest of the CWL season. “I feel lost man. I really regret this path I chose, not that I really had much of a choice. I sit here and watch people compete whatever the game be and that’s all I want to do. I just feel a set of fresh faces would’ve changed everything for me.” He would go on to say that while he did hate this year’s game, he hated past titles as well, and ultimately believes he hated the environment more. I feel lost man. I really regret this path I chose, not that I really had much of a choice. I sit here and watch people compete whatever the game be and that’s all I want to do. I just feel a set of fresh faces would’ve changed everything for me. — Damon B (@OpTic_DKarma) June 30, 2018 The CoD legend also mentioned plans of teaming with Killa, Mirx, and a 4th, but unfortunately Kills is suspended, so those plans fell through. Many fans still regard the former OpTic star as a top player and expect him to return to competitive play in October when Black Ops 4 releases.

OpTic Gaming’s Karma Explains His Team Situation For the Black Ops 4 Season OpTic Gaming member and former player Damon “Karma” Barlow plans to return to Call of Duty competition for the Black Ops 4 season, but is stuck in a predicament trying to find a roster. Karma, a 3x World Champion (and the only player to have managed this feat), was dropped/benched by the OpTic roster midway through the WWII season. He remains under the OpTic brand as a content creator, mainly as a streamer, but he plans to be back on the main stage for the Black Ops 4 season. More: 100 Thieves’ Octane Reveals More About Leaving OpTic Gaming – “I don’t even know why I got dropped” – But, despite his experience and winning history, it isn’t as easy as some may think for Karma to settle on a new team. As Karma has now explained himself, this is largely because of the possibility of CoD esports moving from four player rosters to five, and the uncertainty this is causing. For this reason, it appears Karma will hold off settling on any set roster until after the announcement of 4v4 or moving to 5v5. It is expected that all information regarding the Black Ops 4 competitive season will be revealed on September 19, when there will be a livestream direct from Treyarch studios about the upcoming year of the CWL. Despite not playing throughout the end of the WWII season, Karma’s history as a competitor will undoubtedly keep his stock amongst players high. If it does in fact move to 5v5, this may even benefit Karma, as some teams already organized as a four will be scrambling to secure a player of Karma’s caliber as their fifth.

OpTic Gaming’s Hitch Speculates on Potential Roster Moves for OpTic, 100 Thieves and More OpTic Gaming member Davis “Hitch” Edwards has given his thoughts on the rumors and speculation surrounding the ongoing Call of Duty roster mania, with hints at OpTic and 100 Thieves rosters. After 100 Thieves officially announced their acquisition of former Team Kaliber duo Kenny “Kenny” Williams and Maurice “Fero” Henriquez, fans are desperately trying to work out who is set to join them on the roster. Hitch, who works with OpTic Gaming as a content creator and has close ties to both current and former OpTic CoD players, discussed briefly on stream where he thinks players could end up. When asked if who he believes 100 Thieves founder Nadeshot is targeting, Hitch’s first guess was three time world champion Damon “Karma” Barlow”, and one of the current OpTic members. “I would be very surprised if Damon doesn’t end up on that squad. I’d be very surprised if someone from the current OpTic team doesn’t end up on that squad either.” But Hitch wasn’t entirely certain that 100 Thieves is entirely set on their final two options. He later explained that CompLexity player Brandon “Dashy” Otell and Rise Nation’s Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly may also be on his radar. “I think that [Nadeshot] is 100% going to go after Damon, he’s openly talked about going after the OpTic guys, so we’ll see what happens with that. I think he’s going to go after Dashy, he’s going to see what happens with [TJHaLy].” Interestingly, Hitch appears to rule out Rise Nation’s Peirce “Gunless” Hillman and Matt “FormaL” Piper as potential 100 Thieves players, saying: “The rumor I heard is that Gunless and FormaL have signed some pretty intense contracts – just literally, straight rumors – I’ve heard those are two people you can’t really go after.” Finally, Hitch makes sure that no one gets too ahead of themselves, reminding us that he has “no inside scoop or anything”, even predicting this very article. Nadeshot did say when they announced both Kenny and Fero that they wanted to get ahead of the all the rumors and speculation, so it could be that the next two players will be announced sooner rather than later. In the case of both Dashy and TJHaLy, whom Hitch highlighted, there is already speculation that TJHaLy is a free agent, while Dashy is under contract with compLexity. However, with two young and relatively inexperienced players on the roster already, 100 Thieves will be keen to have someone with more years under the belt at the professional level, and that means all signs point to Karma.

OpTic Gaming’s Formal reveals plans to play Black Ops 6 professionally OpTic GamingMatthew “Formal” Piper announced on stream that he plans to come out of retirement to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 professionally, thereby ending his revived Halo career. Since 2011, Formal has played CoD and Halo professionally and is a multi-FPS World Champion. He retired from CoD at the end of 2021, joined Halo’s Sentinels team as a stand-in, and then re-signed with OpTic Gaming in 2022, where he currently plays. Formal revealed his desire to return to CoD on July 13 after a viewer asked if he would be playing Black Ops 6. “I am planning on it,” said Formal. “I’m planning on playing that f****** s*** professional, to be honest. Only the 272 of you guys know that, for now.” OpTic Gaming has been Formal’s home for most of his career and has become synonymous with the organization. He won his first World Championship in CoD with OpTic Gaming in 2017 and then secured another World Championship for the organization in 2022 with Halo. When Formal retired from CoD with the dream of returning to Halo, OpTic Gaming seemed like his only option. However, if he is serious about coming out of retirement for Black Ops 6, which team would sign him remains uncertain. OpTic Gaming, currently known as OpTic Texas for CoD, signed two of the hottest free agents at the end of 2023 to complete its championship-caliber roster. This feat was already achieved when they lifted a trophy in Toronto, Canada, for Major 3. With OpTic Texas’ current roster, there may be no room for Formal to usurp his throne, meaning he would be playing for a different team than OpTic Gaming. The last time Formal played for a team other than OpTic Gaming in CoD was before franchising when he was the lead AR player for Luminosity during Black Ops 4.

Call of Duty: OpTic Gaming’s Dashy bursts into laughter during intense Tempest showdown OpTic Gaming’s Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell got himself into a sticky situation while using Prophet’s specialist weapon – the Tempest – during an online tournament game of Control. Playing against Red Reserve in the CMG Prodown on Sunday, December 2, Dashy and the new-look OpTic squad were attempting to close out a game of Control on Seaside. While hunting down the remaining Red Reserve players, the former compLexity star popped Prophet’s specialist weapon, the Tempest, and headed to the Fountain area, via the ramp at middle map, in a bid to close out the game. After lining up an electric shot, Dashy hit Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall but received one of his own from Skrapz in return. Both players fell to the floor, knocked by their respective Tempest shots. Read More: Call of Duty: Red Reserve players respond to allegations of stream sniping against OpTic during CMG ProDown – The pair got back to their feet after spending a few seconds crawling on the floor, before they traded shots again. This second trade of Tempest shots sent Dashy into a fit of laughter as he got a chain knock onto another Red Reserve player before eventually falling to Skrapz’ Tempest. Trading Tempest shots is not a new thing, but judging by Dashy’s reaction, it’s also not a common occurance. Dashy and the OpTic squad closed out the map and series against Red Reserve by a scoreline of 4-2, advancing to the winners bracket finals of the ProDown. There, the Greenwall defeated 100 Thieves 4-1 and progressed to the Grand Finals – which will be played on Monday December 3. The tournament is part of both teams’ final preparations for the opening tournament of the year – CWL Las Vegas – which will kick off on December 6 with the play-in bracket. You can check our event hub for more information here.

OpTic Gaming’s Crimsix reveals more on the Call of Duty Gentlemen’s Agreements OpTic Gaming’s Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter has shed a little more light on the Gentlemen’s Agreements used by professional Call of Duty players. The Gentlemen’s Agreements, or GA’s as they’ve come to be known, have been somewhat of a controversial topic to start the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 year off. Some pro teams have complained about certain weapons being used, whilst others have debated getting rid of specialists such as Ruin and his Gravity Slam ability in the Search and Destroy game mode. On Episode 11 of Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez’ Eavesdrop Podcast, Crim adds to the GA discussion by laying out what it is and how he is trying to change the ruleset with every vote. “The Gentlemen’s agreement, the GA, is pretty much us agreeing to play with our own rules,” Crimsix says. “We agree to not use a Reactor Core, we agree to not use things that are literally game breaking. “I agree that at some points they go overboard but right now there’s a lot of people trying to get rid of everything and then there’s people trying to keep as much as possible.” He adds: “I’m trying to keep as much as possible due to the fact that I know specialists and I know equipment is very entertaining to viewers. “At the end of the days, viewers are everything. They determine pretty much everything. If this is to succeed or fail, it’s because of the viewers,” Crim says. “I don’t want the game to be dumbed down to the point where it was in WW2 where it was like everything that was considered cheap or fun to use was out.” (Timestamp for mobile viewers for below video of 22:22) Crimsix then lays out the process of the GA’s, in a similar manner to how his teammate Seth ‘Scump’ Abner did on a recent stream. He also reveals that there are players who will use things that are GA’d no matter what and if that happens, then other teams will use everything possible. “It’s like we’re on the edge of a cliff,” Crim describes. “If one team decides they want to use something and everyone else wants it gone, then we might as well all jump off and we’re playing a standard rule set with barbed wire, guardians and reactor cores.” Crimsix and the new OpTic Gaming line-up are gearing up for CWL Las Vegas which will take place on December 7 through to December 9. The Greenwall have been drawn in Pool D for the competition alongside Spylce, G2, an open bracket team and a winner of the play-in bracket. Disclaimer: Hector Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

OpTic Gaming’s Crimsix Hits Out at Gentlemen’s Agreements Within the Professional Call of Duty Scene OpTic Gaming’s Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter has expressed his frustration with constantly changing rules in Call of Duty: WWII after players decided to make yet another “gentleman’s agreement”. The term “gentleman’s agreement” when applied to the competitive Call of Duty scene means that a weapon, item, perk, or any other in-game item has been unofficially banned by the professional players. This happens when the players all agree that the weapon or item in question is too overpowered to be fair but the CWL has not yet officially banned it. For instance the M1 Garand was only officially banned by the CWL on May 11th despite players agreeing not to use it for months. While this system of gentlemen’s agreements seems like a good idea on paper, it seems to have caused more trouble than good since the release of Call of Duty: WWII as the top players rarely seem to be able to agree with one another about what should be banned. Read More: Call of Duty Developers Post Another Cryptic Black Ops 4 Teaser and This One is Much More Obvious – This has already caused a number of public disagreements between the professionals and that shows no sign of changing after a new agreement was made on May 13th which saw the new ITRA burst rifle and the Long Barrel attachment for the BAR get banned. In a Reddit thread discussing the decision, Crimsix made it clear that he is fed up with “waking up every week to a completely different rule set” and stated that guns like the BAR need to be banned or completely in. Crimsix also seems to be tired of “vocal/influential” players and teams completely changing the rules and meta based off of their personal preferences for a certain weapon. Having never got the opportunity to see the ITRA in action at a major Call of Duty event, some fans are under the impression that the professional players have jumped the gun slightly with this new gentleman’s agreement. On the other hand, numerous community members have also pointed out that the ITRA’s dominance online should only improve in a LAN setting with better hit detection for the burst fire.

OpTic Gaming’s Crimsix explains why they chose Dashy and TJHaLy for the CoD roster The newest recruits to OpTic Gaming CoD didn’t come as a surprise after weeks of speculation, but for some fans the names ‘Dashy’ and ‘TJHaLy’ may not be all that familiar, so Crimsix explains exactly what they bring to the table. The announcement was made on OpTic’s popular video docu-series ‘Vision’, but numerous hints and rumors had already spoiled the surprise somewhat, at least for Dashy and TJHaLy specifically. Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell has really only been a player at the professional level for a little over a year – his first LAN tournament was the 2017 CWL Anaheim, where he came top 20 with Str8 Rippin. Dashy spent the WWII season first on Enigma6 and later CompLexity, and was the standout player on both rosters, but failed to break into the top eight at any major events. As for Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly, his professional career goes as far back as the Advanced Warfare season, but was cut short due to age restrictions. As soon as he turned 18, Daniel “Loony” Loza and Rise Nation immediately picked him up, knowing his talent. Winning three tournaments in his first year back, no one can deny TJ’s talent, and Dashy too has performed well, even in teams not competing for championships. But, everyone knowns OpTic is another step up, and Crimsix explains, via a Reddit AMA, why they felt the two young guns were the right choice. He went on to explain further that being proficient at SnD was a major factor in the recruitment of TJHaLy and Dashy, who before they were professionals were some of the best ‘SnD stars’ in the amateur scene. Of course their general in game skill is also there, with Crimsix praising TJ as “the best selfless/entry fragging sub in the game.” With the experience of veterans like Crimsix, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow combined with the younger duo of Dashy and TJHaLy, Crimsix calls it the “perfect storm” coming into Black Ops 4. The teams forming so far at the top of North American Call of Duty are very intriguing already, with OpTic, 100 Thieves and Envy all sporting all-star lineups. Other top organizations like FaZe Clan, Luminosity and eUnited are still to finalize their teams, and with the move to 5v5 shaking everything up, we could well see some more impressive squads announced, but OpTic have every reason to be confident.

OpTic Gaming’s Crimsix all but confirms Methodz being dropped from CoD roster Rumors of Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni departure from the OpTic Gaming Call of Duty roster have been circling for some time now, and his teammate Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter has hinted strongly towards it in a series of Reddit comments. The announcement from the CWL that CoD esports would be shifting to a 5v5 format rather than 4v4 has suddenly expedited the ongoing Rostermania, with both Red Reserve and Team Envy already making official moves. And OpTic Gaming could be next, as Crimsix has hinted that Methodz is off the team – despite roster rules stipulating that teams must retain three members of their roster from last year’s Stage Two, to ensure pool play at the first event. After this roster rule was introduced, some believed that OpTic would be forced to keep Methodz, or else lose their guaranteed pool play spot at CWL Vegas (the first event of the Black Ops 4 season). However, Crimisix’ first Reddit comment seemed to suggest that this rule wouldn’t change their plans for dropping Methodz, stating that he would “rather go through open [bracket]”, than keep Methodz on the roster. And this wasn’t all, as Crimsix later made another comment to confirm that he was indeed referring to dropping Methodz from the roster. When another user said “All it confirms is that Methodz is off the team”, Crimsix replied with a simple ^ , giving affirmation. Many OpTic fans are hopeful to see the return of three time world champion Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow, but comments previously made by Karma himself seemed to rule it out.

OpTic Gaming look to boost UK fan base with CDL viewing party Call of Duty League/CooldownNorth American esports organization OpTic Gaming appear to be aiming to tap into the United Kingdom market by joining forces with new outfit Cooldown. Based in Chicago, with Call of Duty League franchise OpTic Chicago bearing the city’s name, OpTic Gaming are set to host a viewing party in the UK as part of a new deal. Alongside the opportunity for bringing together community members, the parties are hosting a £10,000 giveaway including PlayStation 5 consoles, gaming chairs, and game vouchers. Cooldown is a new company launched by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the ownership group behind alcohol brands such as Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois, and Corona. The brand was launched in an effort to capitalize on people returning to social settings such as bars, hosting viewing parties for esports events like the Call of Duty League. As part of the activation with OpTic Gaming, Cooldown will host a viewing party at an undisclosed venue on July 24, 2021 — where fans can watch the final stretch of the CDL Stage 5 Major, according to a press release. Cooldown will also “highlight major esports news” and host a fantasy esports league in the coming months, with a “global expansion” being in the works. https://twitter.com/OpTic/status/1396901305763782658 “When AB InBev contacted us with their proposal to bring together esports fans at bars and locations to watch esports together, we were instantly on board,” said OpTic Gaming CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez. “Our fans are an incredibly cohesive community and are always eager to support us together, but lacked the opportunity to do so. Cooldown cleverly fills that void for the GreenWall and that is why we wanted to contribute as much as possible.”

OpTic Gaming coach TeePee blames three problems for CWL Fort Worth failure OpTic Gaming Call of Duty coach Tyler ‘TeePee’ Polchow has opened up on the team’s struggles at the CWL Fort Worth event – pointing to how their inconsistency led to their downfall. OpTic entered Fort Worth as one of the pre-tournament favorites after scooping up the first event win of the year at CWL Las Vegas. However, things didn’t exactly go as planned after falling to Team Reciprocity and Envy early pool play marked the beginning of a rough event. A win over eUnited made sure they didn’t enter the Losers Bracket with 0-3 record. Despite sweeping aside Evil Geniuses in the first-round, OpTic could not overcome Gen.G in the following stage and were eliminated in 9-12 place. Following the disappointing showing, coach TeePee pulled back the curtain and gave some insight as to why the team struggled in the way they did. Teep, himself a former CoD World Champion, begun his March 18 stream by discussing the team’s performance at the event – focusing on how the team looked completely different from their win in Vegas and how they kept making the same mistakes in certain match-ups. “There’s no way our Hardpoint should be so inconsistent in the way that it was,” said Teep. “If you look at our team KD’s and stuff overall, it really wasn’t that bad – stat line-wise.” However, he added that team continued to make the same mistakes – even after that had placed an emphasis on making sure they had them right. Focusing on the difference in the team’s performance from Vegas to Fort Worth, Polchow added: “The amount of issues that we had in Hardpoint throughout the weekend, we just looked kinda slow to react in SnD too – which is one of the biggest takeaways for me.” He continued: “I go back and look at Vegas in SnD and I look at this event – we look slow, we look unsure. Just night and day difference watching the SnD difference.” Finally, the OpTic coach also noted that the team’s practice prior to their pre-LAN, where they took on a number of other teams, was “not ideal”, even though the squad put in the necessary hours and reps. It’s already been revealed that the team will be mixing things up with Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow taking over the key Battery specialist in a swap with rising star Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly. Members of the Green Wall will have to wait and see if the sqaud can bounce back in time for the next open event – CWL London – where they should, once again, have the crowd behind them as they go in search of a win.

OpTic Gaming tease Game of Thrones event with mysterious themed posters Chris Ott / OpTic GamingProminent esports organization OpTic Gaming may be cooking up something with the Game of Thrones television series in the coming days, teasing it with a series of mysterious posters. The eight and final season of Game of Thrones is set to kick off on April 14, capping off what has been nearly two years of tremendous hype and anticipation. It looks as though OpTic Gaming will be taking full advantage of all of the hype by putting together some sort of Game of Thones themed event or promotion. OpTic Gaming x Game of Thrones posters On April 7, OpTic tweeted out a series of posters that included popular members of their content creation team, with each poster featuring a close-up of a content creator standing in snow with a serious look on his face. At the bottom of each poster was the slogan “Winter is Coming” – a classic phrase used in Game of Thrones, written in the same font that’s used for the show’s title and most of its promotional content. There have been three different posters put out so far, one for Michael ‘Flamesword’ Chaves, Michael ‘Hypoc’ Robbins, and Patryk ‘Rallied’ Salata. Date revealed for mysterious event/promotion Accompanying each of these posters was the date April 11, 2019. This is interesting because the first episode of Season 8 of Game of Thrones doesn’t premier until April 17, almost a full week later. Also included in OpTic’s tweet is an emoji of two interlocking swords and the hashtag #DefendTheWall, which is also a clear reference to the show. What could this all mean? Obviously, OpTic are planning on some sort of event or promotion related to Game of Thrones, but there isn’t really any other concrete information that would shed light on the specific nature of what’s in store. Fans are speculating that this could just be a teaser for their next episode of Fuel Royale, which is a YouTube competition series the org has been doing in partnership with their sponsor Mountain Dew Gamefuel. What’s further lending into this theory is that less than a week ago, OpTic CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, Call of Duty team captain Seth ‘Scump’ Abner, and CoD team coach Tyler ‘TeePee’ Polchow all appeared in a Mountain Dew commercial for Game of Thrones. We’re just a few days out from @GameofThrones premiere on @HBO. And we got a few friends to help us celebrate @MountainDew #LetsDo #ForTheThrone pic.twitter.com/pvq6W24OPX — Mountain Dew® (@MountainDew) April 2, 2019 If that does turn out to be the case, then fans will probably be in store for a treat, as there’s nothing better than seeing members of OpTic going head-to-head in some sort of Game of Thrones themed competition.

OpTic Gaming spark controversy after mocking “rigged” Call of Duty League OpTic Gaming Los Angeles[jwplayer si3gNM69] Modern Warfare and the Call of Duty League’s inaugural season have both been criticized by players and fans alike, but OpTic Gaming Los Angeles may be the first organization to publicly join in on the fun. The $4.6 million Call of Duty League Playoffs are finally here but the talk of the town took a totally different tone before the first matches were even played. Ahead of their opening-round elimination match on the first day of the CDL Playoffs, OpTic Gaming set Twitter ablaze with a video mocking the CDL and Modern Warfare for conspiring to rig the league through issues like ping and sporadic spawns. In the video, OGLA refers to the CDL as an “organization that seeks to break the dreams of all those in its path,” before elaborating that whether through the “issues with ping” or “spawns on the map,” the league will “decide which team should be in the lead.” Ultimately, it feels like the Green Wall just wanted to know “what the f**k is going on?” Unsurprisingly, like the fallout from their last controversial Tweet about the Chicago Huntsmen, the team has now deleted the tweet and backtracked heavily. The video, which they describe as “the last video in our satirical series,” was subject to unrelenting memes and controversy from fans, players, and other teams. In an effort to further clarify their intentions, they have given in and let everyone know that “it was meant to be a joke.” In all seriousness, @CODLeague helped make 2020 feel more normal and all the matches, events, and content from all the teams has made the best of an unprecedented situation for all of us. Looking forward to a great playoffs, a great Champs and a great end to a great season. 2/2 — OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTic) August 19, 2020 As for community response, it has been…mixed, to say the least. While many continue to unleash frustration stemming from the original Immortals-OGLA buyout and compare this content to H3CZ’s OpTic standards, various professionals in the scene have simply chimed in to joke about a possible incoming fine. The Seattle Surge’s Sam ‘Octane’ Larew, a player very familiar with lambasting the CDL, memed about a fine while caster, Chris ‘Puckett’ Puckett, joked that the team would both lose their first-round match and get fined, making them the only side to lose money this postseason. https://t.co/8b8LNT9rdd pic.twitter.com/cCLL7CMefb — Sam “Octane” Larew (@OctaneSam) August 19, 2020 OpTic about to be the only team losing money at the $4,600,000 tournament https://t.co/WPffy5vCKB — Chris Puckett (@MLGPuckett) August 19, 2020 The Mutineers couldn’t resist poking fun at their LA counterparts either; as one of the league’s best-run social media accounts, it seemed only a matter of time until the Floridians also chimed in with a meme of their own. CDL coming to collect the fine like pic.twitter.com/x9eviUEHEV — Miami Heretics (@MiamiHeretics) August 19, 2020 Now that it’s deleted, a fine is likely unlikely, but the roasts still ran amok, and even under OpTic’s tweets explaining the joke and backtracking on their original post, many members of the community, including former member ‘Aaron Create,’ continue to express their frustrations about the org’s decision to post the video. https://twitter.com/AARONCREATE/status/1296159475947233282 And just like that the OpTic Gaming social media manager no longer has a job. pic.twitter.com/XJMqNUSjPE — Joshh (@BsportJoshh) August 19, 2020 Not recording this one today, feeling a bit too angry. Can’t imagine what actual OG OpTic boys feel when they see this crap over and over. $100 million for that laugh.out.loud. — Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) August 19, 2020 The Green Wall will hope that their performance at the CDL Playoffs will be a lot better than their meme game; OpTic kick off their postseason campaign facing elimination right away versus crosstown rivals LA Guerrillas in the first round. You can watch that and all of the Champs matches live via our Call of Duty League Playoffs & Championship Weekend hub, which also includes live scores, brackets, and more.

OpTic Gaming reportedly bench Dashy ahead of CDL New York Call of Duty League[jwplayer EKw2S6e2]OpTic Gaming LA is reportedly set to shake up its Call of Duty League roster once again, with reports suggesting Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell could be moved to the bench for the rest of the year as two new faces join the team. Currently sitting in eighth place with just three Home Series events left in the regular season, it has been an unquestionable tumultuous year for OpTic Gaming. Through multiple role swaps, roster shuffles, and even the departure of head coach Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker, the team has struggled to improve. Their most recent performance ended soon after it began on June 19. The online Paris Home Series event resulted in a last-place finish with just a single map win to their name. While players have been quick to blame Modern Warfare’s servers, more roster changes appear to be on the horizon. In what could be a last-ditch effort to salvage the season, OGLA is reportedly picking up two Challengers players from North American organization UYU. Though this drastic move would inevitably force two starting members to the bench. Sources: @OpTicGaming looking to sign both @Drazah_ and @Hollow412 — CDL Intel (@intelCDL) July 6, 2020 Zack ‘Drazah’ Jordan and Darien ‘Hollow’ Chverchko are the two names that OpTic has its sights on, according to CDL Intel. The UYU players have achieved multiple top-three finishes throughout the year’s Challenger Cups and open events. Hollow has appeared on a wide array of North American teams since 2013, though Drazah is a relative newcomer. Having only begun his competitive journey in 2018. While the move has yet to be confirmed, fans immediately began to speculate who the newcomers might replace. With roster lock just hours away, however, it appears Dashy will be one of two OpTic members relegated to the bench. Following on from an explosive 2019 run in Black Ops 4, Dashy has since been vocal about his displeasure with Modern Warfare. Evidently unhappy with the state of the game and how the OGLA squad panned out, things got off to a rocky start. It was even rumored that he would be forced to the bench back in April, though this time he’s not putting a stop to speculation. Shortly after the roster move was first reported, Martin ‘Chino’ Chino took to Twitter and seemingly confirmed he was also benched in the process. “Never appreciated, always a second option,” he said. “Just hate that I put my all into this and it’s somehow my fault others don’t.” Originally signed as a substitute, Chino transitioned to the starting lineup in May as Jordan ‘JKap’ Kaplan was benched. While he helped the team achieve its best results with back to back top-four finishes in Week 7 and Week 8, his time on the starting lineup could be at an end. Until these moves are made official, do take the reports with a grain of salt. With the end of year Championship tournament now an online event, any of OpTic’s members could have been rotated in response. There’s a chance that a number of CDL teams adjust their rosters in light of the July 5 announcement. Keep your eyes peeled in the leadup to the next event. OGLA next competes in the London Home Series starting July 17.

OpTic Gaming recruit FaZe Clan star as their CWL Pro League substitute [UPDATED] With just a few days left until the start of the CWL Pro League, OpTic Gaming have finally announced who their sub will be and it’s one of the biggest stars in Call of Duty. Given the amount of talent that missed out on qualifying for the CWL Pro League this year, it’s been no surprise to see many teams pick up big-name players as their substitutes. OpTic Gaming, however, decided to save the best announcement as one of the last by announcing Tommy ‘ZooMaa’ Paparatto as their sub for the upcoming Pro League. The move was first talked about by ZooMaa on January 27 when he said that he “was supposed to be a sub for OpTic” before contract issues got in the way. It seems as though whatever issues were present then have been fully worked out in the lead up to OpTic’s announcement on January 30. FaZe Clan failing to qualify for the CWL Pro League was one of the bigger surprises of the Qualifier as many saw the team as a lock for making it into the League. The team struggled through the Pool Play stage with a 3-3 record before eventually falling to both Excelerate Gaming and Overtime eSport (who signed with Denial Esports on January 29) in the double-elimination playoff bracket. Read More: Pro Call of Duty players bash UYU for controversial roster changes just days before CWL Pro League – While he and his teammates were surely upset about the loss, ZooMaa is now the third FaZe player to find a new home, with Preston ‘Priestahh’ Greiner and James ‘Crowder’ Crowder joining 100 Thieves as a player and coach, respectively. Soon after OpTic’s initial tweet was posted, ZooMaa confirmed the move while also thanking the organization for choosing him as their sub. The CWL Pro League kicks off on February 4 with OpTic Gaming being placed into Division A. OpTic Gaming will also participate in the next open event, CWL Fort Worth, that takes place from March 15-17. UPDATE While the full details of the roster move were a bit unclear at first, ZooMaa later cleared things up via a command on his Twitch channel. According to the command, ZooMaa is still under contract with FaZe Clan and is not actually on loan, which is the case with Priestahh and Crowder. As such, ZooMaa will only play for OpTic if they absolutely need a replacement during an upcoming match.

OpTic Gaming Reacts to the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Multiplayer and Battle Royale Reveal OpTic Gaming’s Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has released a new video reaction to the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 reveal along with Jack ‘CouRage’ Dunlop and Seth ‘Scump’ Abner. May 17th marked one of the most highly anticipated days in recent memory for the Call of Duty scene as the community reveal event for the next game, Black Ops 4, took place. The event certainly lived up to expectations as Black Ops 4 multiplayer will include numerous new innovations, an updated Specialists system, changes to health regen and recoil patterns, and much more. However, the announcement that got the biggest cheer from the crowd was undoubtedly the confirmation that Call of Duty will be entering the “Battle Royale” genre with an all new mode named Blackout. Read More: First Look at All Eight Specialists in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – Abilities, Equipment, and More – Blackout will bring together your favorite maps, characters, weapons, and vehicles from previous Treyarch Call of Duty titles and bring them all together to create a massive Battle Royale mode which sounds like it could be spectacular. One person that was particularly excited about the various announcements was OpTic Gaming’s CEO, H3CZ, who recorded a live reaction with OpTic content maker CouRage and then got the thoughts from the professional team’s captain, Scump: As is to be expected, the reactions are filled with excitement as H3CZ and CouRage totally lose their minds at the Blackout reveal. Scump is also “pretty excited” but he does point out that the developers need to do Blackout correctly the first time around: “There’s opposite sides here, you know? I’m really excited if they do it correctly […] however, it has to be perfect the first time or they’ll never get another opportunity to capitalize on the BR market which is obviously what’s been taking over recently” Scump has a point – if Blackout is released in a state that doesn’t feel finished or refined, players will likely lose interest rather quickly. The new mode needs to capture the imagination of players from the get go. More information about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is sure to be released in the coming months but the game itself will not be available to play for the general public until October 12th. Unless you get access to the private Beta, that is.

Call of Duty: OpTic Gaming stars react to their CWL Las Vegas win – Scump, Crimsix, Dashy and more Dexerto | Twitter @OpTic_ScumperCWL Las Vegas, the first Call of Duty event of the Black Ops 4 season, saw OpTic Gaming return to the top after a year of disappointments and poor results. The team that had ruled the roost in competitive CoD for so long never found their footing in WWII and some community members and pundits believed that they would never find their 2017 World Championship winning form again. However, the return of Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow and the addition of youngsters Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell and Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly upon the release of Black Ops 4 seemed to breathe new life into the team, and their online form was impressive from day one. The CWL Las Vegas Grand Final victory over eUnited clearly meant a huge amount to the OpTic players, their organization and their loyal fanbase. Once the dust had settled, each member of the squad took to Twitter to share their thoughts. Seth ‘Scump’ Abner, the team’s captain and longest serving member, had the worst year of his career in WWII. To celebrate the end of his championship drought, he simply posted one of his classic trophy shots: Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter, the Call of Duty with the most championships to his name, said that he was immensely proud of his team. He followed that up by Tweeting Halo legend Tom ‘OGRE2’ Ryan to say that he has his sights set on the former Final Boss star’s record of 40 major event wins and that it would be an honor to match it. CWL VEGAS CHAMPIONS!!! So proud of the boys. We put on a fkn show! Follow the squad!!!! GG’s to everyone we played.#GreenWall @OpTic_Scumper @OpTic_DKarma @TJHaLy @DashySZN @TylerTeeP #GreenWall — Ian (@OpTic_Crimsix) December 10, 2018 33x Eyes on you, @TomRyanOGRE2, it’ll be an honor to accomplish what you have. That is my career goal. I’m playing with purpose now. The Pursuit pic.twitter.com/VXBOopfR7r — Ian (@OpTic_Crimsix) December 10, 2018 Three-time world champion Karma Barlow was dropped from OpTic’s WWII roster in May as they desperately sought for a solution to their slump. Both Scump and Crimsix have talked about regretting that decision, and they were desperate to get him back for Black Ops 4. Despite not playing Call of Duty since being dropped, Karma quickly found his feet again when he rejoined in October. His post-Vegas Tweet focused on how grateful he is to have a chance to rebuild the OpTic dynasty: So happy. I didn’t play a single day of COD after Seattle last year until the beta. Glad these guys allowed me to join back and accomplish more together. — Damon B (@OpTic_DKarma) December 10, 2018 Dashy was many people’s pick for MVP of the tournament. The 19-year-old was in incredible form throughout the weekend and his first major event win was thoroughly deserved. After lifting the trophy he was clearly lost for words: Can’t even put into words how I’m feeling right now. Thank you:green_heart: pic.twitter.com/EjqWjaP63g — OpTic Dashy (@DashySZN) December 10, 2018 TJ had by far the most success of anyone on the roster in WWII, winning three CWL Open events over the course of the season with Rise Nation. The 19-year-old, who is known for his Search and Destroy prowess, summed up his feelings with the classic saying of OpTic’s owner, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, reminding the Green Wall to trust the process: The team’s coach, Tyler ‘TeePee’ Polchow, is a former world champion in his own right and regularly looked frustrated with OpTic’s underperformance in WWII. The veteran player made it clear that the squad had worked incredibly hard for the win before pointing out that CWL Las Vegas was also his first title as a coach: CWL Vegas CHAMPS!!! LOVE THESE DUDES!!! @OpTic_Scumper @OpTic_Crimsix @OpTic_DKarma @TJHaLy and MVP @DashySZN They worked so hard and wanted this win so bad. So happy for them. My first coaching chip!!! Feels so damn good after how last season went. — OpTic TeeP (@TylerTeeP) December 10, 2018 After living up to the hype by winning the first event of the season, OpTic’s goal for the rest of the year is a clear one: win everything. While they didn’t drop a single series all weekend, they were pushed to the limit by Splyce and had close games against eUnited. All of their competitors will now be focused on finding a way to be first team of the year to knock down the Green Wall.

OpTic Gaming players blast CDL servers following loss to ROKKR Call of Duty LeagueOpTic Gaming Los Angeles lost an excruciatingly close match to the Minnesota ROKKR at the Seattle Home Series, which led to a Twitter rant about the Call of Duty League’s servers from star man Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat, among others. Losing in competitive Call of Duty is never fun, especially when the defeat comes in a match that goes the distance – all the way to game five, round 11. That was the case for OpTic Gaming LA, who could not clutch up on Arklov Peak Search & Destroy against the Minnesota ROKKR and have now been forced down to the losers bracket, where they fill face elimination on Saturday. However, not an instant had gone following the result when several of their players angrily took to Twitter and complained about their apparently poor connection to the CDL servers. SlasheR, in particular, was very passionate in his tirade: “Want to know why there was a huge delay? Because I’m being forced to play on 100+ ping because their Texas server is conveniently unplayable. Pathetic, someone needs to be held accountable.” He went on to claim that the CDL accommodated Minnesota when they had similar complaints, but were not so cooperative with OpTic. “When Minnesota skips for one second in a test lobby, the league says the host is unplayable,” he said. “‘Deal with it, nothing we can do.’ Twice now. Unfair BS, they need to be held accountable.” The former World Champion even went as far as to say that he’d “rather not play,” when a fan accused him of making excuses “every time you lose.” SlasheR was not the only one to express such claims; both Dashy and the recently-promoted Chino tweeted about having to play on 100+ ping, with the former saying that he “misses LAN.” While it’s never good to see players so frustrated about having to compete in such conditions, connection issues were always going to be an inevitability when the CDL announced, back in March, that the entire 2020 season would be played online. The first event following that change, CDL Dallas, had its fair share of problems, and after similarly passionate complaints from Empire star Crimsix, the league announced the implementation of several new servers and a ‘server veto’ system that would, in theory, help mitigate some of the issues. SlasheR himself also complained around that time as well, calling the situation “just unacceptable” and saying “when does the next Black Ops game release?” After a couple of events with relatively few grievances from players, it appears that the predicaments have resurfaced, so only time will tell if, and how, the CDL will deal with them this time. Don’t miss any of this weekend’s Call of Duty action by checking out our CDL Seattle hub, which includes streams, updated scores, brackets, and more.

OpTic Gaming parent company to sell share of team OpTic Gaming is set for another ownership shuffle after news of Texas Esports, LLC is looking to sell their share of the organization. Texas Esports is the majority shareholder of Infinite Esports & Entertainment, which owns OpTic Gaming and the Houston Outlaws Overwatch League franchise. According to sources at ESPN, Texas Esports will put up their share of Infinite for $150 million. The sale is expected to being in early February. 600The move may have been in the works for some time as Infinite has seen rounds of layoffs since the fall, with OpTic Gaming founder Ryan ‘OpTicJ’ Mussleman taking over to help the company regain its focus. “Generally speaking, we think we grew too fast,” OpTicJ told SportsBusinessDaily after the layoffs, “I do want to emphasize we’re not losing sight of the model of what we built.” According to OpTicJ, there has been mismanagement in the organization that went against the direction of CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez. The high price of $150 million will give you a few prestigious esports teams. In addition to a franchise in the Overwatch League, OpTic Gaming also has a spot in the League of Legends Championship Series. The Call of Duty team may currently be in negotiations for a permanent league place as well, as details for the CWL to convert to a franchise system were leaked by the owner of Team Kaliber. Full disclosure: OpTic CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd

OpTic Gaming set to make a role change following CWL Fort Worth disappointment Twitch / Call of DutyAfter crashing out with only a top 12 finish, OpTic Gaming‘s Call of Duty roster are wasting no time in making adjustments to their gameplan, with an immediate role switch already in the works. Having won CWL Las Vegas, the first event of the Black Ops 4 season, in rather convincing fashion, OpTic were among the favorites in Fort Worth, even after being placed in the so-called ‘pool of death’. And so it was to be for the roster, as losses to both Reciprocity and Team Envy meant they would start bracket play in the losers side, and couldn’t afford another slip-up. They got past a frankly underperforming Evil Geniuses side in their first round match, but were put to the sword by Gen.G in losers round 2, losing a game five Search and Destroy, consigning them to top 12. For a roster of their caliber it wasn’t the expected outcome at all, but on the basis of their performance, it was likely deserved, and the players themselves admitted the teamwork just wasn’t where it needed to be. On Championship Sunday, as the final between Luminosity and Splyce took place, three-time world champion Damon ‘Karma‘ Barlow revealed that he would be switching to the Battery specialist, and using the War Machine, giving up Ruin and his grapple/grav slam. No way in hell im running an SMG so it might be time pic.twitter.com/cPDVeGb37D — Damon B (@OpTic_DKarma) March 17, 2019 The reason for the change is fairly straightforward. While most Ruin players use an SMG, Karma typically runs a Maddox assault rifle, which is not best suited to the grapple’s strengths. It means that Thomas ‘TJHaLy‘ Haly will now be taking the Ruin specialist in his place, better pairing it with an SMG, while Karma continues to use the Maddox, but with the Battery specialist instead. Fans will likely see this change in effect for the cross-division portion of the CWL Pro League, with OpTic’s first matchup against Enigma6 on April 1. Whether the change is enough to get the team back on track remains to be seen, but at least they have plenty of time to practice before the next open event, CWL London, which kicks off on May 3.

OpTic Gaming LA part ways with coach Pacman following CDL Florida run Twitter: OpTicGamingOpTic Gaming Los Angeles (OGLA) has parted ways with head coach Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker following a major roster shuffle and a second-place finish at the CDL Florida Home Series. With Jordan ‘JKap’ Kaplan rotated out of OGLA’s starting roster and Martin ‘Chino’ Chino stepping up, the team recorded its best placement to date last weekend. The May 8 to May 10 Florida Home Series saw the previously struggling squad emerge with a second-place finish. Despite the drastic shakeup and subsequent results, the CDL organization has bid farewell to its first and only coach in Pacman. We’d like to thank @PacmanJT for his work with OpTic Gaming Los Angeles. We appreciate everything he’s done for the squad and wish him the best going forward. pic.twitter.com/VsDOOfI94n — OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTic) May 12, 2020 Former pro player turned broadcast talent, Pacman was announced as OpTic’s head coach on January 8. Just four months later, his tenure has come to an end. “I am no longer a part of OpTic Gaming,” he revealed in a May 11 tweet. “I will miss being with the team on a daily basis but my time here has come to an end.” While a plethora of CoD veterans and industry icons replied to his announcement, many of OpTic’s players have yet to comment on the departure. Kenny ‘Kuavo’ Williams responded to Pacman’s post simply wishing him luck. For the time being, there’s no telling who may fill his shoes as OpTic proceeds forward without a coach. I am no longer a part of @OpTicGaming. I will miss being with the team on a daily basis but my time here has come to an end. I have spent the last decade of my life in call of duty and will be looking for the next opportunity that arises for me in cod esports. Thank you ❤️ — Jonathan Tucker (@PacmanJT) May 12, 2020 As for what comes next, Pacman assured fans that he’ll be sticking around the competitive Call of Duty scene. “I have spent the last decade of my life in call of duty and will be looking for the next opportunity that arises for me in cod esports.” Perhaps another team could benefit from his coaching experience, or maybe we’ll even see him back on the broadcast desk as an analyst. Only time will tell where he may end up. On the back of an impressive showing at the Florida Home Series, OGLA currently sits in seventh place overall in the CDL standings. The team is scheduled to compete at the upcoming Seattle event on May 22 where they will first square off with the Minnesota Rokkr.

OpTic Gaming LA bench Dashy & Chino after signing two new CDL players MLG / OpTic Gaming Los Angeles[jwplayer mCpsAxNx] Following three consecutive losses, OpTic Gaming Los Angeles have once again tweaked their Call of Duty League lineup—this time by benching Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell and Martin ‘Chino’ Chino for new additions, Darien ‘Hollow’ Chverchko and Zack ‘Drazah’ Jordan. Many had speculated a lineup shift after Chino was, once again, relegated to a substitute role on July 6, but the Dashy news may come as a surprise. Long known as a prominent star in Call of Duty, he has recently underperformed on an OGLA lineup that failed to live up to its organization’s CoD pedigree. Hollow and Drazah, meanwhile, have each spent over three months playing for the CDL Challengers UYU organization, both performing admirably enough for OGLA to call upon their services. .@Muddawg talks on picking up @Drazah_ and @Hollow412 and why we believe they make a great addition to OGLA.#OGLA // #CDL2020 pic.twitter.com/yFsuePXWRa — OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTic) July 10, 2020 When Chino was moved into the starting lineup on May 4, OGLA proceeded to go 5-3, but that success proved short-lived as the team subsequently dropped three straight. Evidently dissatisfied with the team’s form, General Manager Eric ‘Muddawg’ Sanders has pivoted and brought some fresh talent to the team’s roster—with Drazah and Hollow trialing with the team’s starting lineup instead of Chino and Dashy during scrims on July 8 before being officially announced as starters on July 10. OpTic Gaming Los Angeles Updated Roster Zack ‘Drazah’ Jordan – Darien ‘Hollow’ Chverchko – Kenny ‘Kenny‘ Williams – Austin ‘SlasheR‘ Liddicoat – Thomas ‘TJHaly‘ Haly – Martin ‘Chino‘ Chino (sub) – Brandon ‘Dashy‘ Otell (sub) – Jordan ‘JKap‘ Kaplan (sub) – Jevon ‘Goonjar‘ Gooljar-lim (sub) – Drazah & Hollow in, Chino & Dashy out. pic.twitter.com/yn0J5FYHjH — CDL Intel (@intelCDL) July 8, 2020 After the Chicago Huntsmen’s Seth ‘Scump’ Abner accidentally joined OGLA’s lobby while streaming, rumors seemed confirmed that Dashy would be joining Chino on the bench as two new players joined the team in lieu of their veteran starters. A former CWL All-Star and tournament MVP, Dashy boasts a tremendous reputation and came into this season as an impressive recruit for OGLA. In Black Ops 4, he regularly posted league-leading K/D rates—but those numbers have deteriorated substantially in Modern Warfare while OGLA has dropped to eighth in the standings at 7-12. At their latest event, the Paris Home Series, no player hit a positive K/D but Dashy posted the team’s lowest overall by far with 0.68 (Hardpoint: 0.57, SND: 0.58, Domination: 0.93). That may have been the last straw for a player whose upside is undisputed but whose work ethic had already been subject to unsavory rumors. When discussing Drazah and Hollow’s acquisitions, Muddawg specified wanting the former because “he is an aggressive SMG and has been using the smoke a lot” and the latter because “he really brings a great wealth of knowledge.” Moving Dashy and Chino to the bench allows this revamped starting group an opportunity to coalesce, while permitting OpTic to consider trading or releasing the two former starters should they not improve enough to reclaim their roles. At the moment, the two’s futures are uncertain and all eyes are on July 17, when OGLA faces the top-tier Florida Mutineers during London Home Series group play.

OpTic Gaming LA announce Pacman as CoD head coach with parody video The OpTic Gaming Los Angeles Call of Duty League franchise have named former pro player and desk analyst Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker as their new head coach for the 2020 season. With the inaugural 2020 season of the newly-formed CDL set to kick off in just a couple of weeks, the 12 competing organizations are finalizing their rosters and support staff for what’s expected to be an ultra-competitive campaign. OpTic Gaming LA is the latest team to put the finishing touches on their squad, announcing Pacman as their head coach on January 8. “Thanks for all of the positivity from you guys, really appreciate it,” he tweeted. “Glad to work with such a talented team. Time to get to work.” The retired pro player will take the reigns of one of the most star-studded rosters in the league, with the starting lineup combining for 28 major tournament wins and three world championships. OPTIC GAMING 2020 ROSTER Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly – Dashy ‘Brandon’ Otell – Kenny ‘Kenny’ Williams – Austin ‘Slasher’ Liddicoat – Jordan ‘JKap’ Kaplan – Martin ‘Chino’ Chino (sub) – Jevon ‘Goonjar’ Gooljar-Lim (sub) – Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker (coach) – A veteran in the Call of Duty scene, join us in welcoming @PacmanJT to the #OGLA squad as our Head Coach! pic.twitter.com/JFCsI6Jmk8 — OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTicGaming) January 8, 2020 OpTic Gaming’s hilarious parody announcement video OpTic’s announcement of their new head coach came via a hilarious parody video, which featured general manager Eric ‘Muddawg’ Sanders and players Kenny, SlasheR, and JKap discussing who their new head coach should be before they end up calling Pacman. Slight but hilarious references were made to several of the more-gripping headlines from the CoD offseason, such as the controversy surrounding ex-Dallas Empire sub Charlie ‘MuTeX’ Saouma, and the harsh comments made by former OpTic star Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter about the Green Wall’s difficult 2019 season. Even JKap found himself on the receiving end of some roasting from Muddawg, who said “we have all these amazing pieces, minus you of course” as he pointed to the two-time world champion. Pacman – from pro to analyst to head coach Pacman has been one of the longest-standing and most recognizable figures in Call of Duty esports after first breaking onto the scene with Team FeaR, and winning the MLG National Championship in 2008. However, he never found too much success as a player after that, bouncing from team to team and never staying with one for longer than a year except for when he played for Rise Nation from 2014-15. He retired in 2017 after a very short stint with G2 Esports, transitioning to a manager role with Rise Nation. In 2018, at the start of the Black Ops 4 season, he became a full-time desk analyst for Activision, covering the CWL’s Pro League and major tournaments. Keep up with all of this offseason’s roster moves and player signings with our dedicated Call of Duty League RosterMania hub.

OpTic Gaming Gears of War player reveals plans to switch to competitive CoD for Black Ops 4 Legendary Gears of War player Billy ‘MentaL’ Putnam, a 15x champion, has revealed he wants to make the switch to competitive Call of Duty for the upcoming Black Ops 4 season. MentaL is one of the most decorated Gears of War players of all time, having been part of the OpTic Gaming dynasty since mid 2016, a team which rarely ever loses. But, despite his team’s dominance in Gears esports, it appears the lure of the new Call of Duty title has tempted MentaL away, as the current Gears of War Pro Circuit season winds down. Having just won CWL San Diego at the end of September, their sixth win in seven major tournaments attended, MentaL is looking to pastures new. The Pro Circuit season finals are still to come, as well as a charity invitational on November 17-18, with a $200,000 prize pool split 50/50 between the winning team and a charity of their choice. The first event of the Black Ops 4 season will take place on December 7-9, at CWL Vegas, so MentaL may have one eye on finding a team and preparing for this event. Trying to compete for cod, if any teams are interested lmk I’m about the grind and learning everything about the game — billy (@MentaL) October 19, 2018 He is the first current Gears of War professional to voice his wish to move to CoD, but follows in the footsteps of numerous Halo players, including the full world championship winning Splyce roster, and legendary Halo player Brad ‘Frosty’ Bergstrom. Having seen a number of top esports organizations leave the Gears of War esports scene – as well as Halo esports – it isn’t necessarily a good sign for either of these esports, that their top players are trying to move into another console esport. All three of them, CoD, Halo and Gears, have their tournaments organized by MLG, making the transition somewhat easier, and the raw skill of these players making the transition is certainly respected by their fellow console esports professionals. Frosty has already secured himself a spot on a top roster, playing on Enigma6 alongside General, Diabolic, Kade and KiSMET.

OpTic FormaL retires from professional Call of Duty Call of Duty LeagueFormer World Champion and OpTic icon, FormaL is stepping away from competing. After CDL 2021’s conclusion, the 23-time event winner announced his plans to focus more on content creation. Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper is coming off a rough Cold War season. The AR slayer hoped for a better season, but he was still second on the team with a 1.04 K/D. OpTic failed to win an event this year and fell Top-6 at CDL Champs. An MVP at CoD Champs 2017 and with an 11-year career filled with trophies, FormaL steps away from the game as one of the greatest to ever touch the sticks. The news comes after his former teammate, Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon announced that he was an unrestricted free agent for the 2022 season. FormaL tweeted out his plans for the future letting his fans know that he thinks he can still compete but it would be “selfish” to his teammates knowing he “might not give them my all.” “Here we are, 11 years down the road…it’s been a wild ride. Learned a lot about myself through this journey, and I can say I’m happy with what I leave behind,” he said. “At this point in my life, I have a much different perspective on things, and I’ve learned to appreciate even the hardest of losses.” His audiences across Twitch and YouTube will still see FormaL regularly grinding Call of Duty, but he’ll take a step back from the pro stage. FormaL finishes a World Champ and 23-time winner After finishing seventh at the previous two Champs, 2017 was FormaL’s year. He led OpTic Gaming to its first World Championship and took home the MVP. On top of a CoD Champs ring, he leaves the esport as one of the greatest to ever play racking up 23 championships. He was also part of arguably the greatest dynasty Call of Duty has ever seen. FormaL started competing in Halo before making the switch over to Call of Duty where he instantly became one of the game’s top AR players. He worked his way onto Team Kaliber just after one event in CoD: Ghosts and would later finish the season out with Team Envy, before joining OpTic for Advanced Warfare. Community reacts to FormaL’s retirement Lots of members from the gaming community responded to FormaL’s post, appreciating him as a competitor and tipping their hats to an amazing career. Like a brother to me. Got your back on anything you ever want to do. Gonna miss our trolls everyday. So many laughs and memories with you dawg. Best of luck to one of the best teammates I’ve ever had the pleasure of competing with. T2P. — OpTic Scump (@scump) August 28, 2021 aye man, as many battles as we had throughout the years, i appreciate tf out of you for always pushing me as a competitor. truly don’t believe i’d be the person i am today without the constant pressure to try and be as great as you, GG’s and GL my dude. — NYSL Clayster (@Clayster) August 28, 2021 Good luck with whatever you do brotha, absolute unit on the sticks 🙌🏻 — FaZe Simp (@SimpXO) August 28, 2021 Even the two-time, Dr Disrespect got in on it, saying that FormaL was one of his favorites to watch compete. One of my all time favs. Firm handshakes! https://t.co/y0faspRZTG — Dr Disrespect (@DrDisrespect) August 28, 2021 Although this is the end of his playing career, for now, FormaL is expected to remain a part of OpTic Gaming and create content for the org.

OpTic Gaming eye up FaZe Clan player for CWL Pro League substitute OpTic GamingAs with all teams in the CWL Pro League, OpTic Gaming will be looking to recruit a substitute player for the 2019 season, and they have already reached out to a FaZe Clan star. FaZe’s long time player Tommy ‘ZooMaa’ Paparatto fell short at the Pro League qualifier, as his side were eliminated by French side Overtime eSport. Having never missed a season of the CWL Pro League, to see players of ZooMaa’s caliber not in the league was unthinkable for many fans. But, it looks like ZooMaa will potentially sign with the CWL Las Vegas champions OpTic as their substitute – if contractual issues can be resolved. During a live stream on January 26, ZooMaa revealed that he was “I was supposed to be a sub for OpTic, but there’s like contract things and stuff that needs to be settled, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Update: During a live stream on January 27, ZooMaa responded to a question regarding the status of his possible substitute position with OpTic. The FaZe Clan player says he was “going to be” OpTic’s sub, but is not unsure if the move will go through due to contract complications. Substitute players would still play in the amateur portion of events with a separate roster, but would be available to call upon if the Pro League team required their services. It is likely that others from the FaZe Clan roster are selected as substitutes, and ZooMaa even suggested that his (now former) teammate Preston ‘Priestahh’ Greener has been recruited to a new team. Dillon ‘Attach’ Price, McArthur ‘Cellium’ Jovel and James ‘Crowder’ Crowder are also potentially on the market for new teams and substitute positions.

OpTic Gaming to announce new CoD team during Vision – Sept 27 – Stream and Schedule The latest edition of the OpTic Gaming Call of Duty team is expected to be announced during a Vision episode aired on Thursday, September 27. As the world’s most popular Call of Duty team, OpTic players have a pressure upon them to perform and bring home trophies. The iconic lineup featuring Scump, Crimsix, FormaL and Karma did just that when they started their tirade during the Advanced Warfare season, and carried on for three years to break records as a team, culminating in their world championship win on Infinite Warfare. Unfortunately for OpTic fans, it all went a bit off the rails during the WWII season when the side ended up splitting due to poor results. After dropping Karma and FormaL, and picking up Methodz and Octane, their season didn’t get much better and bombed out of CoD Champs 2018 at the hands of their arch-nemesis, Aches, once again. Vision will take place at 4pm CT (2pm PT, 5pm EST, 10pm BST) on September 27. LIVE Stream Watch live video from OpTicGaming on www.twitch.tvThere has been plenty of speculation about who the new five-man roster will entail, but there is an expectation that we’ll see TJHaly, Dashy and the return of Karma. It’s still possible we could see Methodz return to the lineup to ensure the side are guaranteed a pool play spot. However, Karma is favored after 100 Thieves announced their roster without him, and Crimsix openly said on Reddit that he’d rather play through the open bracket than team with Methodz again.

OpTic Gaming eliminated from CWL London after eUnited sweep MLGDespite being one of the top Call of Duty teams heading into CWL London, OpTic Gaming suffered a heartbreaking Losers Finals sweep defeat to eUnited on Championship Sunday – falling to a third-place finish. After making a few role changes, big things were expected from OpTic Gaming at CWL London as they looked to bounce back from a lackluster showing last time out at CWL Fort Worth. After finishing the Pool Play stage with a dominant 3-0 record, the Green Wall moved into the Winners Bracket portion of play. While OpTic’s hot run carried them to the Winners Final, they suffered defeat at the hands of 100 Thieves and were dropped into the Losers Bracket – poised with the proposition of meeting an on-fire eUnited for a chance at revenge. Prior to the start of the Losers Bracket final, OpTic had a 9-1 map record against eUnited in their meetings throughout the Black Ops 4 season, yet that record was quickly changed as eUnited picked up a 250-197 win on Arsenal Hardpoint – quieting the previously raucous pro-OpTic crowd. eUnited, working with the hot momentum of their Losers Bracket run, were able to spring that growing confidence into a second map victory, securing a close Search and Destroy victory on Payload by a 6-4 scoreline. And they weren’t finished there. Moving to Seaside, which has been a comfort map for OpTic this season, eUnited jumped out to a quick start – taking a 2-0 lead in Control before the Green Wall could respond and put a round on the board. However, they weren’t able to hold off the extremely on-form eUnited squad who finished the map at 3-1 thanks to a late clutch from Chris ‘Simp’ Lehr. While OpTic will have to go back to the drawing board and swallow a devastating sweep, eUnited will have the chance to roll their growing momentum into a Grand Finals showdown with 100 Thieves. By taking down the Green Wall with a 3-0 scoreline, James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks’ squad proved that they can, again, stand alongside some of the best teams in the game despite majorly shaking up their roster prior to CWL London. Yet, they will need to muster all of their talents together in a bid to beat an equally hot 100 Thieves who have reached their first Grand Finals ever.

Karma Comments on the Gunless to OpTic Gaming Rumors OpTic Gaming’s Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow has dropped a little nugget of information as the roster rumors regarding his team continue to circulate. For the first time since the Advanced Warfare season, OpTic Gaming’s Call of Duty team looks set to make some roster changes. The current World Champions have struggled to meet their high expectations since the switch to Call of Duty: WWII and their most recent result of 13th – 16th at CWL Seattle seems to have been the final nail in the coffin. As the most popular team in all of Call of Duty, and arguably the most talented roster in the franchise’s history, the potential shuffle has caused an influx of roster rumors and speculation that the community has rarely seen. One of the players that is almost universally expected to be departing the team is Karma, and the most popular candidate to replace him has been Rise Nation’s Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman – a player that many other pros view as the best in the game. However, during a recent Twitch stream, Karma commented on the Gunless to OpTic rumors and made it clear that he “highly doubts” that it is happening. This information can be interpreted in a number of different ways. Firstly, the negotiations fell through, meaning that Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper could also be leaving the roster as he supposedly only agreed to stay on the team if Gunless joined. Secondly, the information leaks about the entire team leaving OpTic and joining some other team were true, meaning that Karma’s information is true but with a twist. Or lastly, Rise Nation was unwilling to sell their star player and OpTic decided to take aim at another player, or players, like some of the Luminosity Gaming rumors would suggest.

OpTic Gaming & Envy announce merger and new OpTic Texas CDL team OpTic Texas/Call of Duty LeagueAfter months of rumors, leaks and anticipation, the long-awaited OpTic and Dallas Empire merger has finally been announced, creating the OpTic Texaxs CDL team. Reports of a merger between the two major Call of Duty powerhouses have circulated for some time in the months following the 2021 CDL season. In August 2021, not long after the culmination of the Call of Duty League Championship, the story came out that Envy-owned Dallas Empire were in talks to merge with OpTic. Alongside it, the rumored new team — which would be housed by the merged OpTic and Envy organization — has been hotly discussed by the competitive community, and now it’s finally confirmed, with the OpTic Texas announcement finally arriving on Monday, November 8. OpTic Texas finally announced On November 8, OpTic Texas was made official, with two of the longest-standing names in CoD esports coming together. Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez will henceforth be the president of OpTic Gaming as they bring OpTic Texas into the 2022 CDL season on Call of Duty: Vanguard. With the two major brands merging, the new OpTic Texas roster is as follows: Seth ‘Scump’ Abner – Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell – Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro – Indervir ‘iLLeY’ Dhaliwal – “We’ve competed against each other since 2008, and I have a ton of respect for Hector and what he’s built,” said Envy founder Mike ‘Hastr0’ Rufail. “We genuinely care about each other. We are going to be much stronger together than apart.” What happens to Dallas Empire and Chicago CDL spot? The Dallas Empire brand will be retired from Call of Duty League competition, rebranding as OpTic Texas as part of the merger. It was also revealed that Envy and OpTic acquired the Chicago CDL spot through the merger, meaning that they will have to find a suitable buyer for the slot, which they say has received “viable interest.” This confirms NRG’s departure from the CDL after creating the Chicago Huntsmen in the 2020 season. As of yet, it’s unclear what happens to the vacated Chicago CDL spot, especially since the reported Washington deal fell through recently.

OpTic Gaming eliminated from CWL Anaheim by Gen.G in thrilling Losers Final match Deep in the CWL Anaheim Losers bracket, underdogs Gen.G managed to bring down the Greenwall in an stunning 3-2 series on June 16 to propel them into the Grand Finals against 100 Thieves. The CWL 2019 circuit is winding down as the last open event has been giving fans some of the best Call of Duty gameplay from multiple orgs that they’ve seen all year. Gen.G had just been wiped by 100 Thieves in the Winners Finals before the match. While people were expecting a similar fate against OpTic Gaming, Gen.G had another thing in mind heading into the hyped matchup. Regardless of popular predictions, the team in Gold and Black were looking to repeat what they had done to OpTic at Fort Worth when they eliminated them in the second round of the Losers Bracket with a 3-2 margin. OpTic came out of the gates firing with a dominating win on Frequency Hardpoint that ended with a quick 250-130 finish. But Gen.G showed exactly why they’re now in the Grand Finals by winning Hacienda Search and Destroy as well as Frequency Control, against an invigorated OpTic squad. Gen.G let OpTic advance their lead on Hardpoint all the way up to 247, before making their push to close the gap. It looked like their patience was about to be well rewarded as they were a stone’s throw away from clinching the map with 243. But OpTic were able to hold the line, closing out the map to tie up the series 2-2, and pushing it to a fifth and final map on Frequency Search and Destroy. Since CWL London, OpTic was 8-0 on the map after their clincher against FaZe Clan in the Losers Semis, but the streak stopped there as Gen.G proved to be too much for the Greenwall to handle. Search and Destroy couldn’t have been closer. In a big round down 1-2, Gen.G had to rely on impeccable timing to pull out a 2v1 clutch. That round eventually sparked a winning run as Gen.G were able to close the series, after thwarting OpTic’s late-game heroics. Gen.G once against eliminated OpTic to deny them a chance at a Losers championship run, and it will be a while before OpTic get another opportunity to redeem the crushing loss. Now Gen.G are primed for a quick rematch against 100 Thieves in the CWL Anaheim Grand Finals for the lion’s share of $325,000.

OpTic Gaming eliminated from CoD Champs by 100 Thieves in stunning fashion MLGOpTic Gaming‘s journey at the 2019 CWL Championship came to an end at the hands of rivals 100 Thieves, who handed them a stunning beating in the final round of the Losers Bracket. Considering that both OpTic Gaming and 100 Thieves came into Champs as two of the favorites to win the whole thing, it didn’t come as a major surprise when they were among the last three teams left standing at the $2 million tournament. Following OpTic’s loss to eUnited in the Winners Bracket Final, the two met in a do-or-die situation, with one team destined to go home before reaching the Grand Final. However, was looked to be a captivating matchup on paper turned out to not really be much of a contest at all, as 100T pulled off a dominant 3-0 sweep of the Green Wall, not really giving them much of a chance throughout the whole match. This was the second time they’ve eliminated OpTic at a major tournament, having also knocked them out of last month’s Pro League Playoffs at CWL Finals. The onslaught began right from the get-go, as 100 Thieves came out hot on Seaside Hardpoint to win 250-210, with the scorelines suggesting the game was closer than it actually was. Building a huge lead early, 100T allowed OpTic to claw their way back into it, before stepping up their resistance at the end and securing the win. Too little too late: @OpTicGaming’s late surge is not enough as @100Thieves open with the 250-210 Hardpoint!https://t.co/NKHQSgV6Gh#CWLPS4 | #CWLChamps pic.twitter.com/NRaaKjXSNL — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) August 18, 2019 The map two Search & Destroy on Arsenal proved to be a very similar affair, as 100T built a massive 5-1 lead early before giving up three straight rounds to allow OpTic to get within 5-4. However, a crucial team-kill in round 10 from Scump gave away a key advantage for the boys in green, allowing 100T to take the match 6-4. .@100Thieves strong again! The 6-4 S&D makes it 2-0 lead over @OpTicGaming.https://t.co/NKHQSgV6Gh#CWLPS4 | #CWLChamps pic.twitter.com/eFIQzeXjzg — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) August 18, 2019 With momentum fully on their side, 100 Thieves did not want to allow OpTic the chance to reverse sweep them the same way they themselves reverse swept FaZe Clan earlier in the tournament. There was not going to be any reason to worry about that, however, as they demolished the Green Wall 3-0 on Arsenal Control to knock them out of Champs. .@100Thieves ELIMINATE @OpTicGaming from Champs! 100 Thieves complete their Losers Bracket run and book a ticket to the Grand Final vs @eUnited!#CWLPS4 | #CWLChamps pic.twitter.com/TELkQCuqmU — Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) August 18, 2019 OpTic’s elimination is a pretty painful one not just for the players, but for all Call of Duty fans around the world, as it potentially puts a closing bookend on arguably the most storied team in the esport’s history. The players, coach, and CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez took to Twitter following the loss to share their reactions at being knocked out of the final CoD Champs ever. As for 100 Thieves, with the win they booked their ticket to the Grand Final to face off against eUnited, in what seemed like an eternity after stunningly dropping down to the Losers Bracket in the very first round of the knockout stage two days prior. You can watch the Grand Final in our CWL Championship 2019 hub, and also make sure to check out the full final placements and prize split for all of the teams eliminated so far. Follow @DexertoINTEL for full coverage of $2 million competition, including map-by-map score updates.

OpTic Gaming eliminate FaZe Clan at CWL Anaheim, advance to Losers Final MLGOpTic Gaming were the bane of FaZe Clan’s CWL Anaheim campaign with another crushing series loss on June 16 this time for the right to move on in the Losers Bracket to avoid elimination. The final open event in the CWL circuit before Champs has been delivering on all fronts with incredible storylines filling both Winners and Losers brackets as top teams continue to fall in the lead up to the Grand Finals. This time it was FaZe Clan who fell in a hotly contested Losers Semis against an OpTic team who were itching to cement their dominance over their opponents after a reverse-sweep in their previous meetup the day before. FaZe and OpTic were trading punches throughout the series The CWL Vegas Champs have a bigger prize in their sights but they first had to move past a FaZe team who weren’t planning on making any map easy for the Greenwall. Opening up the series, FaZe came out firing behind young star McArthur ‘Cellium’ Jovel as the team continuously shutdown OpTic’s attempts to enter the Hardpoint on Frequency, losing the match 250-152. But OpTic came back punching during Search and Destroy in a 6-4 win that looked bleak to start until the Greenwall were able to put up a ripping four-round streak to get all the momentum. Speaking of momentum, Gridlock saw both teams trade rounds with big stock leads earned through surging offensive prowess. But OpTic was eventually able to pull away from FaZe to give them their first lead in the series at 2-1. FaZe were not going quietly into the night, as they tied up the series on Arsenal Hardpoint with a real close 250-223 win against an OpTic team who were eager to close out the Losers Semis. But that would have to wait one more map as the series moved on to Frequency Search and Destroy where OpTic liked their chances seeing as they were 7-0 since CWL London. Early in the match, it was FaZe who started with an impressive run netting two quick rounds to open the map. But the star-studded lineup of OpTic held their nerve, and used stellar individual talent to go up six rounds in a row to close out the game and series. OpTic fans were cheering their team on to avoid a repeat from London that saw the Greenwall bow out of championship contention after losing to eUnited in the Losers Bracket. With their 3-2 win, OpTic move on to the Losers Finals against the loser of the Winners Finals between Gen.G and the 100 Thieves. It’ll be an uphill battle from here on out for OpTic but if they play like they did against FaZe, a heroic run to the top at Anaheim might not be out of the question.

Call of Duty: OpTic Gaming’s dominance continues and Europeans shine as CMG ProDown reaches final stages The December 2 – 3 CMG ProDown tournament was the first opportunity for European teams to compete with the best North Americans – and they’ve already showed that they mean business. The tournament, which now has just four teams remaining, started off with most results going the way you expect. Perhaps the most interesting matchups were G2 Esports vs Reciprocity, which ended 4-3 in favor of the NA team, or Red Reserve vs Pittsburgh Knights, where the Europeans took down Christopher ‘Parasite’ Duarte’s team 4-2. In the top half of the bracket, 100 Thieves tore through the likes of G2 and Envy before eventually falling at the hands of their rivals, OpTic Gaming, who had also dispatched both Luminosity and Red Reserve during their run to the Grand Final. With one Grand Final team already confirmed, all eyes turned to the lower bracket where both the European hopefuls had clearly found a rhythm that was working for them. Red Reserve, who had already defeated FaZe Clan in the upper bracket before losing 4-2 against OpTic, found themselves in a rematch with the Pittsburgh Knights and prevailed once more with a score of 3-2 to earn a spot in the losers bracket semifinal. The Knights can hold their heads high, though, after defeating Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon’s Midnight Esports, Splyce and G2 Esports convincingly during their losers bracket run. An even more impressive story from the losers bracket comes from Thomas ‘Tommey’ Trewren’s European side of Team Reciprocity who, along with their Australian import – Denholm ‘Denz’ Taylor – defeated some of the biggest names in Call of Duty. After their loss to G2, Reciprocity managed to scrape past Nightingale before taking down both Luminosity and FaZe Clan with 3-2 wins. Finally, they knocked out the reigning world champions, Team Envy, to secure their place in the losers semi. These results guarantee a top three finish for one European side. Whether that will be Red Reserve or Team Reciprocity will be confirmed in the first match of December 3. The winner of the European showdown will then take on 100 Thieves for a spot in the Grand Final against OpTic Gaming.

Dashy slams CoDBurner after claims about OpTic CoD changes OpTic Gaming Call of Duty star Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell has quickly shut down claims from ‘CoDBurner’, about his team potentially making a change. Call of Duty Rostermania begins The CWL roster locked was lifted on April 5 and teams only have until April 22 to make their roster moves. With this Rostermania period coming so quickly after the conclusion of the cross-divisional play portion of the Pro League, a number of rumors have been swirling about a wide range of changes. While some teams look set on making wholesale changes, OpTic have only switched up their in-game roles and stuck with the roster they formed prior to the start of the Black Ops 4 season. 600Dashy denies ‘bullshit’ claims However, their performances have taken a hit in recent weeks, with questions being raised about the team’s drop off in form since winning CWL Vegas. On April 8, CoDBurner posted that they heard “something about OpTic making a change” in roles or even possibly moving on from coach Tyler ‘TeePee’ Polchow. Questions quickly shifted in Dashy’s direction as he began streaming games between pro players. “I don’t know what you guys are saying about CoDBurner,” started Dashy, addressing his Twitch viewers after receiving an inquisitive donation. “Like, this shit is all bullshit bro. It’s the first time I’m hearing this CoDBurner shit about our team – it’s literally all bullshit.” Will OpTic make a change? While the OpTic Gaming squad may have suffered a wobble since their dominant win at Vegas, Dashy’s brutal shutdown of the CoDBurner seems to indicate that they won’t be making drastic changes any time soon. The Greenwall will have to put in the hard yards to get back to the top, but with just under a month until the next event – CWL London – getting to grips with new tactics, and possibly new roles, might just be their best bet for success instead of making a full-blown changes like other teams. However, they don’t face the easiest of groups in London. After finishing second in the first season of Pro League play, with a 7-3 record, OpTic have been drawn in a stacked Pool A against 100 Thieves, Team Reciprocity and Enigma6.

OpTic Dashy explains the harsh “reality check” after getting eliminated at CWL Fort Worth CWLThe Call of Duty scene was shocked when OpTic Gaming were ousted so early from CWL Fort Worth, and star young gun Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell gave some insight on what it was like during their run and what they team’s working on moving forward. The Greenwall had gone into Texas as the favorites for the CWL’s first event in 2019. Coming hot off a dominating run in Las Vegas, the all-star lineup had everything going for them until a messy day of pool play led into brief Loser’s Bracket run. In the latest episode of the CWL’s Hot Mic, host Clint ‘Maven’ Evans and Dashy went through how the team was feeling at the start of the tourney as going into a strong pool and the quality of play that led to unfortunate results. What went wrong in Fort Worth In looking at what went wrong for OpTic during their tournament, Dashy pointed to the hyped Group of Death in tandem with a slow ramp up to their form which eventually landed them in a tough situation. “A couple things went wrong,” Dashy explained. “Obviously we got the hard pool, and we had a slow Friday. Obviously you play all your pool matches on Friday, you can’t start slow especially in a hard group like that. You just add so much pressure on yourself to win.” The pressure definitely amounted since the team quickly dug a hole for themselves with back-to-back losses against Envy and Team Reciprocity. They were able to pick themselves up a bit by winning out against eUnited with an emphatic 3-0 fashion, but it still left the team in a precarious spot. (Timestamp at 2:48 for mobile viewers) Dashy even recalled the funny calculations the team took into consideration in regards to the map wins, hoping they could get a lift out of Team Envy who had to win out against Reciprocity to avoid the Loser’s Bracket. “We went 0-2 in our pool,” Dashy said. “We’re like ‘damn, we’re probably not going to make it out’ but then we thought about it ‘If [Reciprocity] lose to Envy, and we 3-0 eUnited [we have a chance].” Getting Better Dashy hilariously remembered rooting for Envy in the waning moments of pool play, knowing that they needed some help to avoid losers. That help didn’t come, and the rest of the event served as a worthwhile “reality check” for the OpTic team. “[Since Fort Worth] we took our practice a lot more serious,” Dashy said. “Not to say we weren’t, but we just understood like ‘hey, we just got Top 12 our practices need to be serious.’ We got a reality check. We got smoked, basically.” Though Fort Worth didn’t turn out results that OpTic would’ve wanted, Dashy is using the experience as motivation to “go hard and… prove why [they’re] one of the best teams in the world.”

OpTic Gaming Cruises to Victory in the 8th CWL Pro League Challenge – Final Placements The OpTic Gaming Call of Duty team has put CWL Pro League teams back on the top after winning the eighth installment of the CWL Pro League Challenge. Despite the impressive form of the non-Pro League teams in recent iterations of the competition, OpTic Gaming looked virtually untouchable throughout their four matches, dropping just one map. That single map loss came at the hands of Doug ‘Censor’ Martin’s compLexity Gaming in the semifinal but OpTic certainly looked like the team to beat from throughout the entire tournament. The Grand Final of the online competition saw OpTic face Lightning Pandas. The Canadian team had defeated Tainted Minds, WaR and Luminosity Gaming on route to the final but fell in three short maps to Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and company. The CWL Pro League Challenge is a bi-weekly online tournament that gives eight ameteur teams the chance to compete with eight of the current Pro League teams for their share of a $2,000 prize pool. With their win over Lightning Pandas, the OpTic Gaming players secured a $1,500 payday. But, more importantly, they will now be going into the final week of Division B action in Stage 2 of the Pro League where they are still in with a shot of taking the top spot. The final placements for the July 15th CWL Pro League Challenge are as follows:

OpTic Gaming CoD team hit best Modern Warfare 3 clips so far Call of Duty League / Activision /OpTic Gaming Call of Duty players and content creators Scump and Shotzzy have hit some Modern Warfare 3 clips that have sent fans crazy. Modern Warfare 3 has officially started its beta, with pros and casuals enjoying the third game in the Modern Warfare trilogy and using the fast-paced movement mechanics and perks like “battle rage” to try to reach the top of the leaderboard. Clips have surfaced all over the internet of players going on crazy sprees, hitting 360 no-scopes, and showing off insane grenade set-ups all on the returning “OG” maps. However, Shotzzy and Scump have been showcasing why the pros deserve their notoriety in the CoD community, going on quickscoping sprees and getting Nukes. Shotzzy goes on quickscoping spree Shotzzy shared a clip to Twitter of him demolishing enemies on Highrise in a clip that had fans wowed. Shottzy slide-canceled and spun his way to get four quickscope kills in quick succession. Fans couldn’t believe their eyes, seeing someone who looked to have mastered sniping in the game before it had even released: “LOCKED TF IN OMG if that happened to me and it was Shotzzy I’m uninstalling immediately.” People also praised Shottzy for hitting the clip against some tough, skilled enemies, like FaZe Scope: “Literally DOOKIED on Scope and Testy,” one fan commented. Scump wows with Modern Warfare 3 Nuke Shottzy wasn’t the only player from the OpTic Gaming team who was showing off their immense talent, as Scump managed to drop a Nuke within his first day of touching the new CoD release. To get the nuke players have to earn 24 gun kills, and in typical Scump fashion, the “King” managed to breeze past the opposing team, flanking behind the enemy team on the rooftops to get his last kills, ending the game in a blaze of fire as his Nuke dropped. But, with Scump being one of the most decorated Call of Duty players of all time, fans expected nothing less: “Doesn’t surprise me the king drops a nuke day one of the beta” one said. Keep up-to-date with Dexerto to see more crazy clips as Modern Warfare 3 progresses through its beta.

Pro Players and Personalities React to OpTic CoD Roster Change The 2015 to 2018 OpTic Gaming Call of Duty team will go down in esports history as one of the greatest rosters of all time. The team consisting of Seth ‘Scump’ Abner, Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter, Matt ‘FormaL’ Piper and Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow played their first event at UMG California in April 2015, taking down FaZe Clan in the grand final. That was the start of something special. The four man team consisting of arguably four of the greatest CoD players of all time went on to win a further 12 events, and rather fittingly, their final win as a team saw them lift the title as CoD Champs 2017 winners for Infinite Warfare. When it was announced that Call of Duty WWII would be 2017’s annual title, expectations were high for the team to continue their blistering success when the mechanics returned to boots on the ground. Unfortunately for OpTic fans, that didn’t quite work out like planned. Following a third place finish at CWL Dallas, the team looked to have lost the killer instinct that made them such formidable competitors. As the WWII season progressed it was clear something was wrong internally with a clear division between the players both on and off the game. The final straw appeared to be losing back to back series against FaZe Clan in the CWL Pro League finals. Just a number of weeks later they placed top 16 at CWL Seattle and rumors began to float around of a roster change. On May 6th it was confirmed that FormaL and Karma would be replaced by Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni and Sam ‘Octane’ Larew. For years the team was known as the ‘final boss’ of competitive Call of Duty, with something special required in order to beat them. Regardless of the level of game, whether online or offline, the team had something of a bounty on their heads. This level of respect by other professional players and notable figures within the competitive CoD community was shown on Twitter following the announcement of the new lineup with a variety of reactions to the move. eUnited’s James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks Truly an end to an era. One of, if not THE, toughest and most skilled CoD roster in history. Always hated playing those four but damn were they always nasty. @OpTicHitch did a great finale, — eU Clayster (@Clayster) May 6, 2018 CoD commentator Ben ‘Benson’ Bowe Bruh, it really is the end of the greatest dynasty we will probably ever see in CoD. Its crazy to have witnessed it all. — Ben ‘Benson’ Bowe (@Benson_EU) May 6, 2018 Former CoD commentator Matt ‘Mr X’ Morello @OpTic_Crimsix @OpTic_Scumper @OpTic_FormaL @OpTic_DKarma congrats on such an incredible run and giving the community so many amazing moments. Personally glad to say my final cast was seeing you all accomplish your ultimate goal. — Matt Morello (@MattMrX) May 6, 2018 Splyce’s Dillon ‘Madcat’ Daly The one team you always knew you had to find that extra in you to beat, was always a pleasure playing them 4 lads. — Dylan D (@MadCat) May 6, 2018 FaZe Clan’s Dillon ‘Attach’ Price Playing against your old squad was always an honor and the matches were so close. Good luck with the new squad. — FaZe Attach (@Attach) May 6, 2018 Red Reserve’s Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall Can’t watch vision, I’ll end up crying. What a roster that was, probs the best ever, the best I’ve ever seen but good things don’t last! I can’t wait for the league :raised_hands::punch: — skrapz (@skrapzg) May 6, 2018 OpTic Gaming Coach Tyler ‘Teep’ Polchow So many things out of my hands the past few months. Tough times. Many excuses. Wish things could have worked out better but that S1 Playoffs loss was the final straw Think everyone will be in a much better mental state with these changes. Back to the GRIND with the new squad! — Tyler Polchow (@TylerTeeP) May 6, 2018 OpTic Gaming’s Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter It was quite a run, but that is how our legacy will be written. Hopefully y’all enjoyed watching us over the years. I want this team to be remembered by our persistence; our ability to push through failure to achieve success. pic.twitter.com/zFDzODoRjP — Ian Porter (@OpTic_Crimsix) May 6, 2018

OpTic Gaming Clinch a Spot in the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs North America pro Call of Duty team OpTic Gaming have officially qualified for the CWL Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs. The team becomes the second from Division B to clinch a postseason spot, with UNILAD Esports having claimed a berth earlier on July 17. Coming into Day One of the eight and final week of the Pro League, OpTic had an 8-3 record and were tied with Rise Nation for first place in Division B. With a match against that very same Rise team to wrap up the day, OpTic knew that a victory would not only give them a Playoff berth, but also create some separation in the quest for the top overall seed. The match was as intense as expected, as Optic pulled through in the close Game One Hardpoint 250-236. Rise answered back with a 6-4 win on Valkyrie SnD, but fell behind again when OpTic dominated Flak Tower CTF 4-0. OpTic would win the next Hardpoint 250-206 to grab the 3-1 victory as they clinched their Playoff spot and took over the top overall seed for the time being. The new leaders in Division B… @OpTicGaming take hold of 1st place with the 3-1 win over @TheRiseNation! #CWLPS4 pic.twitter.com/wmKE8v03F4 — Call of Duty esports (@CODWorldLeague) July 17, 2018 OpTic will now have two more matches, against UNILAD and Luminosity respectively, to try and clinch that top overall seed in Division B. However, they will at least be rest assured that they will be one of eight teams in the Playoffs, where $500,000 in total prizes will be up for grabs.

OpTic Gaming announce three new players for their CoD roster heading into Black Ops 4 season North American esports organization OpTic Gaming have announced the addition of three new players to their Call of Duty pro team ahead of the Black Ops 4 season. Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly, Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell, and Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow will be joining current players Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter, finalizing OpTic’s new five-man roster for the upcoming season. These additions were officially announced on September 27 in the latest episode of Vision, along with a post on OpTic’s official twitter page. Many OpTic supportes will be thrilled to see the return of three-time World Champion Karma, who became a fan favorite in the three years he competed for the Green Wall prior to being dropped halfway through the WWII season. In TJHaLy and Dashy, OpTic get two of the most promising and talented players in the CWL. After spending two years away from the competitive scene due to age restrictions, TJ returned in WWII with a bang, winning three major events with Rise Nation. Dashy, who finished the year with compLexity Gaming, was a standout player on a roster that qualified for Stage 2 of the CWL Pro League, and many consider him to be one of the best AR players in the league. Keep up with all of the roster moves and team changes this off-season by visiting our dedicated Rostermania hub here.

OpTic Gaming announce roster changes for Florida Home Series OpTic GamingOpTic Gaming Los Angeles has benched two-time world champion Jordan ‘JKap’ Kaplan ahead of the Florida Home Series, as the historic organization scrambles to stop their run of “unacceptable” Call of Duty League results. The LA franchise announced Martin ‘Chino’ Chino would be taking JKap’s spot in the starting lineup in Florida. The move will see him reunited with former Team Kaliber squadmate Kenny ‘Kuavo’ Williams for the first time since WWII. Chino’s switch into the top-five isn’t the only mix-up LA is pulling the trigger on as they look to escape the CDL cellar either. General manager Muddawg confirmed the team would also be “looking at a variety of role changes.” “Obviously our team’s performance has been unacceptable, and we need to get a lot better,” Eric ‘Muddawg’ Sanders said during OpTic’s roster-swap announcement. “Going into Florida we’re going to try playing Chino for JKap.” The OpTic GM also added it “wasn’t lost on [LA’s backroom staff]” that the roster boasts two of the game’s top-tier main ARs in Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat and Brandon “Dashy” Otell in a meta that calls for just one on the roster. “The team is looking at a variety of role changes” he confirmed. “We’re in a meta that allows for one assault rifle, so we’re trying out a variety of scenarios to see what is best. Hopefully, we can give you a better showing in Florida.” Update heading into the Florida Home Series.#OGLA // #CDL2020 pic.twitter.com/41WiElEetY — OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTic) May 4, 2020 OpTic will be hoping their sweeping changes pay dividends sooner rather than later too. Ahead of the 2020 CDL season launch weekend, the Los Angeles roster was tipped as one of the best chances to take the title. Now they languish in tied-last-place. Bringing Chino into the main roster also adds another puzzle piece for Los Angeles too. The 22-year-old has been an assault rifle player most of his career. He’ll likely make his CDL debut on the MP5 submachine gun, however. OGLA’s refreshed roster will get its first major test this weekend against the London Royal Ravens. They face the seventh-placed team on Friday at 4.30pm CT. If the Greenwall can bag a win, they could then face Paris or Atlanta. Related: CDL Power Rankings—FaZe, Huntsmen drop after Chicago: The newest OpTic switch-up isn’t the only roster move being made ahead of Florida’s event either. The league’s early pacesetters Chicago have also dumped Gunless from their lineup after falling behind rivals Dallas last round.

OpTic Gaming announce partnership with Champion – release dates, how to buy, and more North American prominent esports organization OpTic Gaming have partnered up with Champion Athleticwear to take their apparel line to a whole new level. On February 28, both OpTic and Champion officially revealed their new partnership, which will involve a “year-long collaborative campaign” of producing and selling specially designed t-shirts, hoodies, long sleeves, and jerseys that will feature the branding of both companies. This campaign will officially kick off on March 1, as the new gear will go on sale at the following two Champion retail locations: Los Angeles: 123 S. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036 – New York City: 434 Broadway, New York, NY 10013. – Starting March 2 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, fans will also be able to by the same items online by visiting OpTic’s store at store.opticgaming.gg. OpTic x Champion Our first drop with @ChampionUSA will be available tomorrow exclusively at their LA and NYC flagship stores, with online purchase live at Noon CST on Saturday 3/2 at https://t.co/FD5QGi0g4v#GREENWALL pic.twitter.com/IapUrzQwoa — OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTicGaming) February 28, 2019 There are currently four articles of clothing from this new OpTic x Champion line that have been unveiled, including a long-sleeve shirt, two hoodies, and jogging pants. Images of this gear can be seen below, modeled OpTic members Flamesword, Create, Maniac, and PterodactylFTW The OpTic x Champion announcement also gave fans some details as to what they can expect to come later in the year, as the collaboration is set to feature an “unprecedented retail activation for an esports enterprise.” While the details of this project will be revealed at a later date, what it essentially means is that we could see esports gear be sold in retail stores at a level never been successfully tried before. OG x @ChampionUSA collab :fire: hoodie and shoes :ok_hand::skin-tone-2: shoutout to @FashionNova for the pants pic.twitter.com/EfGoutVA20 — MBoZe (@OpTicMBoZe) February 28, 2019 Of course OpTic isn’t the first esports org that Champion have partnered up with, as they’ve also collaborated with FaZe Clan to very positive results. The FaZe x Champion hoodies and pants have instantly sold out anytime they’ve gone on sale, and OpTic will be hoping their gear reaches that kind of demand. You can read up on the full press release for the announcement below: Legendary professional esports organization OpTic Gaming has entered into a collaborative partnership with Champion Athleticwear, makers of authentic athletic apparel since 1919. OpTic and Champion will work together on a number of projects to bring co-branded apparel to the esport giant’s fan community, the partnership represents one of the apparel company’s deepest investments into esports products, starting with a year-long campaign to create co-branded clothing in collaboration between Champion and OpTic’s creative teams. More information on the collaboration can be found at OpTic’s official homepage – Greenwall.gg “The awesome OpTic community, the Green Wall, is all about style and confidence, and just like their name says, Champion comes from a legacy of winners dating back a hundred years. It’s a perfect fit,” says Joe Hills, Head of Brand Strategy for OpTic Gaming. “Working this closely with Champion is a huge deal for us, because it means that the OpTic community is helping to push mainstream awareness of esports in popular culture, and it’s a show of faith for Champion, who want to co-brand their apparel to a community of passionate and loyal fans from all over the world.” Starting March 1st, Champion Athleticwear and OpTic will initiate their year-long collaborative campaign with a series of specialized co-branded designs for T-shirts, hoodies, long sleeves and jerseys which will be available Champion’s retail stores in Los Angeles (123 S. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036) and New York City (434 Broadway, New York, NY 10013), with items hitting OpTic’s online storefront, store.opticgaming.gg, on March 2nd. In Q2 2019, Champion and OpTic will embark on an unprecedented retail activation for an esports enterprise, with new collaborative designs being released in Q3. More details on Q2 and Q3 activations will be revealed at a later date via OpTic’s social channels, including twitter.com/OpTicGaming, and Youtube.com/OpTicGaming “Since the 1919 founding of Champion Athleticwear, we have always been looking to the future of sports apparel. This rich tradition continues with this collaboration with our dynamic and winning partners at OpTic Gaming,” said Matt Waterman, General Manager Champion. “Alongside the creative team at OpTic, we’ll be creating clothing that appeals to all esports and gaming enthusiasts, and a style that brings the same energy that OpTic brings to every match.”

OpTic Gaming announce new Call of Duty General Manager Following theCall of Duty franchise. Following the purchase of OpTic Gaming parent company Infinite Esports & Entertainment by Immortals Gaming Club, a joint statement was released on September 16 which announced the departure of H3CZ, the former CEO. Having recently acquired a Los Angeles-based team spot in the upcoming Call of Duty franchise system, it was unclear who would be steering the ship for the organization with H3CZ having transitioned to NRG to operate the Chicago-based franchise. In a September 23 video, it was announced that Eric ‘Muddawg’ Sanders would be stepping up to the plate to lead a new Call of Duty roster under the OpTic and LA banners. Read more: When will Scump return to Twitch? – Referring to his new home he states that “It’s one of the most storied brands in Call of Duty history, I’m excited to be here.” Acknowledging those who helped build the Green Wall into the powerhouse that it is today, Muddawg highlights Hecz as “one of the most impressive people I’ve met in Call of Duty esports.” Due to the recent sale of OpTic, the subsequent departure of H3CZ, and behind the scenes drama that saw veteran players supposedly “forced out” of the team, Muddawg “expects there to be backlash” from the fans. “I don’t necessarily think it will be an easy thing to earn their trust and acceptance, but it’s something I really want to do eventually.” “I have some big shoes to fill,” he states. “I know I will never be able to replace or replicate exactly what those before me did, but I’m hoping by building a strong, championship-caliber roster, that’ll be a good starting point to give the fans something to cheer for, something to get excited about. Hopefully, we can continue that rich tradition of excellence.” The Call of Duty franchise league is set to kick-off with its inaugural season in 2020. While full rosters and even team branding have yet to be revealed, you can keep up to date with all of the latest announcements using our dedicated tracker. A former competitor and coach, Muddawg’s most recent efforts came at 100 Thieves as the ‘head of esports’ where he helped lead a powerful CoD lineup to back to back trophies and a second-place finish at CWL Champs 2019. At 100 Thieves, an organization founded by Matthew ‘ Fortnite scene. A fruitful venture that saw 100 Thieves members place 3rd in duos competition at the 2019 World Cup.

OpTic Gaming and Luminosity Had Very Different Reactions to Being Eliminated from CWL Anaheim MLGEpisode 5 of MLG’s “Recon” series, which followed OpTic Gaming and Luminosity’s journeys at CWL Anaheim, highlighted the stark difference between their reactions after being eliminated from the tournament. The $200,000 CWL Anaheim Open concluded with Rise Nation defeating Red Reserve over the course of two tight best of fives in the Grand Final and continuing their impressive run of form. But MLG’s Recon series on YouTube was focusing on two of the other big name teams in Call of Duty, who were making their first outings at a major event since undergoing significant roster changes after CWL Seattle. OpTic Gaming, now playing with Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni and Sam ‘Octane’ Larew, brought their CWL Pro League form into the early stages of the tournament but eventually fell short of their high standards with a 5th-6th finish. Meanwhile Luminosity, now playing with Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper, performed above the expectations of many, securing a 3rd place finish despite struggling in the CWL Pro League and online. The difference in expectations from both teams was never more clear than in Episode 5 of Recon, which focused on the matches that eliminated them and how they reacted to the defeat. OpTic Gaming were clearly devastated after falling to the hands of UNILAD, with Methodz saying that they felt they had let people down and made “Just heartbreaking, bro. We had that series in the bag versus UNILAD. We all f*cked up, made mistakes,” “To let ourselves down and everybody else down, it sucks dude.” Meanwhile, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner is shown sitting against a wall with his head in his arms as the team’s owner, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, tries to comfort them and remind them that the World Championship in August is the most important thing to focus on. H3CZ tried to console the devastated OpTic players. Luminosity seemed to be more confident than ever after losing to Red Reserve in the losers bracket final. The team has struggled to adjust since losing Octane and picking up FormaL, but they defeated OpTic Gaming, FaZe Clan, and UNILAD during their Anaheim run. Luminosity still needs to focus on the CWL Pro League where they currently sit in 5th place in Division B, but FormaL made it clear that they are now excited about what is to come. “The whole tournament I mean, it was really good for us. I think we kinda proved to ourselves that we can do it and I think it’s gonna help us a lot going into the future,” “We still kinda all know in our heads, like, the bigger picture, like, it’s looking good for us so I’m excited for the future.” OpTic Gaming and Luminosity will both have a break before action resumes in Division B of the CWL Pro League Stage 2 on July 10th. OpTic will be looking to put Anaheim behind them and regain the form that they brought into the start of Stage 2, while Luminosity will hope to continue building upon the new level that they discovered during the CWL Anaheim playoffs. The full Recon episode can be found below.

OpTic FormaL hints at possible return to Call of Duty after retirement Call of Duty League / ActivisionCall of Duty and OpTic Gaming legend Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper announced his retirement from pro CoD this offseason, but has since discussed the decision and left the door open for a possible CDL return. For FormaL and OpTic Chicago alike, the 2021 Call of Duty League season was a shaky one. With the team failing to surpass a third-place finish in any of the year’s events, it may not be surprising, in hindsight, that offseason changes were made. Nonetheless, the two changes took CoD’s community by storm: “The Prince” Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon was released, and beloved AR FormaL retired. While fans were disappointed in the season, most were hoping FormaL would get his chance at redemption. And, according to a new video with the AR, it turns out that chance at redemption may come — just not in 2022. FormaL explains decision to retire While not permanently closing the door on a return, @FormaL broke down his decision to retire: pic.twitter.com/LAehSWLHXq — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) September 6, 2021 In 2021, OpTic’s highly touted roster bowed out of the postseason in Loser’s Round 2 after finishing the regular season with an above-average 26-18 record. But, as FormaL has now revealed, the season was a struggle on multiple levels for him. “I don’t know if it’s the online era of CoD that’s been the final thing that drained me, but getting on and scrimming everyday is just not it for me anymore, man … right now, just that whole process of scrimming and trying to get good and better does not sound fun to me right now.” As most CoD fans know, players are relentless with their practice time. But for FormaL, those hours of practice — combined with a difficult stretch of online play, proved unideal. FormaL claims return from retirement is possible Still, OpTic Gaming’s beloved AR knows that the itch might come back and, if so, he’s open to a return: “I might just need a break from it for a little bit, like a year break, and maybe I’ll want to do it again.” With fatigue and mixed reactions to Vanguard’s gameplay, this year’s title might not be enough to get an early return out of FormaL. But who knows, maybe the 2022 game will be enticing enough to bring #H4F back to multiplayer. In the meantime, he’s got a seat waiting for him among Warzone’s fiercest competitors (if he can get off Valorant, that is).

CDL announces long-awaited return to LAN CDLThe CDL has confirmed its plans for teams to return to LAN at ‘select’ events throughout the seasons. This comes a day after orgs like Atlanta FaZe, OpTic Chicago, and more teased a return to LAN. CDL and its teams are planning for LAN events soon. – The league has been online-only since March 12, 2020. – CDL pros and fans have had issues with online since the switch. – CDL returning to LAN! Multiple Call of Duty League teams are teasing a return to offline (LAN) events soon, with orgs like OpTic, FaZe, Toronto Ultra, among others, signaling the change. The league has been playing completely online due to the global health situation since March 12, 2020. Read more: Top 10 moments from CDL Stage 2 Major – Since then, teams have been relegated to organizing events and competing online, with multiple player complaints of competitive integrity voiced along the way. Update April 14 The CDL have announced they plan for teams to be “on stage together again,” with an eventual return to in-person venues. https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1382378365475168257 No timetable has been given, but the league plans to “return to LAN play at select events later this season.” The CDL expects to release more information soon. This is big news for Call of Duty League fans looking forward to teams competing at the highest level.

OpTic and FaZe allegedly bootcamping for CWL Championships amid blacklist drama OpTic Gaming‘s Call of Duty team are reportedly set to bootcamp with FaZe Clan ahead of the CWL Championship after rumors suggested that both were denied the chance to join in with other teams. FaZe Clan were originally expected to take part in Gen.G’s bootcamp, which will feature the likes of 100 Thieves, eUnited, and Reciprocity, but were “kicked out” allegedly due to the possibility that they could meet up with one of the other attending teams early in the tournament itself. Meanwhile, OpTic’s plans have been uncertain after a deleted tweet from Thomas ‘TJHaly’ Hally suggested the team had been “blacklisted”, and Luminosity’s Josiah ‘Slacked’ Berry stated during a stream that the team would not be bootcamping. According to @INTELCallofDuty, who themselves cite FaZe Clan coach Richard ‘RJ’ Simoncelli as a source, OpTic Gaming and FaZe Clan have now chosen to bootcamp together, with Luminosity and Evil Geniuses also possibly joining. ℹ️ @FaZeClan is bootcamping with @OpTicGaming and likely @Luminosity and @EvilGeniuses (According to FaZe coach RJ) — CWL INTEL (@INTELCallofDuty) July 29, 2019 OpTic Gaming have historically hosted Call of Duty bootcamps featuring a variety of teams at Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez’s ‘H3CZQUARTERS’, so many were surprised at rumors that the team would be forgoing a bootcamp ahead of the biggest tournament of the year. OpTic will be looking to turn things around after a disastrous outing at the CWL Pro League playoffs, in which they crashed out without winning a single map. The team are expected to return to their roles from earlier in the season, reverting changes made ahead of the playoffs that didn’t prove successful. Meanwhile, FaZe Clan will undoubtedly be looking to advance on an impressive performance at the playoffs, where they achieved their best result of the season with a third-place finish. The CWL Championship is the crown jewel of the Call of Duty calendar, offering a $2 million prize pool and the chance for players to earn the title of world champion. This year, the tournament is taking place on August 14-18, and will see 32 teams travel to Los Angeles to compete for the trophy.

OpTic Envoy’s AK74u Black Ops Cold War loadout ahead of CDL launch Activision/CDLThe competitive Call of Duty season is almost upon us, with the CDL launching on January 23, and Envoy’s AK74u could prove one of the most important in getting OpTic Chicago some all-important championship wins. The AK74u is the go-to SMG for all competitive Black Ops Cold War players. While the MP5 was the main one when the game first dropped, a subsequent nerf saw the 74u take top spot and maintain it ever since. While Envoy’s original loadout back in November was impressive, this one is a complete change-up, and seems to be the meta build for most top pros who run it. Taking to Nuketown ‘84 for a 1v1 against teammate FormaL, both were using the AK74u — and it absolutely shreds. As mentioned, this looks to be the meta build for most pros, but Envoy is by far one of the most impressive SMG players in the Call of Duty League, so it definitely looks great in his hands. Here’s the attachments Envoy uses on the gun: Muzzle: Muzzle Brake 5.45 – Barrel: 9.3” Extended – Underbarrel: Spetsnaz Speedgrip – Stock: KGB Skeletal Stock – Handle: GRU Elastic Wrap – Attachments at 8:40 If you’re looking to maximize your abilities with an SMG in hand, Envoy is one of the best people to look at, and with the launch of League Play in BOCW seemingly imminent, now’s the perfect time to get used to this build. This may look slightly different from what you see in public matches, with certain attachments banned or not viable in a competitive space, so it’s well worth familiarizing yourself with. Whether or not this remains the meta throughout the year isn’t yet known; we expect a number of weapon balancing changes throughout the year, but how this affects the 74u isn’t clear.

OpTic Dashy slams MW3 players who snake for having “zero pride” Call of Duty LeagueOpTic Texas’ Dashy criticizes professional players for utilizing the snaking tactic in Modern Warfare 3. Snaking is a form of player movement in Call of Duty and can be performed rapidly by crouching and uncrouching while moving behind an object. The goal behind snaking is to make it next to impossible to be targeted by the enemy. This movement tactic began gaining traction during the first season of the Call of Duty League with Modern Warfare 2019. FaZe Clan’s Cellium became the alleged face of snaking by abusing the technique throughout the year. Despite the introduction of new CoD titles, snaking has persisted as a tactic. However, MW3 developers Sledgehammer Games revealed in a Q&A that the team is actively investigating the snaking problem in the game. Professional players are now beginning to call out those still using the tactic to draw attention to the issue. Dashy says players who snake have no integrity left With the start of the CDL season approaching, Dashy voiced his concerns about the prevalence of snaking on Twitter/X. He even changed his profile picture on the app to the famous meme of Flinn Rider with a dozen swords pointed at him. “It’s actually hilarious what this game has come to with everyone snaking every possible head glitch,” said Dashy. “Zero pride or integrity left, but it is what it is.” Dashy was one of many players who expressed frustrations with the current mechanic. Several other professional players and even analysts chimed into the conversation by agreeing with the sentiment. “And on top of that, we have people using auto tac and single tap, which makes snaking even better,” said Vegas Legions’ Standy. Other players in the comments called the movement ‘boring to play with and watch’. One coach even added that it was ‘genuinely sad’ to see the movement being abused at a professional level. While Sledgehammer said they would investigate the problem with snaking, there has been no official announcement or update regarding the issue. There is also little time left to fix the movement since the CDL starts on December 8.

OpTic’s Dashy reveals how he was “swindled” out of joining Huntsmen YouTube, H3CZ / CDLBack with the the original OpTic franchise after a year away, Dashy explained to H3CZ why he didn’t join Scump and co. on the 2020 Call of Duty League’s Chicago Huntsmen roster and how he felt “lied to” during the process. Immortals Gaming Club bought OpTic Gaming in June 2019 to form OpTic Gaming Los Angeles, just ahead of the CDL’s inaugural season. During that first rostermania, OpTic’s rising star Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell got serious ‘betrayal’ backlash for staying with new ownership instead of joining Seth ‘Scump’ Abner on Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez’s new Chicago Huntsmen organization. While rumors have flown around throughout that entire time span, including speculation that Dashy wanted a trade to Chicago, little has been put on the official record. Now, with H3CZ reacquiring OpTic (and Dashy) for 2021, the two cleared the air on a new episode of the Eavesdrop Podcast. As it turns out, the situation was as muddy as any in professional CoD — ranging from Scump “ghosting” Dashy to the young star feeling “swindled” by Immortals’ OGLA. Ultimately, it’s less a story of betrayal than a story of miscommunication and a deal that was too good to pass up. With H3CZ asking directly what happened during that pivotal offseason, Dashy painted his side of the picture: he, Scump, and Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly planned to stay together for 2020, while bringing on Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper. But then came the miscommunication, as Dashy explained that Scump “didn’t keep me in the loop at all. For a week straight, he kind of ghosted me.” During that period, Dashy elaborated that OGLA reached out and “gave us a pretty godlike contract,” but a time-sensitive one. Adding onto their negotiating leverage, the group told him that H3CZ still “didn’t have a league spot.” As such, concerned by a lack of communication and convinced that H3CZ didn’t have his Chicago league spot, Dashy signed the contract. Subconsciously convinced that the “league spot” confusion was exaggerated, he revealed that his “heart just dropped” when signing the deal. Now back on OpTic with H3CZ and Scump, Dashy explained the emotions he was feeling as he saw the team successfully form the Huntsmen a year prior: “In my head, I definitely got finessed. I got swindled hard … I felt like I got lied to. A lot.” For what it’s worth, H3CZ clarifies that it’s true he did not technically have a league spot at that time, but he felt it was obvious he would end up with one. Still, the Green Wall army will likely be satisfied with Dashy’s reasoning. It’s not so much betrayal as it was a miscommunication, muddy information, and a “godlike” offer that, considering the circumstances, was too good to pass up.

OpTic Dashy gets insane 2 minute V2 Rocket in CoD Vanguard OpTic Texas/ActivisionThe V2 Rocket is the top killstreak you can get in Call of Duty Vanguard, equivalent to the nuke in previous games, but OpTic Texas CDL pro Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell made it look easy in this insane two-minute match. The V2 Rocket, is Vanguard’s game-ending killstreak that only the best players will achieve. It requires a 25 kill streak with your weapons, meaning any killstreaks used in the process don’t count towards it. As you can imagine, everything has to fall into place perfectly if you want to get a V2 Rocket, as well as simply displaying higher levels of skill than the average player. That’s exactly what happened for Dashy, who managed to find the perfect method to mow down enemy players during a Domination match and call in his V2 Rocket in just over two minutes. Playing a match of Domination on the Berlin map, Dashy heads straight to the middle of the map to control B flag and earn points for his team — but then total carnage ensues. Kitted out with the best STG loadout to dominate his public match opponents, Dashy winds up simply holding the mid-map area, cutting off any crosses and the enemy team’s attempts to push him out. Picking off players in quick succession, Dashy almost gets caught out when the enemies take different routes to reach him, but he manages to get the final kill a split second before finally falling, around two minutes and six seconds after his first kill. Berlin is a great map for picking up V2 Rockets, with the lines of sight available and the overall layout of it, and Dashy displayed that perfectly in this gameplay. It helps that he’s one of the best Call of Duty players in the world, but needless to say, this is particularly impressive gameplay. You might want to try this spot on the map, and this STG class, for yourself, and see how far you get.

OpTic Dashy explains why Modern Warfare “ruined Call of Duty” Activision/Call of Duty LeagueWhile 2019’s Call of Duty release Modern Warfare was one of the most commercially successful games in franchise history, competitive players haven’t harbored a lot of love for it. Now, OpTic Texas’ Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell has even claimed that it “ruined CoD.” Modern Warfare came out in 2019, rebooting the classic trilogy that made many players fall in love with CoD with a fresh batch of new features, weapons, and playstyles. It became massively popular, especially when Warzone launched in March 2020, and many who had stopped playing Call of Duty returned to the franchise, becoming a wild success. Not everyone loved it, though, and the competitive community, in particular, was very outspoken against some of the features and the mechanics of the game. Several top pros have been outspoken against Modern Warfare since the 2020 season ended and they stopped playing the title, and Dashy has added his thoughts, too. Read More: CDL 2022 standings & schedule – “I think Modern Warfare, the one that came out two years ago, literally ruined CoD,” he said during a Twitch livestream. “I was talking to Matt [FormaL] about this. Think about how much sh*t that game introduced, like doors, f**king tac sprint, f**king sh**ty a*s maps, killing in a bullet, Warzone, bloom, 40 million attachments on your gun… That game f**king ruined it now.” Pro players haven’t always had a very loving relationship with MW2019, with the fast TTK, the inclusion of doors, and Dead Silence becoming a Field Upgrade among the most common complaints. Dashy’s comments, though, are some of the most brutally honest to have come from a pro player, and to say that it “ruined CoD” is a huge statement to make. While some may agree with him, and be concerned about the direction Modern Warfare 2 might take, there’s definitely a huge community of players who still love MW to this day.

OpTic Dashy explains why he thinks the Call of Duty League format is “sh*t” Instagram: optictexasOpTic Texas CDL pro Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell has shared his thoughts on the format for the CDL 2022 season so far, and it’s safe to say he’s not impressed — but he insists not many of the pros are, either. One of the key challenges faced by the CDL since its inception in the 2020 Modern Warfare season has been finding a format that works best for everyone, from the players to the fans. The old MLG-style events are still revered by fans, and there has been a slight step towards that in the 2022 Vanguard season with four Majors and the regular season qualifier events working towards them. As with any league in any sport, however, there are issues that people involved want to be ironed out. During his appearance on the OpTic podcast from February 25, OpTic’s creative director Hitch asked Dashy how he was feeling about the season so far in general, and while he didn’t say he hated it, he didn’t sound particularly enthused. Read More: Call of Duty League 2022 power rankings – “I guess the matches are a bit like they were last year, but I think the format, I’m not going to cap, I think it’s pretty sh*t,” he said. “Can I say that? If they fine me, they better fine everybody else!” He elaborated on his point, saying that “the way it works is … everyone’s schedule is different.” He added that OpTic could play FaZe and the top five seeds while another team could get the bottom five, suggesting that strength of schedule plays a prominent factor in overall season performance. Timestamp 15:47 Despite Dashy’s feelings towards the season format, it’s still very early days and Major 1 hasn’t even started yet at the time of writing. As the season progresses, players and fans might warm to it more, and it’ll help give the CDL team a chance to figure out what works and what doesn’t ahead of the 2023 season. With there reportedly being no new Call of Duty in 2023, that means two years of the 2022 release — which means even more time for the league to establish their best possible format.