Author: Nik Ranger

Have OpTic Gaming been blacklisted from bootcamp ahead of CWL Champs? MLGThe 2019 CWL Championship is just around the corner, and OpTic Gaming‘s professional Call of Duty team may have been blacklisted from practicing for it at bootcamps. The upcoming CWL Championship will be the biggest tournament of the Black Ops 4 season, featuring 32 of the world’s best Call of Duty teams battling it out for a share of the $2 million prize pool. As is usually the case, many of those teams will participate in bootcamps in preparation of the event, meaning that they will get together and hold scrimmages against each other offline. However, one team that may not be partaking in these practice sessions is OpTic Gaming, who have apparently been denied the chance to scrim on LAN by other teams. Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly suggested as much, in a tweet he posted on July 27 before deleting it moments later: “We got blacklisted, unbelievable.” 400Further fueling the speculation that OpTic have been blacklisted was what Luminosity Gaming’s Josiah ‘Slacked’ Berry said on a livestream the same day. According to Slacked, OpTic will not be ‘bootcamping’ for Champs, and that 100 Thieves have already set up a session with eUnited, Team Reciprocity, and Gen.G. Logic would dictate that the Green Wall would not voluntarily exclude themselves from these practice sessions, especially considering their disastrous performance at CWL Finals, where they lost both matches by a combined map count of 0-6. Slacked says @100Thieves are bootcamping with @eUnited, @TeamReciprocity and @GenG He also says @OpTicGaming aren’t bootcamping. pic.twitter.com/jFVp6NEyOs — CWL INTEL (@INTELCallofDuty) July 27, 2019 If what is being speculated about OpTic’s situation is true, it does create an atmosphere of confusion about the circumstances that have led to this point. For one, they’ve always been the hosts of these bootcamps, as CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has invited teams to his H3CZQUARTERS on numerous occasions this season to practice against his team. If they have indeed been left out, it must mean that the any and all of the teams they invited this time around turned them down, assuming they were planning on hosting one again, of course. It must be noted that the squad did have an issue with 100 Thieves in one of those bootcamps, when Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter engaged in a mini-feud with 100 Thieves’ Ian ‘Enable’ Wyatt about players showing up late. OpTic not the only ones blacklisted As it would turn out, OpTic is not the only team that’s been kept out of these bootcamps. Several days ago, FaZe Clan’s Thomas ‘ZooMaa’ Paparatto also tweeted that his team had been kicked out, and, unlike TJHaLy he decided to not delete the tweet. Perhaps OpTic and FaZe could wait around for a couple of more teams to get blacklisted, and then they can all form their own “blacklist bootcamp,” which, all jokes aside, might end up being a successful idea.

Have Black Ops 4’s servers been downgraded? A new study shows that Black Ops 4’s servers may have been downgraded from 60Hz to 20Hz. The Black Ops 4 beta was as smooth as a pre-release game can get, with multiple tests confirming the game was running on dedicated servers with a 60Hz send rate from both client and server sides. Even when the game launched on October 17, Black Ops 4’s multiplayer performance was relatively smooth. However, the following days revealed increased reports of kill-trading, unbalanced corner peeking and poor hit registration. According to a new study by reddit user Smcro, Black Ops 4’s multiplayer is currently running at only 20Hz from the server side, a significant downgrade from the 60Hz the game was using earlier. Read More: Treyarch outline what’s coming in future updates for Black Ops 4 Hz is a measure of how many times per second information is sent. Since Black Ops 4 runs at 60 frames per second on consoles, a 60Hz send rate from the client side (the consoles in your lobby) and the server side (the dedicated server) would mean that every frame on your screen is an accurate representation of what is happening in the match. However a 20Hz send rate from the server side means that two out of every three frames could contain information that has not been updated from the other clients in the match, which could lead to frustrating moments like being shot from around a corner. It should be noted that Smcro’s test was performed on PS4 only and may not be indicative of performance on Xbox and PC. It is also possible that the servers were only temporarily downgraded while Treyarch is fixing other bugs and figuring out how to handle launch period server stress, which also includes the incredibly taxing Blackout mode. Read More: Post Malone trolls Treyarch’s David Vonderhaar during Black Ops 4 livestream Call of Duty: WW2 was also 60Hz from both the client and server sides and launch period stress caused the game’s dedicated servers to temporarily go offline. They were later restored at their original performance.

Haunting of Verdansk Warzone Halloween event: night map, Saw skins, more ActivisionA brand new Halloween-themed event called ‘Haunting of Verdansk’ is now live in Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare, and we’ve got everything you need to know about what’s included. [jwplayer L7zZP3SQ] With Halloween inching closer and closer, we’re officially in spooky season, and Infinity Ward have decided to give Modern Warfare a grand sending off with the Haunting of Verdansk in-game event. The event, which kicked off on Tuesday, October 20 and wraps up on Tuesday, November 3, features a nighttime version of Warzone’s map, cosmetic items themed after popular horror film series like Saw and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, new modes, rewards, and a whole lot more. Haunting of Verdansk trailer Haunting of Verdansk roadmap What’s added in Warzone for Haunting of Verdansk Verdansk – Going Dark As had been teased previously, a nighttime version of the Warzone map has made its debut in the Haunting of Verdansk event. As of now, the only modes confirmed for this are Trios and Plunder, but Activision did say that more would be made available. Needless to say, the darkness of the terrain will compel almost everyone to use thermal optics on their weapons and the Cold Blooded perk in loadouts to hide from such scopes. Verdansk – Going Dark 🌒 The #Warzone Halloween event will introduce a nighttime version of the map for Trios and other modes. Better get your Thermals and Cold Blooded ready! pic.twitter.com/UIwe4k7v1q — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) October 19, 2020 Trick or Treat scavenger hunt Throughout the duration of the event, the nighttime version of Verdansk will feature 16 specially-marked Trick or Treat chests, which include a combined 16 new cosmetic items like Blueprints, weapons, charms, and more. Of course, as is the spirit of Halloween, Infinity Ward have added a twist to this whole process: In some cases, certain chests will have tricks instead of treats, so open them carefully if you want to avoid “a terrifying fright.” If and when you do unlock all 16 cosmetics, you will be automatically awarded a Legendary assault rifle blueprint called the Pumpkin Punisher, pictured below. More details about this scavenger, including all the chest locations and pictures of all rewards, can be found in our Trick or Treat Warzone guide. Zombie Royale LTM In this new Limited Time Mode, players who get killed come back to life as a Zombie instead of being sent to the Gulag. Zombies can’t carry weapons but do have special abilities that include increased speed, improved jumps, deadlier melee attacks, and thermal vision. Turning into a Zombie isn’t the end all be all, though, as players will have the chance to return from the undead and rejoin their squad. Whenever someone is killed, they drop a syringe, and collecting two syringes will allow you to parachute back in with your loadout. The last team with a surviving Operator wins, even if the rest of their squad have turned into Zombies. What’s added in Modern Warfare multiplayer Themed changes To add an extra layer of Halloween-themed spookiness into multiplayer, Infinity Ward have made it so any player who is on a kill-streak of three or more will have their head turn into a flaming jack-o-lantern pumpkin. This feature isn’t purely cosmetic either, since the change lets players on both sides know who is on a roll and needs to be stopped at all costs before reaching some of those higher tier killstreaks. That’s not the only such quirk added; in Domination, scarecrows replace the flags on points, while skulls appear instead of dog tags in Kill Confirmed, as well as other visual effects in other modes. New modes There are two brand-new multiplayer modes coming as part of the Haunting of Verdansk event: Onslaught and Snipers Only. Onslaught features a Juggernaut suit spawning somewhere on the map that two teams have to fight for control over. Once someone has the suit equipped, they must try to get it to the specific target area while the other team tries to do everything they can to stop it. As for Snipers Only, this is a variant of Team Deathmatch that replaces custom classes with five pre-built loadouts, all featuring sniper rifles as the primary weapon(s). The rest of the mode is like any match of TDM: The team with the most kills wins. Horror film bundles & new Operator Saw & Texas Chainsaw Massacre When it comes to the best horror film franchises of all time, most would rank Saw and Texas Chainsaw Massacre high up there – and both have been incorporated in Modern Warfare & Warzone as cosmetic items. The Saw bundle includes the iconic Billy the Puppet as an Operator outfit, as well as the Phlebotomozier Lethal Equipment – a throwing knife variant that kills enemies on impact in a shower of blood. The set also includes themed blueprints for an assault rifle and shotgun, both with “blood-red” tracers, as well as a Cargo Truck skin, tricycle charm, and four other items. As for Texas Chainsaw Massacre, players will be able to run around dressed as the menacing Leatherface villain and a new LMG blueprint called Family Heirloom, which has a special stock attachment that lets it be held like a chainsaw. The rest of the bundles comes with an SMG blueprint, vehicle horn, the ‘Anyone Home?’ melee weapon, which has a hammer on one side and a meat tenderizer on the other, and five other items. New Dr. Karlov Operator Dr. Karlov is the newest Operator added as part of the Haunting of Verdansk event – a character who’s obsessed with electricity and energy-charged weaponry, according to his lore. The ‘Dr. Karlov Lives’ bundle includes a new outfit skin for Bale, two “high-voltage” weapon blueprints, an electric throwing knife, vehicle skin, and other cosmetics. Make sure to follow us on Twitter @DexertoINTEL for more news and updates on this Haunting of Verdansk event and more.

Hastr0 unveils alternate Dallas Empire logos that didn’t make the cut Dallas Empire CEO Mike ‘hastr0’ Rufail has given Call of Duty fans a peek behind the curtain and unveiled a number of unique designs that were considered for franchise branding. The inaugural Call of Duty League homestand event is just weeks away as competition kicks off in Minnesota from January 24. 12 of the world’s best teams will be on display in an official capacity for the very first time, and Dallas will be involved in the opening match as they square off against the Chicago Huntsmen. Ahead of the first slate of matches, hastr0 decided to share a number of unique designs the organization was weighing up before settling on its current look. While certain franchises were initially met with backlash upon their branding reveals, the Dallas Empire visuals were largely praised. Slick gold and black designs allowed the Dallas-based team to stand out from the likes of more vibrant lineups such as Toronto Ultra and Atlanta Faze. All topped off by a subtle homage to foundational roots in Team Envy, it’s clear a great amount of detail went into finalizing the ideal look. Showcasing a few earlier renditions, however, hastr0 shed light on some mock-ups that didn’t quite reach the same level. Interestingly enough, none of the other takes on Dallas-themed branding featured an homage to Team Envy in the logo itself. Rather than sneakily including a design that can be interpreted as an ‘N’ and a ‘V’ to represent the parent company, each of these creations bring about an entirely new form of branding. Maintaining a crown as the focal point of new branding heading into the Call of Duty League, two of the logos on display feature a more yellowish theme than the golden coloring we know today. One design placed the crown front and center while another had it resting over the ‘E’ in Empire. Set out with a more poppy and playful font, hastr0 highlighted that these iterations simply “weren’t it.” Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter appears in an alternative Empire jersey for another graphic that didn’t quite make the final cut. Moreso resembling the final branding than any other image on display, this creation features a similar crown-based Emblem yet appears distinctly different due to its brighter color scheme and more grungy font. Lastly, another creation does away with the crown-based concept and opts for a horizontal ‘E’ instead. The actual lettering in this iteration is disjointed while the logo itself is one fully connected letter. These are a few of the @DallasEmpire logos that weren’t it. pic.twitter.com/2ep2cRFWZ6 — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) January 5, 2020 With reports of up to $40 million being spent to secure spots in the Call of Duty League, it’s no surprise that a great amount of effort went into defining the visual appeal of each and every brand. Outlining how there were “many more” designs that didn’t make the final cut, perhaps those too will see the light of day in the near future. Dallas Empire takes to the stage for the first Call of Duty League match on January 24 against the Chicago Huntsmen.

Hastr0 teases ‘hot’ roster moves for Dallas Call of Duty franchise hastr0 / Team EnvyCall of Duty League as Rostermania hits full swing. The entire Call of Duty esports scene is in a state of flux at the moment after news Activision would be founding a franchised professional league from the beginning of 2020, with rumours and player movements flying thick and fast. Team Envy’s Dallas team seems be taking similar steps, with organisation owner hastr0 taking to Twitter to tease “hot” new moves for the roster directly to the fans. “Guys, it’s hot in here. Really hot, because it’s Call of Duty Rostermania. Let’s turn up the heat,” hastr0 said. “Just wanted to check in with you guys, I’ll keep you updated from my cellphone as this thing keeps moving along.” Envy struggled to find their feet this year, despite boasting leading stars like Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price and a majority of the Evil Geniuses’ Championship-winning squad. Results didn’t flow, however, and it appears hastr0 and the players have decided to go down separate roads. “Really excited about bringing new players for Dallas, maybe keeping some of the players on our team now,” the Envy owner teased. “Get ready for some hot Call of Duty roster action.” Hastr0’s short video didn’t reveal who would be staying or going in regards to the team’s current roster, but a host of players from the squad have already confirmed their restricted free agency earlier this week. Squad captain ACHES was the first to reveal his future could lie away from Envy’s new Dallas team, and team stars Justin ‘SiLLY’ Fargo and Adam ‘Assault’ Garcia echoed the FA news last weekend. Former EG coach Embry ‘Bevils’ Bevil is also looking for a new team. On August 25, Patrick Price tweeted: “With the 2019 season coming to an end, I am a restricted free agent for 2020. If any CDL Franchise would like to discuss opportunities, please contact me. Also interested in relocating full time.” With the 2019 season coming to an end, I am a restricted free agent for 2020. If any CDL Franchise would like to discuss opportunities, please contact me via email below. Also interested in relocating full time. -> achesbusiness@gmail.com <- Let’s build something special :smiling_imp: pic.twitter.com/ywLQEB5Xaf — Patrick Price (@ACHES) August 25, 2019 While the Envy trio, and their coach, are likely not to pull on Dallas colours in the new year, it’s not as simple as them simply leaving the organisation. New teams looking to sign the stars will have to buy out their contracts if they want to add them to their 2020 CDL rosters. Read more: Florida franchise names Halo legend as GM – The news also confirms there are a chance hastr0 and Envy look to retain Jacob ‘Decemate’ Cato and substitute smg slayer Cuyler ‘Huke’ Garland. Neither have announced their plans for the upcoming franchise league as yet. Stay tuned for more Team Envy/Dallas news. With hastr0 promising to keep the org’s fans updated as they continue their adventure through the wild Rostermania ahead of franchising, there’s sure to be more twists and turns for the squad before the end.

Envy owner Hastr0 reveals what type of players CoD Dallas are looking to sign Hastr0 – Twitter / MLFMike ‘hastr0’ Rufail, owner and CEO of the Call of Duty franchise based in Dallas, has provided some insight as to what kinds of players the team is looking to sign for the 2020 season. As the competitive Call of Duty landscape transitions in 2020 to a franchise-based model in the same vein as the Overwatch League, hastr0 is ready to get to work and put together a brand new roster for the Dallas-based team. As the owner of one of the nine franchise spots in the new league, he took to Twitter to explain how they’re constructing a roster for the inaugural season. “We are really trying to use as much of our experience that we gained over the years to put together the best roster possible.” The primary focus when recruiting for the Dallas roster is to highlight players that can get along with one another, or a “a team of players that can just stay stable.” “I think one of the biggest issues amongst Call of Duty teams has been interpersonal team issues,” he added. Read more: Hastro defends Nadeshot – Hastr0 assured that while in previous years, “you see a lot of mid-season drama and roster changes” because of the team dynamic, the upcoming Dallas roster will comprise of “players who we know aren’t going to get tilted by a loss.” Alluding to the storied history of Team Envy, he asserted that “we were that team you could always expect to turn up at the world championships,” implying that the same champion-caliber roster will translate into the 2020 Call of Duty season. Read more: Hitch leaves Optic Gaming – With the player signing window having opened on September 3, CoD Dallas and all of the other franchises are now free to bring new talent aboard, so fans can expect a flurry of roster announcements in the coming days and weeks. What kind of roster are we constructing for @COD_Dallas? I try to give you guys some insight here. Let’s keep our head in the game. One team, one goal. pic.twitter.com/Bi4QY980E7 — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) September 5, 2019 With a long standing history in the competitive CoD scene, hastr0 helped lead Envy to four Call of Duty World Championship Grand Finals appearances, including a first place finish in 2016. Throughout the years, the iconic organization was ever-present on the biggest stage, especially when it came to their storied eClassico rivalry against Optic Gaming. While those brands won’t be present as the franchise league kicks off in 2020, nine new teams will be looking to make their mark, with several of them already teasing exciting rosters. Keep up with all of the roster moves and team changes all offseason via our dedicated Call of Duty League RosterMania hub.

Hastr0 reveals plan for possible open bracket Call of Duty event Team Envy and Dallas Empire boss Mike ‘Hastr0’ Rufail has shared his plans for possibly hosting a Call of Duty open bracket event for amateur players. The 2020 Modern Warfare season will see the pros take part in the inaugural year of the new Call of Duty League with multiple home and away events for each franchise. Although the pro players’ schedule has already been confirmed by Activision, the season’s Path 2 Pro events for amateur players are still yet to be announced. Only weeks out from the CDL’s opening matches on January 24, the Dallas Empire owner has suggested that he might also be running a tournament for players to attend in between some of the scheduled events during the year. Hastr0 explained that he had managed to acquire a license to host Call of Duty open events in his home city of Dallas for the upcoming year and seemed keen to put on an open bracket event, saying, “I have a license to operate open bracket tournaments for Call of Duty in Dallas.” He also revealed that he would be willing to put up a tempting prize pool of $50,000 for those attending before asking if any players would have an interest in the open bracket competition, “If I drop $50k into a prize pool, do you guys show up?” I have a license to operate open bracket tournaments for Call of Duty in Dallas. If I drop $50k into a prize pool, do you guys show up? I won’t even be salty about anything the entire weekend. — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) December 7, 2019 Since the announcement of the franchised Call of Duty League, many competitive fans were worried after learning that the format would be completely shifting in the Modern Warfare season. However, if open bracket tournaments, such as the one Hastr0 was planning, still took place, many challenger teams and players that could go unnoticed throughout the regular season would have a chance to prove themselves against the top teams. Since sharing his plans for the possible Dallas open event, the Team Envy CEO has already piqued the interest of many competitive players and pros and even Halo star Bubudubu showed interest in attending. Although the tournament is still yet to be confirmed, Hastr0 seems eager to provide competitive CoD fans with more to look forward to during the Dallas Empire’s first year in the franchised Call of Duty League. Empire’s first host weekend in Dallas for the Call of Duty League takes place Saturday March 28 – Sunday March 29.

Hastr0 reveals one of his biggest regrets as Team Envy CEO Mike ‘Hastr0’ Rufail has revealed that passing on an opportunity to sign Call of Duty stars Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter and Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow is the one of the biggest regrets he has had as Owner and CEO of Team Envy. Rufail made the statement on an episode of The Eavesdrop Podcast with OpTic Gaming CEO Hector H3CZ’ Rodriguez. Read More: ACHES, Slasher, Parasite and more discuss potential changes to the Black Ops 4 CWL map rotation – A viewer of the podcast asked what team Rufail could have signed and ended up regretting not signing, and it didn’t take long for the Team Envy owner to mention Crimsix and Karma. “There’s an obvious answer there,” laughed Rufail. “Crim was going to come join our team. Formal was on our team, and Crim and Damon were going to come and play for our team. “We had JKap, and we were going to take Crim and Damon. They were going to play for us with Formal and one other person. Basically, Kap threw a fit about it, really threw a fit about it,we deserved it. “We ended up not doing it. We stayed loyal to JKap, I didn’t do it to him. Of course, the next year they didn’t do so well, but that could have changed everything. It would be crazy to see where OpTic and Envy would be if it happened,” concluded Hastr0. Unfortunately for Hastr0 and Team Envy, Crimsix, Formal and Karma all ended up on OpTic Gaming, and have become known as one of the greatest Call of Duty teams of all time, culminating in their 2017 CWL Championships victory. Things are looking good for Team Envy however, as they recently signed the former Evil Geniuses squad who secured the 2018 CWL Championship. Still, it’s fascinating to wonder what the landscape of Call of Duty esports would look like now, had Team Envy picked up the legendary squad! Disclaimer: OpTic CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd

Hastr0 responds to ‘leaked’ name for Dallas CoD franchise Team EnvyTeam Envy, Dallas Fuel and Dallas CoD franchise owner Mike “Hastr0” Rufail has responded to a supposed leak giving away the name of their new Call of Duty franchise. Envy is a brand that was born from Call of Duty esports, the two becoming synonymous with one another in much the same way as OpTic Gaming and FaZe Clan. That’s why it’s so important the Dallas CoD franchise gets a suitable name – so when a potential name was leaked, Hastr0 took to Twitter to respond to the claims. According to infamous leaker CDLIntel, the Dallas CoD franchise is going to be named “Dallas Empire”, with information received from an anonymous source linking to domain names owned by Envy Gaming Inc. :rotating_light::rotating_light:@COD_Dallas to be named “Dallas Empire”? A burner account sent me the name, so I checked if the domain “https://t.co/98zfZttjuu” was taken.. Envy Gaming Inc. owns it :eyes: pic.twitter.com/uckAgG2hkO — CDL Intel (@INTELCallofDuty) September 30, 2019 The tweet also mentions that the company owns the domain name www.dallasrepublic.com, a suggestion that the team could end up being named Dallas Republic. However, Hastr0 has come out with a definitive statement responding to the leaks, saying: “We registered multiple team names, domains and branding assets for our Call of Duty esports team. He concluded, “You guys can keep speculating. Just know that our launch will be pretty epic.” We registered multiple team names, domains and branding assets for our Call of Duty esports team. You guys can keep speculating. Just know that our launch will be pretty epic. — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) September 30, 2019 While Hastr0 doesn’t outright deny the claims, he definitely suggests that while Dallas Empire (and Dallas Republic) are names that have been thought about, there is a multitude of brands, names, domains and assets that could end up being the final product. This isn’t the first time Hastr0 has denied something to be true, but it seems it’s often just to keep fans on their toes. On February 10, 2018, journalist and esports consultant Rod “Slasher” Breslau tweeted that his sources had shared with him that Woo-yeon “sowhat” Bong would be signing with the Dallas Fuel. Hastr0 immediately refuted the claims, saying that Slasher should “get rid of that source”. Not a week later, on February 16, 2018, Hastr0 confirmed that Fuel had been in discussions over the signing of sowhat, although the acquisition didn’t end up occurring. Regarding the tweet by @Slasher which falsely confirmed the signing of “”sowhat”” to the @DallasFuel roster made on February 10: pic.twitter.com/H7vn9eEj2g — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) February 16, 2018 CDLIntel definitely has a habit of being right, and usually won’t report on something unless he’s confident in it, so we may have just found out who CoD fans in Dallas will be supporting come 2020. For now though, it’s still unconfirmed, with no franchises in the new league having officially unveiled their brands yet.

Hastr0 gives sneak peek into Team Envy’s new HQ Team Envy owner, Mike ‘hastr0’ Rufail, has given us an update on Team Envy’s headquarters, and Dallas Empire are already putting it to good use ahead of the inaugural start to the Call of Duty League. Activision’s Call of Duty League is just around the corner and it looks like Dallas Empire are all set for everything that the forthcoming season will throw their way. Playing under the Team Envy banner, Empire are heading into Minnesota as one of the favorites to take top honors at the end of the season. Home of the Dallas Fuel and Empire Hastr0 first gave Envy’s faithful a glimpse inside the new training facility back in November 2019, when he took his following on a 10-minute tour of the premises. Teasing a plethora of contemporary features, the facility will even boast a dedicated area where fans will be able to engage with their favorite players. I’m excited to take you guys on this journey while we build out our new headquarters in Uptown Dallas. @Envy @DallasEmpire @DallasFuel pic.twitter.com/c3LhAyDXsL — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) November 12, 2019 After going quiet over the holiday season, the Envy CEO announced that the headquarters would house a full production studio (with a render attached to his Tweet) — showing that those who ‘bleed blue’ will get plenty of content back in return for their loyal support. We are building a live production studio in the new @Envy HQ. It includes a nice 10 ft LED wall. Here’s a sneak peak. pic.twitter.com/ualPEg7c1y — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) January 6, 2020 On January 12, Hastr0 provided fans with a more detailed look inside the almost-complete training grounds. Both Envy’s Overwatch and Call of Duty teams will get their own dedicated space. Alongside those teams competing in a franchised league, Rufail’s teased that Envy’s CS:GO team will have their own dedicated space — underscoring their ambition to fill out their existing three player roster, which is currently led by Noah ‘Nifty’ Francis. .@Envy Dallas Victory Park HQ Construction Update #4 pic.twitter.com/V8jnZSPd8X — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) January 10, 2020 The Call of Duty grind never stops Given that the office is nearing completion, members of the Dallas Empire roster have already begun utilizing the training facility. Both Indervir ‘iLLeY’ Dhaliwal and Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro have already been capitalizing on the state-of-the-art headquarters, after grinding throughout the night. iLLeY stated: “Me and Ant are already putting in that work.” I was there all morning today on a Sunday and you guys in there grinding at night. Love seeing this. — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) January 13, 2020 I will be ‘going into work’ on a daily basis, starting tomorrow, for the first time in seven years. Kind of a crazy feeling — Clayster (@Clayster) January 12, 2020 With all of these like-minded individuals all under one roof, chasing the same goal, there is no limit to where Dallas Empire’s ceiling will come. One thing’s for sure, plenty of CDL teams will be of their setup. The Call of Duty League kicks off on January 24, where Empire will face-off against the Chicago Huntsmen and Atlanta FaZe, in what is set to be an explosive first week.

Hastr0 defends Nadeshot’s decision to pull 100 Thieves from Call of Duty Twitter: 100ThievesTeam Envy CEO Mike ‘hastr0’ Rufail defended Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag after 100 Thieves released a statement saying they will not be playing in the Call of Duty League 2020. 100 Thieves released a video statement on August 29 announcing their departure from CoD at the end of the 2019 season, citing the buy-in to the new franchised league to be “too much” for the organization. Fans of the franchise have expressed their disappointment of the team’s departure from the scene, with hastr0 being one of many to comment on the situation. 100 Thieves, who won two tournaments during the 2019 CWL season, will not be in CoD esports come 2020. The Dallas franchise owner highlighted the financial risks of a team entering the Call of Duty World League, which is moving to a franchised model in 2020. The buy-in of $25 million requires large upfront investment which some organisations have chosen not to front up. “I can understand [100 Thieves’] decision to not take that risk,” he said. “I can also understand how bought in 100 Thieves are with that brand and for us [at Envy], it’s the same thing.” Read more: 100 Thieves pull out of CoD – Envy’s brand has revolved around the Call of Duty scene since it started in 2007, and organisations like FaZe Clan, OpTic Gaming, and 100 Thieves have their roots embedded into the game’s competitive scene as well. Hastr0 said that it would have been “hard to let that go” for Nadeshot and 100 Thieves. Envy is confirmed for CDL 2020 as the Dallas franchise. On a personal level, hastr0 felt emotional about having one of Call of Duty’s most iconic figures step away from the scene. “It’s a little bit emotional to see guys that I competed against for so many years having to bow out of this competition now,” he admitted. “It’s a little surreal to be honest because I feel like we are now missing this organ – because it is like a vital part of what competitive Call of Duty was.” Hats off to you @Nadeshot – seriously. You have done so much for COD. I wanted to say a few things to every COD esports fan out there about the future and give my perspective on what’s happening around our decision to create @COD_Dallas. pic.twitter.com/gb7IYFkebt — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) August 29, 2019 However, the CEO is looking forward to the future of Call of Duty esports and the Dallas franchise. Read more: Reciprocity CoD players announce free agency – “We are going to have to create something new, we are going to need a huge capital investment, and I honestly think what drove [Envy] to do something like that was the fact that we did plan to flag in Dallas.” “We are Dallas’ home team right now in regard to what we have going with the Overwatch League.” With 100 Thieves not entering CDL 2020, franchises like Dallas’ might be able to snap up some top-quality talent, including one or more members of 100T’s former roster. Keep up with all of the off-season roster moves and team changes via our dedicated CoD franchising RosterMania hub.

Hasan labels MW2 a “war crime simulator” after playing Campaign Twitch.tv/HasanAbiHasanAbi is one of the most politically involved streamers in the industry and while he’s had some fun with MW2’s campaign mode, he’s also labeled it a “war crime simulator” thanks to a few scenes with questionable ethics. Hasan’s dive into the Modern Warfare 2 campaign has been equal parts chaotic gameplay and booming laughter. The franchise’s over-the-top nature has created several situations that the political commentator simply couldn’t resist tearing apart in the name of realism. While the gameplay is gripping and does weave together an impressive narrative, Piker’s problems with the exaggerated nature of each mission led to him cracking several jokes at the game he called a “war crime simulator.” Hasan calls MW2 a “war crime simulator” *Warning: campaign spoilers ahead One mission sees Task Force 141 dropping into a desert area accompanied by a friendly helicopter. When his chat suggested that this level was inspired by the United States’ takeover of Osama bin Laden’s compound, Hasan instantly dismissed the idea. “If that was the case, the helicopter in front of me would immediately explode. Everybody knows that Seal Team Six loves dropping helicopters. It’s famously their most favorite thing to do,” he joked. Except the joke was really on him as only a few seconds after the drop the helo does get blown up by enemy defenses, which instantly sent Hasan into a fit of laughter before saying, “Okay, this game is realistic…” Another moment in the campaign puts the player in control of a missile that is tracking the vehicle of a rather important politician. It took a second for Piker to understand what was happening, but once it set in he tried to resist it the entire way. “It’s making me do it…I don’t wanna do the war crime,” he yelled as he guided the explosive to its destination. “I just executed a state leader of a foreign state!” While there are certainly some legal (and moral) quandaries at play across the entire story, it’s clear that Hasan had a good time working through the campaign even if it might not be one that he ever revisits in the future.

Has the Modern Warfare beta hinted at a battle royale mode? Infinity WardCall of Duty: Modern Warfare’s multiplayer beta has stirred up rumors that the developers may be hinting at a battle royale mode, after a name was left off the opening credits for the title. The multiplayer beta officially goes live on Thursday, September 12, giving players their first chance to test out the game’s most popular mode before it releases to the world on October 25. While booting up Modern Warfare’s beta, CharlieINTEL noticed the video that shows the development teams who have worked on the game, and while Infinity Ward, High Moon and Beenox are all present, one name is missing from the list – Raven Software. According to CharlieINTEL, Raven Software has been specifically mentioned in all of the press releases so far from Activision, including the August 1 multiplayer reveal press event. In fact, every Call of Duty game released over the past eight years has included their logo at the start, with the company assisting with CoD development since 2010. This has prompted many to question Raven’s involvement with Modern Warfare, and if they were actually working on another project linked to the game – possibly in the form of a battle royale mode. Hmm…. When you’re loading up the Modern Warfare Beta file on PS4, you are shown the usual game developer logos. One logo, however, is missing: Raven Software. But Raven Software is credited on working on Modern Warfare. https://t.co/E64NlQYDMG pic.twitter.com/jhiDRmfVvx — Call of Duty News (@charlieINTEL) September 12, 2019 This would tie in with rumors that have circulated about the possibility, including one from September 3 when YouTuber TheGamingRevolution, who accurately claimed that Modern Warfare would have a 2v2 mode named Gunfight, stated that a source told him the upcoming CoD title would “100% have a battle royale mode.” Raven could also be working on a possible Modern Warfare 2 remake, with an entry on the European Ratings Board appearing back in February for a remastered version of the game’s campaign. The fact that the company has been advertising for a community manager has also raised some eyebrows, as this would be the first time that Raven have advertised this position, hinting that they are working on something that players will be getting their hands on. Of course, nothing is confirmed until Activision or Raven Software announce it, but this could be a subtle hint to keep our eyes open ahead of a possible announcement.

Has Dallas Empire finally bounced back? | CDL Reverse Sweep Review The Reverse Sweep team are back to review all the action from the CDL, with hosts ‘Enable’ Wyatt, Jonathan ‘Pacman’ Tucker & Katie Bedford giving their takes on the league ahead of the LA Thieves Home Series. Walking through the biggest talking points from Stage 4’s Week 2: Florida Mutineers Home Series, Enable & Pacman had to get honest from what they saw in their CDL Review. In this week’s episode, the Reverse Sweep panel took apart teams that just need to play better like the LA Thieves, to teams that will be consistent contenders as soon as they’re firing on all cylinders like the NY Subliners. LA Thieves’ struggles continue We’re slowly inching to the Stage 4 Major, but there’s still plenty left to settle as we round the corner. The stage is set for LA Thieves to redeem their season on home turf, in a manner of speaking. But to get there, the team needs to stop banking on potential and start putting up results. Pacman says Thieves fans have cause for concern, especially since LA comes out every game as a dangerous offensive force but still falls short of locking down wins. Vivid look into Empire’s future The Dallas Empire is filled with great players who are just playing fine, at the moment. Enable liked what he saw from new member Reece ‘Vivid’ Drost and the defending CDL Champs against the NY Subliners. They still lost that game, but it wasn’t a wash. Couple that with a 3-0 series against a team they should be able to beat, LAG, and you have the start of what could be a promising lineup. Subliners need to get on track The next few weeks are going to be pivotal for New York. They’ve already proved they can be a cut above the rest, but other teams look like they’re catching up. Pacman had to give respects where it’s due since NYSL are reportedly playing sick and with connection issues, but it’s worrying that some of the biggest weeks in the CDL are coming up – and Subliners need to be ready for what’s ahead. OpTic is the best… of the rest? Watching OpTic’s CDL outings, you really get an idea of how good the team is against most of the league. But when they’re up against the elite contenders, and their fortunes aren’t as great. Read more: Call of Duty League 2021 Power Rankings after Stage 4 Florida Home Series | Reverse Sweep – This is starting to make Enable and Pacman wonder if they’re even Championship contenders in their current form. They have legends of the game and outstanding talent to bolster them, they just have to dig deep and actually show it on the server. The good, the bad & the ugly! CDL teams know how to put on a show. The Empire vs Subliners map five had parts that were tense, exhilarating, and tragic. There was a lot to praise, but one player came away as the standout down the stretch. Unfortunately, there’s one team that once again has to be Enable’s ‘ugly’ part of the week. Meanwhile, Pacman echoed the same sentiment as his co-host but applied it to multiple CDL teams. For the full Reverse Sweep review, check out the full video! For all Reverse Sweep CDL news, head over to our dedicated page.

Has another weapon been added to Black Ops 4 gentleman’s agreement? Speculation is looming over another weapon possibly being added to the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 gentleman’s agreement (or ‘GA’), this time a popular Tactical Rifle – the Swordfish. The Swordfish, a four-round burst weapon, has enjoyed a new lease of life following the latest update in Black Ops 4, as other weapons suffered a nerf. For professional players, the Swordfish suddenly became a viable option – but rumors are already circulating that it has been added to the ‘GA’ list of weapons which are not permitted. Pro players using gentleman’s agreements to rule a weapon, or other item, out of play, even though it is not part of the official CWL restrictions list. It allows professional players to adapt the game to their liking more quickly, without having to wait on developers to implement a change, but some fans argue it may be going too far. Speculation that the Swordfish has been added to the list of GA’d items, stems from a Tweet from Red Reserve’s Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris, suggesting that the Swordfish had met the same fate as the Stock II attachment (also GA’d). Fans also report that an OpTic Gaming scrim match was ended and restarted after the other (unnamed) team used the Swordfish initially. After the match restarted, the other team had put away the Tactical Rifle. It’s not certain if the Swordfish has been officially added to the agreed upon list of restricted items yet, but it looks like some of the professional players are at least toying with the idea.

Hardpoint rotations for all Black Ops Cold War maps ActivisionOnce again, Hardpoint is one of the key modes in Black Ops Cold War, and with League Play arriving, we’ve put together the hardpoint objective rotations for every single map. [jwplayer 38QHhqzR] Since the mode was first introduced in Black Ops 2, it has, for the most part, become a staple of any Call of Duty game, barring one or two since then which either didn’t include it, or added it post-launch. With the mode set to be an integral part of the Call of Duty League and League Play you’ll need to know your way around each map. For that reason, we’ve compiled all the information you need here, with each Hardpoint rotation in Black Ops Cold War for every single map, and any map that comes out over the next year. We’ve also listed callouts for each point to help make them easier to remember. Apocalypse Main Road – Courtyard – Stilts – Ruins – Armory – Armada Strike Submarine – Starboard – Upper Deck – Lower Deck – Upper Deck (by Starboard, opposite side of P3) – Cartel Mid/upper crops – Sheds – Lower riverbed – Garage – Hangar – Checkmate Plane – Hangar (near Shop) – Under plane – Containers – Hangar (near Armory) – Crossroads Munitions Storage (Tank) – Lower Annex – Munitions Storage (Wreckage) – Munitions Storage (by spawn/rocks) – Express Ticketing – Walkway 1 – Control – Walkway 2 – Garrison Walkway – Radar – Generators – Main Floor (by Artillery) – Main Floor (by Tank Wash) – Miami Ocean Drive — Intersection – Visitor’s Centre – Beach South – Blackwood – Lobby – Back Alley – Moscow Metro – Kiosk – Fountain – Boulevard – Nuketown ’84 Street – Green House – Cul De Sac – Yellow House – The Pines Fountain – Frencer’s – Eighteen – Arcade – Raid Circle Drive – Kitchen – Garage – The Court – Courtyard – Satellite Satellite – Campfire Cave – Base Camp – Dune Wreckage – As it stands, Checkmate, Crossroads, Garrison, Moscow and Raid are in the CDL rotation, but the arrival of Express could possibly change that going forward. We’re obviously expecting a number of new maps to arrive throughout the coming months, and with the likes of Raid and Express already being integrated, we should have a very expansive pool of good maps by the time the BOCW year is over.

Hardpoint rotations for every Modern Warfare map (including Shoot House) Hardpoint has finally been added to the regular online playlists in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and we’ve put together the rotations for all the maps currently available in the game. Hardpoint has been one of the more popular and integral modes in recent Call of Duty titles, so it came as no surprise when fans were displeased to see it only available in private matches when the full version of Modern Warfare dropped on October 25. However, Infinity Ward did promise to eventually add it the regular online playlists and ended up doing so on November 8, as part of the v1.07 update they released earlier that day. For those who are new to Call of Duty and haven’t played Hardpoint, it is a 6v6 mode in which the objective is to try and capture as much time in the designated Hardpoint while also trying to prevent the enemy team from doing the same. Each map usually has 4-6 locations that the active Hardpoint moves to throughout the match based on a set pre-determined rotation, so a large part of the strategy is to make sure your team is set up on the next point before it becomes active. Capturing time involves at least one player being within the point’s boundaries without a member of an enemy team also being inside. If players from both teams are in the Hardpoint at the same time then neither team can capture. The game ends when a team manages to capture 250 total seconds and are thus determined to be the winner. Competitive Hardpoint in Modern Warfare As has been the case over the past several years, Hardpoint was once again one of the modes chosen to be part of the Modern Warfare competitive season, along with Domination and Search & Destroy. As of now, six maps are part of the rotation for competitive Hardpoint: Arklov Peak, Azhir Cave, Gun Runner, Hackney Yard, Rammaza, and St. Petrograd. Read More: Modern Warfare v1.07 update patch notes – However, keep in mind that this list of maps is only according to the first version of the official competitive ruleset, and can be changed as the season goes on. Without further ado, here are the Hardpoint rotations for every map currently in Modern Warfare multiplayer with the exception of Aniyah Palace and Grazna Raid, which are large 10v10 maps and thus are not in the mode’s playlist for public matches. Arklov Peak Hardpoint Rotation (competitive map) Azhir Cave Hardpoint Rotation (competitive map) Euphrates Bridge Hardpoint rotation Gun Runner Hardpoint rotation (competitive map) Hackney Yard Hardpoint rotation (competitive map) Piccadilly Hardpoint rotation Rammaza Hardpoint rotation (competitive map) Shoot House Hardpoint rotation (new map, added November 8) St. Petrograd Hardpoint rotation (competitive map) There you have it, all of the Hardpoint rotations for the 6v6 maps in Modern Warfare multiplayer. Whether you’re playing private competitive matches or enjoying some casual public games, having this guide close by will always help you perform better.

Hardpoint & 2 new maps coming to Modern Warfare: Release date & details Call of Duty developers Infinity Ward have announced the release date for the Hardpoint game mode and two new DLC multiplayer maps coming to Modern Warfare. Call of Duty fans were disappointed when they saw that the popular multiplayer game mode Hardpoint was not included in Modern Warfare’s regular online playlists and was instead only reserved to private matches. However, Infinity Ward had reassured players that the mode would eventually get fully added to online play, and the release date for it has finally been announced to be Friday, November 8. In addition, there will also be two new maps added to multiplayer – Shoot House, which the in-game announcement describes as a “new three lane multiplayer map putting you in close quarter combat,” and Krovnik Farmland, which will only be available in Ground War. These maps will be free, of course, since Activision have decided to ditch the Season Pass and purchasable DLC model in favor of making post-launch content free to all users on all platforms, and there will be no exclusivity period for the PlayStation 4. Free Maps and Hardpoint coming to #ModernWarfare. :white_check_mark: New Multiplayer Map – Shoot House :white_check_mark: New Ground War Map – Krovnik Farmland :white_check_mark: HardpointFree for all players, available Friday 11/8. pic.twitter.com/cxhz3Svr4S — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) November 7, 2019 Shoot House was actually on the list of maps that were recently procured from the back-end game files of a recent update, and it was listed as a 2v2 Gunfight map, prompting some concern from players when the above announcement was first made. However, an Activision representative confirmed to Call of Duty news outlet charlieINTEL on November 7 that it will be a fully-fledged multiplayer map, available on all 6v6 playlists. While this is good news for fans of the regular multiplayer, it does mean that there will not be any new Gunfight maps added during the first DLC release. However, a multiplayer designer at Infinity Ward did say that more varied loadout options were coming to Gunfight soon, so there’s a chance those could be added along with the rest of this new content. In addition to this slew of new content, an Infinity Ward developer also confirmed on ResetEra that they will be releasing a new patch update for the game as well. This means, of course, that many of the things that players had been complaining about since the game’s release, such as weapon balance, Claymores, footsteps, and other issues will be fixed come November 8. The full list of what is expected to be included in this patch update can be seen in the tweet below: A couple more things in our sights in addition to the items in the below tweet: – claymore balance – EOD adjustments – second round of footstep tuning And more! https://t.co/n6aFgMp3m4— Joe Cecot (@JoeCecot) November 4, 2019 The exact time for when this new content and patch will go live on November 8 has not yet been announced, but most Call of Duty updates usually get released around 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET, so expect it to be around then. Of course, with so much being added and changed in the game at once, the file size for this will likely be massive and take a while to download and copy, so make sure to take that into account when planning out your session.

Handy CoD Vanguard attachment makes weapon leveling much quicker ActivisionCall of Duty: Vanguard offers a never-before-seen level of customization with its 10 weapon attachments per gun — one of which can be kitted out to help speed up the game’s lengthy weapon leveling process. The latest CoD installment, Vanguard, has hit the ground running after its release on November 5, with fans jumping headfirst into the game’s multiplayer modes to check them out. For many players, the ultimate goal with each year’s Call of Duty title is maxing out their guns and unlocking mastery camos, and Vanguard is no different. Sledgehammer’s latest offering provides some eye-popping rewards for players who knock out all of the game’s weapon challenges. While those skins are enticing, many feel that Vanguard’s camo grind has been cranked up to eleven. Fortunately, players can speed up their weapon XP gains (and shorten the camo grind) by using one specific attachment: Surplus. CoD Vanguard attachment cuts down weapon leveling grind As the discussion around Vanguard’s weapon grind raged on social media, Call of Duty community manager Shaun Akerman stepped in to offer some advice on an easy way to speed up that process. “Pro tip: the Surplus Kit [attachment] gives +20 XP in Base, Operator, Weapon and Clan XP per kill,” he explained on Twitter, before confirming that “This also adds +20 to Battle Pass XP.” #Vanguard pro tip: The Surplus kit gives +20 XP in Base, Operator, Weapon and Clan XP per kill. 😀 — Shaun Akerman💙 (@Shaunyowns) November 12, 2021 Fans were amazed by this, and some shared that they had no clue this attachment even existed. “What’s Surplus?” one player asked, “I’ve not heard of this or seen it? Do I live under a rock?” Fortunately, a fellow Vanguard camo grinder chimed in with a helpful explanation and shared that this particular attachment is found under the “Kit” slot in Vanguard’s gunsmith. Its under the kit section of attachments pic.twitter.com/m6qhkx5ucI — Stephen Brader (@stephenbrader) November 12, 2021 Others thanked Akerman for clearing up the perk’s confusing description. “This is incredible to know since it’s not very clear [in-game],” one player said, with another remarking “Wow, I really thought it just gave “+1″ XP per kill, like it said [in the gunsmith].” If Surplus isn’t already a part of your Vanguard arsenal, it’s the perfect time to slot it in and speed up the weapon leveling grind — you’ll be well on your way to unlocking those coveted Gold, Diamond and Atomic weapon skins in no time.

Halo legend Frosty confirms he is switching to competitive CoD for Black Ops 4 ESLTwo time Halo world champion Bradley ‘Frosty’ Bergstrom has revealed that he will be transitioning to competitive Call of Duty for the Black Ops 4 season, as Halo 5 is almost finished competitively. Frosty has been competing at the highest level in Halo since 2014, and after joining CLG in late 2015, he quickly cemented himself as one of the very best players. Over a two year span, Frosty won thirteen events as part of the CLG/OpTic Gaming dynasty, with six runner up placements too. They won back to back world championships in 2016 and 2017, and were one of the most dominant rosters ever in Halo, rivalled only by the likes on Final Boss. Frosty, with teammates Mathew ‘Royal2’ Fiorante, Paul ‘Snakebite’ Duarte and Tony ‘LethuL’ Campbell, came 2nd at the 2018 world championship, and with Halo 5 competitive reaching it’s final days as fans await Halo 6, it looks like Frosty is making the permanent switch to CoD. During a recent live stream, Frosty explained that he was making the switch, saying he was following in the footsteps of former Halo pro turned world champion CoD player, Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper. “I’m discount FormaL, I’ve got to do it, got to follow in his footsteps”, Frosty said, going on to say that he is currently “finalizing things” with a roster for Black Ops 4. Frosty goes on to explain that with HCS Finals in Atlanta being the final Halo 5 event planned, he believes that it is time for him to permanently move on to CoD, where he hopes to “establish” himself. “Hopefully I can be established in CoD, so that I don’t have to play Halo 6. I mean I want to, but if I’m established in CoD, and have a good team, I’m not going to like, switch back to Halo. I’d rather compete in CoD.” If Frosty is set on moving to competitive CoD, there is a high chance that other top Halo professionals are also at least considering the possibility, especially with no further Halo 5 events expected after Atlanta. More: OpTic’s Crimsix admits that Methodz being dropped wasn’t handled well and explains what happened – It is unclear where it would leave Halo esports should a number of the best and most recognized names were to migrate to Call of Duty, but there is no doubt that skills from Halo are transferable to Call of Duty. Players like Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter, Ian ‘Enable’ Wyatt and the aforementioned FormaL are some of the very best Call of Duty players, and so it is an exciting prospect to have Frosty see if he can follow in their footsteps. Team Envy player Cuyler ‘Huke’ Garland even transitioned from CoD to Halo, where he was one of the very best players, and is now back to CoD, remaining one of the top talents. One slight issue facing Frosty, is that Black Ops 4 releases on October 12, while the HCS finals take place on November 16, meaning he will be unable to make the switch until Black Ops 4 is already a month old. The first Black Ops 4 event is on December 7, 2018.

Halo Champion Shotzzy pulls off ninja kill in Black Ops 4 Reigning Halo World Champion Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas showed everyone that he’s not just great at Halo with an insane 1v2 clutch in Black Ops 4. Shotzzy is a name that fans of the Halo Championship Series know quite well seeing as he helped lead Splyce to a World Championship back in April. In one short clip, Shotzzy showed that his skill isn’t just limited to Halo and could easily make the transition into Call of Duty if he wanted to. Playing Search & Destroy on Payload, Shotzzy finds himself in a 1v2 situation with a pistol and a dream. After spotting the last two enemies around the B-bombsite, Shotzzy pulls out his pistol and takes out one player before ducking under the remaining enemy and getting the ninja pistol whip to win the round for his team. His teammates can be heard yelling “Oh my God!” and “That kid just got ninja’d in CoD!” in the background as everyone celebrates Shotzzy’s clutch. His teammates weren’t the only ones to get in on the excitement, though, as CoD World League caster Miles Ross chimed in on Twitter, as well. Ross adds that he wants “to cast over this sort of nasty shit all year long” and as the two continue talking, Ross discovers that Shotzzy is only 17 years old and is unable to compete in the CWL this year. Fans of ninja kills shouldn’t worry, though, since Shotzzy assures Ross that he plans on competing in the CWL as soon as he turns 18 in July 2019. Whenever he decides to make the jump into competitive CoD, Shotzzy can easily use this clip as a resume to show any prospective teams.

Halo 2 dev calls modern SBMM a “failure” amid MW3 matchmaking controversy ActivisionAs the debate over skill-based matchmaking wages on and the Modern Warfare 3 community growing increasingly frustrated, Halo 2 dev Max Hoberman has weighed in, taking aim at SBMM. The Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 player base was left on read this week during a developer Reddit AMA where Sledgehammer Games stayed clear of SBMM questions, further infuriating the community. SBMM has become one of the most controversial elements of competitive games. The idea of always having evenly matched lobbies has sparked plenty of debate. Some players argue that it’s better to have a variety of skill levels in a match while others want more even games. Now, Halo 2 dev Max Hoberman has voiced his concerns with modern SBMM, calling it a “failure” while explaining how he feels Bungie handled the matter better than other games on the market today. Halo 2 dev takes aim at SBMM as MW3 debate rages on In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Hoberman scoffed at the idea that Halo 2’s implementation of SBMM “can’t work today.” According to Hoberman, finding the right balance between being stomped, doing the stomping and having a competitive match was the right move as opposed to only having sweaty games. “Obviously no one wants to get stomped continuously. On the flip side, it gets dull (for most people) continuously stomping others. However, it IS fun having the upper hand some of the time,” he explained. When it came to why he opposes always creating even matches, Hoberman said that while close games are the most fun to watch for spectators, the lack of variability is a problem. “The failure of modern skill-based matchmaking, imho, is that it’s designed to maximize these perfect match scenarios and minimize the others. When it’s working, a majority of games become super tight, super stressful. That’s not fun for most players. Where’s the variability?” the dev added. He went on to say that forcing high queue times on high-ranked players and segregating them from the rest of the game’s population was a form of “discrimination.” “Designers should strive to find a way that players of all skill levels can have fun together. Casual, inconsequential Unranked matchmaking is one way,” he said. Only time will tell if Modern Warfare 3 shakes things up with its SBMM, but it’s clear where Halo 2’s Max Hoberman falls on the issue.

Hail to The King: Scump retirement leaves void in CoD scene OpTic GamingSeth ‘Scump’ Abner has retired from professional Call of Duty, leaving behind a king’s legacy on the franchise as a whole. After a dominant 12-year career as a professional, Scump is hanging up the sticks and delivering on his preseason retirement promise earlier than expected. His final two seasons as a pro were as tumultuous as they come, but his impact on Call of Duty over the course of his time competing may never be matched again. From winning his first LAN at MLG Dallas 2011 alongside Aches and TeePee, to claiming a World Championship in 2017, and then surviving three role changes in just a few short weeks in 2022, he’s run the gamut of professional CoD all while delivering content that was (and remains) crucial to the health of the entire operation. 4307 days have passed since he claimed that first trophy and here’s how it all unfolded. Scump’s legacy as a pro Call of Duty player By his own admission, Scump wasn’t a great teammate back in 2011. After finding quick success and claiming two championships as a member of Quantic Leverage, the end of the season wasn’t quite as successful as the beginning and his 16-year-old eyes began to wonder. Even back then the young star knew that OpTic Gaming was the place to be and he did whatever he could to make sure he ended up there. After the season ended and both Leverage and OpTic had failed to capture the National Championship, the seeds were sown for him to make his move. It took some time, but early in the Modern Warfare 3 season, LvG and OG eventually settled on a one-for-one swap that went ProoFy to the red brand in exchange for Abner, and the prodigy never looked back. Not only did OpTic go on an unbelievable run throughout all of the admittedly limited pro action that year, but the ‘Ginja Ninja’ also took to YouTube for the first time — and if his star wasn’t already bright enough, the resulting success laid the infrastructure for more than a decade of success, not only for the already thriving OpTic brand but for himself and every teammate he picked up along the way. If MW3 laid the tracks for his ascension, then Black Ops 2 brought the hype-train into the station. While the competitive team (which also featured a young Nadeshot who was already the organization’s golden boy) never found the type of success they were accustomed to, the addition of OpTic’s very first gaming house meant that the game’s brightest personalities would be living under the same roof and the results were electric. That portion of Scump’s journey has been well documented through the various OpTic social channels, but it can’t be overstated how much it changed his career and the very pulse of competitive Call of Duty. While living together, Scump and Nade (as well as BigTymer, H3CZ, and others) cashed in on all of the content they could possibly make. This also coincided with a rise of popularity in livestreaming, and before anyone knew it, the team had found a new way to grow their brand, earn some cash, and even get better at their craft doing it. It’s not as if OpTic was getting bullied off the map all season either. They won the very first event of the year, and in true OG fashion, went viral as a result. While it may seem silly from the outside, that evergreen clip of Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price shoving Nadeshot at Game Pazzo in 2012 only helped stoke the fires of the team’s social media reach. That moment, combined with the iconic ‘who’s the best in the game’ moment after his unbelievable Yemen Hardpoint streak, truly affirmed Scump’s star power, and in some ways, it’s what set him up for the overwhelming success that came down the line. From partnering with Oakley in one of the biggest non-endemic moves ever to hearing his name come up on the ultra-popular Pat McAfee show, it’s hard to say if any of that would have ever happened without the work he put in and the eyes he brought to Call of Duty back then. Of course, he wasn’t even close to done yet. He only put his foot down further and aimed for higher aspirations. Not only did he later reshape OpTic’s competitive future by teaming up with Crimsix, Karma, and Formal as part of the legendary ‘Dynasty’ squad, but he also served as the de facto face of the brand, leveraging his audience to facilitate growth in as many places as possible. During that illustrious run, he took part in 25 Grand Finals, reaching ten of them consecutively, and hoisting 18 trophies, including a World Championship in 2017. As he found even more success as a pro, his content only continued to expand over the years as well. On the day of his retirement, he sits with 2.66 million YouTube subscribers and 2.2 million followers on Twitter. His reach became so expansive that his retirement became a running joke in the scene in his final years. Pros and fans alike would joke that it’s “back to flipping burgers” for the rest of the CDL, and while it may not be quite that dramatic, there’s no doubt the impact will be severe. Eleven years into his professional career and OpTic Texas’ run to championship glory at CDL Major 1 in 2022 was the league’s most-watched event to that point, proving that no matter how old he got, people were still tuning in like it was primetime television whenever ‘The King’ took to the biggest stages. His influence on Call of Duty doesn’t stop at the pro arena either. Back in 2021, he participated in the first-ever World Series of Warzone’s Solo Yolo tournament and absolutely ripped through the competition in a game that he had barely had time to play thanks to his professional responsibilities. Outside of that, his numbers as a content creator are rivaled only by the biggest names in all of gaming despite not having the same amount of time to consistently grow that audience. Thankfully, Abner isn’t moving on from the series entirely. In his emotional retirement speech, he reassured the world that he’ll still be involved in the CDL goings-on and will actually be more available than ever before. “I’ll be attending events still, and meeting people, which I obviously couldn’t do as a player,” he announced. At the end of the day, that’s really not a surprise from the Greenwall veteran. A quick look at the reactions from his teammates and competitors will reinforce just how deeply connected he is to the entire community. Pro Call of Duty has always been the house that Scump built brick-by-brick and now he’s getting the chance to sit back and watch others pick up where he left off.

H4 Blixen finally overtaken in Warzone SMG meta rankings after nerf ActivisionThe H4 Blixen has long been the dominant SMG in the Warzone meta, but it’s finally been usurped atop the CoD battle royale’s meta rankings. The Warzone meta is always changing, especially throughout the current Season 4 where a number of weapon buffs and nerfs have meant that the meta is many and varied, with several viable weapons to use rather than just one dominant assault rifle ripping heads off across the map. Despite this, the H4 Blixen has remained the number one SMG for some time, offering the perfect weapon for close-range encounters, the unanimous pick for anyone traversing Caldera, Fortune’s Keep, or Rebirth Island. While the gap started to diminish over time, the Blixen remains popular — but no longer tops the meta rankings, according to WZRanked. After the Blixen was nerfed on August 8, with a damage reduction and a bug fix that made it slightly less potent, it quickly dropped below another Vanguard SMG, with the Armaguerra 43 becoming the most popular SMG pick in Warzone. At the time of writing on August 9, the Armaguerra’s pick rate has risen to 7.14 — a slight boost over the Blixen’s 7.10. That said, it’s still not matching the Blixen in terms of KD and win rate. The Armaguerra’s average KD, according to WZRanked, 1.29, a step below the Blixen’s 1.40. Similarly, its win rate is at 4.33, lower than the Blixen’s 4.45 but still on the way up. With the Vanguard guns dominating the Warzone meta, it’s increasingly difficult for any guns from either Modern Warfare or Black Ops Cold War to compete — especially when guns such as the Armaguerra and KG M40 are as dominant as they are.

H3CZ tells story of how Infinite management tried to drop OpTic’s Call of Duty team Call of Duty roster. In an episode of his popular Eavesdrop Podcast which released on Monday, May 27, H3CZ, alongside Davis ‘Hitch’ Edwards, discussed some of the difficulties they have encountered working with OpTic’s parent company Infinite Esports, and a specific moment that they attempted to drop their legendary Call of Duty team back in late 2018. “How many times did we save Infinite from the beginning?” H3CZ asked Hitch. “We’re only going to talk about the one. The one. Where they tried to drop the Call of Duty team.” “There were contract issues, but it wasn’t the contract or the players but the people they were represented by that was the issue,” H3CZ stated. “Because of that external factor – that had nothing to do with the players – they got to the point where they didn’t want to deal with that anymore, ‘so we’re going to have to let them go.’” “So I go in there, and I said: ‘There’s nothing to talk about. We’re not dropping the Call of Duty team, period. I don’t give a fuck. We’re not dropping the team. If they leave, I leave, and everyone else leaves.” The OpTic Gaming CEO then explained that he asked Infinite to give him the weekend to smooth things over with the team, only to receive a call from the player’s agent on the Saturday who informed H3CZ of an email he received that stated Infinite would find the team “a new home” in two weeks. H3CZ concluded: “I remember telling them step-by-step why what they were doing was fucked up. And they thought ‘Finally, this is how we get rid of him.’ Twice they tried to get rid of me. I continued to be a pain in their asshole for the rest of time.” Clip starts at 1:40:42 for mobile users. Following the blowback from H3CZ about their decision, Infinite held on to the OpTic Gaming Call of Duty squad and saw their decision pay off when the team won CWL Las Vegas back in December 2018. Hitch confirmed that the players were talking about accepting contracts from other teams at the time though, which shows just how close OpTic Gaming came to losing one of the most legendary teams in all of esports. Much like this scenario, the future of OpTic Gaming’s Call of Duty lineup remains up in the air, as Infinite Esports continue to try and offload the entire organization, with bids from Immortal and H3CZ himself believed to be two of the possibilities. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ steps in to prevent Nadeshot from jokingly sabotaging Scump’s stream While Seth ‘Scump’ Abner was playing scrims with OpTic, he was joined by an old teammate who has turned into a new rival. Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag and Scump played many years of competitive Call of Duty for OpTic and the teammates were MLG, UMG and X Games champions together. Now that Nadeshot’s 100 Thieves has a Call of Duty roster, the two are competing head-to-head, but that didn’t stop them from having some fun on Scump’s stream. Nade wanted to relive the old glory days and get one life playing for OpTic but OpTic Owner/CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodgriquez wasn’t having it. Nade’s former boss had to jokingly drag Nade away from the computer, leading to a pretend fist fight between the two esports moguls. Last time I invite this Saboteur (@nadeshot), he stays trying man… I had to save @OpTic_Scumper and the rest of the squadron from this under handed behavior. pic.twitter.com/JjwhpgONHZ — Hector Rodriguez (@OpTicH3CZ) November 9, 2018 Nade did find other chances to mess with Scump on his stream, apparently when H3CZ was preoccupied with other matters. Scump still wouldn’t let him play a life when he asked during an OpTic scrim against Nade’s own organization and Scump called him a “saboteur.” While Nade definitely wasn’t getting into the official scrim under Scump’s name, he did find a way to get a game in. By donning a banana suit and getting Scump’s stream to send out a bunch of gifted subs, Nade earned himself a round of Gun Game, and he didn’t disappoint. Watch Scrims with OpTic Gaming from scump on www.twitch.tvDisclaimer: OpTic CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ & Scump respond to “soft” CDL pros after backlash to OpTic tier list Call of Duty League/ OpTic ChicagoAfter receiving backlash from current and former Call of Duty pros over their tier list video, OpTic Chicago members H3CZ and Scump have responded, with H3CZ even calling them “soft.” What started out as a seemingly innocent video caused much division among the Call of Duty community when it was released on January 11. In it, a number of the OpTic members made a tier list of some of the biggest names in Call of Duty esports past and present, including the likes of legends such as BigTymer as well as current champions like Crimsix and Clayster. We saw a number of names call out those in the video, including Clayster who traded blows with Dashy over it as well as Dallas Empire coach Rambo calling it out as “disrespectful” when FormaL suggested he should be in the D tier. All in all, it likely wasn’t meant to cause arguments, but it did so anyway, and the OpTic boys discussed it during the OpTic podcast on January 13. H3CZ brought it up, asking if the others had seen the backlash, and while everyone there agreed it “wasn’t that bad,” Scump did also say that these reactions “are just going to happen” when you make a video like that. H3CZ, on the other hand, had a different opinion, simply saying that “if you got offended, you’re f**king soft.” Topic starts at 9:00 They went on to joke about FormaL “not giving a f**k” about what he said, which is probably a fair appraisal, and one of the major sources of the issues people had with the video. Either way, no matter which side of the argument you fall on, the OpTic guys clearly don’t feel like they did anything wrong, but it will be interesting to see how these rivalries carry into the CDL launch on January 22-23.

H3CZ, Scump, Nadeshot and BigTymer recall the night OpTic got swatted H3CZ YouTubeThe days of the OG OpTic crew were wild and unpredictable, especially on the night when players were freaking out as their house got swatted. It’s one of the greatest stories ever told on the Eavesdrop Podcast, and now HECZ has revived it in a highlight video. Even though members from the original Greenwall are departing and going their separate ways, there’s still troves of stories which even die-hard OpTic fans haven’t heard. These tales are now years old, and since the people “are too far removed” from the incidents, and some were even highlighted in a previous podcast brought back into the spotlight by Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez. Sitting down on with podcast host, 100 Thieves CEO Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag along with Call of Duty legends Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Will ‘BigTymeR’ Johnson opened up about the night their team house got raided. Even though getting raided by the police was a serious matter that included “an AR-15 pointed at (Scump’s) face,” years later the story can be retold with thunderous laughter and new insights from the former OpTic members. Some of those new details revealed why H3CZ got really nervous when he got the call that the OpTic boys got swatted. “We had air mattresses, lawn chairs, a big green screen curtain blocking the sun from the main entrance,” H3CZ said. “So I’m thinking as a cop if I walk in, ‘what do you see in movies: Curtains, plastic to separate the sorting of cocaine from somewhere else.’” Even though it was just a house filled with future legendary CoD players, H3CZ could see a lot of drug-dealing parallels that an officer of the law might draw when seeing all the “nice cars (and Nadeshot’s) M3 in the back.” (Timestamp at 1:11 for mobile viewers) It didn’t help their case that the boys had a lot of marijuana in the house, which didn’t get readily noticed by the cops because of a random, spur-of-the-moment cleaning from Nadeshot that lead up to “the craziest moment of (his) life.” “The house was filthy,” Nadeshot said. “It was disgusting, and in the kitchen especially (filled with paraphernalia). And at that moment, I don’t know what compelled me to do it… I cleaned off all the counters, pushed it to the side, threw it out.” Nadeshot had gone off to bed but warned his housemates to keep the house “clean,” and little did he know that was the night that they were going to get swatted. While the glory days of OpTic seem well behind them, it looks like the OG members still have a lot to fill in their fans about during their time with the Greenwall. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ reveals why OpTic Chicago has no interest in building CDL Academy team Activision / Instagram: heczWill we ever see an OpTic Chicago roster in the Call of Duty Challengers scene? Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodrigues has outlined what it’ll take for the Green Wall to build an Academy team. With the Call of Duty League now back in full force for its second season, so too is the amateur scene. Challengers competition has been thriving across North America and Europe but most of the top contenders are playing without an organization. While certain CDL franchises dipped their toes into the amateur circuit last year, only a few remain in 2021. LAG Academy has seen mixed results through early Challengers Cups though Subliners Academy already has multiple first-place finishes. But what about the rest? Despite a bigger push this time around, with official streams on the CDL channel pulling thousands of viewers each day, the biggest brands in Call of Duty are without Academy teams. Here’s why H3CZ isn’t interested in signing a new roster to OpTic just yet. WestR has become a dominant force in the NA Challengers scene of late. They won the first four events in a row and currently top the standings in the first Challengers Elite season. Naturally, an OpTic fan envisioned the WestR lineup competing for the Green Wall. However, H3CZ explained why it’s simply not on his radar for the time being. “I don’t know if it would work for us,” he said during a February 18 episode of the OpTic Podcast. In order for the most popular brand in Call of Duty to join the amateur scene, H3CZ wants to see a little more from the system first. “I would have an Academy team if Challengers was a little better and there was more exposure.” Read More: CDL Power Rankings following Opening Weekend – “I would, it just needs to be displayed more. There needs to be something that’s actually rewarding for the org to make that sort of commitment.” ggs to @HamzaFrosty and @Subliners Academy. 🤝 we take the series 3-0 and advance to a 5-0 record in the #elite♠️ series.#WestR🌴 pic.twitter.com/xFFOuGpobp — WestR 🌴 (@WestROfficial) February 18, 2021 Whether it’s a bigger prize pool, increased viewership, a more consistent pathway to CDL teams, or anything in between, H3CZ didn’t elaborate. That’s not to say he’s completely against the idea of an OpTic Academy team down the line, however. The Green Wall recently brought back the GOAT, Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow as a content creator. He competed in a handful of Challengers events before this announcement, so building a roster around the three-time champion could be the best way to bring eyes over. The relevant topic begins at the 15:00 mark below. One thing is for certain though: if H3CZ ever gets involved, “it wouldn’t be an OpTic Gaming or an OpTic Chicago team.” Instead, he would be bringing back the secondary OpTic Nation brand that hasn’t been utilized since 2015. If you’re yet to tune into this year’s Challengers action, you can get caught up on the current Elite season with our dedicated hub.

H3CZ reveals why the Chicago Call of Duty team is named Huntsmen Call of Duty veteran and an icon in the greater esports industry, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has unveiled the deeper meaning behind the Huntsmen brand. With the Call of Duty League kicking off in 2020, the current NRG co-CEO recently took the time to elaborate on the Chicago Huntsmen name after much deliberation in the community. Identifying the key factors that led to the ultimate decision, H3CZ assured that much like the OpTic Gaming of old, he intends to build a worldwide powerhouse out of the Chicago-based franchise. Opening the conversation in a November 12 video, he alluded to his humble beginnings back when Call of Duty was first booming. “Be the hunter, not the hunted,” his Xbox 360 biography supposedly read when Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was the hottest FPS title in 2007. “Snipers by definition are hunters, and we’ve always been a sniping team in our hearts,” H3CZ asserted as he pointed to a sniper rifle tattoed across his left hand. The early days of numerous esports juggernauts today such as OpTic Gaming and FaZe Clan, grew in popularity due to early sniping content. “This isn’t something that I just came up with out of the blue,” he continued. “This is a lifestyle that I’ve been living in video games. We weren’t snipers that camped, we were aggressive, always on the hunt.” With the Call of Duty League taking things to an international level as home and away games kick off in January 2020, H3CZ emphasized the importance of realizing Huntsmen as a global brand. “We’re an internationally recognized name, and we will always be that,” he asserted. “We just have a city name attached to it. Same people, different jersey.” “We’re not gonna be complacent, we’re gonna go hunt success. The Huntsmen means more than just a logo and a name, for me it’s a literal lifestyle and a way of living.” The 13 most valuable esports organizations in the world were recently highlighted by Forbes with NRG sitting in 11th place with a $150 million valuation. Despite this, H3CZ has major plans to eclipse each and every organization on the list. “There’s a race going on right now, whether people want to admit it or not, to see who’s going to be the first esports team to [reach one billion], to be that valuable. “I intend on winning that.” Wrapping up the discussion, H3CZ doubled down and asserted that “we’re not gonna be complacent, we’re gonna go hunt success. The Huntsmen means more than just a logo and a name, for me it’s a literal lifestyle and a way of living.” The full schedule for the inaugural Split of Call of Duty League action was recently revealed and the Huntsmen will be taking centre stage for the first time on January 26 against OpTic Gaming LA.

H3CZ reveals which org he considered joining after leaving OpTic Gaming H3CZ – YouTubeNew NRG Esports co-CEO Hector ‘H3CZ‘ Rodriguez has hinted at which esports organization he was considering joining following his departure from OpTic Gaming. One of the biggest esports headlines of 2019 was that of H3CZ parting ways with OpTic Gaming, the organization he spent over a decade building into a massive powerhouse. He subsequently decided to join NRG as their new co-CEO, although it’s been noted that there were several orgs looking into possibly recruiting him. In fact, it turns out that one of those was none other Envy Gaming, the parent company that owns Team Envy, the Dallas Fuel of the Overwatch League, and the Call of Duty franchise that will be based in Dallas for the upcoming new league. Read More: Paris CoD announce 7 player roster – H3CZ himself revealed this on the October 3 episode of his ‘Eavesdrop Podcast,” during a segment about what he was considering doing with his future post-OpTic. “I was having conversations with Hastr0 too, and that almost happened,” he said, referencing Envy CEO Mike ‘Hastr0’ Rufail. “And that would have been dope, because Hastr0 and I get along famously.” Obviously, if what he was suggested did end up taking place, it would have been a bombshell development, considering that both he and Hastr0 are locks to be on the Mount Rushmore of esports history. Read More: H3CZ hints at Scump reunion – It undoubtedly would have been a surreal experience for OpTic Gaming fans, and Call of Duty scene in general, to see H3CZ draped in Envy colors, seeing as how the two organizations have been intense rivals over the years, with matches between them even taking on the nickname “eClassico.” However, as it has since turned out, that partnership never ended up coming to fruition, and while the specific reason(s) for why it didn’t may never be revealed, H3CZ did say that “at the end of the day, I had to make sure I did everything right again.” Segment begins at 37:15 mark for mobile users. Now, depending on what players each organization ends up signing for their Call of Duty rosters, H3CZ and Hastr0 could see their teams become rivals again in the new franchised league. As things stand, neither NRG’s Chicago franchise nor Envy’s Dallas one have announced any player signings yet, and you can keep track of all roster and team announcements via our dedicated Call of Duty franchising RosterMania hub. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ reveals the city he originally wanted in the Call of Duty League In a recent episode of his Eavesdrop podcast, NRG Esports co-CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has revealed which city he originally wanted to represent in the upcoming Call of Duty franchised league. The Eavesdrop podcast brings in some of the biggest names in esports to discuss their careers, their paths to success, and any of the industry events occurring at the time. It’s often a place where these personalities can speak more plainly about things that have happened, squash rumors or, sometimes, allow them to spread previously unknown news, and that’s exactly what happened H3CZ hosted Dexerto on the Eavesdrop. While discussing the upcoming franchised Call of Duty League, H3CZ is questioned on whether he has seen more fanfare from Chicago – the city he and his team will be representing – than in other parts of the world. The former OpTic Gaming mastermind said that it’s not been strictly limited to Chicago, but North America has been his biggest export for merchandise and ticket sales, followed by England, France, and Australia. He then revealed that Chicago wasn’t the city he was originally gunning for, saying: “Chicago was my second option. My first option was Las Vegas but that wasn’t available to be picked up, I don’t know why.” (Timestamp 1:19:15 for mobile users) This could come as a shock to some OpTic fans, who have known H3CZ for much of his gaming career as the CEO of OpTic Gaming. The organization was born out of, and became successful on the back of its Chicago roots, with each iteration of the OpTic house located in and around the city. Why Vegas wasn’t an eligible spot raises some questions, but it seems like it could have been written in the stars for the Chicago spot to go to Hector given his history in the Windy City. For what it’s worth, they already look to be one of the most popular teams in the Call of Duty League.

H3CZ reveals what Scump had to do for Karma to return to OpTic CoD H3CZ/YouTubeOpTic CEO Hector ‘Call of Duty and revealed what it took to get the 3-time Champion back to the Greenwall. Though Karma touched on how previous letdowns in his pro career made him feel like he “needed a break,” a major concern lied in teammate Seth ‘Scump’ Abner’s distance from the team at the time. “I eventually came back and was like ‘Listen, I will not play if Seth still lives where he does, like I won’t,’” Karma said. It seems like Karma knew how ambitious the lineup was, and needed some form of assurance that the star-studded roster would be able to practice and perform at the level they could on paper. “Unless you guarantee [that Scump would live closer], then I’m not joining,” Karma recalled. “… And I still wasn’t 100%, but that’s like the first thing that has to happen. He’s playing on one bar [of Internet connection] everyday like I’m not playing.” H3CZ did eventually guarantee it, but the process to get Scump down to Texas wasn’t as straightforward as the CEO might have hoped for. “Bro, you don’t even know how tough it was to get him the fuck away from California,” H3CZ said. “[Scump] was willing to move, but it was all these external factors that was fucking keeping him there to the very last moment.” (Timestamp at 1:37:35 for mobile viewers) It got so bad that Scump suggested if he could just play out of California, but that didn’t work for the CEO, saying: “Seth, if you’re not on a fucking plane tonight, I’ve made promises that I’m going to keep. Just fucking know that.” Karma recalled putting in his two cents to motivate Scump to fly out with the team as he recalled saying: “Listen [Scump], if you don’t move, I’m not joining [OpTic]. I’m doing something else.” Even though it all worked out in the end, the lead up to getting Karma on the team had an incredible amount of external factors weighing on the process that eventually formed one of the deepest rosters in the Call of Duty scene. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ reveals “rumors” detailing CDL 2021 season format hecz (Instagram)[jwplayer br5AuoVJ]In a far-reaching interview with the Seattle Surge’s Sam ‘Octane’ Larew, Chicago Huntsmen CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez revealed rumors surrounding the Call of Duty League’s format for 2021. H3CZ and Octane each have a wealth of Call of Duty experience, the former especially on the industry side and the latter especially on the playing side. In a recent episode of H3CZ’s Eavesdrop Podcast, they tackled the issues with the CDL’s format and touched on how it’s rumored to continue involving online play in 2021. () Given H3CZ’s standing in the Call of Duty scene, rumors he’s privy to are particularly noteworthy. In this instance, he describes preliminary structuring for the CDL’s 2021 season surrounding “rumors that … we’re going to continue to be online and that there’s apparently going to be three homestand events or something like that.” This is the first time that the public has been made aware of any CDL format discussions for next season, and it bears significant weight — especially in relation to Octane, as he has been one of the players most vehemently opposed to online play continuing for the next league campaign. For the love of God can I get through this year I cannot handle this stupidity any more. — Sam “Octane” Larew (@OctaneSam) July 17, 2020 Octane has worn his heart on his sleeve in recent weeks, following a controversial incident in which his bottom-ranked Surge squad had to play out a match 4-vs-5 due to the inability to replay a map after a player disconnected. But, when faced with the possibility that online play may be required in 2021, he seemed surprisingly open to it, should certain improvements pass: “I just hope that we learn from all the things that have happened this year … If the ability to play on LAN does come up, even in a restricted setting … that’s fine with me. I just think that the competitive atmosphere of this year hasn’t really been the best and I think that a lot of players are starting to get a little antsy.” Both H3CZ and Octane are adamant that online play is better than no play at all, while respecting the difficulties of that transition. But, of those learnings from this season, aspects like an online pause feature are likely to be chief amongst their concerns. As for players already getting “antsy,” the two alluded to both Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow’s retirement, and OpTic Gaming Los Angeles’ Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat recent critiques. Baring a miracle the league will more than likely be online next year I have a lot to think about more than likely will take time off. I will not put myself thru this anymore. we suffer because their central south servers cant work properly — SlasheR (@SlasheR_AL) July 19, 2020 Like Octane, SlasheR is a prominent CoD veteran who seems to be nearing his wits’ end when it comes to online play. In his post suggesting he will temporarily retire if the league doesn’t return to LAN, he noted the “central south servers.” Like the necessity of a pause feature, server options are another possible way for online play to be improved in 2021. Increased veto options for CDL Champs haven’t satisfied players, so it will be interesting to follow whether or not players think other improvements can make another online season survivable — or if they’ll push for an offline bubble, akin to the NBA’s current system.

H3CZ reveals crazy timeline that almost cost OpTic’s first CDL matches YouTube: HECZOpTic Chicago’s start to the 2021 Call of Duty League season was almost disastrous but here’s how Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez managed to keep Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell in the starting lineup for their opening matchups. The new CDL season is all set to kick off on Thursday, February 11 with the Atlanta FaZe Home Series. While teams are all competing online for another year, a majority of the league’s player base has relocated to the United States for the best chance at success. All of OpTic moved to Texas at the start of 2021 in order to compete out of the HECZQUARTERS. All four starting members made the transition and were ready to get the action underway with their opening series on February 12 against Paris Legion. However, a major spanner was thrown into the works as Dashy almost missed this first showdown. As a Canadian temporarily in the US, Dashy’s ‘P1’ Visa was only just approved days prior. To properly activate it, he needed to exit the country and make it back in time. Here’s how he got it done thanks to H3CZ. Due to the ongoing global crisis, leaving the country and reentering in a short timeframe isn’t as simple as it once was. “[Dashy] couldn’t go back to Canada because Canada has a 14 day quarantine period,” H3CZ explained. Even if Dashy left the moment he got approval, it would have overlapped with the first week of CDL action. To avoid this disaster, the two got on flights to Mexico as soon as they could. It was an “insane timeline” but flying in and out of Mexico – a total of “eight hours travel” – was enough to activate the Visa and keep Dashy in the US for the season ahead. The Visa even lasts “five years,” Dashy added, meaning he won’t have to go through that process again anytime soon. Without that option to rapidly get in and out on the same day, OpTic’s first week could have looked completely different. The relevant section begins at the 16:45 mark below. Following their first matchup against Paris, OpTic squares off against Atlanta FaZe on Sunday, February 14. Not having Dashy in the lineup, or having Dashy play on high ping, would have been a major disadvantage to kick the year off. All four members of the starting lineup will now be competing out of the HECZQUARTERS without issue. Thanks to this hectic day of travel, an early crisis has been avoided. For a full rundown on the first week of action, be sure to check our complete hub for the Atlanta FaZe Home Series.

H3CZ responds to ROKKR’s controversial tweet after OpTic loss YouTube, HECZA day after the Minnesota ROKKR posted a controversial, trash-talking tweet following their CDL Stage 2 Major win against OpTic Chicago, H3CZ has officially responded in defense of his team’s reactions. OpTic Gaming’s CEO, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, is as established a figure as it gets in the gaming world. From trash talking as a player back in 2006 to navigating corporate drama as an executive in 2020, he has seen and been a part of all sorts of spice. So things had to have gotten particularly heated for H3CZ to jump in and drop a 25-minute video on a Sunday. And things did, as Twitter boiled following an unbelievable OpTic loss to Minnesota the day prior — after which the ROKKR social media team posted a bit of trash talk. Minnesota beat OpTic in Map 5, Round 11, on a 1v3 that many have already dubbed one of the wildest moments in CoD history. Immediately afterward, the ROKKR shared a controversial tweet that spurred backlash from players like Seth ‘Scump’ Abner. The tweet has since been deleted, so H3CZ has come out and cleared the air. WHAT THE **** JUST HAPPENED 🤯@ACCURACYLA WITH THE 1V3 TO WIN ROUND 11!!! pic.twitter.com/txYNrZBl8T — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 10, 2021 As seen in a screenshot from H3CZ’s video, the ROKKR’s tweet included face cams of OpTic’s players immediately following the loss with a caption that read “We are witnessing a breakdown” and OpTic’s hashtag “BrickByBrick.” Considering how emotional the loss was, Scump called the social media post “disrespectful” and “classless.” H3CZ explains why in his video, sharing behind-the-scenes footage of the team’s pained reactions and calling it “the most heartbreaking loss that I have personally ever witnessed.” Understanding of a social media manager’s role, H3CZ agrees that the tweet “banged,” but also explains that its timing was inappropriate: “After the game is lost, of course you’re going to break down … I don’t think that this tweet would have been that bad if he would have done it a round before.” Despite elaborating that this tweet was a “rookie” and “unseasoned” move, H3CZ continues on to squash the beef. Having spoken directly with friends on the ROKKR’s organizational side, H3CZ concludes that they are “good people” who mean well — they just had a social media manager go “rogue.” The OpTic head honcho’s overall point appears to be that banter and trash talk should be between friends with prior relationships and that it becomes inappropriate when faceless organizations make light of others’ pain. Emphasizing that the ROKKR’s postgame content should have centered on their own team’s accomplishments, rather than their opponents’ distress, H3CZ reaffirms his mantra: “Treat others how you want to be treated.”

H3CZ responds to Crimsix & Nadeshot accusations: “I’m not Crim’s manager” H3CZ downplayed his involvement in the OpTic Gaming dynasty reunion podcast after a fan called him out for not fact-checking properly. From 2015 through 2017, Scump, Karma, FormaL, and Crimsix teamed up on OpTic Gaming to win 13 tournaments in one of the most dominant runs in Call of Duty esports history. However, before Karma joined and formed the quartet everyone remembers, Nadeshot spent five years with OpTic and helped plant the seeds for the historic run that came after. After a disappointing finish at the 2015 Call of Duty World Championship, Nadeshot retired from competing and went on to found the 100 Thieves esports organization. Karma joined in his stead, and the rest is history. For the first time in five years, Scump, Karma, FormaL, and Crimsix reunited and discussed the highs and lows of that journey, but the podcast didn’t come without controversy that forced H3CZ into action. H3CZ supports Nadeshot amid Crimsix criticism During the OG dynasty podcast, Crimsix criticized Nadeshot for the previously mentioned 2015 World Championship shortcomings. “The one thing I look at him differently over… At Champs in AW, this checked me, this is why I think I played like dogs***,” Crimsix claimed. Crimsix added: “We had just won four events in a row. Then on travel day, he was like ‘Yeah if we win, I’m gonna donate to charity. Tax write-off.” Nadeshot blasted the accusations as “truly insane.” In a now-deleted post, an OpTic fan called out H3CZ for letting the podcast release with false information. H3CZ responded: “Nobody over here EVER downplays the significance and importance my Brother Nade was to OpTic.” And the OpTic CEO added: “I’m not crims manager, mom, or pop. I don’t tell any man/woman what to do or say. Moron.” Nadeshot claimed that Crimsix texted him apologizing, but the 100 Thieves founder said he has no plans of reaching back right now. We will provide an update as the OpTic Gaming drama unfolds.

H3CZ reportedly involved in separate bid to buy OpTic Gaming despite Immortals interest The reported sale of OpTic Gaming appears to have turned into a bidding war between the Immortals Gaming Club and former OpTic owner and current CEO, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez. OpTic Gaming is one of most recognizable brands in esports, but their sale to Texas Rangers co-owner Neil Leibman and co-investor Chris Chaney in 2017, and subsequent addition to the Infinite Esports and Entertainment portfolio, has turned a powerhouse name into one marred with uncertainty. The sale initially seemed like a success, with the organization quickly securing spots in the franchise leagues of both Overwatch and League of Legends. However, reports have suggested that the new company struggled to adapt to the rapid growth they delivered through their expansion, eventually leading to staff layoffs at in October 2018, including President Chris Chaney. ESPN leaked in early 2019 that Texas Esports, the majority owner of Infinite Esports and Entertainment, was looking to sell the remaining brand and assets for $150m, and in May it was revealed by Esports Insider that the Immortals Gaming Club was the frontrunner to take control. Just a day later it was alleged in a report by Upcomer that the California-based organization would like to see H3CZ join their ranks and reprise his role as CEO of the OpTic Gaming brand. It was claimed that H3CZ will meet with Immortals CEO Ari Segal on May 15 to discuss the possibility of running OpTic’s day-to-day operations and Call of Duty franchise under the Immortals umbrella, should the takeover be completed. Within that same report it also stated that H3CZ, alongside former president Chris Chaney, had a bid in for the company, but it’s believed that Immortals remain the front runners. The reports of the potential sale have sent OpTic fans into panic across social media, with speculation rife that it could mean the end of the iconic esports brand. At the time of writing on May 15 the entire situation remains one of speculation, with no official comment being made by any of the parties involved with the deal. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ reassures OpTic fans over Scump’s future in competitive CoD CDL/H3CZOpTic Chicago owner Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has reassured fans that legendary Call of Duty player Seth ‘Scump’ Abner has plenty of gas left in the tank, and could be competing at the highest level for another 6 years. Recent shifts in the CDL offseason saw the upcoming year of competition become incredibly interesting. Not only will Nadeshot’s 100 Thieves compete in Call of Duty for the first time since Black Ops 4, but H3CZ’s reacquisition of OpTic (now OpTic Chicago) means Scump, FormaL and Dashy have been reunited with the iconic esports brand. However, despite the promise they are showing in scrimmages, questions have continued to circulate about the future of Scump, the veteran who has long been a staple of the OpTic Gaming brand. He has been one of competitive CoD’s biggest names since Black Ops II and, despite rumors, H3CZ believes there are plenty more years to come from the Pennsylvania native. Speaking on the Charlie Intel podcast, H3CZ suggested that Scump has 5 or 6 years ahead of him, and that he has no plans of competing in Call of Duty without him. While H3CZ conceded that Scump’s career trajectory could change, he stated that, like OpTic’s BigTymeR, he expects Scump to always be a part of his content and OpTic Chicago more widely. Referring more specifically to Call of Duty, H3CZ said: “It’s only in the back of peoples’ heads because people ask ‘Are you gonna retire?’ If nobody would have ever asked him, I don’t think in his head being 24 years old, he’s ever thought that maybe it’s time to retire. He’s still out-gunning some of the young people that are coming into the space that are supposed to be super cracked.” Timestamp: 37:40 “He’s still a very competitive person,” H3CZ finished, “and as long as we put a very competitive team around him, I don’t think there’s reason for him to retire anytime soon. So, he says 3-4 years, I say 5-6. It depends on how much fun we’re having.” Of course, the future could change for Scump. Prolonged struggles could see him hang up the controller slightly earlier but sustained success – the kind we have grown used to seeing from the King – could mean we see him at the top of CoD esports for some time yet. Thinking less about the long term, we’re incredibly excited to see what the revitalized OpTic can do in the CDL with its star-studded roster.

H3CZ outlines how Call of Duty League Champs may still go ahead on LAN YouTube: OpTic Gaming Activision /[jwplayer ax5RSODz]While the ongoing global situation has forced all Call of Duty League competition online since April, Chicago Huntsmen CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez believes that we could still see the end of season Champs event played at a LAN event. Call of Duty’s Championship event marks the end of the competitive cycle for each new release. It’s the most prestigious tournament in the scene, and we’re closely approaching the 2020 spectacle. Details have been scarce in the lead-up, save for a leaked cosmetic bundle in Modern Warfare. This is because details are still not set in stone, according to industry icon H3CZ. With the regular CDL season coming to a close on July 26, Activision is allegedly still planning the major end of year event. Given the current crisis and a wide array of major sporting leagues still on hold, the format of Champs in 2020 remains up in the air. It could be contested online, to much dismay from the pro players involved. But the Huntsmen CEO argues that “there are ways in which we can still have a LAN event.” In the second episode of the NRG Duo Podcast with Rodriguez and NRG Esports Founder Andy Miller, the two discussed how an in-person event may come to fruition. After months of dealing with suboptimal CDL servers, a LAN event could help truly determine which team stands atop the rest. Therefore, all 12 CDL team owners are currently going back and forth on the matter. “I think it’s important that we do have as much of an integrity-driven competition than anything else,” H3CZ said. “When there’s doubt in connectivity, I think we should eliminate all those ‘ifs’ and go for it.” Following in the footsteps of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), H3CZ explained how Activision should “take a note from [ UFC President] Dana White.” After a brief period without events, White pushed forward despite the ongoing crisis. Fighters competed in empty arenas without spectators, just essential cornermen and production staff. A similar model could be utilized for a Champs LAN event. “No fans allowed,” H3CZ continued. “We’ll have the players and we’ll have some staff. Quarantine [players] now. Quarantine everybody in one location. Have them only deal with themselves, have them get daily testing, isolate those who need isolation, and get the work done.” Topic begins at 39:00. With $2 million up for grabs for the first-place team, there’s more at stake in the CDL playoffs than there has been all year. That will be a big motivating factor, according to H3CZ. “They get paid to do this thing. There will be zero resistance on any level from anybody that’s involved in competition.” For the time being, however, nothing is yet locked in. Talks are still ongoing between Activision and the 12 CDL team owners. Though H3CZ assured that a decision will be made “very soon.”

H3CZ and OpTic Gaming players react after placing 3rd at last CoD Champs ever H3CZ – Twitter / Scump – TwitterReactions have started pouring in from OpTic Gaming CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and their pro Call of Duty players after the team was eliminated from the 2019 CWL Championship on August 18. OpTic Gaming’s journey at CoD Champs came to a screeching halt at the hands of rivals 100 Thieves, who handed them a dominant loss on the fifth and final day of the competition. With the loss, they came in third at the $2 million tournament, and while that may be a superb placement for almost every other team, the Green Wall will see it as falling below expectations. What makes the result even more emotional is that this is the final CoD Champs in its current form. With the esport transitioning to a franchised model next season, the competitive structure is in store for a massive change. Read More: eUnited win CWL Champs 2019 – Furthermore, following Immortal Gaming Club’s recent takeover of the OpTic brand, there are strong indications that most, if not all, of the players will be moving on after this season. Following the loss, the players turned to Twitter to let out their emotions, and Seth ‘Scump’ Abner’s broken heart emoji was really all the needed to be said. “Lost a 5-3 to go up 2-0 to losing six straight maps,” he tweeted. “Such a sad way to end this year. We put everything we had into this too. Heartbroken. Good games eUnited and 100 Thieves.” Always passionate, Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter had a strong response to their devastating exit, while revealing that he had been feeling ill all morning. “Good games eUnited and 100 Thieves,” he wrote. “We got outclass. Failed to show up today. Not sure what I ate this morning but I’ve been fighting back puke all day. Fucking feel terrible.” GG’s EU and 100T. We got outclassed. Failed to show up today. Not sure what I ate this morning but I’ve been fighting back puke all day. Fucking feel terrible. — Ian Porter (@OpTic_Crimsix) August 18, 2019 Heartbreak came up again in Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell’s reaction, as he apologized to fans for “letting everyone down.” “Didn’t play like myself today,” he said. “Sorry to let everyone down. F*cking heartbreaking man, we were so close.” Didn’t play like myself today. Sorry to let everyone down. Fucking heart breaking man we we’re so close — Brandon (@DashySZN) August 18, 2019 The other half of OpTic’s young superstar duo, Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly, knows that losing such a big tournament the way they did is one that’s going to be hard to forget. “That 5-3 lead is going to sting for a long time,” he tweeted. “So sad man, felt like this tournament was our’s.” that 5-3 lead is gonna sting for a long time. so sad man felt like this tournament was ours :pensive: — OpTic Teej (@TJHaLy) August 18, 2019 Tyler ‘TeePee’ Polchow, the mastermind coach that has been hard at work behind-the-scenes making sure the teams runs at its best, injected a little bit of positivity into the otherwise melancholy mood. “Third place, good games to 100 Thieves and eUnited,” he said. “This felt like the one. Proud of the boys for the quick turnaround after such a bad Miami. I wanted this last one so bad for the Green Wall.” 3rd place. Ggs to 100t and Eunited. This felt like the one. Proud of the boys for the quick turnaround after such a bad Miami. I wanted this last one so bad for the #greenwall — Tyler Polchow (@TylerTeeP) August 18, 2019 As for H3CZ, his post following the loss was a bit more full of nostalgic emotion than that of the players, perhaps because he knows that a lot of things are about to change with OpTic in the near future. “Your support drives me, and this memento from the Green Wall has instantly become one of my favorite things in life,” he wrote. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. My name is HECZ, and I’m a member of the Green Wall.” Your support drives me, and this memento from the #GreenWall has instantly become one of my favorite things in life. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :pray::skin-tone-4: My name is HECZ, and I’m a member of the GreenWall. pic.twitter.com/7m26krZuJc — Hector Rodriguez (@OpTicH3CZ) August 18, 2019 While the future of OpTic Gaming as a brand and a Call of Duty team may be clouded with uncertainty, there is no doubting the legacy it has left in the esport. As long competitive CoD exists, the Green Wall will be a permanent fixture in its history, no matter what lays in the weeks, months, and years ahead. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ officially joins NRG following OpTic Gaming exit Former OpTic Gaming CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has confirmed his next venture in the esports industry, officially joining NRG as Co-CEO. In a September 15 YouTube video, Rodriguez discussed his past with OpTic Gaming and teased his future in the esports landscape. Since the purchase of OpTic parent company Infinite Esports & Entertainment by Immortals Gaming Club, the certainty of his involvement in the esports industry has been up in the air. Until today that is. Discussing his esports journey throughout the video, Rodriguez concluded the conversation by putting on an NRG sweatshirt. NRG followed up by Tweeting: “IT’S OFFICIAL! please welcome our new co-ceo hector “HECZ” rodriguez.” IT’S OFFICIAL! please welcome our new co-ceo hector “”HECZ”” rodriguez and be sure to follow @Chicago_COD pic.twitter.com/BzJ5UsMgPv— NRG (@NRGgg) September 15, 2019 Having led the Green Wall since 2007, this marks the first journey for Rodriguez outside of the OpTic Gaming banners. Calling it his “life’s passion,” he assures fans that “no matter what, just understand that I will continue to do everything in my power to try to repay you. By bringing you a story, keeping you excited, by continuing to share the moments that we have all grown to share in the last decade of work.” H3CZ declines OpTic position In a recent joint-statement from Immortals Gaming Club and the former OpTic Gaming CEO, it was revealed that Rodriguez “declined the opportunity to remain in his current role with OpTic and instead chose to pursue new and independent ventures.” The news comes just days following the announcement of a Chicago-based Call of Duty franchise owned by NRG. Founder of NRG, Andy Miller expressed his joy regarding the situation, stating that it is “A big day for @NRGgg and a big personal day for me. So excited to have @OpticH3CZ as my duo!!!” A big day for @NRGgg and big personal day for me. So excited to have @OpTicH3CZ as my duo!!! Big things ahead for @NRGgg. The year of eNeRGy continues to roll!!! #nrgfam https://t.co/MmvvT9GhQP — Andy Miller (@amiller) September 15, 2019 It is unclear exactly how much responsibility Rodriguez will have as part of NRG, however, with control of the Chicago based Call of Duty franchise, it could be that his efforts will focus on the development of a new dynasty. As rostermania continues throughout the franchising transition, you can keep on top of all the latest developments using our dedicated tracker.

H3CZ, Karma and more explain what the OpTic vs Envy rivalry means to Call of Duty OpTic Gaming and Team Envy’s eClasico rivalry is one for the record books and will go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, esports rivalry ever. The eClasico, a spin-off name from the footballing rivalry of El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, has become bigger than ever over the past few years with both organizations expanding into new games. The history of the eClasico is well documented with both organizations going back and forth in different titles but always returning to its home, Call of Duty. The current squads boot camped together for a few days ahead of the first event of the CoD season, CWL Las Vegas, which OpTic eventually went on to win in dominant fashion. EnVy, however, were eliminated by Lightning Pandas and finished 9-12th. During the boot camp, Team EnVyus documented the goings on and also spoke to OpTic’s Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow for their takes on the rivalry. Karma, who has played for both organizations, reflected on his time with the blue side and stated: “Playing on EnVy was great. “It’s always been like the big rivalry, OpTic EnVy, Hastro Hector, they always just want to be the best, they’re like the Godfathers of Call of Duty. It’s a big thing. They were the two brands coming up that were Call of Duty. It’s always a battle, always the eClasico when we play and everyone wants to see it.” The addition of Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price to any team will strike fear into the heart of every OpTic but now, by joining EnVy, it adds another layer to the ever-growing historic rivalry. “Any team that ACHES is a part of, there’s always going to be that rivalry. He’s our nemesis, in a sense,” stated H3CZ. “Now, I respect Pat for everything that he’s done for the scene, he’s a fierce competitor and always looking for the player’s best interests but anytime he’s on any team it’s an immediate rival but now that he’s on our rival team, it just adds fuel to the fire.” The full video from Team EnVyus documenting the pre-tournament boot camp and their performance in Vegas can be viewed below: Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd

H3CZ is done answering questions about OpTic Dexerto During the Call of Duty Launch Weekend, Chicago Huntsmen CEO H3CZ spoke to Dexerto about the new league format, why Gary Vaynerchuk is important to CDL, and his thoughts on the OpTic vs Huntsmen rivalry. The debut weekend of the CDL couldn’t have gone much better for the NRG-owned Call of Duty team, who finished the weekend with a perfect 2-0 record. The star-studded roster got to play in the league’s opening match, and they dealt a blow to their rivals in the Dallas Empire while simultaneously responding to critics who said they weren’t a top-two team. https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1220865301031587841 They followed that up with a dominant 3-0 showing over OpTic LA, but the Huntsmen’s boss insists that there’s no rivalry between the two. In fact, it looks like he’s done talking about his former brand altogether. H3CZ flatly said “no” when asked if there was a rivalry with OpTic, and pushed to move on to the “next question” when asked to explain. The NRG co-CEO has maintained this position before and during Launch Weekend, and so have his star players in Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper. While both members of T2P have said it’s “all love” towards OGLA, the same can’t be said for Dallas Empire. After their 3-1 victory, both players fired off the trash talk on stage, and Scump even took it to the desk. 🤣 @scump to @Crimsix: “”RENT FREE!””#CDL2020 pic.twitter.com/BEIojHsSuh — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) January 25, 2020 H3CZ acknowledged there’s a need for smack talk from a “showmanship” perspective, but doesn’t see much point to it being inserted artificially. “The drama is going to unveil the way it’s going to unveil.” The drama between the Huntsmen and the Empire was unveiled before the season began, with the focus on the clash between former OpTic teammates Scump, FormaL, and Empire’s Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter. The fiery buildup resulted in the opener between the two teams being one of the most-watched matches of the weekend, beaten only by Chicago’s bout with OpTic. Empire’s owner Mike ‘hastr0’ Rufail even indicated that perhaps the rivalry is more showmanship than actual beef. Standing outside with @Crimsix and @scump comes up to chat about the match in detail. Listening to these guys dissect the match they just played is legendary. — Mike Rufail (@hastr0) January 25, 2020 Rivalries are one thing, but for the league to succeed, H3CZ says that it’s important for every brand to “build their own storyline,” and “letting people know who their players are.” “When you get to know somebody, you’re more bound to want them to win if you relate to them in some way, somehow. And that’s what we’ve always done from the beginning.” The beginning of the Hunstmen campaign for the first season of CDL is off to a hot start, as they sit at 2-0 record with Atlanta FaZe, Paris Legion, and Minnesota RØKKR. Huntsmen and Legion will both look to remain undefeated when they head to CDL London in February.

H3CZ & Hastr0 on OpTic Texas merger: “A match made in heaven” OpTic TexasAfter much speculation, OpTic Gaming and Envy — two of the biggest esports organizations in North America — have officially merged operations and rebranded their Call of Duty League franchise to OpTic Texas. The merger between two of the most storied teams in Call of Duty esports seemed as if it would materialize as OpTic Dallas, as per trademarks submitted by Envy Gaming, but Dallas Empire will indeed be rebranded as OpTic Texas instead as they’ve acquired the territorial rights to more of the state. The OpTic Chicago franchise will soon no longer exist, with Envy Gaming acquiring the slot in hopes of selling it off. This means that NRG Esports are no longer involved in the Call of Duty League. Up until recently it appeared as if the owners of Overwatch franchise Washington Justice would acquire the slot, though the deal fell through at the last minute. A new buyer has to be found before the league commences with its third season, which will kick off in early 2022. Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is now a shareholder in Envy Gaming — the parent company of OpTic Texas, OpTic Gaming, Team Envy, and Dallas Fuel — and will also serve as the president of OpTic Gaming. He’ll continue to spearhead the brand’s operations in content and competition. The making of OpTic Texas To give more insight into the new arrangement between OpTic Gaming and Envy and the future of the OpTic Texas franchise, Dexerto spoke with both H3CZ and Mike ‘Hastr0’ Rufail. “We both took separate approaches getting to where we are today,” H3CZ told Dexerto. “Infrastructure and the investor group have a lot to do with this merger personally. I’ve known Mike a long time and we tried to make it work in 2013 with EON Interactive and we attempted to make it happen two years ago when we tried to bid together to buy OpTic back from Infinite. “He’s really good at what he does, I’m really good at what I do, so I think it’s a match made in heaven.” “It’s a plug-and-play, we both have something that works together,” added Hastr0. “They’ve been juggernauts in content, we haven’t, and we’ve both been juggernauts in competition — but we’ve built this infrastructure at Envy to set us up to run a great business in the future so plugging OpTic into that is like plugging in a massive, bright lightbulb. We want to create an amazing experience for the fans.” It seemed as if the merged franchise was destined to be named OpTic Dallas, and there were even the trademarks to back it up. As the duo went on to explain, these submissions were partly to play it safe and partly playing fans and the media alike — generating even more attention for a team that was yet to even be confirmed. “We knew the number one way for brands to leak is for journalists to check trademarks,” H3CZ said. “Anticipating that, we decided to register OpTic Dallas, which might have been the name, while we tried to get something that we really wanted. We put something out there, hoped for the best, and it went exactly as we planned.” “We don’t own the whole Texas market,” Hastr0 revealed. “Right now, because there’s no other CDL team in Texas, we can market all over the state. We did get Austin, though, so we own Dallas, Austin, and Oklahoma City. We’re OpTic Texas because we think incorporating Austin in that way makes a ton of sense — we were both born here in Texas — and OpTic is bigger than Dallas so let’s spread our footprint as wide as we can.” While H3CZ will retain control over the OpTic Gaming brand, it’s now part of a larger entity that it can now class its sister teams. The Envy brand is still alive and kicking, and they will still represent Dallas in the Overwatch League with the Dallas Fuel franchise. This merger can also be seen as a partnership between H3CZ and Hastr0 as they’ll both work together to get the most out of each of the brands under the ownership of Envy Gaming. “More often than not, I used to hit Hastr0 up on his thoughts regarding OpTic Gaming before this just as I do all of my people, like Nadeshot and Fwiz,” H3CZ revealed. “I’m going to try and help as much as I can across all of the teams and Hastr0 will too.” “We’re doing this together,” his partner Hastr0 added. “Hector owns part of everything we’re doing here, as do I, so I’m now on the Greenwall’s side and I’m going to help them win championships.” It’s not exaggerating to claim that both OpTic and Envy are among the small handful of teams that have truly helped to get Call of Duty esports to where it is today. Along with the likes of FaZe Clan, they’ve been pillars of competitive CoD for well over a decade and have collectively housed most of the best players to touch the game. Fans, owners, and everyone in between have every right to wonder how their union may affect the Call of Duty League going forward. An apt analogy may be the uncertainty, loss of legacy, and conflicted feelings if Manchester City and Manchester United, two powerhouses in the English Premier League, were to come together as one. “There’s plenty of opportunity now for other teams in the league to build fan bases,” Hastr0 told Dexerto. “It’s a good thing. There aren’t two juggernaut teams in the league now, there’s one. There’s one less brand in Call of Duty for them to compete against now but we’re going to soak up every fan we can.” “Envy will be missed, absolutely,” admitted H3CZ. “Even through Dallas Empire winning how they did, this is an organization that has history and has been pivotal in building what Call of Duty is today. If this was 100 years into the history of the sport then this deal would be harder to swallow but this is the first 5% of what esports will be in the future so we jumped at the opportunity.” With the amalgamation of the two, the Call of Duty League is left with an uncertain slot available. As of publication, Envy Gaming need to find a buyer that is willing to become the proud owner of the 12th franchise slot. Early reports and rumors pointed towards Washington Esports Ventures, but now it’s confirmed that was not meant to be. “I’m not sure it’ll happen by next season but we’re working hard on finding a new ownership group that can enter the league as quickly as possible,” revealed Hastr0. “Those discussions are going really well. I’m optimistic but we’re pretty tight against the deadline so we’ll see — it’s up to how fast things can come together. We have some interesting groups, that’s for sure. But even if we have 11 teams the league will still be great.” OpTic’s fan base, the Greenwall, are undoubtedly among one of the more tribal, loyal collection of supporters in esports. They’ve gone through a lot over the past few years though, with the OpTic brand changing hands and locations several times to limited success. Both H3CZ and Hastr0 are aware how yet another change may make them feel but they’re confident it’ll all come together sooner rather than later. “At first it’s going to feel a little weird,” admitted H3CZ. “This is going to be a blip in the history of esports, everything we’ve built so far in the history of esports is just one brick in the actual foundation of the industry. In 50 years this will just be something that happened. The good thing about Hastr0 is he’s always looking 10, 20 years down the line. We know that we have the ability to shape this into whatever we want it to look like with the help of everybody else in the industry. “It will be weird at first but it’s on us to integrate and show the fans why we’ve made this decision,” Hastr0 said. “I’m looking forward to showing the OpTic fans why this is a good decision for them, the brand, and the players. I’ve done it for Envy and I can do it for them too. “For fans questioning why we didn’t announce the merger earlier, the reality is a lot of CoD fans don’t know business. We absolutely would have announced it the second we agreed to do it but there are massive amounts of paperwork to get done, legal work that needed doing. To get all of these things in line, they were lots of hurdles we had to jump over. We had to go through the entire process to get here and hopefully the fans understand we did it as fast as we could.” While OpTic Texas is finally out in the open and an official franchise, and OpTic Gaming as a whole has found a new home under Envy Gaming, it’s yet to be seen just how the Greenwall and Envy fans will react to their favorite franchises coming together. While competitive success in the CDL will no doubt help, transparency and storytelling — two aspects of brand-building that are second nature to H3CZ — may be the key to winning everybody over.

H3CZ & FormaL urge CoD devs to “step the f**k up” and fix Warzone Activision/YouTube: H3CZWarzone has found itself in a sticky situation in the lead up to Cold War Season 5, with many players and top Twitch and YouTube creators leaving the game — and the OpTic Chicago crew are calling on the devs to take action. Top Warzone streamers such as NICKMERCS and TimTheTatman have been seeing a lot of success since switching to Apex Legends. Concerns over cheating as well as stale content have driven many players away, despite Warzone being one of the most popular Call of Duty games in the franchise’s rich history. Having been some of the biggest names in the CoD scene for a while, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper have urged the creators of the game to sort their issues out before it’s too late. While discussing the hacking problems plaguing Warzone, a clearly disgruntled H3CZ and FormaL questioned why Activision were allowing the issues to persist. “I see every Warzone streamer shi**ing on Warzone at least twice a day,” FormaL explained on the OpTic Chicago podcast, after joking that “it’s not like anyone actually f**ks with hackers.” H3CZ explained why he’s so disappointed with the state of the game: “We’ve got to get our sh*t together, man. We can’t be the only ones fighting for Call of Duty just because we love it. You own the f**king game, step the f**k up! Keep the personalities here! They’re playing your game because they like it, and you’re not going to remove or add something to make their experience better?” There have been calls for Warzone to implement a more efficient anti-cheat system for well over a year at the time of writing, almost as long as the game has existed. Despite numerous ban waves, hackers still run rampant in the game, and there’s no real answer yet as to whether Activision plan on implementing anti-cheat into the game. For now, the Call of Duty community remains seriously disappointed.

H3CZ explains why the public can buy OpTic’s 2019 white CoD championship jerseys Instagram: H3CZ/OpTic GamingOwner and CEO of OpTic Gaming Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has explained “the secret” behind the organization’s white championship jerseys, and why now was the right time to make them available to the public. OpTic announced the new clothing would be made available on the OpTic store via an August 14 tweet. The jerseys designed by graphic designer Xobe were received positively on Twitter and feature a tribute to every single OpTic CoD player ever. In an August 16 YouTube video, H3CZ explained the “secret behind the champ whites”, and revealed why now was the right time to release them to the public. “The story behind the legacy championship whites,” he said. “They’re gonna go on sale for everybody. I wanted to gift somebody something on the tenth anniversary of OpTic, of the real OpTic.” H3CZ explains that he made a number of calls to ensure the players would be able to wear the jerseys for the entirety of the CWL Championship, as well as making them available for fans worldwide. “This is the original OpTic white jersey,” he continued, while showing off the shirt belonging to Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell. “This (shirt) features every single pro player that’s ever worn the white jersey… And then it says a special thank you to the Greenwall.” He also addressed the shirts in a tweet, replying to ex-OpTic CoD pro James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks. He described them as a “nice present to the supporters on the 10 year anniversary”. I approved of this one, it was my idea to wear these for the entire weekend, and to make them available to the public. A nice present to the supporters on the 10yr anniversary. BUT! Thank you for being a real one and knowing/defending culture. You’re the man. — Hector Rodriguez (@OpTicH3CZ) August 14, 2019 The anniversary jerseys have been surrounded by speculation, with many expecting OpTic in its current form to all but cease to exist after CWL Championships. Following the acquisition by Immortals in June, many OpTic teams and creators have left the organization. The conclusion of the CWL Championship will see the Call of Duty World League transition to a franchise-based league, in which OpTic will become the Los Angeles based roster. While the organization’s future may still be up in the air, the jerseys pay fitting tribute to the fans who have followed the Greenwall for the past decade. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ explains why he’s kept quiet on OpTic Gaming buyout situation HECZ / YouTubeOpTic Gaming CEO Hector ‘H3CZ‘ Rodriguez has finally returned to his regular upload schedule on YouTube, and upon his return explained his almost two-week silence as rumors of his organization being bought out by Immortals swirled. OpTic parent company Infinite Esports & Entertainment is currently attempting to sell the brand, with rival esports organization Immortals front-runners in the takeover bid. H3CZ himself is also believed to be making attempts to secure the brand personally again, or, failing this, to be on board with the Immortals acquisition, returning to the day-to-day operation of OpTic. Since news of the potential buyout surfaced, H3CZ has remained tight-lipped, leaving many fans on edge as their favorite team appeared to be on the brink of total collapse. A solitary Tweet on May 21 from Rodriguez reaffirmed that he “was trying”, but what exactly these efforts were remained unclear. In his May 28 vlog however, he has been more blunt, stating frankly: “I’m getting out of the way right now – I don’t know. “As of this moment, right now, I don’t know. The reason I haven’t uploaded for as long as I haven’t is simple – a lot of questions are out there that I can’t personally answer, or I could, I just can’t.” Clip begins at 0:39 for mobile users. H3CZ goes on to say that had he uploaded video content to YouTube during this time, he would have been giving fans “entertainment without any context or any substance”. “I decided to let things continue to progress, to work behind the scene, and focus all my efforts into one specific project”, H3CZ said, explaining that he didn’t want to be ‘distracted’ by uploading his traditional daily vlog. On the 30th episode of his Eavesdrop Podcast, with long time OpTic member Davis ‘Hitch’ Edwards, H3CZ went into more detail than ever before about the past 12 months, a turbulent period for the organization. Although much of his personal feelings are now laid out, the future of the brand remains uncertain, and there appear to be forces at work out of H3CZ’s control. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ explains why he wants Dr Disrespect and TimTheTatman to own CDL teams TimTheTatman/Instagram: hecz/Call of Duty LeagueOpTic Chicago founder Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has explained why he wants top content creators such as Dr Disrespect and Tim ‘TimTheTatman’ Betar to invest in and own Call of Duty League teams. H3CZ has been one of the biggest names in Call of Duty esports for almost as long as it’s been around. As the founder of OpTic, he has been responsible for bringing in an insane number of fans to the esport with arguably the biggest brand in the space. With esports heating up and a number of celebrity investors getting involved, H3CZ believes that creators can become huge assets to CDL teams. Two people who he believes would be great team owners or representatives are Dr Disrespect and TimTheTatman, singling them out in the OpTic Podcast as huge opportunities. After discussing how CDL Challengers team WestR would fare in the pro league, H3CZ, Davis ‘Hitch’ Edwards, Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper and Seth ‘Scump’ Abner got onto the topic of influencers and investment in the league. “TimTheTatman lives in Florida,” said H3CZ of the Twitch streamer. “I don’t see a reason why he doesn’t reach out to Ben Spoont [Florida Mutineers CEO] and is like ‘Yo, I want to own part of your team and be the face of your team.’ That team instantly becomes so much more valuable.” Referring to the multitude of ongoing rumors that Dr Disrespect wants a piece of the pie, too, H3CZ shared a similar sentiment, saying it could work for him “if he wanted to launch a CDL [team] in San Diego.” Topic starts at 25:00 H3CZ continued to hint that he and the Doc have “had their own secret discussions,” but whether anything serious is going to happen remains a mystery. Prior to the CDL 2021 season, we have seen London Royal Ravens bring in some content creators as investors. Vikkstar, a member of the Sidemen and huge Warzone streamer, became a co-owner of the team, while TikTok stars Josh Richards and Griffin Johnson invested in their parent company, ReKTGlobal.

H3CZ explains why he ‘didn’t watch’ historic Huntsmen vs OpTic match hecz (Instagram)After the flagship matchup between Chicago Huntsmen and OpTic Gaming Los Angeles, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has delved into why he didn’t watch both teams lock horns live. The matchup between the ‘old OpTic’ (Chicago Huntsmen) and the ‘new OpTic’ (OGLA) was primed to be one for the ages, regardless of the outcome. After a long-winded takeover process with Infinite Esports, H3CZ was edged out of the captain’s deck of his beloved OpTic Gaming. So the Call of Duty Esports aficionado took his talents to NRG, where he built his own franchise from scratch. And of course, as fate would have it, Infinite Esports’ OpTic and H3CZ’ Huntsmen met in a thrilling five-game elimination match, to determine who would lock in the final place for the $3 million Championship Weekend. H3CZ didn’t watch Huntsmen vs OpTic? Speaking with CDL Commissioner, Johanna Faries, on Episode 69 of the Eavesdrop Podcast, H3CZ shed light on why he chose not to watch the two sides go head-to-head live. “I wasn’t watching — I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t watch live,” Rodriguez opened. “Everybody knows that we’re taking precautions to make sure we’re as competitive as we possibly can be from that standpoint… But I wasn’t here, I knew the answer to the result tens of minutes ahead of the actual thing. “Nadeshot texted asking who won — I didn’t reply. BigTymer texted me — I didn’t reply. Everyone was texting me but I didn’t reply… I wanted them to go through the same angst that I would have (I didn’t) if that happened. And it was such a moment.” Segment starts at 20:03 for mobile users. There’s no doubt that both the former OpTic members will be thanking H3CZ for not spoiling the party, especially with just how down to the wire that final game was. Players are currently playing their matches ahead of the broadcast schedule, after some incidents of players being hit offline during their matchups. Naturally, this had a profound impact on competitive integrity during Call of Duty’s biggest esports event to-date. Meaning that Activision shifted match times to ensure a level playing field was maintained.

H3CZ explains why FaZe are OpTic’s toughest competition in 2021 OpTic GamingOn the December 18 episode of the Charlie Intel podcast, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez explained why the Atlanta FaZe will be OpTic Chicago’s top challenge in the 2021 Call of Duty League season. In the 2020 CDL playoffs, OpTic Los Angeles and the Chicago Huntsmen met and the Huntsmen came out on top. Chicago would go on to beat the London Royal Ravens, and then fall to FaZe, 3-1. After the CDL season ended, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez announced that he had reacquired the OpTic Gaming brand from Immortals Gaming Club. Then, the OpTic Gaming LA league spot was bought by Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag and 100 Thieves, rebranding to the Los Angeles Thieves while the Huntsmen were rebranded to OpTic Chicago. As the CDL teams make roster adjustments and prepare for the start of the 2021 season, H3CZ revealed which team he thinks has the best chance of spoiling an OpTic title in 2021, and it’s the same organization that ruined Chicago title hopes in 2020: Atlanta. For mobile users, segment starts at 51:40. When asked what team would challenge OpTic Chicago for the 2021 CDL title, H3CZ confirmed the top competitors are FaZe. Read More: New Modern Warfare content leaked – He affirmed that after signing Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson, who Chicago let go in their pursuit of Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell, FaZe is now “a more complete team.” This likely because Arcitys, a top-tier AR in the CDL, is considered to be an upgrade from Michael ‘MajorManiak’ Szymaniak at the AR spot. While he acknowledged the FaZe signing of Arcitys was a smart move, he remains confident in his own team’s ability to challenge Atlanta for the 2021 title. H3CZ pointed out the transition of Dashy from the old OpTic LA team to the new OpTic Chicago roster was an important boost for the team. He had high praise and expectations for Dashy in the 2021 season (and beyond), saying “his ceiling is unmatched.” “I think we’re good,” H3CZ said, closing out his thoughts on OpTic’s 2021 roster, while still confirming FaZe is the top dog to watch out for. Likely to start in January, CDL fans should keep a close eye on the brewing rivalry between OpTic and FaZe. With new teams in the league and an updated 4v4 format for the Black Ops Cold War era, CDL fans have plenty of excitement in store for 2021. Even further, one has to wonder if the Dallas Empire will have a chip on their shoulder for being snubbed as team to beat despite their 2020 championship. With the first announcement from the CDL regarding the league format for 2021 posted on December 18, official confirmation of the season’s start date should not be far behind. Fans should keep an eye on DexertoIntel for future updates.

H3CZ explains why CDL teams should pick up non-CoD players H3CZNRG and Chicago Huntsmen co-CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has explained why he thinks Call of Duty League franchises should pick up players from outside of Call of Duty to fill out their squads in the upcoming season. H3CZ is heading up the Chicago Huntsmen franchise alongside his co-workers at NRG Esports, with the Call of Duty League starting in January 2020 and 11 other teams joining Chicago in the league. One feature the league has implemented this season, unlike in others, is a soft salary cap with a luxury tax for going over it. This means teams can only salary their players up to a certain amount (believed to be in the region of $1.5m across the entire team per year) and will be taxed for going over it. When asked about the salary cap in an episode of EGL’s Spitfire podcast, H3CZ explained that thanks to his following he has a structure in place that allows him to attract the best players. He added, though, that new teams to the league might want to take a different approach to sourcing players and utilizing the salary cap. “If I’m coming into the league and all the popular personalities are taken, I’m going into Halo, Rainbow Six, all these other communities, and trying to convince people to come play for my team.” (Timestamp 20:25 for mobile users) H3CZ then goes on to say that he understands people will hate the idea because you’ve got to take care of your own, but adds that “from a business standpoint, I’m going to create a storyline for myself.” He cites players like Crimsix and Formal moving over from Halo to Call of Duty, and the unparalleled success they’ve seen since, adding that if he was new to the space he would be going and picking up the TOX Halo players to join the team, multiple-time world champions that previously represented OpTic under H3CZ’s watch. The idea of using players from other games for narrative purposes is a unique viewpoint that not many would have considered, but makes sense after H3CZ’s explanation. Without the threat of relegation, teams are able to take risks and have eyes on them by default – something Hector is all too familiar with. H3CZ is a master of storylines in esports, building brands off the back of the content they create and the stories they can tell. He has a level of experience running Call of Duty teams that very few can replicate It could also be a solid move for players in other esports: a guaranteed minimum salary of $50,000 and a stable place of work is a luxury you can’t take for granted.

H3CZ explains why he’s “salty” Crimsix will no longer be on his team YouTube: HECZ / Activision – Call of DutyCall of Duty franchise just around the corner. Things behind the scenes at OpTic Gaming have been tumultuous over the past few months to say the least. Since the sale of OpTic parent company Infinite Esports & Entertainment to Immortals Gaming Club, H3CZ announced his departure from the brand to pursue the co-CEO role at NRG Esports. Similarly, Seth ‘Scump’ Abner, announced his exit from the organization. Having been a part of the Green Wall dynasty since 2014, the winningest player in Call of Duty history, Crimsix, recently revealed how he was “forced out” of the OpTic brand by his former teammates. In the October 14 edition of the Eavesdrop Podcast, H3CZ showed just how much respect he has for Crimsix as a player, and expressed regret at the fact that the two could not reach a deal and continue to work together moving forward. Read more: Maven addresses Merk coaching rumors – Discussing the likelihood of certain professional players being able to ‘make it’ in multiple competitive scenes, NRG’s Gears of War captain Gilbert ‘Xplosive’ Rojo threw Crimsix’s name into the mix during the podcast. “Crimsix is actually pretty nice at Gears,” the NRG captain said when discussing the idea of competing alongside a Call of Duty pro. “He’s one of those people that’s just really, really good at everything,” H3CZ responded. “It sucks man. Not having him on the squad is gonna suck. He’s always been one of my favorite players, even before he was in OpTic.” “I’m a bit salty at that part,” he elaborated. “I like his brain, if that makes any sense. I like the way he thinks of things.” Read more: FormaL smashes Blackout World Record – Confirming suspicions that Crimsix will not be competing under the new Chicago-based franchise, H3CZ appeared momentarily disheartened on the podcast, acknowledging just how impressive a player he is and perhaps disappointed in the way the situation was handled following the sale of OpTic Gaming. Discussion begins at the 43:08 mark for mobile users. If recent roster leaks are to be trusted, all signs point towards Crimsix teaming with Call of Duty veteran James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks under the Dallas banner for the inaugural 2020 season. Combined, the players have over a decade of elite-level experience and 55 championship wins. Meanwhile, no official details have been revealed surrounding the Chicago-based franchise under the control of H3CZ, but you can keep up to date with all of the latest developments using our dedicated roster tracker. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ explains how one simple change in BO2 made CoD esports “blow up” Twitch: esportsstadium/TreyarchCo-CEO of Chicago’s Call of Duty franchise, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, has pinpointed what he believes to be a key moment in the success of Call of Duty esports, and it harks back to the days of Black Ops II. While CoD esports dates back to before 2012’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II, few titles have done as much as Treyarch’s near-futuristic installment did in terms of propelling the esport forwards. Black Ops II received widespread community and critical acclaim, with many touting its nonlinear campaign as one of the best in Call of Duty history. On top of this, public matches had a replayability that has not been replicated since, and Zombies provided countless hours of easter eggs and undead secrets to explore. Away from the casual side of things, League Play provided an opportunity for all players to experience the competitive side of CoD, but this is not the feature H3CZ thinks had the most significant impact on esports. During a segment at the Black Ops 2 throwback event at the Esports Stadium, H3CZ was asked about Black Ops II’s impact on the competitive Call of Duty scene. “If I was to identify the specific impact that Black Ops II had on the competitive scene, it would have to be the return of killstreaks,” he replied. “(David) Vonderhaar decided that was gonna be a thing, and everyone was up in arms about the whole situation.” H3CZ explains that there was initial backlash to the inclusion of killstreaks in competitive CoD as many people perceived killstreaks as too casual to have a place in the professional game. “The second that (killstreaks) started becoming a thing and it became a part of the strategy,” he continued, “as to how it pushed that particular game forward, it blew it all up.” He goes on to relay the excitement and accomplishment of being able to call in a Lightning Strike on Slums, and how it rewarded successful play and communication. Killstreaks have not gone anywhere in competitive play, and have a vital role in all game modes played. They can often decide rotations in Hardpoint, or provide openings in Search and Destroy. While killstreaks technically featured as scorestreaks in Black Ops II – in an effort to encourage greater objective play – they return as traditional killstreaks in Modern Warfare, but will undoubtedly have a similar impact on competitive play as they have always done. Regardless of the form in which they take, H3CZ should be listened to as one of the pioneers of competitive Call of Duty. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ explains his decision to leave OpTic Gaming and join NRG DexertoLegendary esports figure Hector ‘H3CZ‘ Rodriguez has shared some insight regarding his reasons for leaving OpTic Gaming and joining NRG Esports, with the start of Call of Duty‘s new franchised league looming on the horizon. One of the biggest news stories that has dominated headlines recently in the world of esports is that of former OpTic CEO H3CZ parting ways with the organization after spending years playing an integral role in the Green Walls’ meteoric rise to prominence. On September 15, shortly after announcing his OpTic departure, he also revealed that he would be joining NRG as the “co-CEO alongside Andy Miller.” Speaking with ESPN Esports on everything that has transpired over the past few days, weeks, and months, Rodriguez briefly touched on some of the reasons why he decided to leave the organization he had worked so hard to build into a behemoth. Read More: H3CZ reflects on OpTic past – Understandably, he revealed that the decision didn’t come to him from just a solitary moment. “There wasn’t a single moment that made me say ‘you know what, it’s time for me to go on and do something else.,’” he explained. “It wasn’t one specific thing, it was a year to two year long process of me speaking with my teammates, speaking with my family, saying ‘you know what, it might be time.’ The more I thought about it, the more I saw the opportunity, and said to myself ‘you know what, it would be cool to spread my wings a little bit and see what else I can do.” That said, when it came down to the reasons surrounding his departure, H3CZ stated that it pretty much all had to do with Infinite Esports & Entertainment, the organization the previously owned the OpTic brand prior to selling it to Immortals Gaming Club in 2019. Read More: London CoD announce first signing – “It was a combination of a whole bunch of things,” he said. “It was all on the Infinite side, it was more with my Infinite experience that made me realize that it just wasn’t the place for me, and I needed to turn the page and go onto a brand new chapter, and I’m excited for it.” The former Green Wall CEO was also asked about how close he was to staying with the organization, which he revealed to be not that close at all. “I don’t think I ever really thought about staying,” he revealed. “I knew that if I was not going to be able to get OpTic back, then I was going to probably go off and do something else. It’s just me, inside of my head, saying ‘it’s better for you to go do something else.’ It was definitely not a ‘alright, let’s give it a shot!” As for why he chose to join NRG, H3CZ revealed that the familiarity with the organization’s personnel ended up making it a clear choice. “We [Andy] have a lot of similar thoughts about the industry, that really made it make sense. I like that they’re so well diversified in esports. And they had a lot of my old family members. So for me, it was super easy to say ‘oh man, that’s Tarik right there!’ And they just picked up the Gears of War team.” Now with a seat at NRG’s high table, H3CZ figures to play a significant role with the organization’s operations, particularly when it comes to their involvement in the new Call of Duty franchised league. NRG were recently confirmed to have purchased the Chicago spot in the league for the 2020 season, becoming one of 12 teams for the inaugural campaign. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ explains why CoD League teams will no longer sell their own merch Unique merchandise will soon become unavailable for all Call of Duty League franchise teams as the League itself will assume direct control of merch production prior to the inaugural season. The Call of Duty League is set to kick off with an initial slate of matchups taking place over Jan 24 to Jan 26 in Minnesota. Before we can get to the inaugural event however, franchise teams will be losing control of exclusive merchandise production according to Chicago Huntsmen CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez. Since each respective announcement of the 12 city-based franchise teams, unique merchandise has been a hot commodity and fans around the world have been showing support for their hometown teams and favorite players alike. However, this exclusive merch will soon cease to exist as the Call of Duty League appears to be taking over come the new year. Discussing the change soon to come into effect, H3CZ outlined how merchandise will be handled moving forward not just for the Huntsmen, but for all teams. “The LAST Huntsmen drop just went up,” the official Chicago Huntsmen account shared on December 17, emphasizing the finality of the latest merch release. “Big news and sad news,” he expressed. “The Huntsmen store is going to be coming down at the end of the year. What that means is that every single item there is no longer going to be available for you to purchase.” The Huntsmen collection currently boasts all manner of merch from beanie’s to flags and various apparel, however it will all be disappearing as we roll over into 2020. The LAST Huntsmen drop just went up. Let me explain what that means. – heczhttps://t.co/7vjjfDmb5J pic.twitter.com/BeL3i3Wogb — OpTic Texas (@OpTicTexas) December 17, 2019 “The League will take over come January 1st. So at the end of this year, there will no longer be a possibility for you to get stuff that we created on our own. Everything else is just going to be uniform stuff that will be sold by the League.” No different to the Activision Blizzard owned Overwatch League, Call of Duty League merchandise will soon be centralized and go through a phase of uniformity. Meaning that all team jerseys and similar products will be purchasable through an official League store, rather than through unique distributors for each team. This also implies that any unique products moving forward will have to go through the League directly and get approval before being sold online. The first of its kind home and away format for competitive matches, franchise teams will be taking Call of Duty on the road and competing globally throughout the season. With tickets already available for a number of homestand events, we know that unique merchandise will be on display for hometown crowds. Coming into effect on January 1, 2020, there’s still time for fans to purchase various merch before it all disappears forever.

H3CZ discusses what the switch to 5 vs 5 could mean for some Call of Duty teams H3CZ / YouTubeIt’s official. Competitive Call of Duty will feature 5 vs 5 gameplay for the Black Ops 4 season, but how does Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, the owner of most popular team in the game, feel about that news? Well, the man behind OpTic Gaming discussed the potential switch before it became official in a YouTube video that he uploaded on September 24 and he was remaining open-minded. “When you prepare for the possible 5 v 5 versus 4 v 4, there’s no way to prepare for something that you have no control over, you have no vote in, you have no way to suggest, advise or bring up the conversation,” H3CZ explains. He then goes on to say “who are we to tell them yes, no or maybe in any scenario? They know everything that happens behind the scenes,” and “for us to sit here and worry about if it’s 4 v 4 or 5 v 5 is almost futile because what are we going to do?” OpTic’s CEO then discusses what the now confirmed move could mean for roster changes and predicts that a switch to 5 vs 5 will mean some tough transfer negotiations: “If it’s going 5 v 5 then it’s going to get super super… the waters are going to get muddy. It’s going to get nasty out there.” H3CZ believes that it will be much harder to put together strong rosters and that many teams will lose their ability to compete at the highest level, saying “they’ll still be involved but the team that they put together may not necessarily be the best team.” Whether H3CZ is hinting that OpTic might struggle to find a suitable fifth player or whether he is talking in generalities is currently unknown, but Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter has all but confirmed that Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni will no longer be on the team. H3CZ concludes by saying he would “love to see it go 5 v 5 because we need a shake-up” so he is sure to have been happy about the recent announcement. Whether his predictions will prove to be correct will become apparent very soon.

H3CZ confirms there won’t be a Call of Duty League bubble for 2021 OpTic GamingDuring an OpTic Roundtable discussion, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez confirmed that the 2021 Call of Duty League season will not have a bubble and will continue to be played online, but that each team’s players will be required to play from the same facility. [jwplayer nosJWvz1] If you were hoping that the Call of Duty League would transition to a NBA-style bubble for the 2021 season, you might be sorely disappointed. According to H3CZ, LAN competition, in a bubble akin to the NBA’s, will not be taking place in the CDL’s second season. But, while that dream of competition and content is dead, there is a possibility that the requirements on teams to play from the same facility means some quality team house content. During a roundtable discussion with H3CZ, OpTic’s content guru Davis ‘Hitch Edwards, and Chicago OpTic pro players Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon, H3CZ guaranteed that the upcoming season will not use a bubble and will instead continue to be played online. “There’s not going to be a bubble,” H3CZ said. “It just wouldn’t make sense, you know what I mean? Until the world comes back to some resemblance of normalcy, we are going to have to play online.” According to H3CZ, however, while the new season will be played over online rather than LAN, all members of each team will have to be within the same facility. This, essentially, means that while the teams themselves will be separated from each other, the members won’t be. The reaction to this news seems to be mostly negative. Even though the world isn’t in an ideal state right now, it seems like most people would rather see players meet up all at one place for LAN competition. Ironically enough, this news comes just a few months after both H3CZ and Scump had a discussion together about the use of a bubble, and while the former said he supported the idea, the latter didn’t seem all too happy about it. At this point, given that it was H3CZ who said it, it seems like that this is a final decision and CDL 2021 matches will indeed be played online. Hopefully it all works out in the end and some quality, throwback OpTic House content re-emerges.

H3CZ confirms OpTic buyout rumors on Nadeshot’s new podcast Nadeshot – YouTubeOpTic Gaming‘s Hector ‘H3CZ‘ Rodriguez opened up about his organization’s potential sale on the first ever episode of 100 Thieves CEO Matt ‘Nadeshot‘ Haag’s brand new ‘Self Made’ podcast. It has not been easy past few weeks and months for OpTic Gaming, whose parent company Infinite Esports & Entertainment are currently up for sale. The Immortals esports organization are thought to be the current front-runner to acquire Infinite, and there’s heavy speculation that they would ultimately choose to disband and dissolve the OpTic brand should their bid get accepted. Amid all of the rumors, speculation, and leaks, H3CZ appeared on Nadeshot’s new ‘Self Made’ podcast on June 5 to address everything that’s been going with the Green Wall. H3CZ confirms OpTic bid In the podcast, H3CZ confirmed that he had put in a bid to buy back OpTic, something that had been reported previously but had never actually been revealed by the CEO himself. “Six or seven months ago, I approached the ownership group,” he said. “I said ‘let me get OpTic back.’ I wasn’t asking for a discount, I was trying to make them some money. ‘We gave it a good run, it’s not working.’” Read More: Ex-CLG CEO explain why OpTic will be sold to Immortals over H3CZ regardless of offer size – Without explicit stating it, he also strongly suggested that Infinite were favoring Immortals’ bid over his, despite the fact that his offer had been better. “As of this moment, it’s public obviously, that Immortals is making a bid for it,” he explained. “It wasn’t as good as the bid that I submitted, but for whatever reason…” Why things didn’t work out with Infinite H3CZ explained that working with Infinite led him to the realization that what was going was simply “not sustainable,” and that the vision of the parent company was not aligning with that of OpTic. “For me, it was more about the culture and the culture that they were creating within that space,” he explained. “It was not going to fit what we have build for seven years. And you can’t change culture. It takes years to remold the way of thinking of something.” What happens if Immortals buy Infinite? One of the more prevalent rumors going on about the OpTic buyout situation is that Immortals will choose to dissolve the brand if they do end up purchasing Infinite. While Nadeshot said that such a decision would be “dumb from an Immortals’ standpoint,” H3CZ made it clear that he thinks it’s definitely a possibility. “I’ve seen crazier sh*t,” he said. “I wouldn’t put it past anybody to just do nonsensical stuff in esports.” You can check out the first episode of Nadeshot’s ‘Self Made’ podcast with H3CZ below, with the discussion on OpTic beginning at the 48:10 mark. As of June 5, there have not been any major developments in the OpTic buyout situation, as both the organization and its fans anxiously wait to see what the future will hold for them As always, we will continue to bring you the latest on this ongoing story as more information becomes available.

H3CZ clarifies NRG position and reflects on OpTic Gaming past MLGFormer Call of Duty management role with NRG Esports, a position he announced earlier this week. The incoming NRG personality first teased that he would be making a major move in the new Call of Duty landscape ahead of 2020 franchise league in his September 15 video on YouTube. In that clip, Rodriguez stunned fans by donning an NRG sweatshirt, before the organization confirmed hours later that H3CZ would be a leading figure in their new CoD enterprise. Now, the former OpTic veteran has explained various details about his new position. “My new role at NRG as a whole is going to be the co-CEO alongside Andy Miller. If you don’t know who Andy Miller is … he founded and sold a company top Apple, worked directly under Steve Jobs. So I’m going to work under Steve Jobs!” he joked in his video blog. “He’s a really smart dude. He’s one of the owners for the Sacramento Kings, and he’s had a lot, a lot, a lot of business success in the past. I’m looking forward to running this thing with him, and learning from him. I have an opportunity here that I didn’t last time around.” For mobile users, the video segment starts at 14:44. While H3CZ is becoming embedded with the new Chicago franchise, he also issued a heartfelt message to diehard Greenwall fans that had been alongside the organization since he first became involved all the way back in 2007. “Let’s just say it’s been a very tough three weeks, but now that the announcement’s done and we’ve said what we needed to say, I think it’s time for a new chapter,” he said. “Again, as weird as the new chapter is going to be, remember it’s going to be as weird for me as it will be for you. I will always that (OpTic), it’s etched in my skin forever and ever.” “I’m going to wear this proudly,” the NRG co-CEO said, pointing to his OpTic tattoo. “Diesel has the same tattoo, all the boys from the Scuf house have the same. All this stuff means something, we were part of a supercool period of time where we built something incredible.” Rodriguez wrapped up his introspective on OpTic is a promise to fans: “There’s a lot to discuss. Onwards and upwards, onto the next adventure we go.” As for player personnel, the Chicago franchise, much like almost all of the other CDL teams, has not officially announced any signings, despite the window to recruit players having already been open for a few weeks. In fact, the only team to have made a signing public is the London franchise, who made history on September 17 with the first ever player signing for the new league. Keep track of all the latest news regarding player movements with our Rostermania tracker.

H3CZ: CDL 2021 will be a “transformative” year for Dashy Activision / YouTube: HeczTVJust days after signing Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell to the Chicago Huntsmen, CEO and Call of Duty icon Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has explained why the upcoming CDL season will be a “year of transformation” for the former OpTic Gaming star. There’s no denying Dashy had a tumultuous start to his run in the league. Coming off of an exceptional year in Black Ops 4, he wound up as part of the OpTic Gaming LA roster. Despite being rotated off of the starting lineup partway through, Dashy’s first squad ended with a Top 6 finish in 2020. However, it’s also no secret that Dashy never truly felt at home throughout the year. He tried to join the Huntsmen before the league kicked off and even threatened to bench himself after being locked to OGLA. With former teammates putting him on blast for his behavior during the year, it seemed obvious he’d be jumping ship. Now officially back where he wanted to be all along, Dashy has rejoined former teammate Seth ‘Scump’ Abner for the 2021 season. Though before Black Ops Cold War arrives, H3CZ has laid out some rules for his latest signee, assuring that the upcoming season will be a ‘transformative’ experience. Right out of the gate on the September 15 episode of The NRG Duo podcast, Dashy’s announcement was brought up. Without hesitation, H3CZ looked to address concerns in the community after hearing of Dashy’s behavioral issues throughout 2020. “This year is going to be a year of transformation for Dashy,” he said. “With the rumors [in the 2020 season] of Dashy being late, I made it a point to speak to him and his mum at the same time and explain the situation. This is a franchise league in which tens of millions of dollars are going in as an investment. It’s a more professional league and we expect everyone to be professionals.” This implies that the Huntsmen won’t be accepting any tardiness in the upcoming season. A step in a more professional direction than Dashy’s first run with H3CZ back in 2018. “On the first go around, when it was Dashy, TJ, Crimsix, and Scump, the kids played a lot,” he said. “They were always late.” Heading into the Black Ops Cold War season, now is the perfect time for Dashy to break the mold and “prove himself,” according to H3CZ. “Not just to the fans or his teammates, but more importantly, to me. I’m not gonna put up with no bulls***.” The relevant topic begins at the 7:01 mark below. “Even today when we were [filming] some content, if someone didn’t show up there would have been some cash missing from their paychecks. It’s time to grow up.” From showing up to practice on time, to general behavior, it’s clear that Dashy will need to give it his all in order to stay on the good side of H3CZ. With 2021 reverting to 4v4 competition, Dashy is far from the only player finding a new home. Keep up with all the roster shuffles using our Rostermania hub.

H3CZ calls out Team Kaliber owner KOSDFF for calling OpTic soft YT: H3CZ / MLGHector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, owner of the OpTic Chicago CDL outfit, has hit out at Team Kaliber owner Justin ‘KOSDFF’ Chandler following his side’s elimination from the ongoing Stage II Major. The OpTic Chicago vs Minnesota ROKKR match on April 10 will go down as one of the craziest competitive CoD has ever seen. Going all the way to a Map 5 Round 11, OpTic somehow lost a 4v2 on the A bomb site, with ROKKR’s Accuracy picking up three kills to clutch the 1v3 and send the Greenwall packing. After the game, the ROKKR’s official Twitter account posted an image of the OpTic players’ immediate reactions to the defeat, in which many looked visibly upset. The caption read: “We are witnessing a breakdown.” They have since deleted and apologized for the tweet. WHAT THE **** JUST HAPPENED 🤯@ACCURACYLA WITH THE 1V3 TO WIN ROUND 11!!! pic.twitter.com/txYNrZBl8T — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) April 10, 2021 Scump, among others, hit out at the tweet as “disrespectful” and “classless”. However, some have taken the opposite view, and believe that trash talk, even from orgs, is acceptable. KOSDFF was among the latter, tweeting a GIF of NBA legend Kobe Bryant saying “soft”. H3CZ was quick to fire back, responding: “Y’all remember Elevate or TK? Me either, until today, where I saw that I still followed the CEO’s of those incredible orgs. Imagine being so soft that you couldn’t build a sustainable business in these harsh esports environments. COULDN’T BE ME.” https://twitter.com/H3CZ/status/1381239034157137927?s=20 A second tweet also described his comments as “beef”, rather than “banter”. “This is me looking at two people who don’t have a relationship with neither Scump or the Rokkr,” he said. This isn’t banter either, this is me looking at two people who don’t have a relationship with neither Scump or the Rokkr. That’s beef, not banter, and I can be here for it. — OpTic HECZ (@H3CZ) April 11, 2021 KOSDFF responded with a further GIF which read “surprisingly soft”, before saying “Lil baby H3CZ could never get under my skin.” This prompted further barbs from H3CZ, who referenced a time at UMG 2014 when KOSDFF failed to stand up for his girlfriend after KEEMSTAR spilled a drink on her. The OpTic man even threatened to find the vlog footage. Ok, let me give it one final go… UMG 2014 (have to look for the vlog footage cuz I know I captured it) Soft is: You when @keemstar supposedly spilled drink on your girl and you ran away (or walked away super fast) and didn’t do shit to him, no push no shove no nothing. SOFT. https://t.co/Zi5m1cnRPe — OpTic HecZ (@H3CZ) April 11, 2021 KOSDFF’s TK experienced their best time during WWII, but did not purchase a spot when the league reshuffled. Elevate currently have a European CoD team competing in the CDL Challengers tier.

H3CZ breaks silence on OpTic Gaming buyout speculation OpTic Gaming / YouTubeCo-Founder of OpTic Gaming, Hector ‘Call of Duty to become one of the most recognized names in the industry. He sold the majority of the business to Infinite Esports & Entertainment in 2017, a controversial decision among fans at the time, but one that allowed for investment which could help the organization further expand into pricey franchised leagues like the League of Legends Championship Series. Speculation over OpTic Gaming’s future has been rife following news of a potential buyout. However, Infinite and the OpTic organization has struggled, both in-game and financially, with a number of failed projects. H3CZ had effectively stepped down from the day-to-day operations of the organization, which many fans feel has led to the current situation, with Infinite attempting to sell OpTic, and Immortals said to be front-runners to complete the buyout. It was reported that Rodriguez was meeting with Immortals representatives on May 15, to discuss a potential opportunity for him to return to the daily running of the organization, and perhaps continuing partial ownership. On May 21, Hector confirmed that he was “trying, have been trying, and will continue to try, until the final “no”.” I don’t have an update at the moment, just know that I’m trying, have been trying, and will continue to try, until the final “no”. But know that my commitment to my teammates and the #Greenwall remains true. — Hector Rodriguez (@OpTicH3CZ) May 21, 2019 He also announced that his regular daily vlog uploads and his popular Podcast series, Eavesdrop, would be on hold for at least a week, as he focuses entirely on the buyout situation. Vlogs and eavesdrop will resume next week. I have to put all of my efforts and focus on the task at hand. — Hector Rodriguez (@OpTicH3CZ) May 21, 2019 Fans have been eager to hear H3CZ’ side of the story, and although he has given no details, it will be a relief to have confirmation of the reports from the man who was once the figurehead of their beloved team and organization. H3CZ is believed to have met with Immortals CEO Ari Segal on May 15 to negotiate running OpTic’s daily operations and the CoD franchise, if Immortals’ takeover is to be successful, but the outcome of the meeting is unknown. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ explains why OpTic and FaZe deserve more credit from CoD developers H3CZ – YT / Pamaj – TwitterOpTic Gaming CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez built one of Call of Duty’s most iconic organizations from the ground up, and he’s defending the work him and many others put into the scene. OpTic Gaming will forever be associated with Call of Duty and it’s community, even as the game moves into a franchised city-based model in 2020. As part of Immortals Gaming Club, OpTic are one of the few organizations to dip into the new model so far, with many other organisations like 100 Thieves pulling out recently. The decision for some of these organizations to leave the scene has been tough to come to terms for fans, but some people are arguing for Activision. Toronto Defiant Marketing Executive Josh Olin commented on the 100 Thieves on Twitter, saying that “there’s something weird happening where much younger, less-proven companies are somehow flipping the narrative to suggest that it’s their strategic decision to not go along with Activision’s plans.” Read more: 100 Thieves pull out of CoD – He also said that Activision was the main driver behind the success of organizations like OpTic. “My perspective is that CoD…helped build those clan brands by giving them massive platforms to play on for free.” Your perspective is that these origin clans “”built”” the community. My perspective is that, CoD (partially while I was there) helped build those clan brands by giving them massive platforms to play on for free. That’s the part Activision is changing now. The “”Free”” part. — Josh Olin (@JD_2020) August 29, 2019 However, H3CZ hit back at the statement, saying that the OpTic community and other content creators were a big driver to CoD’s community success. “To insinuate that creators didn’t help CoD because CoD is massive is not only wrong, but it diminishes the hard work we put in on this thing,” he said. “Now companies are paying “influencers” to play their game to their audience to get some crossover.” Furthermore to insinuate that creators didn’t help COD because COD is massive is not only wrong, but it diminishes the hard work we put in on this thing. Now co’s are paying “influencers” to play their game to their audience to get some crossover. https://t.co/73rkYSXXHb — Hector Rodriguez (@OpTicH3CZ) August 29, 2019 Olin argued that there is “a two-way bridge” between Activision and the community, and that the Call of Duty League is a way of Activision receiving some of the money the organisations have made over the last decade. “I’d be the last person to take away from the importance creators have in marketing,” he added. “Activision is asking for a fee so that these brands building businesses off packaging of and monetizing on their IP can share in the cost burden of putting on events.” This caused an uproar in the community, who said that Olin was out of touch with the impact content creators have had on the CoD community, and that the slot spots were too expensive. Many even said that without OpTic, the community wouldn’t exist. It’s a two-way bridge, and I’d be the last person to take away from the importance creators have in marketing. Activision is asking for a fee so that these brands building businesses off packaging of and monetizing on their IP can share in the cost burden of putting on events. — Josh Olin (@JD_2020) August 29, 2019 And I played it strategically and made my players play it to prove YOU wrong in 2011 when you said that OpTic wouldn’t be OpTic if it wasn’t for COD, so we played MC and transcended COD, the way that FaZe has, the way that Tom has, the way that countless other creators have > — Hector Rodriguez (@OpTicH3CZ) August 29, 2019 In another response, H3CZ explained how the likes of OpTic and FaZe had proved doubters wrong by moving beyond Call of Duty to player games like Minecraft or create totally separate content: “I played it strategically and made my players play it to prove YOU wrong in 2011 when you said that OpTic wouldn’t be OpTic if it wasn’t for COD, so we played MC and transcended COD, the way that FaZe has, the way that Tom has, the way that countless other creators have.” OpTic as a brand is inseparable from Call of Duty, as are teams like FaZe Clan, Envy, and 100 Thieves. Many Call of Duty players have had a long-term impact on the game, be it through org management, esports, or content creation. While OpTic won’t be playing under their banner in 2020, they will still be around servicing the Call of Duty community they’ve nurtured for so long. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ appears to hint at reunion with Scump for Modern Warfare YouTube: H3CZ/NadeshotNRG co-CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez appears to have hinted at a possible reunion with Seth ‘Scump’ Abner ahead of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare season. The two obviously spent many years together throughout their tenures with OpTic Gaming, with H3CZ as CEO and Scump a franchise player on the organization’s CoD team, but with Call of Duty moving to a franchised model in 2020, there was a very real possibility that the duo would split for good. However, after a meeting with the 24-year-old for lunch in his October 2 vlog, H3CZ seems to hint at a potential reunion following their meeting, discussing content and streaming going forward. H3CZ revealed: “We talked about a couple of pieces of content that we’re going to create together, which is exciting to me. Secondly, we have to start preparing for the return of ‘scumperjumper’ to the streaming world. “Just the same way that Call of Duty releases a new game every single year, you can always expect Scump to come out of streaming retirement for a couple of months,” he continued. “This time I think it’s going to be a bit longer from what he tells me. He misses it. He just doesn’t want to do it.” For those hoping to find out what they have planned, the former OpTic boss stated that he was “not going to tell (us) about the project” but they have something “super cool” coming up. It has been heavily rumored that Scump and H3CZ will continue their relationship into Modern Warfare with the new competitive season and the franchised Call of Duty League, with popular leaker CDLIntel explaining that he believes they will be working together on the NRG-owned Chicago spot. Rumors also state that another of the OpTic dynasty, Matthew “FormaL” Piper will be getting back together with Scump and H3CZ in Chicago. While some teams have already revealed some of the players that will be representing them, Chicago is one of the many that hasn’t yet. On the other hand, London and New York have revealed their full five-man starting rosters and coaching staff, and Minnesota have so far announced three of their players and a coach. Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.

H3CZ announces NRG’s Chicago Call of Duty roster with Scump and FormaL NRG co-CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has announced the five-man starting roster for the Chicago Call of Duty franchise, and it features the reunion of former OpTic duo Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper. In a video posted on October 24, H3CZ also discussed his own exit from OpTic Gaming – the organization he led for over a decade, until deciding to leave following the acquisition by Immortals Gaming Club. Although Immortals have also secured a spot in the 2020 Call of Duty League, H3CZ decided to leave and start fresh, joining up with NRG, where he is expected to oversee much of the new CoD franchise. NRG’s Chicago Call of Duty roster Closing out the video, H3CZ confirmed the full starting roster. Seth ‘Scump‘ Abner – Matthew ‘FormaL‘ Piper – Peirce ‘Gunless‘ Hillman – Alec ‘Arcitys‘ Sanderson – Dylan ‘Envoy‘ Hannon – These are only the players who are expected to start for the roster – each team in the Call of Duty League is also required to have a minimum of two substitute players, and a maximum of five. Scump and FormaL bring ‘T2P’ back For (ex)-OpTic fans, it will be exciting to see the return of the formidable Scump and FormaL duo. As both players reached the peak of their careers throughout Advanced Warfare, Black Ops II and Infinite Warfare, they were core to the dynasty which dominated CoD esports. Both players will be desperate to get back to winning ways in Modern Warfare though. They won a tournament each in the Black Ops 4 season, but fell short at the end of the year with their respective teams. After winning their first world championship rings together in 2017, followed by a very public falling out, it will be interesting to see if they can find their groove again with this new roster. Arcitys, Gunless and Envoy on one team Although the return of T2P will steal the headline, this trio of Arcitys, Gunless and Envoy provides three of the best slayers in Call of Duty uniting on a single roster, and will be a scary sight for any opponent. Both Arcitys and Gunless have played somewhat similar roles on their teams in the past, versatile players who can dominate as either an aggressive or slower-paced Assault Rifle player. Envoy, meanwhile, will be hoping to continue his form from the Black Ops 4 season, where he was one of the breakout young stars, earning a move from Midnight to Gen.G, where he excelled and almost pushed them to a championship at the CWL Playoffs. Heartbreak at champs saw him crash out in top 32, but he will be keen to bounce back, and he now has a superstar squad around him. Chicago is still to reveal it’s logo and official team name (although a leak from the Call of Duty website may have already given it away), but this stacked roster will be more than enough to earn them lots of new fans. Read More: Crimsix slams Scump, Dashy & TJHaLy – H3CZ’s involvement alone was enough to attract many former OpTic fans, and now with Scump – the biggest name in CoD esports – teaming up with FormaL again, this may well be the best-supported team in the league. Whether this translates to results, however, remains to be seen. Keep up with all of the offseason roster moves and player signings with our dedicated Call of Duty League offseason RosterMania hub.

H3CZ and Temperrr reveal meaning behind matching CoD sniper tattoos FaZe/OpTic/CWLOpTic Gaming’s Hector ‘H3CZ‘ Rodriguez and FaZe Clan’s Thomas ‘Temperrr’ Oliviera have revealed their matching tattoos of two fabled Call of Duty sniper rifles, the M40A3 and the Intervention. While ostensibly rivals given their competing organizations, OpTic Gaming founder H3CZ, and FaZe founder Temper, have revealed their matching tattoos, as well as the surprisingly deep meanings behind them. The pair are known to be good friends, recently revealing that neither of their organizations would exist without the other. Now though, they have paid tribute to the games (and specific weapons within those games) that they say led to the founding of their prestigious organizations. 600Following discussions regarding tattoos, the pair agreed to get matching tattoos on the side of their hands, tributing the CoD guns that fueled their respective orgs. For Temper, this is the Intervention, most famous for its appearance in the acclaimed Modern Warfare 2, remembered by many as the best Call of Duty game of all time. H3CZ, however, decided to tribute the M40A3, originally from 2007’s Modern Warfare, the game widely credited as establishing the CoD formula, as well as launching the game into the mainstream gaming market. The pair’s completed tattoos can be seen below. However, both figures actually explained that there is a deeper meaning for their tattoos, with H3CZ stating that, for him, he has associated tattoos with being self-employed, and the success that Call of Duty has brought him. Similarly, Temper described how the Intervention within MW2 was so influential to FaZe Clan. “This gun right here,” he said, pointing to the Intervention, “literally created FaZe. [It] changed my life, created FaZe Clan, it’s time to fucking honor it.” Given the incredible levels of success both organizations have gone on to experience, it seems a fitting tribute to the games – and specific weapons – that created them and have been so influential to Call of Duty over the years.

H3CZ and hastr0 implore future CoD devs to help build CDL esports scene Instagram: Hecz / Twitter: Dallas EmpireHector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and Mike ‘Hastr0’ Rufail, two of the faces of Call of Duty (CoD) esports, have outlined how future releases in the huge FPS franchise can help the competitive scene boom like never before. While the inaugural season of the Call of Duty League (CDL) has seen viewership growth over previous years, according to hastr0, there’s supposedly a lot more that CoD developers could be doing to build out the esports scene. The Chicago Huntsmen and Dallas Empire owners recently came together with Christopher ‘MonteCristo’ Mykles on talkshow Essential Esports to discuss how future CoD titles can push the competitive scene in all-new ways. “The biggest difference in esports that are successful and ones that aren’t, are the ones who are constantly promoting esports to their casual player base,” hastr0 explained. “With Overwatch and CoD, we haven’t even started that yet.” Players are able to access CDL skins in 2019’s Modern Warfare, but beyond that, teams and events aren’t promoted a great deal. The Huntsmen owner continued: “We haven’t even leveraged the game that much.” The relevant topic begins at the 21:18 mark. “Imagine in the next CoD title, when you log in to the game, you’re creating a profile and it says pick your favorite CDL team,” H3CZ said. “Then they start creating content for our teams in the game, advertising the league in the game.” With different dev teams working on their own franchise titles, we’ve seen a wide array of ideas come and go. Sledgehammer’s WWII had in-game theater, Treyarch’s numerous Black Ops titles had league-play implemented directly. H3CZ and hastr0 argued, however, that the series hasn’t even scratched the surface. The veteran Call of Duty owners pointed to another thriving esports ecosystem in League of Legends as a leading example for in-game support for esports. Riot’s title has skins, banners, and client alerts for when big matches are being played. “If we are able to get the support that we need to promote the game the way it should be promoted, the way that [Riot Games] promotes theirs, our possibilities are endless,” H3CZ added. “This isn’t something you just brush off and let it go and watch it grow. You gotta water this thing, bring your own pale, and dump that water in yourself. That’s what the league is working towards as well.” “If you’re a game developer or publisher and you want your game to be successful in esports, advertise it in the f***ing game. It’s that simple,” hastr0 said. There’s no telling if the next title will have many of these desired features right out of the gate. Perhaps we’re still a few iterations off. But it’s clear that team owners are pushing for esports to be a major focus directly in CoD titles down the line.

H3CZ and Attach explain how GAs in professional CoD are “hurting the game” YouTube / HECZThe Call of Duty League’s OpTic Chicago owner Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and Minnesota ROKKR pro Dillon ‘Attach’ Price explain how too many Gentleman’s Agreements in professional CoD are hurting the CDL and Challenger scenes. With the 2021 CDL schedule announcement and the start of the next CoD Challengers season expected to take place in January, the hype surrounding 2021’s competitive scene continues to heat up. On the December 26 episode of the Eavesdrop podcast, OpTic Chicago’s H3CZ sat down with veteran pro player Attach to discuss the upcoming season. One major concern for the owner and player is how Gentleman’s Agreements (GAs) could negatively affect the pro scene in 2021. For those unfamiliar with the term, GAs are essentially unofficial agreements between all of the pro teams to not use certain weapons, perks, attachments, or anything that they collectively feel is too powerful to be competitive but aren’t banned in the official ruleset. H3CZ kicks off the conversation by asking Attach what changes he wants to see in the 2021 season, specifically asking about Gentleman’s Agreements: “What’s up with all these GAs dude?” Attach responded by criticizing the number of GAs currently in effect for the pro scene, confirming that “they’re getting a little crazy.” He brought up the most recent one regarding the AK74u Task Force barrel, which was called overpowered because it can kill opponents in three headshots. Switching over to the topic of Challengers, he explained how amateur players are requesting restrictions for the AK47 assault rifle, KSP 45 SMG, and the 1911 sidearm: “I think the GAs are getting a little too out-of-hand right now.” (For mobile users, segment starts at 39:00) Attach would like there to be a middle ground, but feels like there are some players who are abusing GAs for personal reasons. “I feel like some people are just like I don’t like this gun, I want it gone,” he explained. “Maybe one team doesn’t want something gone . . . they’re just gonna get blacklisted?” H3CZ and Attach both agree that the GA situation has gone too far. “It’s hurting the game,” H3CZ chimed in at one point, saying “now it’s becoming a spectacle.” The two also agree that a recent decision to restrict certain maps – specifically Crossroads – is also taking things too far. Attach also pointed out how too many GAs can affect the viewing experience as well, wondering how casual viewers will feel if most of the guns they play with every day aren’t being used by the pros when they compete. In addition, H3CZ called out the players who are asking for all of these bans to be implemented. The OpTic owner feels that some players who didn’t make a pro team or were cut during the switch to 4v4 are trying to use these GAs to boost themselves into a team’s starting lineup. While some in the professional Call of Duty scene have major issues with the state of GAs and their effect on professional play, the practice has been in place for years and will likely continue. Just how far some players might try to take these agreements still remains to be seen.

H3CZ acquires OpTic Gaming from Immortals: Report Instagram, @hecz / OpTic Gaming[jwplayer br5AuoVJ] Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has reportedly acquired OpTic Gaming in a deal separate from his ties with NRG Esports, where he currently serves as co-CEO. The deal reportedly sees H3CZ set to occupy the Los Angeles Call of Duty League spot held by OpTic Gaming, an organization he created and built before its sale in June 2019, in which Immortals Gaming Club acquired OpTic parent company, Infinite, in a deal valued at around $100m. According to Esports Observer, the acquisition is still pending League approval, and H3CZ himself “intends to divest to interested esports organizations.” This is likely a compulsory step due to ownership rules of the CDL preventing H3CZ having ownership in more than one team in the league. As the original report says, “sources close to the deal have come forward stating that after negotiations spanning a little over a month, Rodriguez purchased the OpTic Gaming IP in its entirety.” This would mean that H3CZ owns every asset and resource under the OpTic Gaming umbrella, and that negotiations likely started taking place around the time of the Call of Duty League Championship in late-August. His ties with Chicago Huntsmen are expected to remain intact, so where the CDL spot occupied by OpTic Gaming Los Angeles goes remains to be seen, though commissioner Johanna Faries has recently insisted that there is “great demand” for expansion slots — so one lucky team might just get their wish. Naturally, fans want to see the likes of Nadeshot and his 100 Thieves organization find his way back into the Call of Duty League, but after his decision not to buy-in at the start of its inaugural year, it’s impossible to speculate whether he would have had a change of heart since then. We have reached out to H3CZ for comment.

H3CZ accuses Activision of “forcing” sale of OpTic Gaming and ENVY merger OpTic GamingDetailed in a lawsuit filed by CoD legend Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, he alleged Activision “forced” him to sell his holdings in OpTic Gaming and merge with Envy Gaming in order to fund their CDL franchise. Arguably Call of Duty’s most popular player, Seth “Scump” Abner, and OpTic’s owner H3CZ filed a lawsuit against Activision on February 15, 2024, alleging an “unlawful monopoly” over CoD’s esports scene. The lawsuit addresses various allegations, from CDL’s tight grip on teams’ ability to participate in non-CDL tournaments, to Activision limiting brands that individual teams and players can sign with, the accusations range far and wide. One such accusation from OpTic’s owner H3CZ accuses Activision of “forcing” him to sell off his ownership in OpTic and eventually merge with Envy Gaming to afford to stay in the CDL. In late 2020, H3CZ supposedly attempted to become an independent team owner in the CDL by re-acquiring OpTic and the CDL slot from Immortals Gaming after selling off the brand in 2017. However, upon attempting to become the sole owner of a CDL slot, H3CZ was allegedly denied by Activision. “Activision first asked Rodriguez to provide proof that he had at least $3 million in capital. After Rodriguez provided such proof, Activision then moved the goalposts, demanding that Rodriguez provide Activision proof that he could secure a $10 million letter of credit,” the lawsuit alleges. H3CZ was then supposedly told by an Activision executive that he was not the “type of owner” the publisher wanted in the league, making clear that he would be “required to “partner” with billionaire investors who ‘looked’ like Activision’s ideal or leave the professional Call of Duty market altogether. As a result of Activision’s “threat”, H3CZ claims he was “forced to ‘partner’ with investors that met Activision’s approval.” “Under the terms of the forced partnership, Rodriguez had to agree to relinquish more than 90% of the equity in his OpTic brand,” the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit also alleges that OpTic’s merger with Envy Gaming in November 2021 under H3CZ’s operation would not have happened if not for “the economic duress imposed on Rodriguez by Activision.” As a result, H3CZ alleges in the lawsuit, “Activision’s conduct forced Rodriguez to give to the billionaire investors’ company Envy Gaming, Inc. a 92.5% ownership share of OpTic.” The lawsuit ultimately alleges that H3CZ was “forced” to partner with Envy Gaming to “satisfy the fixed price and partnership requirements set by Activision… which he would not have had to do but for [Activision’s] (and it’s co-conspirators’) unlawful conduct.” Dexerto received the following statement from an Activision spokesperson on the lawsuit’s allegations: “Mr. Rodriguez (aka OpTic H3CZ) and Mr. Abner (aka Scump) demanded that Activision pay them tens of millions of dollars to avoid this meritless litigation, and when their demands were not met, they filed. We will strongly defend against these claims, which have no basis in fact or in law.”

Gunless weighs in on ACHES’ dispute with CWL promoting Scump Over the last week, many pros have been sharing their thoughts on the CWL’s promotion of OpTic Gaming Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Luminosity Gaming’s Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman is the latest to speak out. During the finals of the first CWL 2K tournament on November 5, Scump was the king of Twitch as his stream reached a peak of over 100,000 viewers. In the midst of his stream, the official CWL twitter account tweeted out Scump’s stream, something that Team Envy’s Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price took great issue with. Gunless was talking to viewers during his stream when the situation came up and he shared his thoughts on the matter. He starts out by saying that “it’s amazing” and that he’s very happy for Scump since him getting so many viewers only serves to bolster everyone in the community. At the same time, however, he did take issue with the fact that the official CWL account tweeted out the stream. “I think it’s pretty disrespectful [since] CWL has never tweeted out a stream ever before other than CWL events when they’re going on,” Gunless says about the controversy. “And they just tweeted out that fucking stream like it was nothing.” Given that Gunless also thinks that the CWL will never tweet out another stream again, he ends up being in agreement with ACHES, saying “the way [ACHES] was acting and going on about things was justified.” Gunless further clarified the issue by elaborating on what he meant by saying that the move was disrespectful. “If they do it for other streamers, no one would complain,” offers Gunless on the CWL’s promotion of the stream. “Let’s say somebody else was in the finals of the 2K and they wouldn’t have tweeted it out at all. I guarantee you. That’s the disrespect part that comes into it.” Given that it’s been a few days since the event and players are still talking about it, this is likely something that won’t go away anytime soon. The second CWL 2K of the Black Ops 4 season kicks off on November 11 as players continue gearing up for the first CWL event in Las Vegas in December.

Gunless takes subtle jab at ex-Huntsmen teammates after being dropped YouTube: Chicago HuntsmenThe arrival of Preston ‘Presinni’ Sanderson on the Chicago Huntsmen roster has been widely welcomed by the team and fans alike, but the move means Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman is no longer on the starting roster – and now he’s taken a jab at his ex-teammates. Gunless is undoubtedly one of the most talented players in Call of Duty today. He’s a multi-time champion and frequent MVP winner, but clearly something didn’t fit right with the Huntsmen, hence his removal from the starting line-up. Now, though, after news broke that Prestinni was officially rejoining his brother Arcitys on the Huntsmen roster, Gunless took to Twitter to respond to the messages he was receiving – including one very interesting one. One tweet was from NRG and Huntsmen co-CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez, who thanked Gunless for being a “stand-up dude” and that he “appreciates him as a person and a player.” Read More: What’s Going Wrong with Chicago Huntsmen? – It was Gunless’ response, though, that caught the attention of fans, and doesn’t paint a good look for his former teammates. Thanking Hector for the tweet, Gunless added: “I appreciate you being the only one to actually have the balls to tell me what was happening to me, because that’s all I really wanted.” thank you hector i appreciate you being the only one to actually have the balls to tell me what was happening to me cause thats all i really wanted. Hopefully we can run it back another time cause it was a absolute pleasure to play under you — Peirce (@Gunless) May 19, 2020 Peirce hadn’t kept it a secret that nobody told him that he was being removed from the starting line-up, saying in a stream shortly after initially being benched that “not one of them had the f***ing cojones to send a text message.” Clearly, there is still some animosity between Gunless and the rest of the Huntsmen, as his feelings haven’t subsided in the weeks since and the sentiment remains the same. It’s unclear where Gunless goes from here. It doesn’t seem as though he will be filling Prestinni’s empty spot on the Florida Mutineers, but as such a well-accomplished player he will no doubt have a high stock as H3CZ and company look to find him a new home. No matter where he ends up, though, he should present the Chicago Huntsmen with a brand-new new rivalry to contend with.

Gunless slams Huntsmen teammates after Chicago benches CDL star Chicago HuntsmenPeirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman has slammed his Huntsmen teammates after they allegedly left him in the dark on the decision to remove him from Chicago’s CDL roster ahead of the upcoming Seattle Home Series later this month. While Chicago Huntsmen sit in second place overall in the 2020 Call of Duty League season, recent Top 4 finishes have paved the way for a roster shuffle. The squad has allegedly been “bickering” for weeks as they struggled to string top-tier performances together again. This in-house drama has come to a head in the form of Gunless being benched ahead of the Florida Home Series. According to the now-benched Huntsmen star, however, the new roster move was a shock to him as much as anyone else. After hearing of the news, Gunless booted up his Twitch stream and reacted to his newfound substitute position. After months of teaming with ‘T2P’ duo Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Matthew ‘Formal’ Piper, as well as Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson and Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon, Gunless said he was left shocked after being kept in the dark for Chicago’s plans. “I don’t know how I benched myself. I didn’t even know I was benched until today,” he explained as substitute player Jordon ‘General’ General filled his shoes in the Huntsmen’s scrims on May 4. “Nobody wanted to say a word to me. Ain’t that sad,” the benched star continued. “The only reason I learned that everything was happening was from other people.” “None of my teammates wanted to say a word to me on what was happening. Not one of them had the f***ing cojones to send a text message.” Hopping straight back into things and scrimming on-stream with a new roster, Gunless has already been mixing it up with the likes of Ian ‘Enable’ Wyatt, Trei ‘Trei’ Morris, and Renato ‘Saints’ Forza — all substitutes for their respective CDL teams. Rounding out the scrim team is Jordan ‘JKap’ Kaplan, after he too was benched by OpTic Gaming LA in favor of Chino ahead of the upcoming Florida series. Official word is yet to come from the Huntsmen organization on the matter, and only time will tell if Gunless’ squadmates will try to amend the situation before their next CDL appearance. If any teams are down to scrim vs me @Enable @Gunless @Trei @SaintsNato in the next few days, hit any of us up. Team Pine is trying to get our reps in and will be going hard — Jordan Kaplan (@JKap415) May 5, 2020 While the Florida series kicks off this weekend, the Huntsmen aren’t set to compete until Seattle’s event on May 22. The squad now sits 20 points behind the Empire after watching their Dallas rivals claim top-spot at their own Chicago event.

Gunless Reveals How Pokimane Inspired Him to Win CWL Anaheim Twitter/@pokimanelolRise Nation’s Pierce “Gunless” Hillman won the MVP award after leading his side to victory at CWL Anaheim, and has revealed how streamer Pokimane inspired him to win his third championship of the season. It all started when FaZe Clan player Tommy “ZooMaa” Paparatto attended the Fortnite Pro-Am tournament at E3, where he met Pokimane as she was competing in the event. Knowing Gunless was a big fan of Pokimane, ZooMaa took his opportunity and asked her to send a message telling him she wishes he was there. Pokimane obliged and so ZooMaa uploaded the video to Twitter with the message “I got you Gunless” – and this was all he needed to get the motivation to dominate the competition at Anaheim. More: OpTic Gaming’s Methodz’ Insane 1v3 Clutch Was Play of The Day as Division B Returned to CWL Pro League Action – During the most recent episode of Hot Mic to kick off the remaining matches for Division B at the CWL Pro League, Gunless explained how it went down, and how it fired him up for the tournament. “I was passed out on my bed, for like 30 minutes. [TJHaLy] walks in, and he’s like ‘check your phone real quick’. I listened to it, looked at TJ, smile on my face and everything and was like ‘we won.’ Just give me the trophy, you just made me win the event.” “She’s perfection” – @i2Gunless talks about Pokimane and @ZooMaa‘s pre-Anaheim gas . pic.twitter.com/NRqouG6eWz — MLG (@MLG) July 11, 2018 Of course, Gunless and Rise did win, as well as picking up the MVP trophy – so clearly whatever it sparked inside him paid off as he dominated the entire CWL Anaheim event. Pokimane is a popular Twitch streamer, known for playing League of Legends and more recently became very well known for Fortnite too. She is also an Anime fan – something in common with Gunless. Who knows how long Gunless has been an admirer, but maybe one day we will see these two meet up in person – and then it really will be all over for the competition.

Gunless reportedly joining OpTic Gaming LA after being cut by Huntsmen Chicago Huntsmen / OpTic Gaming / Call of Duty LeaguePeirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman is reportedly set to join OpTic Gaming Los Angeles after the CDL Seattle Home Series, following the Huntsmen’s decision to drop the Canadian star in favor of 2019 world champion Preston ‘Prestinni’ Sanderson. Gunless has been left adrift since May 18, when Chicago confirmed they would be adding Florida superstar Prestinni to their already stacked lineup. Hillman was the player that made way, though it was a messy split in the end. The Canadian star found himself without a starting CDL spot, despite arguably being one of the most talented Call of Duty players in the franchise league. He’s frequently claimed MVP tips at events, and has won multiple championships. Hillman’s track record made him one of the hottest free agents on the market, and OGLA seems to have taken notice. According to an insider email sent to commentator Alan ‘IHOLDSHIFT’ Donofrio, OpTic are set to swoop for Gunless after Seattle. The high-profile switch would see Chicago’s benched star reunited with two former Rise Nation teammates Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly and Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat. The trio won CWL Anaheim and Seattle during WWII. OpTic has been on an upward trend since a raft of roster changes coming into the Florida Home Series earlier this month. LA hooked two-time world champion Jordan ‘JKap’ Kaplan for Martin ‘Chino’ Chino, and finished second. The team’s first grand final appearance — which was only silenced by league-leaders Atlanta FaZe after a 3–1 closing battle — netted them 30 points. The second-place finish fired them from last place into a playoff position in eighth. Gunless will likely slot into a submachine gun role with Los Angeles, especially considering the team is still struggling to balance SlasheR and Dashy on the ARs. Chino will likely make way for the Canadian in the starting lineup. OpTic may be making a move for Gunless, according to reports, but nothing official will be bedded in until after Seattle at least. That means Los Angeles will most likely be running it back with the second-place roster from Florida. The eighth-placed squad will face Minnesota RØKKR first up on May 22. The northern squad is currently sitting in fourth place in the standings. If OpTic edges their first-round rivals, they will face Paris or Chicago in the second round. Follow all the action in Seattle right here in Dexerto’s dedicated CDL coverage hub.

Gunless explains why Huntsmen were upset by Mutineers at CDL Dallas H3CZ, Chicago Huntsmen Following their disappointing finish at the Call of Duty League’s recent Dallas Home Series, Chicago Huntsmen star Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman sat down with his CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez to discuss their stunning upset loss to Florida Mutineers in the semifinal. It’s no secret that Huntsmen are one of the best teams in the Call of Duty League, but having such status also comes with high expectations, ones that were not met at the Dallas Home Series. For the second time this season, the team fell to Florida Mutineers in the semifinals and were denied a chance to play in their second Grand Final of the year. Needless to say, the upset was not what most had expected coming into the tournament; Chicago were one of the teams heavily favored to win the whole thing. The loss was one of the topics that Gunless discussed with H3CZ in a recent episode of The Eavesdrop Podcast, in which the former eUnited and FaZe Clan pro explained why the result came to be. “They’re the ones that abuse the things that are open the most against us,” he said, in regard to the Mutineers. “I don’t think it’s Florida themselves or a mental block,” he added. “If a team did the exact same thing, took the roads that are open against us and we didn’t bail ourselves out with our skill, everybody would get us too and you’d be like ‘they’re a mental block too.’” (Segment begins at 1:18:09 mark for mobile users) H3CZ added that, in his experience over the years, many top teams have had opponents who counter them perfectly, and for Huntsmen it happens to be Mutineers. Of course, Florida have taken their status as Chicago’s kryptonite and ran with it. Huntsmen came into their tournament having dropped two series all season, both coming at the hands of the Mutineers. “Guess we’ll stay home and give Huntsmen a chance at their own event,” they posted, ahead of the Chicago Home Series. Guess we’ll stay home and give Huntsmen a chance at their own event — Miami Heretics (@MiamiHeretics) April 13, 2020 Heading into the event, Gunless promised to “try to get the boys in shape”, but an early loss to New York Subliners has proven to serve as an obstacle for the Huntsmen. After falling down 0-2, Chicago made things a lot more interesting with a strong comeback, but the eventual game five did not go their way. As a result, they went into day two having to make a losers bracket run for the first time all year. https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1253868427200118784?ref_src=twsrctfwtwcamptweetembedtwterm1253868427200118784&ref_url=httpsdexerto.publisherplus.comadminwp-adminpost.phppost1357982actionedit Moving forward, the Huntsmen are slated to face off against the London Royal Ravens in the losers’ bracket of CDL Chicago, while the Subliners will advance to play Atlanta FaZe. And while the Mutineers might not be present at this particular event, it’s becoming apparent that Chicago are becoming more and more vulnerable as the season marches on. Catch all of the action live this weekend with our Chicago Home Series hub, which includes streams, brackets, scores, the schedule, and more.

Gunfight tournaments returning to Modern Warfare with new rewards Infinity WardModern Warfare developers Infinity Ward have confirmed that Gunfight tournaments will be returning to the game, with new rewards available to players who take part. Gunfight tournaments were featured in the early days of the game’s release, bringing the 2v2 game mode to a more competitive environment with players able to compete for additional XP and “high tier cosmetic rewards” if they could win in a 32-team bracket. However, the beta phase of the tournament testing ended almost as quickly as it had started, and was removed from the game shortly after its release. While it was a fun feature, Infinity Ward clearly believed there were some fixes that needed to be made. Now, though, it seems that the testing is nearly finalized and they might be ready to make these tournaments available to players once again, judging from their response to a tweet from a player. Asked what happened to the tournaments, Infinity Ward said: “They’ll be back! We’re fixing a few bugs here and there along with working on adding some new rewards.” At the time the tweet was sent, it had been around a month since the tournament beta phase had been taken out of the game. They’ll be back! We’re fixing a few bugs here and there along with working on adding some new rewards. — Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) January 8, 2020 Infinity Ward didn’t expand on the tweet or provide a timeframe for when players should expect to be playing Gunfight tournaments in Modern Warfare again, but given the fact that they took the time to respond, it seems easy to predict that it comes sooner rather than later. In its original iteration, Gunfight tournaments saw 16 teams of two face off in a single-elimination bracket competing for cosmetic rewards, but the promise of new rewards may keep players coming back when they return. Although no date has been provided, expect the servers to be very busy when tournaments return, so be sure to get your practice in beforehand to get those wins (and rewards) in.

Gundam fans claim Call of Duty was the wrong game to collab with ActivisionA surprise collaboration between Call of Duty and Gundam has left fans of both wondering why this crossover is coming to COD when other titles would’ve made more sense. With Season 3 of MW3 and Warzone nearly over, the build-up to Season 4 is commencing. Teasers hint towards the return of the Kar98 sniper, but there was another surprise in store for COD fans. As part of the build-up, during CDL Major 3’s Championship Sunday, Activision and the official Gundam page revealed Gundams, the giant mechs from the hit anime series, will deploy in Season 4. Yet just as quickly as the announcement came, the fans found themselves disappointed and full of questions. “The crossover nobody expected and nobody wanted.” one fan replied to the announcement. MW3’s choice of crossovers and collabs has caught the community off-guard. Season 2 introduced The Walking Dead, which many lamented was years too late, while Season 2 Reloaded introduced the Warhammer 40K skins. The continued usage of The Boys across MW2 and MW3 drove many players mad, especially after the latest crossover was dubbed “lame” by fans. A recurring trend with the announcement is many players expected this crossover from a different title: Fortnite. “Fortnite would have been so much cooler. Plus COD doesn’t care about their player base.” one player replied. Other replies weren’t as critical, yet they echoed “Fortnite is right there.” There were also a handful of players who correlated Gundam’s COD partnership to the death of Gundam Evolution, Bandai Namco’s team shooter that was shut down in November 2023. “Gundam Evolution died for this…” one player bleakly stated, while others lamented Bandai’s lack of care for Evolution. Season 4 will arrive in the last week of May, so expect more details to surface on the upcoming collab as we get closer. It’s possible Gundam isn’t the only Season 4 heavy hitter, however, as rumors point to Fallout coming to Call of Duty.

Gun historian left speechless by CoD: Vanguard’s “silly” weapons Activision / PixabayCall of Duty: Vanguard is set during World War II and its guns are inspired by that period. Testing just how much that inspiration was stretched, a firearms historian broke down just how “silly” some of the game’s loadouts are. The Royal Armouries is the United Kingdom’s National Museum of Arms and Armour. As such, their Keeper of Firearms and Artillery, Jonathan Ferguson, is about as well-versed in historical weaponry as anyone. So, who better to judge Call of Duty on the historical accuracy of Vanguard’s guns? You, or your history-buff friends, may have already noticed some… timeline inconsistencies. But Ferguson certainly has a keener eye than most. Analyzing customized loadouts for guns like the M1 Garand, Sten, and M1928 — the historian broke down where CoD went right and, more often than not, incredibly wrong. Gun historian exposes “silly” Call of Duty Vanguard guns To be fair, Sledgehammer Games did decide to give each weapon 10 attachment slots this year. So there is a lot of additional room to go wrong. One such attachment was problematic for Ferguson, practically across all weapons: the grip tape. As he explained, there’s a lot of “21st century grip tape” used on these WW2 guns in the Rear Grip slot. And… that type of material simply didn’t exist back then, so it’s a bit odd. Similarly, he was not a fan of the game’s reticles, or as he called them: “heinous optical sights.” He elaborated that “we can barely make optical sights with a field of view like this now, so we certainly didn’t have them in the 1940s.” Ferguson also gave some more-specific critiques. For the Sten, he noted that the gun seems to be a mesh of multiple different types of original and experimental Stens. For the M1 Garand, he wondered why the traditional “ping” sound when the magazine emptied was actually… not accompanied by anything dropping out. Although there were some “ahistorical” abominations that left him speechless, not all of Ferguson’s reactions were negative. While Vanguard’s 10-attachment Gunsmith allows for some outlandish setups, the base versions of each weapon aren’t horrendous. As Ferguson summarized about the AS44, “it looks pretty good … well-modeled, well-textured.”

Groups Announced for 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship Pool Play The eight groups for the 2018 Call of Duty World League Championship have been announced, following the conclusion of the CWL Stage Two Playoffs. A total of 32 teams will compete in the $1.5 million tournament on August 15, which runs for five days total, the first three days being the group stage matches. 16 teams qualified automatically through their participation in the CWL Pro League Stage One and Stage Two, while the remaining teams earned their spot through the Last Chance Qualifier. It truly is an worldwide affair, with 19 North American teams, 11 European – hailing from six different nations – and two Asia-Pacific region teams attending. In total, 10 nationalities will be represented. 2018 CWL Championship Groups Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E Group F Group G Group H

Group A Gets Complicated as Last Two Matches Decide Fate of Four Teams at CWL Champs Group A at the 2018 CWL Championship has the potential to get very interesting as Group Play winds down. While Groups B through D all have at least one team eliminated from CWL Champs following the end of day one, Group A still has the chance to see a wild turn of events where any of the four teams can qualify for the Championship Bracket. Even though Epsilon currently sits at 0-2 with a 1-6 map count, it is still mathematically possible for them to move on to the Championship Bracket if a few instances go in their favor. More: Clayster Clarifies Long Barrel Situation with Team Sween After Accusations Were Made Following Upset – Only two matches remain in Group A on day two of CWL Champs – Team Kaliber vs Epsilon and Team Heretics vs Lightning Pandas – with map count heavily coming into play to determine which teams are eliminated. If Epsilon wins 3-0 against Team Kaliber and Lightning Pandas beats Heretics, then Epsilon will move on to the Championship Bracket with Lightning Pandas based on various tie-breakers. The full chart of possible Group A outcomes can be viewed below. More information on the 2018 CWL Championship including scheduling, matchups, and more can be found right here. Chart Source:Reddit

‘Groundbreaking’ Warzone glitch completely deletes chunks of Verdansk Infinity WardVerdansk could transform into a nightmarish map the next time you drop in for a Warzone session, as a new glitch is completely removing huge chunks of land. If you’ve been playing Warzone lately, you may have encountered a number of all-new issues in Season 4. Some players have been dropping in without a trace, while others have been using broken weapons with any attachment in the game. On top of these problems, simply making it to the ground is becoming more of a challenge as the weeks go by. Players have just begun noticing an absurd texture glitch that outright deletes huge sections of the map. While the ground all but disappears, many buildings and trees seem to vanish as well. The entirety of Verdansk comes across as a jumbled mess of bits and pieces. “This is actually potato mode right now,” popular Twitch streamer ‘xcaliz0rz’ joked upon dropping into a Quads matchup. The glitch was so impactful that they couldn’t even read the text above locations while floating down into Verdansk. As they moved closer to the ground, various sections popped in and out while textures continued to glitch like never before. “Oh these are trees,” they explained while hilariously flying past random patches of green in the sky. Unfortunately, the issues persisted long after landing as well. Even with boots technically on the ground, there was rarely a textured ground underneath them at all. Read More: MW leaker reveals upcoming Rytec AMR sniper – The issue appeared to strike at random, as teammates in the group were able to see Verdansk just fine. So if you’re playing on PC, there’s a chance that a similar bug could drop you into a mostly untextured version of the map sometime soon. This certainly isn’t the first time that texture issues have bogged down the battle royale experience. At least this streamer was able to stay on the map. Others in the past have been dropped all the way through the map and to their deaths. Warzone’s latest patch only just arrived on June 23. However, it’s likely that Infinity Ward will look to squash this truly ‘groundbreaking’ bug with the next big update.

Greekgodx roasts Nadeshot’s “trash” Warzone skills out of nowhere Instagram: greekgodx, nadeshotPopular Twitch streamer Dimitri ‘GreekgodX’ Antonatos is the latest streamer to call out 100 Thieves founder Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag for his Warzone skills, saying that the former CoD pro is “trash.” Warzone released on March 10 and since then has become one of the most popular games among the top streamers, with players from multiple titles descending upon Verdansk to try and get a win. Since release, Nadeshot has been the butt of several jokes – including NICKMERCS roasting him after Dr Disrespect nearly reunited them – and now Greek adds his name to the list of attackers. Shortly after landing, Greek was talking to his chat and was brutally honest with them, giving himself an appraisal while making digs at the former OpTic Gaming star. “To be honest, I don’t think I ever will be good at this game,” he said. “But I know damn well I’m better than Nadeshot. That guy is trash. With a capital T.” He added that he would 1v1 Nade “any day” and would “destroy him in the Gulag” – the 1v1 spot players head to after their first death in the game. It’s not quite clear why Greekgod decided to come at Nadeshot like that, but it seems to all be in good fun with no malice behind it. Perhaps he was inspired by Dr Disrespect’s viral clip, mocking Nadeshot’s gameplay as Fortnite pro Cloak carried the team. With the rise of Warzone tournaments being announced, including those from the likes of 100 Thieves and BoomTV, it’s possible that we see the two go head-to-head at some point in the future. Then, we’ll see who’s really the better of the two – and maybe Nadeshot could demand some more respect be put on his name. He is a multiple-time Call of Duty champion, after all.

Greekgodx explodes with rage after dying to bizarre CoD: Warzone glitch Twitch: Greekgodx / Infinity WardTwitch star Dimitri ‘Greekgodx’ Antonatos raged after a baffling glitch led to his hilarious demise in Call of Duty: Warzone. The Team SoloMid personality hit out at the battle royale calling it a “f**king dumb game.” Call of Duty debuted its second entry in the battle royale genre with the release of Warzone on March 10. The free-to-play title has so far dominated on Twitch, as viewers flock to watch their favorite personalities jump into the FPS. However during his March 18 broadcast, Greekgodx found his match coming to an abrupt end in the most ridiculous way possible. When it came down to the streamer facing off against an in-game crate, the box ended up winning. Greekgodx rages as Warzone glitch ruins match The streamer was in the middle of playing the battle royale when he was finally able to call in his loadout – a feature where players can purchase pre-determined weapons and have them dropped into the match. Excited, he hopped across the roof of a building and deployed his parachute to get to the crate he had summoned in. However things quickly went south when he slid into the side of the box and died. “WHAT!? WHAAAAAT!?” he screamed into his camera. Stunned and seething with anger, he then exited out the match and exclaimed “f**king dumb game, dude!” While crates can kill if they land on top of a player, it appears the game glitched and mistook his slide into the side of it as the same thing. Frustrated he told his chat, “Just about to get my f**king loadout!” Greek didn’t stay angry for very long, and started to laugh when he read messages in his chat aloud. “Died to a box. It glitched. The loadout killed you. Lost to a box!” he read. Laughing, he exclaimed, “Ahhh dude! I got Greekboxed, man. F**k! We got f**ing Greekboxed, dude!” The TSM personality showed his sense of humor, and continued to make light of the situation. Warzone continues to provide viewers with ridiculous moments, and Greek’s box death is no exception. While it seemed to be a glitch, he took the whole thing in stride after the fact and found the humor in it. The streaming star continues to kill it, having a big year on Twitch in 2019 and amassing over a million followers to his channel.

Greatest CoD upset ever? Surge eliminate FaZe from CDL Stage 5 Major Call of Duty LeagueCall of Duty League’s Major 5 is in Day 3 and the action is starting to heat up. As Seattle Surge knocked out the Atlanta FaZe 3-2, CoD fans may have experienced the esport’s wildest upset ever. With fans back for the first time in over 500 days, Seattle Surge and Atlanta FaZe faced off in the Stage 5 Major’s lower bracket. Surge entered the match with a 4-1 record on LAN while FaZe sat at 3-1 with a Championship on LAN. Additionally, Seattle had never beaten FaZe in CDL history. Surge upset the number one seed in the league 3-2 and advanced to take on OpTic Chicago in losers round four. The team was led by Nicholas ‘Classic’ DiCostanzo, who had a 1.14 K/D in the series and capped off the Game 5 S&D with 12 kills. The crowd erupted as Surge pulled off what many considered the greatest upset in CoD history. Live reaction to the upset 🔊pic.twitter.com/ODSNpdlxaF — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) July 31, 2021 The Surge started early with a dominant Moscow Hardpoint taking it 250-174 in a team effort where everyone picked up at least 20 kills. FaZe was able to respond over the next two game maps, taking a 2-1 lead. However, Seattle was able to take the second Hardpoint off of Atlanta 250-232 in a nailbiter which had Classic step up and deliver 30 kills for the squad. This marked four straight Hardpoint losses for this FaZe team. Game 5 took us to Standoff, where the Seattle squad was able to get going early and take a 3-1 lead. FaZe bounced back to take the lead 4-3 and McArthur ‘Cellium’ Jovel was fully streaked out — a concern for Seattle fans. Wow… 🤯 Nicky D caps it off for a Surge 3-2 win over FaZehttps://t.co/Xzw1Lf5jLS — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) July 31, 2021 Undeterred by Cell’s killstreaks, the Surge regained control 5-4 off an insane two-piece from Nicky D and the team was able to close out the next round for a 6-4 victory. Seattle Surge, who will not be attending CoD Champs, nonetheless proved that they’re a different beast on LAN. While fans continue to debate how big of an upset this was, most agree it may very well have been the wildest win in Call of Duty history.

Greatest Call of Duty comeback ever? ROKKR reverse sweep Ultra in CDL Major 5 Finals Twitter: ROKKRWe may have just witnessed the greatest comeback in Call of Duty history. Despite a 0-4 start in the CDL Major V Grand Finals, Minnesota ROKKR did the unthinkable and reverse swept Toronto Ultra to take out the trophy and etch their spot in the history books. Having made their way through the winner’s bracket, ROKKR was warming up backstage on Championship Sunday as their final challenge came into focus. After an emphatic 3-1 win over OpTic, it was none other than Ultra who booked their rematch in the Grand Finals. Momentum proved to be on their side after toppling the Green Wall. Ultra stormed through the opening maps more decisively than ever. 250-34 in the Hardpoint, 6-1 in the S&D, the final showdown looked to be a complete and utter shutout. As fans poured out of the venue, viewers closed the stream, and the victor appeared all but decided, Ultra carried this pace to a 4-0 lead. But it was during the fifth game, as both teams loaded into Miami S&D, that a spark was lit. With their backs against the wall, ROKKR kickstarted the impossible run and pulled out the biggest reverse sweep in competitive CoD history. The greatest comeback in CoD history. Reverse sweeping from 0-4, @ROKKR are your Stage 5 Major Champions 🏆 pic.twitter.com/4ceISTJVJd — Dexerto Esports (@DexertoEsports) August 2, 2021 Despite obliterating Ultra just 24 hours prior in the winner’s finals, it took ROKKR four maps to find their footing this time around. Once Ultra’s momentum came to a screeching halt, it was off to the races for the Stage 5 “underdogs,” veteran Dillon ‘Attach’ Price explained. “We just started laughing and having a good time,” he said. “Even when we went down 0-4, we just said there’s still no pressure.” That shift in mentality paved the way for one of the greatest rebounds in not only competitive CoD history, but esports history as a whole. https://twitter.com/CODLeague/status/1422028630515875843 Wins in Control, S&D, and Hardpoint all led to one final round of action as ROKKR tied the series up four maps a piece. Raid would be the final stage for the historic comeback and it was the rookie Eli ‘Standy’ Bentz who took charge. In his first pro season, playing in a LAN setting for just the fourth time in his career, the 20-year old young gun came out firing on all cylinders, refusing to let his team falter at the final hurdle. “TCT, we have a little rule,” Standy revealed in his post-game interview. “Trust. Communication. Teamwork. We were just saying that, put our heads down and we can really win this. “I had full trust, I believed in my teammates and myself and we did it.” Major 5 Champions! Never give up & always believe in yourself. You saw it live! Time to get to work for champs! #ROKKR #PlayAsOne — Standy (@Staaandy) August 2, 2021 Elation on one end of the stage and heartbreak on the other. On the opposite end of the reverse sweep, Ultra let slip the biggest lead possible in competitive CoD. Best of nines are held exclusively for Major finals making a five-map rebound the rarest occurrence in CoD today. ROKKR now looks ahead to “the big one” as they push to close out Champs. After the Stage 5 Major, it’s safe to say just about anything is possible.

Grau or M4A1 in Warzone: Which is better? Assault Rifles are almost everyone’s go-to weapon in any battle royale, but with so much choice on offer in Warzone, it can be tricky to narrow it down. Most players will opt for either the Grau 5.56 or the M4A1 – but which is the better gun for your loadout? It’s a big debate now, as the M4 faithful swear by the tried and true AR, but there is a growing number of players swapping it out for the Grau instead, arguing it’s a more versatile weapon, well suited to both long and short-range engagements. And of course, attachment choices are paramount, so what should you be kitting your AR of choice with? We’ve broken down the pros and cons of each, as well as providing our best Warzone loadouts for whatever one you prefer. Time-to-kill M4A1 = 576 ms (vs full armored enemy) – Grau 5.56 = 640 ms (vs full armored enemy) – This is typically the first thing you’ll look for when picking out your rifle. But, it should be noted that having a lower time-to-kill isn’t always ideal, because it relies on you not missing a single bullet. On paper, the M4A1 wins here, as it’s time-to-kill vs Armor is a bit faster. But, there is an argument that it is harder to control the recoil than the Grau, and so if you can hit more shots consistently, the real time-to-kill might be better with a Grau in hand. Accuracy, Range, Damage These are typically the three main components you’ll be interested in when choosing your rifle. Fire rate is also important, but typically this will be offset by the damage of the weapon. The Oden, for example, has a much slower rate of fire, but it’s damage is also much improved over other AR’s. Grau The Grau is incredibly easy to shoot straight, with very limited recoil. This is partly thanks to its slower rate of fire vs the M4. This is one of the reasons it found a new life in Warzone compared to multiplayer. It’s also incredibly versatile, meaning you’ll never feel let down by it at any range. M4A1 The M4 meanwhile has the same damage (both use 5.56 rounds), but a faster rate of fire at 833rpm. This is what gives it the faster time-to-kill, but only if you hit all of your shots. The faster rate of fire makes it more difficult to control, and therefore you might miss a few of those shots. Here you can see the range comparison, via YouTuber XclusiveAce. Attachments What you use on your weapon really is vitally important, and both the Grau and M4 are complemented in similar ways by the available attachments. This is subjective, but the Grau arguably has better iron sights, with a much clearer view of the target than the M4. So, you might be able to save yourself a slot by running the Grau with no sight attachment. It actually has a few different types though, depending on the blueprint/barrel. You’ll probably want to run the monolithic suppressor on both the M4 or the Grau, and in Warzone they both benefit from barrels that give more damage at range, even if it does reduce ADS speed. A 50 or 60 round mag is also a great idea, so you don’t have to reload to fully kill an enemy who is shielded up. The M4 has a touch more recoil, as mentioned previously, so will benefit even more from some form of underbarrel foregrip. What do the pros say? If you can’t make up your mind, you might want to look to the pro players. Seth ‘Scump’ Abner argues that the M4 is actually better for controller players, while the Grau is the preference of PC players. Former pro Anthony ‘NAMELESS’ Wheeler says the M4 is definitely the better weapon, but the reduced recoil on the Grau makes it a very tempting option. When I consistently use the Grau the m4 feels like cheeks bc the grau has 0 recoil. The M4 is definitely better tho…. what ya’ll runnin? — Anthony Wheeler (@NAMELESS) May 18, 2020 Meanwhile, Josiah ‘Slacked’ Berry and Tyler ‘FeLo’ Johnson both argue that the Grau is the better option overall. Exactly. M4 is definitely the best for close/mid range but the grau is amazing for medium/long range and back pocket mp5 for up close — SLACKED (@Slacked) May 18, 2020 Which one should you use? M4 or Grau In conclusion, these two weapons are very close, neck-and-neck. Ultimately, it will come down to preference. But, you might also want to consider your playstyle. If you don’t mind running and gunning without a sight on your weapon, the Grau is the better choice. You can burst into a small room and use this thing just like an SMG. Not having a sight on the weapon may also allow you to use an attachment slot on the Fully Loaded perk – making this the perfect loadout to pickup after winning your Gulag or being bought back. The M4, on the other hand, is much better used with a red dot sight or maybe even a thermal hybrid. Use the M16 barrel, a ranger foregrip and 60 round mags, and you’ll be well prepared to pick off targets from a distance. It can even be a good substitute for a sniper, until you get your hands on a second loadout drop. That’s just our opinion though, and there are many ways you could set up the M4 or the Grau to suit your playstyle. Check out our recommended loadouts for the Grau here.

Grau becomes dominant Warzone AR again two years after Modern Warfare meta ActivisionThe Grau is back in the Warzone meta as one of the best assault rifles in the game, blowing the very best Vanguard ARs to dust as the Modern Warfare weapon becomes dominant once again. In the earliest days of Warzone, the Grau quickly became an insanely popular pick, a dominant AR that had almost no recoil and a great damage profile that made it a nightmare to play against. Between the integrations of Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard, however, the Grau faded into obscurity, just like the rest of the Modern Warfare weapons. With Warzone Pacific Season 5, the gun looks to be making a comeback, just in time for the launch of Warzone 2. Since the update, many top players and content creators have been giving the Grau a run-out once again, and it’s actually proving to be more than just a fun throwback: it legitimately fries your opponents, and it’s so easy to use. The gun was shown off by Warzone expert Metaphor, who was clearly impressed by it, though said the “only problem” is that the Modern Warfare optics are kind of “awkward” on the current map. The numbers back up Metaphor’s belief in the Grau’s strength, too. As shown on WZRanked, the Grau has actually overtaken the KG M40 as the most popular assault rifle in Warzone. Unlike the other Modern Warfare ARs that have found more popularity in recent months, such as the Kilo 141 and M13, it boasts impressive stats too. The gun averages around a 1.17 KD — higher than the KG — and a 3.52 win rate. The gun is second only to the Armaguerra 43 SMG when it comes to pick rate, which could make them the perfect combination of weapons if you’re looking to dominate across Caldera, Fortune’s Keep, or Rebirth Island. You can check out our best Grau loadout guide if you want to reminisce and hop straight into the game with the most lethal Grau class possible.

Grandma goes viral on TikTok after dominating on Warzone with hardscopes Activision / TacticalGrammaThe virtual battlegrounds of Warzone’s Verdansk are filled with all kinds of players, but the latest viral sensation to tear up the kill feed is none other than a grandma. While Warzone’s pros have been destroying folks since the game’s release, there have also been a number of ordinary players who have had their time in the spotlight. From streamers that use strange baguette-based controllers to drum kits and recorders, we’ve witnessed plenty of great moments from Activision’s ever-popular FPS. However, the latest video to go viral is Twitch streamer TacticalGramma. As the name suggests, TacticalGramma is a little older than your average Warzone fan, but that hasn’t stopped her from absolutely schooling players with her sniping skills. TacticalGramma Warzone sniping montage TacticalGramma has been playing video games since the table tennis-themed arcade title Pong came out. Since then, the streamer has shown off her skills in a variety of different games – the latest being that of the hit battle royale title, Warzone. Activision’s battle royale title can prove difficult for even the best FPS players, but that hasn’t stopped this gaming grandma from popping off. Utilizing the SP-R208, TacticalGramma goes on a crazy killing spree. Not only was her aim and call-outs on point, so was TacticalGramma’s aim. The beloved streamer shared her impressive Warzone sniper montage with her fans on TikTok, which has since gone viral. It’s hard not to smile at this clip, especially when phrases like “get wrecked nerd” and “that’s right gramma killed you” are used after particularly punchy kills. TacticalGramma even makes a nod to Warzone’s ongoing hacking problem after she killed one player, stating “Oh, he’s going to think I’m hacking!”. It’s certainly not every day that you get to see a Grandma cracking craniums in Verdansk, but it is something that has brought a smile to many Warzone players’ faces. Whether we’ll ever see TacticalGrammma make an appearance in the CDL remains to be seen. Make sure you check out our Call of Duty hub for all the latest Warzone news and updates.

Golf star Jon Rahm shouts out OpTic Chicago after his US Open win Twitter: JonRahmPGA/HeczGolf superstar Jon Rahm revealed that he warmed up for his 2021 US Open win by watching OpTic Chicago at the Stage 4 Major, shouting them out in his winner’s press conference. Over the last few years, seeing athletes, musicians, and other celebrities start to mingle with esports stars has become pretty regular. Quite a few celebrities and athletes are invested into esports organizations, while others have started streaming games like Warzone and tweeting about esports events. Well, after he bagged a whopping $2,250,000 for winning the US Open, Spanish golfing superstar Jon Rahm gave a little nod to OpTic Chicago and the Call of Duty League. Rahm, who made a late charge on Sunday to pick up his first major win, was asked about what he did in the build-up to his winning round. To the surprise of many, that included watching the CDL Stage 4 Major. “I did the same routine. For people that follow this, and Imma shock a few people, I woke up excited because I could watch a Call of Duty tournament, which is esports that was going on,” Rahm said. “A team that I follow, which is OpTic Chicago, had just played the night before, and I knew I could watch it, it’s about an hour and a half, so I had a busy morning! I went downstairs, got my water and coffee, the chef was making breakfast and I was just watching my Call of Duty event, that’s as simple as that.” Timestamp of 11:22 The now number one ranked golfer added that it might have been “shocking” to some that he was watching Call of Duty before a major event, but he’s all about it. As a result of the clip hitting social media, he’s even been shouted out by Hecz, inviting him to meet the squad when he gets a chance. Even OpTic’s Davis ‘Hitch’ Edwards was blown away by the shoutout. Congrats @JonRahmpga, and thank you, I got some friends you oughta meet. Let me know when you want to carry OpTic vs @goodgood_golf — OpTic HecZ (@H3CZ) June 21, 2021 While Sunday ended up being a good day for Rahm, as he secured his first golf major, it was less enjoyable for OpTic. They were bounced out by Dallas Empire in the losers’ semi-finals, falling to a 3-1 defeat. Atlanta FaZe ultimately edged out the Empire in the Grand Finals by a 5-4 scoreline.

Golden Plunder server issue is kicking Warzone players from games ActivisionWarzone players report ‘game breaking’ server issues with the Plunder game mode. Raven Software added Plunder back into Warzone on July 21. Warzone Season 4 added a variation of Plunder called Golden Plunder. The Limited Time mode has players collect cash and deposit it into their stash throughout the game. Golden Plunder adds 20 more players than the original game mode. The winner is decided according to which team retains the most cash. $5,000,000 is the target cash amount. Some Warzone players laud Plunder as one of the best game modes. However, a server glitch makes the game mode unplayable. Warzone players slam Plunder server glitch Reddit user X_R_Y_U reported an issue with Golden Plunder, claiming they were disconnected from three straight matches. X_R_Y_U showed the message that displayed halfway through the matches, saying they lost connection to the server. Other users chimed in the comments about their own problems playing the mode. One noted that they didn’t have these sorts of issues on Resurgence, “but for some reason, Plunder crashed every game I played.” In one extreme case, a player claimed, “I played a game of Plunder last night. After about eight minutes, everyone in the match times out. It was me, and I would say six other people in the match.” Raven Software has not issued any statements regarding the issue.

How to get Godzilla & King Kong Operator skins in Warzone & Vanguard ActivisionThree limited-time Godzilla and King Kong-themed bundles are set to launch across Warzone and CoD Vanguard throughout Season 3 and we’ve got the full breakdown of all there is to know. Cosmetics are always a major focal point with new seasonal updates in CoD and Warzone Season 3 is no exception. With the launch of the latest major patch comes all-new bundles highlighting the highly anticipated crossover with Godzilla and Kong. From exclusive tracer rounds to insane Operator skins, there’s plenty for players to get their hands on this time around. While it’s still early days yet, here’s a full breakdown of everything we know. From release dates to items in each bundle, we’ve got you covered. Contents Warzone and Vanguard King Kong and Godzilla Bundle release dates – How to get Mechagodzilla and King Kong bundles – Mechagodzilla and King Kong Bundle items – Godzilla & King Kong bundle release dates in Warzone & Vanguard The Godzilla skin arrived in-game on May 6, but players are still waiting for the King Kong and Mecha Godzilla versions to debut. There’s been no official announcement about when the latter two will hit the store, but the May 11 arrival of Operation Monarch could be one to keep an eye on. Be sure to check back over the coming days as we’ll keep you posted here with a full release schedule for all three bundles. How to get Mechagodzilla & King Kong bundles in Warzone & Vanguard As soon as the respective Godzilla and King Kong bundles go live across Warzone and Vanguard, players will be able to purchase them through the in-game store. The standalone Godzilla bundle costs 2400 COD Points so it stands to reason that the others will be at a similar price Purchasing multiple bundles prior to Monday, June 16 also provides some bonus goodies. For those who buy two of the themed bundles, you’ll unlock a special Godzilla vs Kong Weapon Sticker and Player Title. While those who purchase all three bundles unlock a Legendary Apex Phase Rifle SMG Blueprint. Mechagodzilla and King Kong Bundle items Tracer Pack: Godzilla Reactive Mastercraft Limited Time Bundle “Godzilla Ghillie” Legendary Operator skin – “Breath of Godzilla” Assault Rifle Weapon blueprint – “Awakened Alpha” Legendary LMG blueprint – “Gojira Stomp” Finishing Move – “Protector of Earth” Calling Card – Two Sprays – “Godzilla Heat Ray” Animated Emblem – “Big Mistake” MVP Highlight (Vanguard exclusive) – Tracer Pack: Kong Limited Time Bundle “Kong” Legendary Operator Skin – “Temple of Kong” Sniper Rifle weapon blueprint – “Skull Island Shaker” SMG weapon blueprint – “Kong’s Scepter” Melee weapon blueprint – “Gravity Inversion” Finishing Move – “Primal Power” Spray – “Jia’s Doll” Weapon Charm – “Kong Roar” Animated Emblem – “Watch Your Back” Highlight Intro (Vanguard exclusive) – Tracer Pack: Mechagodzilla Limited Time Bundle “Mechagodzilla” Legendary Operator skin – “Machine Learning” MVP Highlight x2 (Vanguard exclusive) – “Rival Protocol” Highlight Intro (Vanguard exclusive) – “Cybernetic Destroyer” Assault Rifle weapon blueprint – Legendary “Neural Uplink” SMG weapon blueprint – “Nanometal Tail Blade” Melee weapon blueprint – “Network Uptime” Watch – “Mechagodzilla Head” Charm – “Evolving Together” Emblem – For even more Warzone guides and news, check out some more stories below: MP5 | Vargo 52 | Welgun | Best Warzone Assault Rifles and loadouts| Best Warzone Sniper Rifles and loadouts | Best Warzone SMGs and loadouts |Best controller settings | Highest-earning Warzone players

God of War’s Kratos actor brutally roasts Modern Warfare 3 at The Game Awards 2023 The Game AwardsKratos voice actor Christopher Judge took aim at the Call of Duty franchise, joking that his now iconic 2022 speech at the Game Awards was longer than the entire Modern Warfare 3 campaign. The first presenter of The Games Awards 2023 was none other than the God of War himself, with Kratos voice actor Christopher Judge taking to the stage. Straight out of the gates, the awards were quick to make fun of the voice actor’s now iconic appearance at the 2022 awards, in which his speech for winning best performance went on for 8 minutes. As Judge took to the stage, the wrapping up music almost immediately began, with Judge jokingly stating “you motherf*ckers” before then coming out with the ceremony’s first big burn of the night. After addressing his long speech from 2022, the voice actor then took aim at the Call of Duty franchise. “Alright, I get it. I’m not gonna stand up here making long speeches. I’m going to stick to the script. No eight-minute speech like last year. But fun fact, my speech was actually longer than this year’s Call of Duty campaign.” The actor then laughing before adding “Another company I’ll never work for.” For all the latest gaming news and updates, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.

Glitched Modern Warfare Beta menu shows Supply Drops and fans are outraged Infinity Ward / PixabayA glitch in the Call of Duty title, and fans are less than pleased. The CoD community recently expressed their growing concerns over the possibility of increased microtransactions in the long-standing franchise’s sixteenth entry, and Infinity Ward developers told fans they would reveal their MTX plans when they were “ready”. Now it appears a bug in the recently released testing beta of the title has confirmed supply drops will again be a part of the game’s leveling rewards, despite the fact many in the community are opposed to loot box systems. YouTube content creator NerosCinema first discovered the keywords “Lootbox” and “Common Supply Drop” in his After Action Report on the game after hitting level 6. This ties in with the revelation that Call of Duty Points will still be in the game in Modern Warfare. Of course, the community were less than pleased to hear about the potential inclusive of loot boxes in the game, with some threatening to boycott purchasing the title all together, while others turned to sarcasm to cope. “Oh wow! What a shock!” said one fan after the news, while one begged the developers on Twitter to reconsider their plan: “Please Activision, don’t let your greed ruin another game.” Another admitted they were now considering skipping the purchase. “I know it may be the normal but damn… I am just at the point with supply drops that I am considering to refuse to buy a new game with them in it. This is really annoying and so disappointing to see.” Please Activision, don’t let your greed ruin another game. — Nicholas (@popcornalotpop) September 12, 2019 Unfortunately for the CoD faithful, the inclusion of supply drops is basically their worst fears about the game realized. Many have confirmed their displeasure at being stung by hefty post-release costs for cosmetics and guns in the game. Read more: Has MW hinted at a battle royale mode? – The issue reached a head in Black Ops 4, when DLC weapons added later in the game’s cycle were gated behind paywalls and loot boxes. This move forced many to either fork out for the best weapons, or simply be at a disadvantageous due to not wanting to spend extra money. While the potential inclusion of MTX in the game may have turned may off the purchase, the devs have also revealed a few positives about the title, including confirmation the latest CoD release will have full cross-play compatibility between consoles and PC. Modern Warfare is set to release October 25, 2019, on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Glitch in Black Ops 4 Multiplayer Beta Shows Uplink, Capture the Flag and Safeguard are Returning A strange glitch is occurring for some player while playing the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 beta, which all but confirms the return of popular game modes Uplink, CTF and Safeguard. When playing domination on the map ‘Gridlock’, some players have been shown objective icons for the these three game modes, in addition to the standard flag icons in domination. These three modes featured in Black Ops III, and both Uplink and CTF were played in competitive CoD during that season. A number of players posted the glitch on social media, such as this one from Reddit, which shows all three of the game modes’ objectives on the screen at one time. Treyarch Discuss What They Will Look Into After Day One of the Black Ops 4 Beta – Weapon Tuning, Armor, and MoreUplink was first introduced to Call of Duty with Advanced Warfare in 2014, and quickly became one of the more popular objective based game modes, utilising the advanced movement system. It featured in all three of the advanced movement Call of Duty’s, but for CoD: WWII and the return to boots on the ground, it was removed due the lack of jetpacks and wall running. Black Ops 4 is also boots on the ground, with no advanced movement except of Ruin’s Grappling Hook ability, so it will be interesting to see how Treyarch implements Uplink. It is no surprise really that Capture the Flag makes a return, but it makes for an intriguing debate over which game mode(s) should be playing in the competitive rotation. Like in Black Ops III, BO4 could have both Uplink and CTF for competitive, or the players may choose to only play one, depending on what is preferred. Safeguard’s return is also not that surprising, since it was Treyarch’s own creation for Black Ops III. It was popular for public matches, awarding a good amount of score to rank up, as long as you played the objective.

Girlfriend demands help after CoD player will not give up dream of going pro CWL / TwitchA girlfriend of an old CoD player has called for relationship advice after her boyfriend refuses to spend more time with her and instead puts countless hours into his dream of becoming a pro player. Becoming a professional player in Call of Duty and in esports overall has become an increasingly desired dream for many players and fans of competitive gaming. However, as esports has continued to become more mainstream over the years, it has become increasingly hard for the average gamer to reach the heights of a pro player. Now, a girlfriend of an old CoD player, has called for advice after claiming her boyfriend doesn’t spend enough time with her and instead gets “mad” at her for not supporting his “career chase” of going pro. Aspiring CoD pro player’s girlfriend calls for relationship advice The user odsaveme called for help in a post titled: “My (26f) Bf (27m) wants to become a CoD (Call of Duty) pro and plays 8+ hours online but gets mad when I ask for us time or attention. “The title of this pretty much sums up the situation. He works 2 jobs and works 6 days a week, meaning it is 8 or 16-hour days for him at work itself. When he comes home he immediately gets on the game playing anywhere from 4-16 more hours.” She claimed that when asking him to “compromise and spend a couple of hours with me instead,” her boyfriend immediately responds telling her she’s “being clingy, I’m being too codependent, I need to find hobbies, I don’t support his career chase.” Odsaveme ended by asking: “Am I in the wrong? Am I asking for too much when he’s trying to “make it”? I feel like I’m not asking for much, but he makes me feel like I’m being “too much” and I’m not normal for wanting quality time.” Many echoed the thoughts of a CoD coach who responded: “At 27, he is already a little old to be a newcomer to the scene. This could be a reasonable career for him if he is already at the absolute top of the amateur scene.” Despite this, various players agreed that the boyfriend is “entitled to his dreams and to pursue them,” however, most still admitted that at this point, the chances were “literally impossible.” Others were much more blunt and stated: “he just needs to focus on his jobs and his partner ’cause if he continues acting like this he’s gonna lose everything.” The post even caught the attention of the CoD League, who shared their views. Most notably, the longest-serving veteran in the league and three-time world champion, Clayster (31), simply said: “Aight man, who is this, go hang out with your girl.” Talking of CoD League, all the best pro players will be in action in Major 1 of the MW3 season, which is just around the corner and kicks off on January 24-28.

Ghost’s new finisher in Modern Warfare can actually lead to your death Infinity WardWhile Ghost has finally returned to the Call of Duty franchise, his new appearance in Modern Warfare is leaving players frustrated due to an awkward Finishing Move animation. Modern Warfare’s major Season 2 update implemented brand new maps, playlists, and even brought back fan-favorite character Ghost as a new Operator. Despite the fanfare surrounding the fresh content drop however, it turns out that players are having a difficult time when going for finishers with the returning icon. Making his first appearance in a Call of Duty title since he was brutally killed off in 2009’s Modern Warfare 2 campaign, Ghost has returned to the fray as a new Operator in Season 2 of Modern Warfare. While fans had been clamoring to play as the iconic figure, the new unlock has left a number of players in a state of rage due to his new Finishing Move animation. Rather than simply taken an enemy out from behind like most finishers, Ghost instead stabs an enemy in the back before sliding in front to land a lethal blow. This slide is the root of the issue, as the movement can actually cost you your life. For instance, Reddit user ‘TheKewball’ was midway through a match on the Rust remake when disaster struck from the highest point of the map. Not the only player who has accidentally fallen to their demise on Rust, the issue seems to be occurring a great deal across a wide variety of maps. Adding insult to injury, perhaps the most significant downside of the faulty animation is that enemies can actually survive. Despite the initial knife to the back, if the secondary shot isn’t fired, players are able to carry on with their business while Ghost falls off the high-ground. Reddit user ‘OnePrblm’ showcased another instance of the animation coming to an abrupt end, however, both Ghost and his target were able to survive the fall. While they eventually gunned down their opponent anyways, it goes to show that you can’t always rely on the new Finishing Move. Seemingly working as intended, Infinity Ward likely won’t issue a patch to change the new animation. Rather, players will simply have to adapt and learn when not to go for the stylish killing blow. Next time an opposing Ghost creeps up on you from behind, let’s hope that you were standing close to an edge.

Ghost Gaming Are Reportedly Pulling Out From Competitive Call of Duty as Entire Roster Declares Free Agency North American esports organization Ghost Gaming have decided to move away from competitive Call of Duty, according to reports. As a result, all four players on Ghost’s pro roster – Christopher ‘Parasite’ Duarte, Adam ‘GodRx’ Brown, Andres ‘Lacefield’ Lacefield, and Casey ‘Pandur’ Romano – have been and have become de facto free agents as of September 10. All four players posted about the news on their personal Twitter pages, although Ghost Gaming have yet to make a formal announcement about these reports, but we will add it to this piece if and when they do. F/A thank you Ghost for everything I wish them the best of luck with their future endeavors away from CoD. We are either looking for another org or are all separately free agents. He also confirmed it in a tweet replying to news about Ghost’s roster changes. With the org now out of the picture, the fates of Parasite and co. is yet to be determined. It seems that the players are open to the idea of continuing to compete together under another org, but whether or not that will be the case remains to be seen.

GGEA Announce Major Roster Update Regarding Call of Duty ‘Orange’ Team Ahead of CWL Anaheim GGEA (GG Esports Academy) have released their longest standing Call of Duty roster, following the squad narrowly missing out on the CWL Pro League Stage Two. Operating under the Infinite Esports umbrella, who also operate OpTic Gaming, GGEA initially recruited two Call of Duty rosters early in the 2018 CWL season – ‘Blue’ and ‘Orange’, and later a ‘Purple’ team. According to Bryan Yale, who lead the GGEA project, it was considered an ‘esports development’ programme, aiming to “develop amateur talent that will eventually feed into the major tournaments.” More: Clayster Makes Some Bold Claims About the New OpTic and Luminosity Gaming Call of Duty Rosters – And the GGEA Orange roster was the closest they came to realizing this vision, needing only one more match win against Australian side Tainted Minds to qualify for Stage Two of the CWL Pro League. But the team were defeated in this deciding match, in a heartbreaking reverse sweep fashion no less, and ultimately missed out on Stage Two by the narrowest margin. The team initially looked as though it would remain with GGEA, despite the Blue and Purple teams having already been released, and original member Austin “Believe” Smith was dropped from the Orange squad. The remaining members, Dakota “Nova” Williams, Mehran “Mayhem” Anjomshoa and Tristan “Spoof” Green, played out the May 19th CWL 2K tournament with Tanner “Mosh” Clark, but finished top 16. It is with sadness that we announce the departure of GGEA Orange. It has been a pleasure to work with you all and we look forward to seeing your careers develop. Good luck @TristanSpoof @NovaALG @obKBelieve @OvOMayhem! pic.twitter.com/gX8EENZChf — GGEAOfficial (@GGEAOfficial) May 25, 2018 The core four players, including Believe, had previously teamed since early 2017, and have qualified for pool play from the open bracket at open events on numerous occasions. But they were unable to overcome the final hurdle to break into the professional scene, and missing out on the Pro League in such a fashion was undoubtedly a hard pill to swallow for each of them. Individually and as a roster the players are obviously talented and can certainly be optimistic for the upcoming final events of the 2018 CoD: WWII season, especially with potential qualification for the World Championship on the horizon. However, whether the core roster decides to stick or twist remains to be seen, and having these players disperse between different teams would shake up the amateur scene quite significantly. As for GGEA and their next move in Call of Duty esports, it is likely they will step back at least until the new season, with the release of Black Ops 4 in October.