Call of Duty League 2020\/21 preseason power rankings ActivisionWhile some teams have been playing in online preseason tournaments and scrims, it\u2019s not easy to predict which team is going to win the first Call of Duty League, but you only have to look at the rosters to see that some franchises are looking markedly better than others. I\u2019m taking a look through each roster, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and ranking them from worst to best. There are many factors that contribute to how teams perform on the big stage, but these rankings are based on scrim results, online tournament results, but most importantly how the players have performed in recent years and the chemistry between them. 12. Paris Legion Luke \u2018Louqa\u2019 Rigas – Conrad \u2018Shockz\u2019 Rymarek – Denhold \u2018Denz\u2019 Taylor – Matthew \u2018KiSMET\u2019 Tinsley – Timothy \u2018Phantomz\u2019 Landis – Zach \u2018Zed\u2019 Denyer – Paul \u2018Breszy\u2019 Breszynski – Joshua-Lee \u2018Joshh\u2019 Shephard – Paris Legion are one of the teams that could cause an upset, maybe even reaching top 6\/8, but none of these players have been consistent enough throughout their careers to justify being placed much higher in my rankings. However, with the guidance of coach and EU veteran Joshh, Paris Legion could prove to be fundamentally sound, and it\u2019ll be down to the players to take the extra step to beat the stronger outfits. They could greatly benefit from signing one superstar player, but this could be a plan for the long-term. Right now, we have a good roster of middle-of-the-pack players that could become superstars over the coming months or years. Player to watch: Louqa is the only one of these players that has no experience at pro level, but he looked fantastic on the uber-successful amateur Mindfreak team from last season. He has a high ceiling, so we\u2019ll have to see if he reaches it. 11. Florida Mutineers Preston \u2018Prestinni\u2019 Sanderson – Chance \u2018Maux\u2019 Moncivaez – Cesar \u2018Skyz\u2019 Bueno – Colt \u2018Havok\u2019 McLendon – Bradley \u2018Frosty\u2019 Bergstrom – Florida was the last franchise to announce their roster, and really seem like a \u2018best of the rest\u2019 type team. They\u2019ve got 2019 world champion Prestinni in their squad, Maux and Havok who have come close to winning championships, and somewhat of a question mark in Frosty, who has only been competing professionally in CoD for a year. I would\u2019ve expected Prestinni to land on a better team given his world championship and playoffs wins, but hopefully he can make this team work and bring some glory to the Sunshine State. Player to watch: At times during Black Ops 4, Maux was an AR capable of contending with the very best. He looked comfortable against the likes of Slasher, Octane and Formal. He will be the player that pushes Florida up the leaderboard come the end of the season, but he\u2019ll need his teammates to pick up some of the legwork. 10. Los Angeles Guerrillas Patrick \u2018ACHES\u2018 Price – Ulysses \u2018Aqua\u2019 Silva – Jacob \u2018Decemate\u2019 Cato – Renato \u2018Saints\u2019 Forza – Andres \u2018Lacefield\u2019 Lacefield – I wanted to put Los Angeles below Paris initially, but the fact that the likes of Saints, Aqua, and Aches have championships under their belts pushed them up slightly. Despite that, my hopes aren\u2019t high for the \u201cother\u201d LA team to perform as well as their local rivals, or indeed most of the teams in the league. But if there\u2019s one thing we\u2019ve learned from the last few years, it\u2019s to never count Aches out. The success of the team lies solely in each player finding a level that they haven\u2019t hit in several years \u2013 though Decemate could be the key if his form from World War II and Black Ops 4 continues. Player to watch: Saints is the player to watch on this Guerrillas team. He\u2019ll likely be disappointed by his lack of success over the last couple of years but has the potential to be a top-level player, as evidenced by his ability to always be picked up by strong teams. Now, he\u2019s got to prove he\u2019s worth the investment once again. 9. Minnesota R\u00f8kkr Adam \u2018Assault\u2019 Garcia – Adam \u2018GodRX\u2019 Brown – Justin \u2018Silly\u2019 Fargo-Palmer – Alex \u2018Alexx\u2019 Carpenter – Obaid \u2018Asim\u2019 Asim – Kaden \u2018Exceed\u2019 Stockdale (Substitute) – Devin \u2018TTiny\u2019 Robinson (Substitute) – Minnesota has never been a hub for esports, so many were surprised when the Upper Midwest state became a CoD League franchise. However, having secured their spot, they have picked up a group of talented players that will be able to get results. However, whether they\u2019ll be able to get results on a consistent enough basis to reach the top four or six is another matter. Players like GodRX, Assault, and Alexx are key to R\u00f8kkr\u2019s chances of making the upper echelons of this league. Player to watch: GodRX was a fantastic player in Black Ops 4 who, on a top team, could have been winning championships. He will be the player to take this team to new heights if he keeps up his form, so he\u2019s worth keeping an eye on. 8. Toronto Ultra Daniel \u2018Loony\u2019 Loza – Anthony \u2018Methodz\u2019 Zinni – Carson \u2018Brack\u2019 Newberry – Alejandro \u2018Luckyy\u2019 L\u00f3pez – Adrian \u2018Mettallz\u2019 Serrano – Tobias \u2018CleanX\u2019 Juul J\u00f8nsson – Nicholas \u2018Classic\u2019 DiCostanzo – Cameron \u2018Cammy\u2019 McKilligan – Ben \u2018Bance\u2019 Bance – Mehran \u2018Mayhem\u2019 Anjomshoa – Toronto have clearly prepared for all possibilities with their insane roster depth, and it could very well pay off throughout the season, but I feel like they\u2019re missing that superstar player that can individually win games. That said, if Loony, Methodz, Brack and the Spaniards are on form, this team could get very scary, very fast. Player to watch: Methodz will be the most important player in this team if he\u2019s as good as he was in World War II, when he was able to shut down opposition pushes single-handedly. He\u2019s also faced some criticism as a team player, so will be looking to prove his detractors wrong. 7. London Royal Ravens Brad \u2018Wuskin\u2019 Marshall – Matthew \u2018Skrapz\u2019 Marshall – Dylan \u2018Dylan\u2019 Henderson – Jordan \u2018Jurd\u2019 Crowley – Rhys \u2018Rated\u2019 Price – Sean \u2018Seany\u2019 O\u2019Connor (Substitute) – Dylan \u2018Madcat\u2019 Daly (Substitute) – The players on this London Royal Ravens team are all incredibly talented \u2013 Dylan was a rookie of the year contender in Black Ops 4 and Skrapz has been one of the best players of the last two years. They\u2019re made up of incredibly talented players but I don\u2019t feel like they have it in them to win championships. Besides Jurd, none of them have done so in the past despite coming close, and this doesn\u2019t look like a team that can take on the likes of Clayster, Crimsix or Scump very comfortably. Player to watch: Without doubt, the player to watch this season is Dylan. He set the league alight in 2019 and could\u2019ve improved just about any other professional team, becoming an indispensable player. London are lucky to have him on their side, and he\u2019ll want to prove that this year. 6. Seattle Surge Damon \u2018Karma\u2018 Barlow – Ian \u2018Enable\u2019 Wyatt – Sam \u2018Octane\u2019 Larew – Josiah \u2018Slacked\u2019 Berry – Bryan \u2018Apathy\u2019 Zhelyazkov – Seattle Surge have some of the most successful players in CoD history, but they have one small issue that, in my opinion, could hold them back from being the best team in the game. Of the five players on their starting roster, Seattle have four players that are typically role players, with Octane being the only name that has been a main slayer in recent seasons. We will have to wait and see whether the likes of Karma and Apathy can return to levels seen in previous years to make sure this team doesn\u2019t lose simply from being outslayed. Player to watch: For the first time in five years, Karma is not playing alongside the likes of Scump and Crim or under the OpTic Gaming banner. Many believe that he\u2019s not the talent he once was \u2013 now is the time for Karma to prove that he\u2019s just as good as he always has been. 5. Atlanta FaZe Tyler \u2018Abezy\u2019 Pharris – Chris \u2018Simp\u2019 Lehr – McArthur \u2018Cellium\u2019 Jovel – Michael \u2018MajorManiak\u2019 Szymaniak – Preston \u2018Priestahh\u2019 Greiner – This Atlanta side is absolutely a team to watch out for in the future, with five of the most promising talents in Call of Duty on one team. They\u2019re clearly one of the most skilled sides in the league right now, and in the next couple of years they can only continue to get better and become a powerhouse of CoD esports. I\u2019m slightly uncomfortable with how young all of the players on this team are, but they\u2019ve more than proved themselves, with Priestahh, Abezy, and Simp winning multiple championships each last season, with the latter two winning the Call of Duty World Championship. 4. New York Subliners Thomas \u2018ZooMaa\u2018 Paparatto – Donovan \u2018Temp\u2019 Laroda – Lamar \u2018Accuracy\u2019 Abedi – Trei \u2018Zer0\u2019 Morris – Dillon \u2018Attach\u2019 Price – Doug \u2018Censor\u2018 Martin (Substitute) – Nick \u2018Happy\u2019 Suda (Substitute) – New York Subliners has a healthy mix of players that are adaptable to any meta, and that\u2019s something I definitely see being an advantage to them as the year progresses as well as in future titles. These are all players that have experience of being at the top and have enough firepower to compete with the strongest teams. They\u2019re also joined by coach John \u2018Revan\u2019 Boble and analyst John-Paul \u2018JPKrez\u2019 Krez, who will offer a level of analytical ability and insight into opponents, their own team, and the game itself that not many will be able to replicate. Player to watch: Temp is never afraid to run his mouth and let his opponents know how good he is, but it\u2019s about time he lets his success on the battlefield do the talking and win the championship he\u2019s been waiting so long for. He\u2019ll have to go above and beyond the call of duty to become a winner this year. 3. Los Angeles OpTic Thomas \u2018TJHaly\u2019 Haly – Brandon \u2018Dashy\u2019 Otell – Kenny \u2018Kenny\u2019 Williams – Austin \u2018Slasher\u2019 Liddicoat – Jordan \u2018Jkap\u2019 Kaplan – OpTic may not have retained the fans that had stuck with the organization in recent years, but that doesn\u2019t change the fact that they look like they will continue to be a powerhouse with this roster. JKap is one of the smartest players in CoD history, and with a group of some of the strongest slayers in the league around him, LA OpTic will be challenging for titles all season. None of the four other players seem to have had any consistency issues during their time competing \u2013 they all have shown from the start that they\u2019re incredibly strong. However, with just one championship-winning season behind him, Dashy will seek to prove that he really is the incredible talent he has showcased himself as in the last year and put more trophies in his cabinet. Although they haven\u2019t been living up to their potential in scrims and online tournaments, there\u2019s no doubt in my mind that this team has the capacity to be world champions. Player to watch: A lot of criticism that OGLA has faced comes from their acquisition of Jkap, who some believe doesn\u2019t have it in him to be a top player anymore. As one of the most decorated veterans in the scene, this probably won\u2019t get to him, but he\u2019ll be looking to prove he\u2019s still one of the best, and if he holds his own then OGLA will be laughing. 2. Dallas Empire James \u2018Clayster\u2018 Eubanks – Anthony \u2018Shotzzy\u2019 Cuevas-Castro – Cuyler \u2018Huke\u2019 Garland – Indervir \u2018iLLeY\u2019 Dhaliwal – Ian \u2018Crimsix\u2019 Porter – Thomas \u2018Tommey\u2019 Trewren (Substitute) – Dallas Empire have all the makings of a championship-caliber team but they\u2019re at great risk of flopping if players don\u2019t live up to the hype. Crimsix and Clayster aren\u2019t the players they once were \u2013 although Clay winning the two biggest events in Black Ops 4 may suggest otherwise \u2013 and the risk involved in picking up Shotzzy and Illey is huge. These two, I believe, are the key to the success or misery that comes Dallas\u2019 way. They could end up having a rookie year that resembles that of Simp and Abezy in Black Ops 4, looking untouchable, or the lack of experience could come back to bite them. But, if they can be the players they\u2019re expected to be, Dallas will be a tough team to beat. They\u2019ve already been looking red hot in preseason online tournaments, so we\u2019ll see if they can keep it up. Player to watch: The player to watch is a tough choice between Illey and Shotzzy, with both looking to prove that they\u2019re capable of playing CoD at the highest level. However, Shotzzy is a Halo world champion, so he\u2019s played on the biggest stages. Illey, on the other hand, is somewhat of an enigma at this point in the year. If he lives up to his potential, he might just be this season\u2019s breakout player. 1. Chicago Huntsmen Seth \u2018Scump\u2018 Abner – Matthew \u2018Formal\u2018 Piper – Alec \u2018Arcitys\u2019 Sanderson – Dylan \u2018Envoy\u2019 Hannon – Peirce \u2018Gunless\u2019 Hillman – It\u2019s hard to look at this team and not see championships on the horizon. It\u2019s the perfect blend of young talent and veteran leadership, with a group of players that have grown accustomed to winning multiple championships in recent years. It\u2019s perhaps the most raw talent we\u2019ve seen on a Call of Duty roster for a while, and that will likely be reflected in their results come the start of play in January. Player to watch: All eyes are on Envoy, having had only one good season (in his rookie year, no less) compared to the decades of talent and championship wins between the other players. One good season and he could cement himself as one of the greatest CoD players alive today. So, there you have it. I think Chicago Huntsmen look like the best team going into the Call of Duty League, and with the start of its inaugural season drawing ever-closer, we won\u2019t have to wait long to find out which teams are really the best.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Call of Duty League 2020\/21 preseason power rankings ActivisionWhile some teams have been playing in online preseason tournaments and scrims, it\u2019s not easy to predict which team is going to win the first Call of Duty League, but you only have to look at the rosters to see that some franchises are looking markedly better […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24011\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}