6 players to watch during CDL London
ActivisionFollowing on from Activision’s Call of Duty League Launch Weekend, eight teams are set to lock horns at CDL London in Modern Warfare’s first tournament-based event.
The Call of Duty League’s next stop is Piccadilly… em, London. Eight teams will go head-to-head in front of a rowdy CDL London crowd on February 8-9.
With the first CDL title and a total of 50 league points up for grabs for the winners, teams will be looking to put their stamp on the league. But who should you be keeping an eye on to show-up for their team? We’ve rounded six players who have something to prove at London’s homestand.
Can the Royal Ravens fend off the Huntsmen and co. to be crowned champion of their home series?Sam ‘Octane’ Larew (Seattle Surge)
MLGOctane has been a name synonymous with some of the very best in professional Call of Duty since Advanced Warfare. However, it was only last year where Larew really put his stamp on the competition.
After proving himself time and time again on the big stage, the 22-year-old came into the inaugural Call of Duty League season as arguably the best assault rifle player in Call of Duty.
During the Launch Weekend, Octane posted some impressive numbers, clocking out with a 1.14 K/D across all game modes — yet the Surge bowed out 0-2 for the weekend. So, can last year’s CWL London MVP lead the Surge’s resurrection?
Bradley ‘wuskin’ Marshall (London Royal Ravens)
MLGDespite having a solid Black Ops 4 season, wuskin often found himself in Dylan ‘Dylan’ Henderson’s shadow, after the Irish youngster humbled plenty of big names on the circuit. Now accompanied by his twin brother Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall, wuskin has stepped into the limelight.
Marshall was the protagonist in Royal Raves’ 3-0 sweep of the New York Subliners. His form continued against European rivals, Paris Legion. However, the French representatives proved to be the dark horse of the weekend, and gave the British squad a taste of their own medicine.
Regardless of going 1-1 on the weekend, wuskin was arguably the MVP and he now finds himself on home turf where a rowdy London crowd will be rooting for the Royal Ravens to put on a show.
Will the 22-year-old show up and lead his team to take their home series and the first CDL title of the season?
Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro (Dallas Empire)
MLGShotzzy is no stranger to being under the spotlight. Having already claimed a Halo world championship and landing himself on a Call of Duty franchise squad at the age of 18, Castro’s talents on the sticks are undeniable.
Having spent the majority of his Call of Duty career online, Shotzzy made his LAN debut on one of the biggest stages of all… CDL Launch Weekend. After being pitted against two of the hottest teams in Huntsmen and FaZe, the stage was set for the former Halo pro to put his stamp on the competition.
Yet Shotzzy’s performance flew under the radar, as he appeared out of step with his online performance that got so many talking leading up to RØKKR’S homestand. Will Empire’s young gun bounce back at CDL London and prove his worth?
Seth ‘Scump’ Abner (Chicago Huntsmen)
MLGAfter a bumpy past couple of seasons, Scump’s self-proclaimed crown has been figuratively slipping out of his hands. With a batch of fresh talent on the scene and a franchised league in-play, a fire seems to have reignited in Scump — and the king looks hungrier than ever before.
The face of competitive Call of Duty put on a show for fans everywhere, as he led the Huntsmen to the perfect start. After being reunited with his ‘T2P’ partner in crime Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper, Scump seems to have found his groove on Modern Warfare.
After making light work of Empire and OpTic Gaming, Scump ended the weekend with a 2.25 K/D in Search & Destroy and 170 kills across all game modes.
Add to the mix that Scump historically fares well across the pond (after picking up several European titles) and the tide certainly seems to be in his favor.
Ulysses ‘AquA’ Silva (Los Angeles Guerrillas)
MLGAquA is dubbed for his consistency against the very best. Now a veteran of the scene, Silva has often come close to the pinnacle of Call of Duty esports only to fall short.
However, under the guidance of two-time world champ, Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price, AquA is looking to go one step further during the inaugural CDL season.
After a controversial loss to hosts Minnesota RØKKR, AquA led the LA Guerrillas to a narrow victory over the Mutineers. Although, the 23-year-old will be facing conceivably tougher opposition in the Huntsmen during their group opener.
With ACHES venting his intention to cause an upset against Scump and co., the pressure will be on AquA to turn up, given that he was the only consistent Guerrillas player during the opening weekend.
Conrad ‘Shockz’ Rymarek (Paris Legion)
MLGShockz’ name constantly cropped up during the Black Ops 4 season as one of the best amateurs in the game. After leading his Mindfreak squad to multiple open bracket wins, Rymarek landed himself a pro contract for Paris Legion.
His team was considered the league’s underdogs going into Launch Weekend, but they soon switched the consensus around, after grinding out a 3-2 win over OpTic Gaming and breezing past European rivals, London Royal Ravens.
It appeared as though Shockz was writing the script for Legion’s success, as he set the tone right from the get-go with a crazy 10-man killing spree versus OpTic. Whether his form can continue as he steps onto enemy soil remains to be seen.
CDL London is the first of Royal Ravens’ homestands and the first traditional tournament in Call of Duty League history. With plenty on the line, watch out for the above names to show up for their team when it matters most.
Be sure to follow our guide on how to watch CDL London to ensure that you don’t miss a beat over the course of a jam-packed two days of Call of Duty action.