6 players to watch during CDL Toronto

The Call of Duty League heads to Canada, as Toronto Ultra hosts their first CDL event of the season. Who will shine brightest in the final Home Series event of the year? Let’s delve into the players to watch.

Dallas Empire ran riot at CDL London, claiming their third event win of the year in emphatic fashion — after only dropping one map throughout the entire tournament. With Huntsmen, FaZe and RØKKR all coming back for one final grand soiree, CDL Toronto will be a banger, as teams scrap it out for those all-important seeding points. So we’ve rounded up the six players who’re destined to make an impact this weekend.

Sam ‘Octane’ Larew (Seattle Surge)

There’s no doubt that Octane is one of the most talented ARs in the league. While Seattle Surge have had a woeful season on the whole, Larew has been their saving grace. Even when his team is being dispatched with relative ease, Octane is still proving to be a handful on the server.

Of course, Call of Duty is a team game, and there’s only so much work the 23-year-old can do. But if he keeps pulling rounds out of the bag like his 1v4 clutch against OGLA, Surge might just stand a fighting chance at Toronto.

Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro (Dallas Empire)

There’s a reason why Shotzzy has been nominated for the Call of Duty League MVP. The youngster’s transition to the highest level has been seamless.

• Read more: Dallas Empire’s Shotzzy admits he may return to Halo after CDL Champs

Despite the former Halo pro having a shaky start to the season, he has shown great character and has come out the other side as one of the most feared players in the league. Aside from FaZe’s Tiny Terrors, is there anyone more lethal in close quarters combat?

After leading Empire to their third CDL event win with an insane 1.29 K/D, Shotzzy seems to be really finding his groove as the season progresses. If recent form is anything to go by, Shotzzy will be a force to be reckoned with during Toronto’s Home Series.

Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat (OpTic Gaming Los Angeles)

OpTic Gaming’s narrative hasn’t been the fairytale most expected heading into the season. Even though the OGLA squad has arguably one of the most stacked lineups on paper, things just haven’t clicked.

• Read more: SlasheR threatens retirement if CDL stays online next season

With SlasheR leading the charge, OpTic recruited the talents of some fresh blood by bringing on two top amateur players. But despite their best efforts, SlasheR and co. just haven’t been able to find the same form that earned them a spot in the CDL Florida Grand Final.

OpTic find themselves in arguably the easiest group at the Toronto Home Series, which gives them a prime opportunity to reach their fourth Championship Sunday of the season. The fresh faces will be turning to Liddicoat to lead the charge, in hopes that he can harness his inner world champ to see out the season in style.

Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson (Chicago Huntsmen)

Arcitys has built up a reputation as one of the best Flex players in the league. Whether its an M4 or MP5 in-hand, Sanderson’s razor-sharp aim remains unaffected. Arcitys was pivotal in the Huntsmen’s historic 3-0 victory over Atlanta FaZe at CDL New York, and despite falling short in the Grand Finals, he posted a season’s best 1.19 K/D while posting up 273 kills.

After a brief break from the action, Huntsmen will desperate to chalk up as many CDL Points as possible, in a bid to lock in the best seed for the postseason CDL Playoffs — if Arcitys picks up from where he left off, then Huntsmen should breeze their way through to Championship Sunday.

Tyler ‘aBeZy’ Pharris (Atlanta FaZe)

While aBeZy was (in some people’s eyes) last season’s best player, he’s had a turbulent 2020 to say the least. In theory, the fast-paced meta should have suited Pharris much more, but following the MP5’s nerf, the Atlanta FaZe hotshot excelled against all odds during CDL New York.

After posting a staggering 344 kills with a season’s best 1.30 K/D, aBeZy seems to have found his groove at the perfect point of the season. Should FaZe want to make it out of Toronto’s ‘group of death,’ then aBeZy will need to be firing on all cylinders.

Maurice ‘Fero’ Henriquez (Florida Mutineers)

Has a player had more of an impact on a squad than Fero? After stepping into the shoes of Preston ‘Prestinni’ Sanderson, the Mutineers haven’t looked back. His absurd 477-kill showing at CDL Dallas is a feat yet to be bested, with OGLA’s Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell being the only player to come remotely close during CDL Florida, with 434 kills.

It seems that Fero has just been going from strength-to-strength as the weeks go by, supporting Mutineers’ youngun, Joseph ‘Owakening’ Conley — who’s arguably in the runnings for rookie of the year. Will Fero be able to step up to the plate and lead his squad out of a stacked group?

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The season’s final Home Series is set to finish on a high, with four out of the top five in the standings battling it out for those final CDL Points.

Be sure to stay tuned into our Call of Duty League coverage to ensure that you don’t miss a beat during CDL Toronto.