Armchair GM: What LA Guerrillas need for the 2024 Call of Duty League season

In Armchair GM, I take on the role of General Manager for various Call of Duty League franchises to discuss the moves I would make in the 2023 offseason. In this part, I take a look at the LA Guerrillas, and what I would do if I was running that team.

The LA Guerrillas are in a very strange spot this summer. After rumors that they could be looking to cease esports operations completely after parent company The Guard laid off a number of its staff earlier in 2023.

For the sake of this piece, we are going to assume that the LA Guerrillas stay on but in a more limited capacity, meaning no Academy team, no blockbuster player purchases, and going back to basics with their squad. This will also limit the types of players they could attract, so while we’re sure they would want Amer ‘Pred’ Zulbeari to come in and turn their fortunes around, it doesn’t feel like a realistic target.

So, what would I do with LA Guerrillas?

Who would I keep?

LA Guerrillas find themselves in the somewhat unenviable position of having been one of the worst teams in the league but with high costs and two players locked into lengthy contracts.

If I were the LA Guerrillas, I would opt not to extend the contracts of Adam ‘Assault’ Garcia or Kaden ‘Exceed’ Stockdale. This is not through any fault of their own, especially Assault, who was the team’s best assault rifle player, but with Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson having an extra year fully guaranteed on his contract, it makes it hard to justify keeping Assault when a change has to be made.

Therefore, I would keep Arcitys for the next year of his contract and take the option to extend JoeDeceives’ contract too. This would mean paying out Kris ‘Spart’ Cervantez to get him out of the additional year on his contract — though it’ll mean spending more, long-term it’s a budget-friendly option that means not having to pay him for the entire year.

Who would I bring in?

With the above in mind, we would be looking for a second AR or flex, as well as another submachine gun player.

To play on the AR alongside Arcitys, I would prioritize someone that will draw attention to the team, bring some fans in, and add fire to the franchise, after what was a poor year on the PR front. For me, that would be between two players: Indervir ‘iLLeY’ Dhaliwal, who will have a huge chip on his shoulder and something to prove, with serious in-game leader (IGL) acumen is the key option here.

Alternatively, saving Donovan ‘Temp’ Laroda from Vegas Legion could be beneficial, as he would bring more slaying ability to the team and has been actively competing at the top level more consistently since iLLeY was dropped by OpTic.

When looking for another SMG, Reece ‘Vivid’ Drost would be my number one target. He’s a free agent and has consistently been undervalued despite top performances as an aggressive sub. While the top teams fight for the likes of Pred or Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon, Vivid is the type of player that could really help elevate a struggling team to bring them up the standings, and he played with iLLeY under Dallas Empire during the Cold War season.

As for alternatives, players like Eli ‘Standy’ Bentz and Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly are viable options (though Standy may be aiming higher) as would be a Challengers star like Elliot ‘WarDy’ Ward or Byron ‘Prolute’ Vera, both of whom have pro level experience to varying degrees.

That would make a realistic target LA Guerrillas roster for the 2024 season something like:

• Arcitys
• iLLeY
• JoeDeceives
• Vivid

This team isn’t likely to be fighting for championships, but it’s impossible for all 12 teams to be doing that at once. LA Guerrillas need to show that they’ve not given up yet and improve on their 2023 performances, ideally qualifying for Champs and actually taking on the top dogs of the COD League.

The players listed above are also unlikely to have too much competition for their signature — despite how good they are, their stock may have been affected throughout the season, meaning the top teams won’t be rushing to bring them in. The Los Angeles outfit should look to move quickly once the free agency period opens to secure the best options possible.