Dallas Empire’s Shotzzy admits he may return to Halo after CDL Champs
Microsoft / Activision[jwplayer pqm2EgOF]Dallas Empire’s Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro could be leaving the Call of Duty League (CDL) after just one season; Microsoft’s new Halo Infinite title may be too appetizing to pass up, he’s admitted.
Prior to his tenure in competitive Call of Duty, Shotzzy was one of the best Halo players in the world. The 19-year-old won multiple events throughout the Halo 5 cycle, even claiming a World Championship in 2018 under the Splyce banners.
Bringing the talented player over to CoD was no small feat. Dallas Empire owner Mike ‘Hastr0’ Rufail allegedly spent up to $250,000 just buying out his old contract. Let alone salary costs for the newly established League. The move has certainly paid dividends, however, as the Dallas roster currently sits in second place with just one regular-season event to go.
With this year’s playoffs boasting a bigger prize pool than ever before, there’s still plenty at stake as the inaugural season comes to a close.
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Though the Championship event could mark the end of Shotzzy’s short-lived run in the CoD scene. As the 2020 MVP candidate recently hinted, he’s open to the idea of returning to Halo if the franchise’s sixth mainline installment is “really f***ing fun.”
In the midst of casual Modern Warfare matches during a July 21 stream, Halo came up in conversation. Just two days out from the major Xbox Games Showcase, Shotzzy admitted that he’s excited to see the reveal of Halo Infinite.
“This is me being serious…if Halo Infinite is actually really f***ing fun, and I genuinely like it, I’m debating on switching,” he said. “I’m not saying that I will go back. I’m just saying that if it’s really f***ing good and I see potential in it, then there’s a possibility.”
The first core entry in the Halo franchise since 2015, Infinite has been shrouded in mystery since its reveal in 2018. No one quite knows how the gameplay will look, nor how Microsoft intends to support the competitive scene. A full unveiling is set for the Xbox Games Showcase with a rumored release window of Q4 2020.
If this reveal sparks interest from the Halo 5 World Champion, Shotzzy could be set to transition once again. “I’ve played Halo literally since I was four years old until last year.” With fifteen years of experience, it would likely be a seamless transition back if the console pro decides to leave the CDL behind.
ActivisionA few games later he reiterated that it’s purely an option he’s considering at this point in time. “I genuinely don’t think I will,” he said, before adding he’s “just going to have to wait and see.”
As Microsoft gears up for the launch of Halo Infinite, Shotzzy is gearing up for his biggest competition to date. The CDL playoffs will be kicking off on August 19 with $4.6 million up for grabs.