H3CZ and OpTic Gaming players react after placing 3rd at last CoD Champs ever

Reactions have started pouring in from OpTic Gaming CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and their pro Call of Duty players after the team was eliminated from the 2019 CWL Championship on August 18.

OpTic Gaming’s journey at CoD Champs came to a screeching halt at the hands of rivals 100 Thieves, who handed them a dominant loss on the fifth and final day of the competition. 

With the loss, they came in third at the $2 million tournament, and while that may be a superb placement for almost every other team, the Green Wall will see it as falling below expectations. 

What makes the result even more emotional is that this is the final CoD Champs in its current form. With the esport transitioning to a franchised model next season, the competitive structure is in store for a massive change. 

• Read More: eUnited win CWL Champs 2019

Furthermore, following Immortal Gaming Club’s recent takeover of the OpTic brand, there are strong indications that most, if not all, of the players will be moving on after this season. 

Following the loss, the players turned to Twitter to let out their emotions, and Seth ‘Scump’ Abner’s broken heart emoji was really all the needed to be said.

“Lost a 5-3 to go up 2-0 to losing six straight maps,” he tweeted. “Such a sad way to end this year. We put everything we had into this too. Heartbroken. Good games eUnited and 100 Thieves.”

Always passionate, Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter had a strong response to their devastating exit, while revealing that he had been feeling ill all morning.

“Good games eUnited and 100 Thieves,” he wrote. “We got outclass. Failed to show up today. Not sure what I ate this morning but I’ve been fighting back puke all day. Fucking feel terrible.”

Heartbreak came up again in Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell’s reaction, as he apologized to fans for “letting everyone down.”

“Didn’t play like myself today,” he said. “Sorry to let everyone down. F*cking heartbreaking man, we were so close.”

The other half of OpTic’s young superstar duo, Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly, knows that losing such a big tournament the way they did is one that’s going to be hard to forget.

“That 5-3 lead is going to sting for a long time,” he tweeted. “So sad man, felt like this tournament was our’s.” 

Tyler ‘TeePee’ Polchow, the mastermind coach that has been hard at work behind-the-scenes making sure the teams runs at its best, injected a little bit of positivity into the otherwise melancholy mood.

“Third place, good games to 100 Thieves and eUnited,” he said. “This felt like the one. Proud of the boys for the quick turnaround after such a bad Miami. I wanted this last one so bad for the Green Wall.”

As for H3CZ, his post following the loss was a bit more full of nostalgic emotion than that of the players, perhaps because he knows that a lot of things are about to change with OpTic in the near future. 

“Your support drives me, and this memento from the Green Wall has instantly become one of my favorite things in life,” he wrote. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. My name is HECZ, and I’m a member of the Green Wall.”

While the future of OpTic Gaming as a brand and a Call of Duty team may be clouded with uncertainty, there is no doubting the legacy it has left in the esport.

As long competitive CoD exists, the Green Wall will be a permanent fixture in its history, no matter what lays in the weeks, months, and years ahead. 

Disclaimer: Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez is a minority shareholder in Dexerto Ltd.