Havok outlines why he turned down NYSL’s CDL offer after Clayster benching
Call of Duty League / ActivisionProfessional Call of Duty star Colt ‘Havok’ McLendon has outlined his reasons for turning down a spot on the New York Subliners’ CDL roster following their benching of Clayster, as the decision garnered significant attention.
Fans of the Call of Duty League have undoubtedly been surprised by the turmoil that has enveloped the New York Subliners during the Vanguard season. Hopes were high coming into the campaign, with veterans (and serial winners) Clayster and Crimsix joined by young-guns Hydra and Neptune.
However, they started the season inauspiciously, struggling in all game modes and crashing out of Major I in 9-12th. Since then, they have benched legend Clayster to pick up the impressive PaulEhx and all rumors suggest they are keen on a second new addition.
News broke that they approached long-time CoD pro Havok over a spot on their starting roster but that he declined, despite not currently being in the CDL.
ActivisionMcLendon last represented the Florida Mutineers in late 2021, so many were confused as to why he would turn down the opportunity. On March 19, amid a sea of confusion and even some backlash, Havok explained his choice.
“I’ve seen a lot of negativity and misinformation… regarding my decision to not join NYSL,” he said. “First off I’m grateful that NY reached out to me in the first place. I’ve been working hard this year to get back in the league but at the same time getting on the wrong team can be detrimental to my career.”
He explained that he was reluctant to team with PaulEhx amid comments the former London Royal Ravens player made about him, as well as being unsure whether the team was right following Clayster’s benching.
He continued: “All of that considered I do think I would have joined if they had kept Clay… there’s no bad blood between Crim and I but I wasn’t confident that our personalities would mesh well in a competitive environment… The last reason that was influencing my decision was my current team TX Nation. Even though we’re battling in Challengers this is my favorite team that I’ve been a part of.”
The former Mutineers player finished by saying that he didn’t feel confident taking the offer and also criticized comments made about him on CDL talk-show The Flank.
He will continue to compete in the CDL Challengers alongside his team Texas Nation. The NYSL roster, at the time of writing, is as follows:
- Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter
- Paul ‘PaulEhx’ Avila
- Travis ‘Neptune’ McCloud
- Paco ‘HyDra’ Rusiewiez
NYSL, with the above roster, beat the Paris Legion on March 19, giving them their first win of the CDL Major II Qualifiers. It is unclear whether they will continue to look for a second new player.