Scump argues CDL pros & Warzone players can’t be compared: “They’re different things”
Activision / YouTube: OpTic NationDespite Call of Duty League and Warzone 1v1s being all the rage this offseason, Scump believes there’s no good way to actually compare the two. Instead, he argues they rely on “completely different skill sets.”
With the 2022-2023 CDL offseason now in full swing, many have turned their attention to a reemerging debate. Once again, the conversation of CDL pros VS Warzone pros has come into focus.
Coming out swinging, we saw Warzone stars Biffle and Aydan taking on the likes of Methodz, Sib, and even ZooMaa. While initial results were split across the board, 1v1s have continued to steal the spotlight every day since.
With the two scenes battling for nothing more than bragging rights, it’s drawn considerable interest both on Twitch and Twitter. However, not all are impressed with what they’re seeing.
For CDL’s biggest name, these small battles “show no skill,” and in the bigger picture, Scump claims there’s simply no way to have the two sides square off in a format that’s balanced for everyone.
“Radar on 1v1s show no skill in Call of Duty,” Scump yelled to begin his rant in the latest OpTic podcast. “You’re wall-banging with FMJ. You’re pre-firing half the time. It doesn’t show gun skill,” he stressed.
Rather than highlighting a player’s mechanical ability and next-level reaction time, he instead believes these 1v1s often go to the player “who has more patience.”
“1v1 radar is the worst show of skill. That’s why I hate this CDL vs Warzone thing because they’re both completely separate f***ing skill sets. They’re not even remotely close. There’s no way to compare them.”
One possible option he put forward would be to have full teams settle their differences early into the launch window of a new game. “One week” into Modern Warfare 2, for instance, four Warzone pros could be dropped into a series against four CDL pros, with Hardpoint serving as the lone game mode.
While in theory, this could provide a more even playing field, giving both squads the same amount of time to learn maps, rotations, and callouts, it’s still “not the same,” Scump admitted. “We’re practicing every day, they’re not.”
“Warzone is Warzone. CDL is CDL. They’re different things. “How are we comparing these things?”
One particular instance many are often quick to bring up in the endless debate is Scump’s World Seris of Warzone win. Having outlasted 99 other CDL pros, Warzone players, and popular streamers in the one lobby, the King of CoD secured the $100K Solo Yolo win. Though more specifically, he did so with a final 1v1 win over Aydan.
However, that iconic moment shouldn’t automatically put CDL players above Warzone players, Scump claimed.
“When people bring up CDL they’re like ‘Scump won the 1v1.’ Yeah, that was dope. But do you know how much luck you have to have in that 25-minute game to not get shot in the back, to not get killed by a guy in the bush. People are like ‘CDL wins because Scump won that.’ It’s a really bad way [to view it]. It’s such a bad show of skill.”
Scump debates the CDL vs Warzone topic from the 32:00 mark below.
Ultimately, “everyone is a CoD player,” Formal chimed in. From his perspective, players across both the CDL scene and the Warzone scene are “tippable.”
For now, it doesn’t appear the debate will be quieting down anytime soon. With Hitch planning a high-stakes event to evolve from the current 1v1s, if anything the argument will only get more heated in the weeks to come.