Slasher concerned that OpTic, FaZe and 100T will miss out on CoD franchise league
Esports journalist Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau has explained why Activision Blizzard “needs” move to a franchised league – including whether or not their favorite team will even be in the league, and if they are, there are lingering questions about their original names remaining in the first place.
While the first five teams have already been announced, with Team Envy even securing a spot, three of the biggest names are still yet to be announced as having a place. For Slasher, that’s something that will have to change because Activision Blizzards “needs” them, regardless of who has already bagged a spot.
100 Thieves only secured their first ever event win at CWL London – but have a huge fanbase behind them.“Gen.G is not the first team that I think of like whos missing,” started Slasher, speaking to Cheddar Esports. “Right away, it’s where’s FaZe, where’s OpTic, where’s 100 Thieves? FaZe and OpTic especially are like Call of Duty history – they’re the two teams. That’s why people tune into Call of Duty esports now.”
- Read More: Overwatch League team in the Houston Outlaws whereas FaZe and 100 Thieves are yet to invest into having a team.
“They do not have an initial relationship with Activision Blizzard right now, but Activision Blizzard needs them in the league,” added Slasher. “I don’t know what’s going to happen if the Call of Duty league starts and there’s no FaZe, no OpTic or 100 Thieves.”
i spoke to @CheddarEsports on Activision Blizzard franchising Call of Duty
by the time the first season starts next year i expect FaZe, OpTic, and 100 Thieves to all be there – and Activision Blizzard needs them to be pic.twitter.com/2lFmuXMtfX
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) May 10, 2019
Slasher followed up his comments on Twitter, expanding on why he believes Activision Blizzard needs the teams – adding that they all have “leverage in negotiating” whenever that happens.
FaZe, OpTic, and 100T have the leverage in negotiating with Activision Blizzard who need them for Call of Duty to succeed, but will still end up paying tens of millions of dollars
Acti Blizz NEEDED Twitch for the first season of OWL and Twitch still paid them $45 million a year
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) May 10, 2019
While many fans might assume that the OpTic, FaZe, and 100 Thieves are pretty much guaranteed a spot, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Plenty expected OpTic, at the very least, to be within the first batch of teams announced – yet that didn’t happen.
Things become complicated for FaZe and 100 Thieves as they could try and compete for the same Los Angeles-based franchise spot. The notorious CoDBurner, an insider on all things CoD esports, has already claimed that the Los Angeles franchise spot had become the subject of a huge bidding war – with FaZe not interested.
However, it still remains to be seen if any of the iconic Call of Duty brands are able to work their way into the upcoming franchised league anytime soon.