OpTic H3CZ concerned that PUBG esports could fail like H1Z1

Following OpTic Gaming’s withdrawal from competitive PUBG, owner Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has shed more light on why they made the decision, which surprised many fans.

OpTic Gaming, a prestigious organization in numerous esports, particularly shooting games like Call of Duty, CS:GO and Halo, first recruited a PUBG team in late 2017.

But, just over a year later, on November 30 2018, the Greenwall announced that due to uncertainty with the future of the esport itself, they would be stepping away and releasing the roster.

In a statement, OpTic said “With the recent news of the National PUBG League (NPL) kicking off in the coming months it has required us to really focus in on the title and where we see it moving in the future, causing us to question our belief not only in the game as a competitive esport but also the formatting and structure of the league itself.”

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This came as a surprise to fans and the PUBG community, but H3CZ has now explained further in his vlog on December 13.

“With the state of PUBG, and the way that it’s not moving fast enough, I feel the same way about PUBG as I almost feel about [H1Z1]”, he continues, explaining that the failure of the H1Z1 Pro League could also happen to PUBG.

“I feel bad for everyone in the H1Z1 League, because of the lack of responsibility that the adults didn’t perform. You cannot force something to become something, unfortunately, and PUBG is going down the same route a little bit.”

H3CZ says that the lack of communication with the players about the PUBG league is “affecting people in a negative way, when it shouldn’t.”

It’s possible that H3CZ fears not only OpTic, but the players too, being burned by a similar failing which hit the now defunct H1Z1 Pro League.

After completing only its first split, the the second split was cancelled, and reports from players claimed that they had not received monies promised to them, either from their organization or the league itself – even leaving some players temporarily homeless. 

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This was largely due to very low interest, not only in H1Z1 esports, but even casual players as the game’s player count dropped drastically.

While PUBG has not died off so quickly, there are concerns that stiff competition not only from Fortnite but also Call of Duty’s new Blackout mode could spell a downward trend in popularity for PUBG.

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