Storming onto the scene in his rookie year with the Toronto Ultra, Charlie "Hicks" Hicksy was one of the best pickups made throughout the 2023 Call of Duty League season. He helped Ultra to a huge 2023 CDL Major 3 Championship against OpTic Texas in front of their home crowd and was discussed as one of the best teams in the League. We sat down with him to talk about the season, what playing in Challengers is like, and how it compares to playing on the big stage in the Call of Duty League.

The last time I spoke with you, it was after the Major 3 championship. You guys, you guys took down the home team, OpTic, Texas. What was that like, beating OpTic in front of their home crowd out there? 

I don't think it gets any better than that. You know to beat them in general. It's good to beat them in front of their home crowd in a final. That's probably about as good as it gets for CoD. So that was an insane feeling.

When you're playing in front of that opposing crowd, the enemy crowd, does that get you going a little bit more? 

There's definitely no intimidation factor. It's maybe you can look at it both ways. Obviously, you can say there's more pressure because, like no one is for you, like there are more people against you. But at the same time, if no one were in for you, then you've got less pressure too. So it's kind of, it kind of works both ways. I want us to win, so that's just added pressure for us.

Give us a little bit of that insight when you go from challengers to the league.

So I've said for a while now that I don't really feel like there's much of a difference between the challenges and the League. It's obviously a completely different schedule and whatever, but for the most part, everyone plays the same hours, probably more in challenges because they try to make it to that next level that the skill levels all but the same. It's just a few minor things that are different. But the main thing I'd say that's changed is the schedule. Obviously, now you play maybe two games on the weekend, sometimes only one, scrimming sort of four days a week, whereas in challenges, it's scrimming six days a week if you have no tournament if you've got tournaments, on Tuesday and Saturday, Sunday you're playing every day for a lot of hours, so it's definitely a lighter schedule, but at the same time, it's obviously higher stakes.

Let's talk about that roster (Toronto Ultra) a little bit. Scrap Insight, CleanX, you. It's loaded with talent. What's it like playing with those guys? 

I mean, it's ridiculous. Obviously, Scrap I played with all of last year, and I knew from like my side playing with me he was one of the most talented players I've ever seen and then obviously gets his chance, and he's gone on to be like in the MVP conversation. So that's come to fruition. Jamie and Toby as well. I've played, not with, played against, seeing in Challenges way back in, like Black Ops 4, MW, before they both got picked up to the League. So I've known how good they've been for a while and at the same time obviously good friends with all three of them. So that obviously makes it even better.

If there were a Call of Duty league player past or present that you haven't played with. Who's that person that you would want to have as your duo?

I mean, the easy answer is Scump, just because everyone says it. I'll go with an EU player just to make it a little better. I'll go, Swanny. I know Swan a little bit. I speak to him sometimes.  I'll go Swanny, he was some player in his day.