Recapping the Wild First Call of Duty League Weekend of the New Season
The first weekend of Major I concluded on Sunday, and what a wild and crazy weekend it was. There was tons of action and even a little drama mixed in. If this is any indicator of how the 2023 Call of Duty League season will go, we should be thoroughly entertained for the entire year. If you missed any of the action last weekend, here's what you need to know.
Are the Minnesota RØkkr For Real?
After finishing at the bottom of the standings in 2022, the RØkkr put their mark on the season, winning both Major I matches. Taking down OpTic Texas in their first match was as big of an upset as any last weekend. They lost the first game of the match in closely contest Hardpoint battle but quickly buttoned things up to sweep the rest of the night. It wasn't without its share of controversy, though, as OpTic forfeited their last game after a glitch that took what felt like forever to get sorted out. Are the RØkkr for real? Yes! This looks like a whole different team from last year. Dillon (Attach) Price is proving he's one of the best in the league, with Marcus (Afro) Reid showing a ton of growth and maturity in his game. It might be early, but you can expect a huge turnout for the RØkkr.
The Controversy of the Night
Let's talk about the drama that happened between OpTic Texas and Minnesota RØkkr. In the third round, playing Control on El Asilo, Seth (Scump) Abner launches a cruise missile. Cameron (Cammy) McKilligan gets a glitch where he freezes and can't move, resulting in RØkkr losing the round. They were visibly frustrated, which left many of us confused and wondering if there was something bigger other than just losing the round. It turns out there was, and RØkkr contacted the referees, saying that there was a bug, and wanted to replay the round, but of course, after winning the round, OpTic refused. Because they didn't comply with the referee's decision, OpTic forfeited the match, and RØkkr ended up with a 3-1 win on the night. At the time of the glitch, there was very little chance that RØkkr would come back and win that round anyway. While you're not always going to agree with the referee's decisions, why would you forfeit the entire match? Who's decision was it? It didn't appear to be the player's decision, and they seemed to be very frustrated with the decision. Nonetheless, RØkkr walks away with a huge upset win.
Boston Breach Could Be a Powerhouse
The first match of the year was nothing short of spectacular. Filled with action, clutch plays, and wild finishes, Breach comes into the year looking to take the next step, and did they ever. They took down Atlanta FaZe in dominating fashion, something no one saw coming. Every announcer and several other fans thought FaZe would run away with this match. We even previewed the match and didn't think Breach could pull off the upset. And after the first round, it appeared we were right, and FaZe would take this by a landslide. They dominated the majority of the first round, beating Breach 250-207 in Hardpoint on Embassy. That might sound close, but FaZe was in control for most of that game. But after that, Breach went on to sweep the rest of the match on the back of Joseph (Owakening) Conley, who had several clutch plays and rotations. While FaZe and Los Angeles Thieves will likely be the favorites to take home the Championship, Breach has already put their stamp on the year and should be considered one of the best teams in the league.
The second weekend of Major I will begin Friday, December 9, at 3:00 pm est. The first game of the evening will start with Seattle Surge taking on London Royals, who are off to a terrific and unexpected start in their own right. With another weekend of exciting matchups upcoming, we are in for yet another wild and exciting slate of matches.
