7 players to watch during the Call of Duty League Launch Weekend
Activision/AstroActivision’s Call of Duty League Launch Weekend will take place from January 24-26, as Minnesota RØKKR hosts all 12 teams. But who are the stars to keep an eye on?
Call of Duty League’s pro teams are set to lock horns during a jam-packed opening weekend. Twelve best-of-five series will see players putting everything on the line to get off to the best possible start.
After a lengthy off-season, players will be looking to prove their worth on the biggest stage in Call of Duty history. But which players are the ones to watch during the launch weekend? We’ve listed the seven hottest stars to watch in Modern Warfare right now.
Indervir ‘iLLeY’ Dhaliwal (Dallas Empire)
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Stemming from the depths of the Search & Destroy scene, 18-year-old iLLeY is a player who will be stepping into the professional spotlight for the first time.
Having previously been ineligible to compete due to CWL’s age restriction, the youngster has landed a spot alongside two veterans of the scene in James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks and Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter.
Dhaliwal is no stranger to rubbing shoulders with the best, mind. Having previously wreaked havoc alongside the likes of Chris ‘Simp’ Lehr and McArthur ‘Cellium’ Jovel as part of eUnited’s cadets program, iLLeY will be keen to go head-to-head versus his old allies.
Having never played on LAN at a professional level before now, the stage is set for iLLeY to put his name up in lights.
Tyler ‘aBeZy’ Pharris (Atlanta FaZe)
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Coming off the back of an incredibly successful 2019 season, aBeZy is tipped to be one of the best from this generation of talent to touch Call of Duty.
Having entered Black Ops 4 without a major championship under his belt to being crowned a world champion less than 12 months later, Pharris lets his abilities in the server do the talking, while his accolades speak for themselves.
While Modern Warfare poses a fresh challenge for the 20-year-old, he has been running rampant in scrims during pre-season under the Atlanta FaZe banner. Will his form continue through to launch weekend? Only time will tell.
Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro (Dallas Empire)
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A former Halo world champion, Shotzzy transitioned over to Call of Duty following the 2018 Halo Championship Series.
In a similar vein to Empire teammate, iLLeY, the 18-year-old was bound to online tournaments due to age restrictions. However, that didn’t stop building a formidable reputation among pros.
With his knack for first-person shooters seamlessly transitioning over from Halo, Shotzzy was among some of the most sought after talent during the CDL rostermania. Now playing alongside a mixture of raw talent and experience, the former Halo world champ has a point to prove on LAN — and where better to do it than during the CDL’s opening weekend?
McArthur ‘Cellium’ Jovel (Atlanta FaZe)
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It seems to be a recurring theme for players to develop from the depths of the Search & Destroy scene, and Cellium’s path to pro is no different. eUnited proved to be a goldmine of raw talent, from which Jovel was plucked from and placed on the biggest stage of them all.
Representing the FaZe banner during the Black Ops 4 season, Cellium took top honors at CWL Fort Worth Open with Simp and Obaid ‘Asim’ Asim.
Yet despite a fantastic rookie season under FaZe, Jovel’s form throughout Modern Warfare’s off-season is what has got plenty of folk talking. Running riot alongside Simp and aBeZy, Cellium appears to be full of confidence and has been consistently posting big numbers during scrims.
Dylan ‘Envoy’ Hannon (Chicago Huntsmen)
MLGArguably the most seasoned player on our list, Envoy, has been posting big numbers against the very best since Advanced Warfare.
Despite having three seasons worth of experience under his belt, Hannon only really found his groove towards the latter stages of the Black Ops 4 season under the Gen.G banner.
Envoy has matured into a well-rounded SMG Slayer, who has proved that he can consistently mingle with the very best on LAN — even at the age of 20.
The Huntsman’s game-changing plays have often turned the tide in favor of his team in the bat of an eye during scrims, but will this carry over to the biggest stage of them all?
Obaid ‘Asim’ Asim (Minnesota RØKKR)
ActivisionHaving started the Black Ops 4 season as an amateur to placing 3rd at CWLPro League Playoffs, Asim’s breakout season is one that has flown under the radar of many.
Now joined by two former world champions in Justin ‘SiLLY’ Fargo-Palme and Adam ‘Assault’ Garcia, Asim the teen will be taking everything in his stride as he strives to become “a staple in competitive Call of Duty.”
Both Asim and Cellium have flourished together up until this point, but now they’ll lock horns for the first time in their careers. The question on the tip of everyone’s tongue is who’ll come out on top?
Dylan ‘Dylan’ Henderson (London Royal Ravens)
MLGArguably one of the best raw talents on the professional circuit, Dylan is the type of player to show up when the odds are stacked against him.
After falling short at the final hurdle on multiple occasions during the Black Ops 4 season, he failed to bag himself a championship to round off a year that most definitely put his name on the map.
Now representing Britain’s sole interest in the 2020’s CDL, will Dylan’s impressive form carry over into Modern Warfare? An all-European battle versus the Paris Legion on the final day of the opening weekend provides an ideal stage for the young star to prove his worth on the biggest stage yet.
While most eyes will be on some of the bigger names, there is plenty of fresh talent who are hungry to change the landscape of competitive Call of Duty. And what better stage to do it on, than the inaugural event of the CDL?
Be sure to follow our guide on how to watch the Call of Duty League Launch Weekend to not miss a beat over the course of a jam-packed weekend of Call of Duty.
