Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez has reportedly acquired OpTic Gaming in a deal separate from his ties with NRG Esports, where he currently serves as co-CEO.
The deal reportedly sees H3CZ set to occupy the Los Angeles Call of Duty League spot held by OpTic Gaming, an organization he created and built before its sale in June 2019, in which Immortals Gaming Club acquired OpTic parent company, Infinite, in a deal valued at around $100m.
According to Esports Observer, the acquisition is still pending League approval, and H3CZ himself “intends to divest to interested esports organizations.” This is likely a compulsory step due to ownership rules of the CDL preventing H3CZ having ownership in more than one team in the league.
As the original report says, “sources close to the deal have come forward stating that after negotiations spanning a little over a month, Rodriguez purchased the OpTic Gaming IP in its entirety.”
H3CZ currently serves as co-CEO of NRG Esports and their CDL team, Chicago Huntsmen.
This would mean that H3CZ owns every asset and resource under the OpTic Gaming umbrella, and that negotiations likely started taking place around the time of the Call of Duty League Championship in late-August.
His ties with Chicago Huntsmen are expected to remain intact, so where the CDL spot occupied by OpTic Gaming Los Angeles goes remains to be seen, though commissioner Johanna Faries has recently insisted that there is “great demand” for expansion slots — so one lucky team might just get their wish.
Naturally, fans want to see the likes of Nadeshot and his 100 Thieves organization find his way back into the Call of Duty League, but after his decision not to buy-in at the start of its inaugural year, it’s impossible to speculate whether he would have had a change of heart since then.
The ever-popular Call of Dutyseries has remained a staple pick for those looking to show off their quick reflexes and eagle-eyed aim. Whether you enjoy futuristic firefights or prefer the boots on the ground approach, Call of Duty has delivered numerous experiences over the years.
From the brutal battlefields of WWII to present-day conflicts, the series has continually visited and revisited numerous theatres of war with each new entry.
With the next title on the horizon, let’s run through everything we know about CoD 2021.
CoD 2021 release date
Activision / TreyarchBlack Ops Cold War is the latest title to be released.
As of writing, we don’t have an official release date set for Call of Duty 2021. However, that hasn’t stopped us from making an educated guess. By following similar CoD release title trends, it’s fair to speculate that the game will release in early to mid-November.
After all, the previous Call of Duty games all had November releases. Here’s a brief timeline of previous CoD release dates:
Call of Duty 3: November 7, 2006
Modern Warfare: November 7, 2007
World at War: November 11, 2008
Modern Warfare 2: November 10, 2009
Black Ops: November 9, 2010
Modern Warfare 3: November 8, 2011
Black Ops II: November 13, 2012
Ghosts: November 5, 2013
Advanced Warfare: November 4, 2014
Black Ops III: November 6, 2015
Infinite Warfare: November 4, 2016
WWII: November 3, 2017
Black Ops 4: October 12, 2018
Black Ops Cold War: November 13, 2020
While Infinity Ward changed things up with the release of Modern Warfare on October 25, 2019, it is more than likely that CoD 2021 will keep to the usual November schedule.
Call of Duty 2021 developer
Activision / Sledgehammer GamesSledgehammer’s last release was Call of Duty WWII.
So, now that we have an idea of when Call of Duty 2021 could release, who exactly is in charge of developing it? Well, if we take a look at the development cycle of the franchise, we might just get a few clues.
Firstly, the three main studios developing the core Call of Duty games are Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games. Raven Software could be given the reigns, but this is unlikely, especially given they mainly focus on assisting each studio.
Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software were tasked with releasing the next CoD game in 2020, but disagreements between the two arose, leading Treyarch to take the lead role. Sledgehammer’s title was then developed into Black Ops Cold War.
Quite how much of the project was reworked into Cold War remains to be seen, but it does seem likely that Sledgehammer Games would use this time to begin working on another title. If this wasn’t evident enough, last year, Sledgehammer reportedly hired 150 new staff and stated that they were actively working on multiple projects.
Combine this with the fact that Infinity Ward has only just wrapped up development on Modern Warfare and Treyarch is still busy working on content for Black Ops Cold War – and you have a pretty strong case.
Call of Duty 2021 rumors
Activision / Sledgehammer Games Could a prequel to Advanced Warfare be in the works?
There have been a lot of rumors surrounding Call of Duty 2021, with many fans speculating that the Sledgehammer could be making another entry in the Advanced Warfare series. However, renowned Call of Duty leaker, Tom Henderson believes that if that is the case, the game will be a prequel.
“Warzone is going to have a Sledgehammer Games integration,” says Henderson. The whole purpose of Warzone is to convert free-to-play players into paid players by purchasing whichever title is integrated at the time. I just can’t see an EM1 laser rifle being in Warzone, it just doesn’t make sense to me.”
This would be a jarring experience, particularly given Warzone’s arsenal currently utilizes real-world weaponry. Having highly futuristic guns could also upset the current balance of the game as well, an area Activision is constantly aiming to control.
“Maybe we could see a Call of Duty WWII title, possibly like WWII but maybe a prequel or sequel. It would make a lot more sense for the weapons to be integrated into Warzone. It could be a modern or even a future title, but not set too far into the future where it wouldn’t make sense for the Warzone integration.”
As for Call of Duty 2021 leaks, there has been no footage, screenshots, or box art showcasing the new title. Of course, you can expect to see the usual photoshopped images, blurry box art, fake emails, and rickrolls that come with every new Call of Duty release.
H3CZ currently serves as co-CEO of NRG Esports and their CDL team, Chicago Huntsmen.
