How Scump is leading OpTic Chicago to become a top CDL team again

At the Stage 3 Major, OpTic placed top 4 and looked much closer to the OpTic of old. Now, halfway through Stage 4, that’s looking less like a fluke and more like some serious improvements from the Chicago side. And Seth ‘Scump’ Abner is key to that.

The Black Ops Cold War season has been perhaps the most up and down in OpTic’s history (ignoring the World War II season that fans do not talk about under any circumstances).

They’ve arguably got the most individually talented roster in the league, barring Atlanta FaZe, and anything besides winning is considered a failure. At some points this season, though, they’ve not even been considered a top 6 team, and improvements were clearly needed.

While other teams made roster changes, and some of the Greenwall even called for moves, they stuck through it — and it looks like it’s starting to pay off, due largely to an improved Scump.

Following the second week of Stage 4, Scump was named in our CDL Team of the Week, earning his spot after a great performance against Paris Legion.

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Looking at the stats behind OpTic’s growth in the CDL, Andrew ‘Enigma’ Campion, says that Scump in particular is to thank for their upturn. “His performances are much, much improved,” says Enigma before looking at the King’s stats.

Prior to the Stage 3 Major, Scump had a KD of 0.92, 1,19 and 0.90 in Hardpoint, Search & Destroy and Control respectively. That respawn struggle has completely turned around since the start of Major 3, though, with a 1.10, 1.26 and 1.12 KD respectively.

Of course, as Andrew points out, the team’s improvement isn’t all down to Scump. They’re working hard to expand their map pool and have slowed their game down significantly, making more methodical plays to break their opponents down.

So, if OpTic are going to find form, they need to do it soon and hit their stride by the time Champs rolls around. To do that, they need Scump to play like his former self; and it looks like that could be coming sooner rather than later.