OpTic Chicago can win CDL Champs if X-factor FormaL levels up

Theo Salaun

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If the Call of Duty League’s beloved OpTic Chicago squad want to win CDL Champs 2021, then Reverse Sweep’s Enigma knows who can be the clear difference-maker: legendary CoD AR, FormaL.

Reverse Sweep’s Andrew ‘Enigma’ Campion dove into the statistics and gameplay behind OpTic’s 2021 season, culminating in the Stage 5 Major. The wildest event of the season helped OpTic hit their best finish of the year, third.

But neither fans or OpTic were satisfied with bronze, driving Enigma to look at ways the roster can iron out its issues and hit championship form.

One overriding link between seemingly all fixes is OpTic’s main AR, Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper. And, if a championship is the goal, the CoD analyst believes it is most certainly attainable — as long as FormaL can return to form.

FormaL key to OpTic’s CDL Champs hopes

As Enigma explains, FormaL is markedly inconsistent based on matchups and modes. Obviously a gifted player, he somehow can’t get over a hump against the top-tier Toronto Ultra. An easy example: FormaL has just a 0.71 K/D against the Ultra on Search and Destroy.

Past that, Enigma elaborates that Formal is, without a doubt, a “fantastic player,” but he needs to “pick it up.”

Another statistical example would be Hardpoint in Stage 5, where FormaL was the only OpTic player to sit on a negative K/D: 0.98. Despite being a Main AR, the legendary player seems to have struggled to find his role in the slaying department.

Formal playing CDL LAN
FormaL is one of CoD’s most iconic players, but it’s time for his play to match the hype.

Meanwhile, FormaL has produced in Control throughout the past stage and this clearly correlated with OpTic success. While Chicago were above-average in HP (8-7) and SND (8-5), their Control record was a gnarly 7-2, proving the value FormaL brings when he’s in form.

If OpTic are already a top-three team with FormaL playing below his standards, can you imagine what they could do if he hit final form? If not, Enigma can imagine for you: OpTic could win CDL Champs 2021.

About The Author

Théo is a former writer at Dexerto based in New York and built on competition. Formerly an editor for Bleacher Report and philosophy student at McGill, he fell in love with Overwatch and Call of Duty — leading him to focus on esports for Dex.