On Friday, the Seattle Surge Home Series kicks off at 4 p.m. ET with eight teams competing for a tournament title. Here’s a look at how it might unfold.
Which four teams will play on CDL Sunday?
I foresee a semifinals with the New York Subliners, Seattle Surge, OpTic Gaming Los Angeles, and Chicago Huntsmen.
Group A play opens with the London Royal Ravens vs. Los Angeles Guerrillas and the Seattle Surge vs. New York Subliners. New York have continued to display excellent form against all comers for the last two home series. Their stock is rising and my bet is to stick with them. London’s recent dip in form and losing streak is casting doubt on their ability to make it out of groups, which leaves it open for Seattle to have a strong chance at upsetting them.
Group B starts with the Paris Legion vs. Chicago Huntsmen and the Minnesota Røkkr vs. OpTic Gaming Los Angeles. Chicago will top this group despite their recent roster change and acquisition of Preston “Prestinni” Sanderson. The Huntsmen are undoubtedly still a force to be reckoned with. Minnesota have shown so much promise with numerous second-place finishes and outstanding performances against top teams, but they’re yet to seal the deal, whereas OpTic Gaming have made a stratospheric rise with the addition of Martin “Chino” Chino. I believe they will continue that form with wins over the Røkkr and Legion.
Which team will win it all?
I think the Chicago Huntsmen will win it all this weekend. At the time of writing this, the starting roster is believed to contain Jordon “General” General in place of Peirce “Gunless” Hillman. I believe having General in the lineup will help stabilize the Huntsmen’s performance and secure them the tournament victory.
There’s also the chance that Prestinni will play. Despite his chemistry with twin brother Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson, Prestinni will have had less than a week of practice in a starting position. Having Prestinni in the lineup could lead to some interesting outcomes. There’s the risk of implosion or the potential for a dramatic victory. Either scenario would make a strong statement to the rest of the league.
A dark horse winner could be…
There are rumors of a possible roster shake-up coming for the Royal Ravens this weekend. If this is true, then there is a great chance that London will be the dark horse and create many upsets.
Even without a roster change and subsequent bump in performance, London have always had the potential to be a winning team. Maybe it’s birthright optimism and bias (or to say otherwise is Her Majesty’s treason), but I believe they could still clear out their group and make a run to the final.
Top three players to keep an eye on
Whomever is selected to replace Gunless this weekend, whether it’s General or Prestinni, will be a core focus this weekend. They will be under incredible scrutiny replacing one of the greatest players in the world, and fans will be watching very closely.
New York’s Makenzie “Mack” Kelley has exploded onto the professional Call of Duty scene and has been attributed to the great transformation of the Subliners since joining. At this stage, another solid showing from him will help silence any doubters and bolster his ever-growing fanbase.
The Florida Mutineers Home Series brought OpTic Gaming newfound success with Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly being simultaneously a driver behind it as well as its downfall. This weekend, TJHaLy needs to bring back the Iceman, put the Arklov Peak ego challenge behind him, and find his championship form again. With intel that TJ has regrown his infamous Black Ops 4 beard, we should be in for an absolute feast this weekend.
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