Are T2P The Driving Force Needed To Hunt Down The Championship Ring For Chicago?
The Call of Duty League Playoffs begin next week, and all eyes are on the 12 teams competing. Of course, other squads are going to receive more attention than others based on popularity and the players on the roster. One of the teams that are arguably going to be garnering the most attention is the Chicago Huntsmen. Not only does the organisation house the remnants of the former OpTic Gaming dynasty, but two of the most well-known Call of Duty players are on the roster. Seth “Scump" Abner and Matt “FormaL” Piper are easily recognisable in the community for their gameplay and personality. Together, the two make up the T2P (Time 2 Pound) duo, which has proven powerful in the past. However, is it enough to capture the first Call of Duty League Champs?
Is T2P enough to win Champs?
With any Call of Duty Champs event, it feels like both Scump and FormaL are under enormous pressure. It was a running joke for the longest time that their old team, OpTic Gaming, wasn’t ever able to compete at the highest level during Champs. Scump’s multiple seventh place finishes don’t help this argument either. Of course, that all changed in 2017 during Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
After a gruelling tournament, OpTic, led by Scump and FormaL, was able to beat Team Envy to capture its first Champs win and cement the greatest dynasty in Call of Duty history. Both T2P members were on fire the whole event, especially FormaL, and finally, put their ghosts behind them. So if T2P was good enough back then to win Champs, are they enough to take the Huntsmen to the top in 2020?
Chicago has certainly seen its fair share of ups and downs this season. From the two Home Series wins, to some ugly finishes, consistency hasn’t been a big part of the Huntsmen’s season. Although, they seem to be coming into their own down the home stretch, which is a good sign for Champs. Obviously, it feels like Scump and FormaL’s performances during the event will be the deciding factor in whether or not Chicago makes it far. The two are the leaders of the squad and certainly have the experience competing at this particular event.
It’s safe to say that T2P is incredibly important to Chicago’s success. However, to win Champs, you need a supporting cast around you playing well. Scump and FormaL can have the greatest event of their lives, but it will all be for nothing if the rest of the Huntsmen roster fizzles out. Luckily, the roster features a pair of reigning World Champs in Alec “Arcitys” and Preston “Prestinni” Sanderson.
Click to enlargeLast year, the twins won Champs playing for eUnited and performed very well the entire event. While it did help to have Chris “Simp” Lehr on the squad, without Arcitys or Prestinni, eUnited probably doesn’t win the event. For the Huntsmen to take it all the way this year, both twins need to be playing at a high level and playing at it consistently. The same goes for Dylan “Envoy” Hannon, who has arguably been Chicago’s best player in 2020.
So to answer the posed question of “Is T2P enough to win Champs?”, the answer is a resounding no. While it’s true that the duo needs to be on their A-Game come event time, two players won’t be enough to cut it against a squad like Atlanta or Dallas. All five roster members need to be performing well all tournament long for the Huntsmen to stand a chance at capturing that elusive ring.
Images via Call of Duty League