Dallas Empire Team Profile

Owned by Envy Gaming, a name that transcends the history of Call of Duty esports, the Dallas Empire franchise has acquired a roster containing four world championship rings, a wealth of experience and a potentially limitless skill ceiling. The starting roster consists of James “Clayster” Eubanks, Ian “Crimsix” Porter, Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro, Cuyler “Huke” Garland and Indervir “iLLeY” Dhaliwal. The substitutes are Tom “Tommey” Trewren and Paul “Tisch” Tischier.

Huke: A Year for Redemption

Since returning from a brief stint competing in Halo, Huke made his long-awaited return to Call of Duty at the beginning of the World War 2 season where expectations were very high of the young talent. Success has been few and far between since his return to CoD, with the highlight of the Black Ops 4 season being a fourth-place finish at CWL London.

Now with a new team and on a brand-new title, Huke will be intent on reaching the levels that earned him the title of “young god” back in 2015.

Shotzzy & iLLeY: How Good Can They Be?

The partnership of Shotzzy and iLLeY is nothing new considering they have been competing alongside each other for the past year in online and third-party tournaments. There is a lot of hype surrounding these two players and it’s going to be very interesting to see what they are capable of throughout the duration of the Modern Warfare season.

Shotzzy is no stranger to success having won the 2018 Halo World Championship. Since making the switch to Call of Duty, Shotzzy has been playing with iLLeY meaning the chemistry between the two is already there, certainly making them a formidable partnership even before a map has been played.

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Due to being underage last season, iLLeY was unable to compete at any CWL events on Black Ops 4 but despite this, he was still placing well in online and third-party tournaments, building his name as the next hot property in Call of Duty esports. As the unknown entity on the Empire, is he as good as everyone says he is? How will he perform at his first major event? We will get the answers to these questions as the Empire begins their CDL campaign at Minnesota on January 24th.

The partnership between these two have done very well online but the real question is if they can transition those performances online to the main stage. They are certainly going to be very exciting to watch and see them develop over the course of the year.

Crimsix & Clayster: Back In Action

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For the first time since the MLG Fall Championship in 2013, Crimsix and Clayster will be competing on the same team. As one half of the dominant Complexity dynasty team, the two formidable slayers are heading into the Modern Warfare season looking to prove that the “old guard” of Call of Duty players can still contend with the young stars that have broken through into the top level in recent years.

Despite a tournament victory at CWL Las Vegas, the Black Ops 4 season for the CrimBot wasn’t the best due to underlying team issues hindering any chances of success for the rest of the season. Looking to bounce back with a vengeance, Crim is definitely going to be one of the many players to keep your eyes on during the CDL season.

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In contrast to Crimsix, Clayster had a phenomenal Black Ops 4 season under the eUnited banner. Taking the gamble on investing on young and unproven talent paid off in spades for the CoD esports veteran, finishing no lower than the top six throughout the season. Ending the season earning a second world championship ring, Clayster may be pushing 30 years old, but he is still more than capable of competing at the highest level.

Team Overview: Championship Contenders

If online practice is anything to go by, the Dallas Empire are definitely in the conversation to be champions this season. The combination of youth and experience is certainly a strong one if last season is anything to go by. Having Crimsix and Clayster there to guide Shotzzy and iLLeY is going to be invaluable for the duo that has such a massive skill ceiling.

The real question is Huke. Can he get back to winning ways with some strong level performances? Or will he be the first to make way for either Tisch or Tommey who are eagerly waiting on the substitutes bench to make an impact. We will have to wait and see.

Images via Dallas Empire