Elites Of The Week – Champs Weekend
The Dallas Empire have overcome all challengers, and are your Call of Duty League 2020 Champions. Three home series wins, home of the first MVP, and now the inaugural season champions, the Empire are the best team in Call of Duty. With an incredibly dominant 5-1 win over the Atlanta FaZe, Dallas's lineup of James "Clayster" Eubanks, Anthony "Shotzzy" Cuevas-Castro, Cuyler "Huke" Garland, Indervir "ILLeY" Dhaliwal, and Ian "C6" Porter have etched their legacies into the storied history of Call of Duty esports.
It's without out a doubt that the Dallas Empire are the elites of the week, overcoming every obstacle to sit atop the league. The focus has to be on these five players, and how each of them contributed to their team's success, and what this win could mean to their legacies as players.
Click to enlargePrestige – Crimsix (C6) becomes the undisputed GOAT
With this win, Crimsix solidifies his reputation as the greatest Call of Duty player of all time. 30+ major championship wins, one of the first console esport players to win over one million dollars in prize money, and consistently at the top in multiple CoD titles, C6’s legacy is matched by only a select few across any game. The crowning as the MVP of the post-season was just the icing on the cake to engrave the story of a true star of an esport. A fitting deity to be worshipped by an Empire, he’s the backbone of Dallas and one of the greatest players to touch the game.
Royal Roader Extrodinaires – iLLeY and Shotzzy’s Debut Dominance
A term that originates from South Korean esports, a 'Royal Roader' is a rookie player who wins a championship/major tournament in their first appearance or attempt at the trophy. Both iLLeY and Shotzzy made their Call of Duty championships debuts this season, making them one of the handfuls of players to pull off a Royal Road in Call of Duty esports, and in an elite club of players from across multiple games.
Shotzzy’s praises have been sung, especially after the hype of winning MVP. In the finals, his fast, aggressive, and pestering play is what always kept Atlanta from having a stable round, or it’s what kept Dallas in the series. He played like a maniac, and provided further proof for his crowning as MVP.
On the other hand, iLLeY can be the most overlooked member of the Empire, but he’s been a core piece for the roster since the start. He played big in the finals against Atlanta, especially in game six, where he had the highest K/D on the map, and was continually helping Dallas maintain an edge. An incredible feat that Dallas won a championship with two rookie players on the roster.
Click to enlargeFinally at the top – The grind pays off for Huke
Huke is a player with a long history in Call of Duty, much like many of his counterparts. However, unlike some of the more popular and successful players in the league, Huke has never been able to claim a trophy as his own. He’s been there though, way back in the Advanced Warfare days he played in the finals against his current teammate Crimsix in the MLG World Finals 2015. Since then, Huke hasn’t seen a lot of success across the multiple titles, but now, he sits atop of the world on the best team in Call of Duty, and a standout player to boot. When the going gets tough, Huke is there to round out his team to be the fifth man that brings the power, and brings the force. After such a long and tenured history without a title, Huke finally has a championship to his name.
"THREE, THREE" – Clayster's pop-off and Call of Duty Infinity Gauntlet
Clayster's on-camera pop-off at the end of the series against Atlanta is one for the ages. After a win like that, who wouldn't be cheering along with him, as this storied player claimed his third championship. While Crimsix stands at the top, Clayster isn't further behind, with his storied history, incredible play throughout all the years, and his gauntlet run through multiple high profile Call of Duty teams. The Thanos of CoD - no one else can say they have has many wins under as many teams as Clayster has. OpTic Gaming, compLexity, Denial Esports, FaZe Clan, Eunited, and now the Dallas Empire - the first champions of the CDL. If Crimsix is a god, then Clayster is the king of the empire, securing his crown by committing regicide and eliminating his former teammate, and now the former CoD king, Chris "Simp" Lehr, in the finals against Atlanta.
Long live the new rulers of Call of Duty, the Dallas Empire.
All images courtesy of Major League Gaming | Activision