LA Thieves Release SlasheR, John, TJHaly, And Venom
After a year of chops and changes with not much to show for it, Los Angeles Thieves have released four members of their roster, including two of their original starting lineup.
Austin "SlasheR" Liddicoat, John "John" Perez, Thomas "TJHaly" Haly, and Carlos "Venom" Hernandez, have all left the organisation, as LA Thieves will look to revamp their roster and cement some more solidity to the team.
As former Call of Duty world champions, SlasheR and John were the only two to end the season in the Thieves starting roster, where their Champs run ended in a whim with a first-round exit at the hands of Minnesota Rokkr.
TJHaly and Venom both found themselves on the substitutes bench for the climactic event of the season, after the LA Thieves made a range of changes in their SMG roles. Zack "Drazah" Jordan was often the outperforming player in the role, consistently being a starter in the side whose inconsistencies were critical to any success.
Whilst John, TJ, and Venom all posted some great individual performances, LA Thieves now look set to throw their hands back into the pool or talent waiting to be secured in the off-season.
John's return to competitive Call of Duty was a steady progressive climb - after taking a year break due to health issues. The 2016 champion is regarded as an all-time top-five SMG player and could use his reputation to land a spot on another CDL roster, possibly alongside unrestricted free agent and former partner Bryan "Apathy" Zhelyazkov.
TJHaly has been linked with a return to OpTic Gaming, prior to reports of a merger between the Green Wall and Envy's Dallas Empire. Following the departure of Dylan "Envoy" Hannon, TJ was discussed amongst names to pair with Seth "Scump" Abner, although it now appears that the remaining OpTic roster will be combining with Dallas Empire's prodigies.
As for LA Thieves, SlasheR's departure opens the door for the possible return of Sam "Octane" Larew, whose competitive prowess and content creation attributes will likely appeal to Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag. Octane could be reunited with Kenny "Kenny" Williams, who won championships together for 100 Thieves in the Black Ops 4 season.
Over in the SMG department, both Drazah and Cuyler "Huke" Garland have seemingly kept their place, with the latter looking to put a troubled season behind him and return to the heights of Call of Duty esports.
Thieves face stiff competition from an array of teams looking to strengthen and mount a challenge to knock Atlanta FaZe from their perch.
