Life After The Mainstage – What’s Next For The Pro COD Player?
After years of competing amongst the elite of the elite, playing for millions of dollars across numerous tournaments, the stress and sheer amount of game time that it takes to be able to perform at the top has finally gotten to you, and the desire to play is no longer there. This is a scenario that many pro Call Of Duty (CoD) players find themselves in at some point during their careers, and when that point comes, many players may still want to be involved in the scene in some way or another but don't know what options are available to them.
Content life
For the more engaging of pro players that have managed to build up a following on social media outside of the server, transitioning to content could be the easy option to take. In the past, players such as Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag, CEO of 100 Thieves, stepped back from the OpTic Gaming roster to pursue the content life after feeling he was burdened with the expectations of winning constantly. Not only does the stress of needing to stay at the highest level disappear with retirement, but the potential gains from streaming and gaining personal sponsorships can also be enticing, to say the least.
Players such as Seth “Scump” Abner, who recently was fined for doing a sponsored stream by the league, would no longer have any of these issues as he would, in essence, become his own boss.
Becoming a coach
Another clear transitional path that many retired players have chosen is to become a coach for a team. For players who feel their individual level is no longer at the required standard to help the team win on the scoreboard, but still feel they have something to add to a team, coaching is definitely the role for them. The best example of this is James “Crowder” Crowder. After retiring and taking over the coaching role of 100 Thieves, originally during Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4, leading the team to back-to-back titles, Crowder has been widely renowned as one of the best coaches in the game, and with his current role on the Atlanta FaZe, there is no reason why he can’t continue his career in competitive CoD for many more years to come.
Click to enlargeMuddawg
Eric “Muddawg” Sanders, whilst not being the most notable player in terms of individual performances in-game, has paved the way in many ways as to the number of careers available for former CoD players. Since retiring, Muddawg has held roles working with Activision as a QA tester and in-league admin, before switching to join as the 100 Thieves General Manager for the CoD team during Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4 season. Now he has returned to the 100 Thieves organisation as the General Manager for their CDL franchise team Los Angeles Thieves.
Joining the desk
For some players with good on-camera presence, the logical next step to take is to join the broadcast talent. This could be as an analyst, using their years of game knowledge to be able to add to the viewing experience by helping fans understand things they may not have without it being pointed out. Or the other option could be to jump into a casting role, bringing the hype to clutch situations and being the voice of competitive Call Of Duty.
The best example of a player who has made this transition is Joe “Merk” DeLuca. Since joining the desk, Merk became an instant hit with the fans, thanks to his likeable personality and veteran game knowledge, and since switching to casting alongside Clint “Maven” Evans, they have formed arguably the premier casting duo in the game.
Click to enlargeBehind the scenes
Probably the most unique career opportunity for a former pro player would be to join the game development team and help design the maps that not only the pro players will be playing on, but the entire Call Of Duty community. Whilst this isn’t a common opportunity, the one player that notably did take this route after his playing career was Raymond “Rambo” Lussier, current coach of Dallas Empire. After being a developer at Sledgehammer for close to three years and helping design maps on Call of Duty: WWII, it is safe to say that a career behind the scenes is definitely something that could be on the cards for future pro players.
Whether players still want to be directly involved in the scene, taking on a coaching or managerial role, or take a step back from the competitive scene completely and just make content around the game itself, the ever-growing market that is esports makes it that, with their experiences competing, it is unlikely that there will be a lack of opportunities after retirement from competing, meaning for the pro player - the life on mainstage never truly has to end.
Images via Activision | MLG