Seattle Surge: Turning The Tide
The first two seasons of the Call of Duty League (CDL) for the Seattle Surge franchise have been average at best. Throughout Modern Warfare and Black Ops Cold War, the team spent the vast majority of both seasons near the bottom of the league table, despite enlisting some of the most successful players ever seen.
Despite glimpses of brilliance, the Surge never managed to compete against the very best, cementing itself as one of the weaker franchises competing in the CDL. With the Vanguard season underway, it appears the Surge has managed to turn the tides on its recent misfortune.
The acquisition of exciting amateur talent combined with the leadership of a North American stalwart has transformed Seattle into a championship contender, much to the surprise of the competitive community.
Poor Decision-Making Left Lasting Impact
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The 2020 Seattle roster looked like a force to be reckoned with on paper. As soon as competition on Modern Warfare began, it quickly became clear that Surge had significant issues within the team, ultimately preventing them from achieving any kind of success in offline and online competitions. 2021 saw another roster overhaul but the switch to four-versus-four yielded similar results as Seattle settled in for another season of relative disappointment.
Towards the end of the Black Ops Cold War season, signs of improvement began to break through after managing to defeat Atlanta FaZe at the Stage 5 Major, but it appeared the shock result was a one-off. The past two seasons were some of the worst for any of the 12 franchises despite putting their trust in proven championship winners. Something drastic had to change.
New Talent Is The New Wave
It's safe to say that putting all of your faith in talent that can no longer keep pace with up-and-coming talent is a thing of the past. In a bid to swing the momentum, Seattle acquired Amer 'Pred' Zulbeari and Daunte 'Sib' Gray in addition to Makenzie 'Mack' Kelley and Lamar 'Accuracy' Abedi.
The choice to invest in Australian and North American talent has already paid off in spades. The explosive slaying partnership of Sib and Pred is the talk of the town, often dominating proven slaying combinations that have seen success in previous seasons. Their ability to fly at the opposition while utilising the mechanical nuances of Vanguard to their advantage has consolidated Surge's position as one of the very best teams in the entire league. Do more teams need to take notice of amateur talent on the verge of breaking into the highest tier of competition before they're overlooked?
The Importance Of Veteran Players
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While heavy reliance on veterans that have already seen success isn't a good thing, having one or two household names to mould young talent into competitive Call of Duty's next wave of potential icons is a smart move. Similar to the London Royal Ravens, Seattle acquired the services of Accuracy following a turbulent season on Minnesota Rokkr.
Accuracy is no stranger to competing at the pinnacle of Call of Duty esports. As a former member of a Team Kaliber roster that achieved plenty of success throughout 2017, the player has finally found their feet alongside plenty of talent hungry for success. Armed with gunskill that's difficult to match and the ability to clutch rounds from the brink of defeat, Accuracy is an extremely valuable asset to Surge as it continues its impressive resurgence in 2022. He may not have the most glamorous of in-game statistics but his in-game leadership in addition to his reliability with an assault rifle make him one of the most underrated talents in the CDL.
Can Seattle Surge Win Tournaments?
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If the early-season form is anything to go by, Seattle Surge joins a group of at least three teams battling it out for championship glory over the course of the Vanguard season. The team narrowly missed out on a surprise victory at the Kickoff Classic and since then, the momentum has continued to roll throughout the opening matches deciding the seeding for the first Major.
Aside from the ruthless slaying power, Seattle has managed to adapt to the pace of Vanguard extremely quickly, giving them an edge over teams that are still attempting to adjust to the frequent chaos of Bocage. If the team continues at this impressive pace, a championship victory is inevitable. Even if championship success doesn't arrive in 2022, the foundations have been laid for Seattle to make a lasting impact in the coming years.
Despite the level of competition being at an all-time high, the chances of Seattle finally climbing onto the top step of the podium have already surpassed the standards set during Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare. A championship win would confirm the changing of the tide and the start of an incredibly bright future for a team that has the potential to dominate over the course of the Vanguard season.