The Best Substitutes in the Call of Duty League
For 2020, it’s all change for Call of Duty esports. A brand-new city-based franchised league featuring new brands and new rosters all primed to begin competing on Modern Warfare. One of the biggest and perhaps unnoticed changes to the esport is the introduction of mid-series substitutions. Teams now have the option to change players in the middle of a series, meaning that the role of a substitute is now greater than ever before.
With the majority of franchises having confirmed their starting line-ups and substitutes for the inaugural season of the CDL, here are three substitutes that I think could have a massive impact when bought into a game.
1. Tom “Tommey” Trewren – Dallas Empire
The Dallas Empire is arguably the top team in the CDL based off online performances and practice. Featuring the likes of 2015 and 2018 world champion James “Clayster” Eubanks and 2014 and 2017 champion Ian “Crimsix” headlining the team alongside three extremely talented young players.
The former Team Reciprocity player has been a cornerstone of European Call of Duty for several years and is still able to compete against the new wave of young talent breaking through into the elite level of CoD esports. As one of two players to compete at every single million-dollar tournament dating back from 2011, Tommey is a great player to have ready to compete in either Search & Destroy or if the Empire is trailing in a series and needs a drastic change to turn the tides of the game.
2. Jordon “General” General – Chicago Huntsmen
With the involvement of OpTic Gaming founder Hector “Hecz” Rodriguez, the Chicago Huntsmen has quickly established itself as the fan-favourite team in the league. With Pierce “Gunless” Hillman and Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson joining the T2P duo of Seth “Scump” Abner and Matt “FormaL” Piper, this team is certainly capable of contending for tournament wins this season.
Perhaps one of the most underrated players of the 2018/19 season, General was one of the strongest players in the flex role for an Enigma 6 team that constantly improved as the season progressed. The end result was a strong fourth place finish at the 2018 Call of Duty world championships.
If any one of the starting five of the Huntsmen is underperforming during a game, having General waiting in the wings to fill any gap that is needed makes him a very valuable piece of the Huntsmen jigsaw this season. I expect to see him making a few appearances this season.
3. Dylan “Madcat” Daly – London Royal Ravens
Click to enlargeLike Tommey, Madcat is a veteran of Call of Duty esports and one of the most recognisable faces from Europe. With plenty of experience competing at the top level, Madcat is going to be an indispensable part of the Royal Ravens team for the 2020 season.
Despite a turbulent Black Ops 4 season, Madcat ended it strong with a top 24 finish at the world championships, taking down North American powerhouse Gen.G in the process.
As one of the strongest boots on the ground players in the world, Madcat excels when it comes to slaying and will be one of the better players armed with an M4A1 assault rifle this season. If any of the starting AR players aren’t pulling their weight in a respawn game mode, Madcat certainly has what it takes to swing a match in favour of his team. It will also be interesting to see how he and the London Academy team perform in the Path-to-Pro circuit too. Perhaps his performances in the open tournaments will earn himself a place in the starting line-up? We will have to wait and see!
Main image via Tommey | Instagram