The Most Prolific Snipers in the Call of Duty League
Snipers in Modern Warfare can be hugely effective, with many teams adopting at least one sniper in Search and Destroy, but who's the best?
Jonno Nicholson
31st May 2020 17:00
With Modern Warfare opting for a much larger map design than in previous years, the sniper rifle has become an increasingly influential part of the competitive metagame. On maps such as Piccadilly, Arklov Peak and sometimes Gun Runner, nearly every team has a designated sniper who is looking for information regarding how many players cross to a particular side of the map and is aiming to pick off the opposing sniper in order for their teammates to execute a play.
The risk of running a sniper rifle as opposed to another SMG or AR can be risky, especially on maps which favour close-quarters engagements but the reward of getting some early kills to open up the round far outweighs the risk of being caught out with a weapon not capable of short-range engagements.
Search & Destroy is the only place where you’ll likely find two players duelling with either an HDR or an AX-50 but in previous titles, some players have used it in opening strategies for Hardpoint with mixed results.
Here, we take a look at the five best players to wield a sniper rifle in the CDL.
#5 FormaL – Chicago Huntsmen
Widely regarded as the best console FPS player of all time, Chicago Huntsmen player and 2017 world champion Matt “FormaL” Piper is no stranger to using a sniper rifle in the heat of battle. Often swapping the sniper with teammate Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson, FormaL may not use a sniper as regularly as previous games, but he is still one of the very best to do so.
Where some snipers opt for an aggressive strategy in order to secure the kill, FormaL’s style of sniping is much more traditional, holding a position for a prolonged period of time and waiting for the opponent to make an error.
The more traditional style of using a sniper may not feature as heavily as it once did but there are several players that opt for this strategy and still have a significant impact on the game.
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#4 Dashy – OpTic Gaming Los Angeles
Before he became a member of the OpTic Gaming Green Wall, Brandon “Dashy” Otell was known for being a high-impact player with the sniper rifle. Having shown is capabilities during his time on Complexity back in 2018, Dashy has continued to scope his opponents with ease ever since.
Dashy has always been in the conversation as one of the best snipers to grace Call of Duty. His ability to find unorthodox angles to exploit with extreme accuracy often sets him apart from others trying to counter his style of sniping.
Now a household name and often found with a sniper in his hands for OpTic LA, Dashy continues to be one of the most consistent snipers in the game despite some hot competition from several other players.
#3 GodRx - Minnesota RØKKR
Since finishing fourth at the Black Ops 4 world championships, Adam “GodRx” Brown has risen into Call of Duty’s elite thanks to his ruthless aggression with an M4A1 Assault Rifle and expert precision with the AX-50.
Often billed as the key ingredient for Minnesota Rokkr's recipe for success, GodRx often has the ability to turn a round on its head thanks to his efficiency with a sniper.
#2 Simp – Atlanta FaZe
In the current competitive landscape, it looks like there is nothing that 2018 world champ Chris “Simp” Lehr can’t do. His outright speed with an SMG counteracts the passive nature of using a sniper but Simp adds a splash of flamboyance, using his speed and lightning fast reaction times to take out opponents.
Black Ops 4 was the first time that we got to see Simp showcase his talent with the sniper. At the world championship, his supreme movement and reaction times showed that aggression can sometimes pay off when using a sniper.
It’s hard not to talk about the best snipers without mentioning his name as he cements his position as one of the best players in the history of the esport despite only being in his second year of professional competition.
#1 Wuskin – London Royal Ravens
The release of Modern Warfare has seen a new wave of players assert their place at the very top of the competitive Call of Duty mountain. Royal Ravens' AR slayer Bradley “Wuskin” Marshall has done just that, often showing why he’s considered to be one of the very best M4 players in the world.
Alongside his role as the main AR on the team, Wuskin has become a prolific sniper throughout the Modern Warfare season, frequently getting the upper hand over some of his more experienced opposition.
Consistently performing with the HDR, Wuskin has asserted his dominance throughout the league, allowing his gameplay to speak for itself. From a statistics point of view, during the Seattle Home Series, Wuskin managed an incredible 29 snipes, with the rest of the entire league only managing 30. Just shy of 50% of all snipes, Wuskin led his team to their first final in Modern Warfare and has to be held as the best sniper in the league.
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Image via Activision
About The Author
Jonno Nicholson
Jonno is a freelance journalist at GGRecon, specialising in Call of Duty and its esports scene. His work can also be found on Esports Insider, Gfinity, Millenium, and a range of other esports publications.