Halo Legend Renegade Bombshells CoD Switch, Headlines OpTic Huntsmen Revival
In a surprise cross game leap, two time Halo World Champion Jonathan “Renegade” Willette is ditching arena shooters for Call of Duty, signing with OpTic Gaming’s revived Huntsmen brand to storm the Challengers scene. The bombshell dropped yesterday, marking Renegade’s first CoD return in a decade as he leads the squad into their debut at the North American Challengers Cup on December 6.
OpTic hasn’t fielded a Challengers team since their 2015 OpTic Nation squad in Advanced Warfare days, while the Huntsmen banner last flew in 2020 under NRG’s Chicago franchise. Now, with CoD’s tier two exploding over 120 teams battling for pro points and seeding into four massive 2026 Opens, OpTic is back nurturing the next wave of stars.
WELCOME TO THE @HUNTSMEN@Renegade_JW@NiumFPS@8Kips@Rspiii#BeTheHunter pic.twitter.com/x1WHHhF9WL
— OpTic (@OpTic) December 4, 2025
Renegade slots in with a hungry trio, Jeremiah “Nium” Harrison, Rspi, and Kips, fresh off stints with Stallions and Five Fears in Black Ops 6. This isn’t a solo stunt, Halo’s Kaci “Lqgend” Sabri just jumped straight to Vancouver Surge in the CDL, signaling Black Ops 7’s pull amid CoD’s revamped 2025/26 ecosystem.
Swapping Halo’s no respawn for CoD’s frantic objective respawns? Massive risk for the Halo legend. But with the CDL slimmed to just six LANs (Champs and Esports World Cup included), Challengers is the real grind poised to produce the next wave of pro. Renegade brings instant cred, potentially sparking more Halo to CoD exoduses.
Since: October 29, 2025
