CDL 2022: OpTic Texas Takes Top Spot; NYSL Continues to Plummet
It was the first week back after the first Major Tournament of the CDL 2022 season, and what a return it was. As we push on towards Major II, the teams competing in the Call of Duty League are feeling the pressure, and for some, it’s back-breaking rather than game-changing. This weekend, OpTic Texas stormed into the top spot in the Call of Duty League standings, pushing Atlanta FaZe out of the way – but only just.
At the other end of the table – just one spot from the bottom – sits the New York Subliners. As we entered the CDL 2022 season, there were high hopes for this team, which features the veteran abilities of both Clayster and Crimsix. However, after a few weeks in the competition, the New York Subliners have won just one match, and the players are nothing but frustrated.
Let’s break down the first weekend of the Rokkr Major Qualifiers.
OpTic Texas Wants The Smoke
Following a massive and decisive victory at the OpTic Major, OpTic Texas is out for blood. In the opening fixture of the second stage of this CDL season, OpTic handed LA Thieves an intense 2 – 3 loss, claiming a huge win and catapulting itself into the top spot on the table. By contrast, FaZe, another contender for the top spot, fell to the capable and dominant Seattle Surge. It was FaZe’s third loss of the season, which is more losses than they had in the entire spate of regular stages from the 2021 season.
Now, OpTic Texas must work hard to retain that top spot on the table, taking on Seattle, Florida, LAG, and FaZe before the next Major Tournament arrives.
Elsewhere in the competition, the London Royal Ravens persisted in a dominant streak, effectively wiping both the New York Subliners and LA Thieves this weekend. There can be no doubt that, following a terrible season last year, the Ravens are back in top form and are standing firm as a contender for the top spot. Bizarrely, on Sunday, Minnesota Rokkr had a tough time against Paris Legion, with SMG player Standy seeming to throw a Hardpoint showdown in the final seconds.
It was as close as it could have possibly been, and if Standy had remained on the objective, Rokkr would have won the round. While Minnesota went on to win the series 3 – 2, many were left questioning Standy’s performance, with some even throwing out allegations that won’t be repeated here.
At The Other End of The Spectrum
In recent weeks, fans of the New York Subliners have been lamenting a remarkably poor performance from the team. At present, NYSL boasts just one win in the entire CDL 2022 season, and just ten points overall. There’s almost no hope of the team regaining the ground already lost, and it’s having a drastic impact on the players themselves. For instance, Crimsix, who is, statistically, one of the greatest Call of Duty players of all time:
Paris Legion isn’t performing any better, carrying a current record of just one win to eight losses overall. As the tournament unfolds, there’s a desperate requirement to claw back some much-needed points for these teams, which, at the moment, make up the core definition of the term ‘underdog’. If you’re interested in Call of Duty League betting, there could be some money to be made, should these teams see something of a resurgence.