OpTic Gaming and Envy have always been rivals in Call of Duty, though the Green Wall may have a new rival to watch out for, with the LA Thieves stealing the spotlight in 2021’s hottest game.
There has always been one constant in the Call of Duty scene. If OpTic and Envy are square, everyone agrees. The ‘eClasico’ has long been one of the biggest showdowns in all esports. But with the dawn of a new competitive season, could it now be time for another historic rivalry?
With Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez and the power of the Green Wall helping Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ The Hague become the cultural icon he is today, the rich history between the two CDL franchise owners cannot be denied. After a years along the sidelines, Nadeshot’s LA Thieves finally got the chance to steal the show and maybe steal some of OpTic’s momentum in the process.
Can OpTic have new competitors for the coming year? Is this highly anticipated clash going to be Call of Duty’s next indispensable match? Only time will tell how these emerging feuds will develop, though no two teams have the potential to capture the entire sports community in 2021, just like OpTic Chicago and the LA Thieves.
H3CZ and Nadeshot: the friendliest of competitors
H3CZ and Nadeshot were cut from the same cloth because they are both very passionate fans of their own organizations.
It is almost impossible to think of the CDL brands without thinking of the faces behind them. While current owners of their respective organizations, the sports trips of H3CZ and Nadeshot have now been intertwined for more than a decade.
OpTic Gaming was the first Call of Duty team to ever represent Nadeshot on a professional level. It is the pillar in the history of the esports that he helped build during a six-year competitive career as captain. It was the foundation from which he became one of the biggest stars in the gambling industry.
Nadeshot and H3CZ were inseparable during the early rise of OpTic in the esports industry.
Since leaving in 2015, Nadeshot has been repeating the success on 100 Thieves and now, the LA Thieves CDL franchise. Although the pair have been inseparable in the past, in 2021 they will both reach the top spot in different teams.
Both are extremely competitive, but we have rarely seen the competitive advantage come out against each other. Their teams made their League of Legends debut side by side in 2018 and faced off several times throughout the year. Meanwhile, we only had one year to enjoy the game in Call of Duty.
Each time they met, however, it felt more and more important. The last time they were against each other happened to be the highest point: in the 2019 Champs Finals in the Champs Series.
100 Thieves got the best of OpTic for most of 2019.
A 3-0 whip for the thieves is how their final showdown in Call of Duty came to an end. Because we know how important Champs are to everyone involved, especially H3CZ, there is no chance of loss to this day.
Now both owners have brought their presence on the scene back to life, and both are ready to swing out with who they believe are the best players in the world. No matter how many times they meet in 2021, and whoever does not emerge victorious every time, all eyes will be on H3CZ and Nadeshot.
Dashy’s golden opportunity against the thieves
2021 is Dashy’s chance to rectify the injustice from the first CDL season.
2020 was not the sequel Dashy had hoped for after a breakout year in Black Ops 4. His initial performance with OpTic was full of extraordinary highlights and notable performances, but it all crashed with the release of Modern Warfare.
As franchising took hold of the scene, Dashy was left behind while OpTic moved to a completely different entity. Since H3CZ has now expanded the Huntsmen brand under NRG, Dashy has done everything in his power to be trade past. Unfortunately, it was not in the cards. Despite the fact that he allegedly threatened to bank himself, he was re-signed to a spot in OGLA.
What followed was a turbulent year during the first CDL season with Dashy reluctantly playing alongside new teammates in SlasheR, Kenny and JKap. Poor placements during early meetings caused Dashy to move to the bench, with little hope of turning things around.
2020 was a difficult year for Dashy who spent a good time on the OGLA bench.
Cut to 2021, a year predicted by H3CZtransformativeFor Dashy. Now the stage is ready for the ultimate return in every sense of the word. Not only does he have the chance to meet his 2019 hype, but he will be able to do so against the roster that apparently held him back in 2020.
When OpTic Chicago takes on the Los Angeles Thieves in 2021, it will take on Dashy’s former teammates. He has the chance to wipe the slate clean against the thieves.
We could be in a different cycle with the Black Ops Cold War, though oppressive victories over SlasheR, Kenny and TJHaLy during the season could rekindle his star force. Not to mention, Dashy also has a history with Temp, as he teamed up much earlier in their careers.
On the other side of the coin, LA, which trumps its rivals in Chicago, would just add fuel to the fire. While friends are outside the foyer, there is no denying that the trash between cards would be on a different level, given the history between players.
TJHaLy’s revenge on OpTic
TJHaLy now finds himself against former OpTic teammates Scump and Dashy.
Although each player from both sides has their reasons to win, TJHaLy can have a bigger fire under him than anyone else. When the CDL came into operation, he also stayed behind with Dashy.
Things did not quite break for his first year in the league, and now the iceman is completely separated from his former teammates. There’s no more Scump next to him on stage, and Dashy no longer makes him online.
For once, he’s on the other side of the aisle.
Again, he’s close friends with everyone outside the game. But if it’s time to load up against OpTic, you can be assured that TJHaLy will have an extra motivation.
He will try to prove that he is a top player without them. That he can achieve the highest rankings of the CDL in spite of that. Ultimately, his team is stronger than theirs.
TJHaLy will try to prove himself against his former OpTic teammates.
Making a statement and trying to overthrow the current OpTic series would be a storyline to watch throughout the year. Questions will be answered while the spotlight shines on TJHaLy to outperform its former competitors.
As some spices have added to the game, no one can forget how 2020 for TJHaLy came to an end. The loss of a fifth game, round 11 1v1 against Envoy, definitely stung. TJ now has the opportunity to move past the low point and prove himself as a cut above Envoy and OpTic.
While H3CZ tends to promote Empire of FaZe as their biggest competitors for the year, there is no denying that OpTic Chicago has an unmatched feel to it against the LA Thieves. With their legion of fans, it will captivate the community every time, unlike any other game this year.
It just so happens that fans do not have to wait long to see their first expectation. The CDLs Kick-Off Classic brings us six opening games from January 23rd to January 24th. Our first preview of the new eClasico concludes the show as the thieves are ready to try to enlarge the Green Wall.