Mercules just secured his first ring in the Call of Duty esports scene in the fastest time ever, going from Challengers to Champs in just a couple of months. He managed to break into the biggest stage in the Call of Duty space and dominate, going on a dramatic upper bracket run with OpTic Texas that saw the squad refuse to drop a map until hitting the Grand Final.
At just 21, Mercules has become a Call of Duty world champion, and he did it after grinding with this refreshed OpTic roster for just a few weeks. I caught up with Mercules and the team after the win in Canada to talk about the season that we now leave behind.
Here’s the full video interview:
‘They Could Hang in the CDL’
Earlier this year, LA Thieves’ Envoy made some inflammatory comments about the Challengers circuit, suggesting that there’s no talent to bring up into the CDL, and that when they do come up, they’re often ending up ‘dead last’.
Many have slammed these comments as deeply ironic, as the LA Thieves wound up in last place at COD Champs and were eliminated without winning a series.
Mercules came up from Challengers just a couple of months ago, filling in for a spot on Toronto Ultra at Major 3 when Beans couldn’t secure a visa to play in the United States. He was then picked up by OpTic, and the rest is history.
Given his recent proximity to Challengers and his incredible success of late, I asked Mercules how he feels about the comments that Challengers players can’t make it in the Call of Duty League:
I feel there’s definitely some Challengers that could hang in the CDL and do good, you’ve just got to find them. Not everyone is going to come in and fry (Dashy: ‘… and win Champs MVP.’)
Dashy’s comment earned a laugh in the room, and he made a good point. Merc’s performance is one in a million, and it could be a while before we see anyone come close to replicating his impact in these last few weeks.
Did you enjoy COD Champs? Let me know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming esports, check out Shotzzy’s comments on the FPS GOAT debate
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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