Today, the qualification stage for the Call of Duty League’s Major II tournament starts. It’s the bedding-in phase for one of the most highly anticipated Majors in recent years, and for good reason. It’s also something of an opportunity for OpTic Texas’ Shotzzy to redeem himself, many years later.
The Major II LAN is taking place in the United Kingdom, and it’s the first time that the Call of Duty League has come to the region since 2020. When Shotzzy last played on British soil, he gave a memorable interview that still sits with him today, but not for good reason.
The COD League Finally Comes Back to England
The United Kingdom has been crying out for a Call of Duty esports event for the longest time, and while they’ve had Warzone, they’ve always longed for a CDL event. In March, that’s finally happening, as DreamHack Birmingham plays host to the CDL Major II tournament.
It’s a monumental thing, and the hungriest fans in the nation will be sure to blow the roof off the place, given that it’s almost six years since the CDL last came to the British Isles.
In 2020, during the inaugural Call of Duty League season, Shotzzy, who at the time represented Dallas Empire, had an awful interview in London. It was dubbed ‘the most awkward esports interview ever’, and for good reason.
When I caught up with Shotzzy in Madrid in 2025, he told me that he had to ‘get his get back on that interview’. At the time, the Call of Duty League still had no plans to revisit the UK, but in recent months, things shifted, and the CDL is finally coming back to England.
Shotzzy went on to win the Call of Duty League Championship in 2020, securing himself as one of the GOATs of esports with a world championship title in two games in his pocket. He has since gone on to win another two rings in the Call of Duty space, becoming one of a few to win two years back-to-back, and he now flies the OpTic Texas banner.
Will Shotzzy have the opportunity to redeem himself on stage in front of a crowd of British Call of Duty esports fans? Let’s hope so.
Let us know what you think about the upcoming Major II tournament on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news about T1’s partnership with the Korean Navy
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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