It was just 20 years ago we were collecting baseball cards and idolizing professional sports players, or Setting our dreams at a young age to become the best hitter or quarterback the world has ever seen. It’s 2018 now and the sports world has an “E” in front of it. Esports is now a household name and gamers in every household can name their favorite pro players from their favorite leagues. Big stages, bright lights, cameras everywhere and a production quality second to none. In 2018 new dreams are forged and one of those is “I want to be a Call of Duty World League Champion”.
The path of a champion, no matter what your skill level, is one of the greatest grinds in existence. Long hours of grueling training, no pay, team instability, or simply trying to turn a dream into reality with sometimes no hope.
“For the players it’s all about knowing the game, watching the pros play they know it best. – Trei “Zero” Morris of Red Reserve
Words like these can only give an up and coming player hope for so , long there must be a “path”. It all starts with you! You as a player need to be in habit of a “getting comfortable being uncomfortable” that drives a pro Esports player to do just a little bit more than everyone else, to go a little harder, shoot a little more accurate, make that extra sacrifice, etc. These pro Esports players are never satisfied with simply doing a good job. They are always looking for some type of competitive edge, for a better path, or a new shot angle that the opponent doesn’t know about. Simply put, these players don’t just do their best, they win because they do whatever it takes!
You may not have the cleanest shot. You may not have the fastest reaction time. You may not have been blessed with the same natural talent as your opponent. You most likely don’t have the high caliber training facilities or great coaching that your competitors have. Your technique may be out of style. You may get less sleep on the road because you can’t afford a decent hotel. All this notwithstanding, you can still become a champion and out-compete your opponents. You must be willing to do whatever it takes to get there, including playing through “Open bracket”.
“There really isn’t that big of a difference between a player in open bracket and a player like, me other than the time I put in and the way I utilize my time. So, if you’r e good at time management, know what your issues are, and you can self-critique which is probably the number one thing in competitive Call of Duty. Take criticism well and be able to critique yourself, if you can do those things you will be good to go” – Sam “Octane” Larew of Optic Gaming
Call of Duty World League (CWL) offers anyone the opportunity to become a champion with its “Open Bracket” system. This system allows any team to register for a CWL event in the “Open Bracket” stages without any pro points, giving a chance to play in pools which could in the best-case scenario lead to winning a championship. Approach this part of the path with caution and you will see great stories arise like TJHaly’s aka Rise Teej, who now is a star player and champion for Rise Nation.
“I was in open bracket through all of Ghosts. I usually made it out of “Open Bracket” but I think one event I didn’t. It’s definitely a grind because it’s best of three so its hard to make it and easier to lose matches. It is a little fluky a bit, but yeah, the open bracket was not a good time when I was in it back in Ghosts. Thomas “TjHaly” Haly of Rise Nation
Coming up through the woodworks is never a good time! “Open Bracket” may be the roughest path to becoming a champion with a smaller chance of winning a set and more sets to win. Longer hours create more fatigue and interrupting your focus. No fans cheering you on to help offset mounting frustration stemming from every small mistake. You can’t just do your best to become a champion you have to do what it takes. In the end “ Open Bracket” gives you that light of hope to make your dreams a reality. It’s in this small moment of hope where you need to seize the day on a large-scale stage! Will you be on the path to becoming a CWL champion?
