CWL Pro League Recap: Opening Day, Division A
| Tags: Call of Duty
| Author Phillip Miner
The first day of the Pro League is complete, and we got a treat! Sibling rivalry was the highlight of the first match between Red Reserve and Reciprocity. Meanwhile, a stunning, unthinkable upset occurred between Midnight and OpTic Gaming, where Midnight proved themselves not to be taken lightly.
Match 1: Red Reserve vs. Reciprocity
For the first match, the stakes for Red Reserve and Reciprocity were evident right from the outset. Twin brothers Bradley “Wuskin” Marshall of Reciprocity and Matthew “Skrapz” Marshall of Red Reserve were interviewed on the main stage right before the match. Skrapz was the more animated of the two, taunting his brother Wuskin constantly throughout the pre-match interview. The difference in personality between the two was clear, but Skrapz proved to be the superior brother against Reciprocity in the end.
Skrapz was super aggressive in Round 1 Hardpoint. He made play after play as Red Reserve steamrolled over Reciprocity that round with a score of 250-93. Reciprocity had a chance to strike back against Red Reserve in Round 2 Search & Destroy, but it was not meant to be. A responsive Red Reserve quickly crushed an early lead from Reciprocity. They quickly adapted, and Reciprocity eventually folded as Red Reserve won the round 6-4. Reciprocity again attempted a comeback in Round 3 Control, but try as they did, Red Reserve always had an answer. Some late-game heroics by Skrapz’ teammates, especially Trei “Zer0” Morris, helped cement Red Reserve as the better team, as they won Round 3 Control by the slimmest of margins. Skrapz was clearly happy about the victory. However, he admitted in the post-match interview that he didn’t expect the match to be a 3-0 sweep in his team’s favor.
Match 2: Midnight vs. OpTic Gaming
Later, Midnight fought OpTic Gaming, and the impossible happened. Not only did Midnight defeat OpTic Gaming, but it was an incredibly impressive 3-0 sweep. OpTic Gaming looked like they had things under control in Round 1 Hardpoint. OpTic Gaming played their usual selves, but Midnight earned streaks late in the match, which opened the way for a last-second hardpoint capture. That enabled Midnight to win Round 1 Hardpoint 250-215 narrowly.
That round alone must have sent OpTic Gaming’s game plan into a tailspin, as they could not recover. Round 2 Search & Destroy was almost no contest as Midnight shut down OpTic Gaming early and often, ending the round 6-2. Round 3 Control was a straight-up disaster for OpTic Gaming. Midnight certainly played better than OpTic Gaming round, as careless mistake after careless mistake by OpTic Gaming allowed Midnight to sweep the round 3-0. Midnight not only came out swinging against OpTic Gaming, but knew exactly where to strike, and it proved fatal.
Tomorrow will hopefully bring us another electrifying night of competitive Call of Duty. No less than four matches are on the docket for tomorrow: Gen.G vs. Red Reserve, Midnight vs. Evil Geniuses, UYU vs. OpTic Gaming, and Luminosity Gaming vs. Reciprocity. Stay tuned to ESTNN for nightly recaps of what is proving to be a scintillating Pro League.
Phillip has been a freelance writer covering video games for over a decade. He's had video game articles published in places from local newspapers to The Escapist. Call of Duty has been a passion of his since the first Black Ops. You can learn more about Phillip on our About page.