OpTic Texas Clinches Historic Back-to-Back CDL Championship Victory

Image: OpTic Texas

In a thrilling finale to the 2025 Call of Duty League (CDL) season, OpTic Texas has etched its name into the history books by becoming the first team to win back-to-back CDL Championships. The team took down Vancouver Surge 5-3 in a fiercely contested Grand Final held in Kitchener, Canada.

A Final Worthy of the Stage

Heading into the final, OpTic Texas had blazed through the upper bracket without dropping a single map, brushing aside FaZe, Ultra, and Boston Breach.

Vancouver Surge, on the other hand, clawed their way through the lower bracket after an early loss to Miami Heretics. Their remarkable comeback run included wins over LA Thieves, Toronto Ultra, and the Heretics again, earning them a hard-fought ticket to the final showdown.

The Grand Final kicked off with OpTic taking a confident 250-151 win on Hacienda Hardpoint, led by Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro and Cuyler ‘Huke’ Garland. But Vancouver quickly responded, delivering a perfect 6-0 sweep in Search and Destroy on Dealership, thanks to Jordan “Abuzah” François’s standout showing.

The back-and-forth continued throughout the series. OpTic edged out Protocol Control in a five-round battle, then won another closely fought Vault Hardpoint, pushing their lead to 3-1. But Surge didn’t go quietly—they clawed back with a clutch win in Search and Destroy and leveled the series again with a 3-2 win on Control.

Still, OpTic had one more gear left. They answered with a commanding 6-2 win in Hacienda Search and Destroy, and finally sealed the championship with a 250-215 victory on Rewind Hardpoint. Strong map control and team coordination carried OpTic over the finish line, making them the first team in CDL history to secure consecutive championships.

Record-Breaking Performances

Beyond the title, the weekend was packed with record-setting achievements. Mason ‘Mercules’ Ramsey, playing in his first Champs, took home the MVP award after delivering one of the highest kill-death ratios in Champs history—surpassing even the legendary Matthew ‘FormaL’ Piper’s performance from 2017.

Shotzzy made history too. As spotted by Esports Insider, he became the youngest player to win three Call of Duty world championships at just 23 years old. Add his Halo World Championship to the mix, and it’s safe to say he’s on track for esports greatness.

Coach Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow also notched his fifth title overall—three as a player and now two as a coach.

Meanwhile, the win gave Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell and Huke their second championship rings, further.

CDL’s Biggest Event to Date

According to data from Esports Charts, this year’s CDL Championship shattered viewership records, peaking at over 353,525 viewers—beating out Stage 3 of CDL 2023 and becoming the most-watched CDL event ever. It is the fourth-most-watched Call of Duty event of all time by peak viewership.

What’s Next for the CDL?

With the 2025 season now in the books, eyes are turning toward the upcoming Esports World Cup, where top CDL teams including OpTic Texas will compete in the final event of the Black Ops 6 competitive cycle. After that, attention will shift to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and the inevitable wave of roster changes as teams prepare for the next chapter.