From fellow Call of Duty League competitors, to commentators and team owners alike, the Call of Duty community came together to express their emotions after a heart-wrenching series saw Preston ‘Prestinni’ Sanderson take his first win over twin brother Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson.
In the semi-finals of Atlanta’s homestand event, brothers were lined up against one another for the first time in the Call of Duty League as the Chicago Huntsmen squared off with the Florida Mutineers.
Having teamed together in every year of their competitive tenure until the CDL started, even raising the Champs trophy together in 2019 under eUnited, this series marked the very first time Prestinni played against twin brother Arcitys, and the community came together during the emotional showdown.
Ultimately, Florida proved too strong for Chicago in the semi-final matchup as they completed the reverse sweep and took down the CDL London champions.
An emotional post-match interview with the twins had both players struggling to remain composed on-stage while friends and family looked on in tears.
“He’s my twin brother, we’re the closest people we have in our lives,” Prestinni said while trying to fight back his own tears. “I don’t want to go into detail but it’s an amazing feeling. To be underrated all this time and do something major without him and prove that I don’t need anyone in particular, is a really good feeling.”
Reacting to his team’s heartbreaking defeat, Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez didn’t comment on Chicago’s shortcomings at the event, nor did he comment on their performance in that particular series. Rather, he encapsulated his feelings by simply stating it was a “beautiful moment.”
Brotherly love.
It's more than just a game. @Arcitys @Prestinni pic.twitter.com/DogkylKOiz
— OpTic Texas (@OpTicTexas) February 23, 2020
Beautiful moment.
— OpTic HecZ (@H3CZ) February 23, 2020
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Having just commentated over the lengthy series alongside Joseph ‘MerK’ DeLuca, Clint ‘Maven’ Evans expressed how he “couldn’t be happier for Prestinni” to pull off the upset. “Love that guy. An amazing win for Florida.”
Former Call of Duty coach and caster Matthew ‘Mr X’ Morello also chimed in and shared his appreciation in the moment, outlining how the twins were “two of [his] favorite players to ever cover.”
Taking a more sarcastic approach, a number of players and commentators shared their thoughts on the emotional family affair.
“If my brother said that to me we are going backstage and having a 1v1 and he’s 100% getting Batista Bombed,” Bradley ‘Wuskinz’ Marshall joked, knowing all too well what it is like to compete against his brother on the biggest stages.
What a series. I couldn’t be happier for Prestinni. Love that guy. An amazing win for Florida.
— Clint "Maven" Evans (@Maven) February 23, 2020
Two of my favorite players to ever cast/cover @Arcitys and @Prestinni , amazing players and competitors ❤️
— Matt Morello (@MattMrX) February 23, 2020
If my brother said that to me we are going back stage and having a 1v1 and he’s 100% getting Batista Bombd
— wuskin (@wuskinz) February 23, 2020
Reflecting on Chicago’s performance in Atlanta, Arcitys explained how he felt “uncomfortable all weekend. So f** sloppy, it’s embarrassing. Just pathetic.”
It’s only a matter of time until these squads face off once again and Arcitys gets a chance at revenge over his twin brother. Both Chicago and Florida will be in attendance at the Dallas Empire homestand event on March 28, where the teams could line up for a second time this year.