In a surprising turn of events, FaZe Clan’s Call of Duty team has been eliminated from the qualifier tournament for the Call of Duty World League’s Pro League.
FaZe lost to French team Overtime Esports 2-3 in the second round of the Loser’s Bracket, a match the turned out to be a tight, back-and-forth affair that went the distance.
The match started with FaZe taking the lead after a 250-199 win on Seaside Hardpoint, but Overtime responded with a 6-3 win on Gridlock Search and Destroy.
Overtime would win their second map in a row, 3-2 on Arsenal Control, but FaZe forced a game five with a strong 250-112 Hardpoint victory on Gridlock.
With everyone on the line, Overtime proved to be the more clutch of the two teams and flexed their S&D ability with a 6-2 victory on Arsenal S&D.
.@FaZeClan NOT IN PRO LEAGUE.@Overtime_eSport take the series 3-2 and will be continuing on at the #CWLPS4 Pro League Qualifier! pic.twitter.com/DIQLEt3r4u
— Call of Duty World League (@CODWorldLeague) January 20, 2019
This result means that last season’s Pro League Season One champions will not participate in the premier competition of the Black Ops 4 season, and will instead be forced to compete in the Amateur Circuit.
While the prospect of FaZe not being in the Pro League is stunning, it does not come as a major shock to those who have been keeping up with the team’s performances so far this season.
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After a disappointing 13-16th placing at CWL Vegas, the org looked to quickly turn things around and moved to sign talented prospect Cellium, who had never competed professionally prior to joining FaZe.
Despite their new recruit’s high potential, the team struggled out of the games at the Pro League Qualifier, but eventually qualified for bracket play after some clutch victories in their final few Pool matches.
They were then defeated 3-2 by Excelerate Gaming in their first Winner’s Bracket match, which knocked them down to the do-or-die Loser’s Bracket, where they beat Tainted Minds 3-0 before coming up against Overtime.
What this ultimately means for FaZe’s roster remains to be seen, as it’s hard to imagine all five players will be content on playing at the amateur level for the rest of the season.
We could see the roster broken apart after what was such a promising WWII season, in which they won the first half of the Pro League and placed third at the 2018 CWL Championship.
For more information on the Pro League Qualifier, including the format, scores, brackets, and more, make sure to check our 2019 CWL Pro League Qualifier hub.