Team WaR owner explains why top CDL Challengers roster might be leaving

One of the most successful Call of Duty Challengers squads is looking for a new organization to represent as Team WaR’s owner has explained why keeping the roster under their banners just wasn’t possible.

While the Call of Duty League’s amateur counterpart has franchise teams promoting prize pools of over $10,000 regularly throughout the season, one of the top Challengers teams has been forced to explore new options.

As former world champions like Christopher ‘Parasite’ Duarte slam the new format, and highlight how Challengers is already failing due to the costs associated with backing any given lineup, Team WaR’s owner has explained why the org might be done with Call of Duty in 2020.

Katy Eyre/ESPAT Media

There have been four Challengers events thus far in 2020.

Team WaR’s Challengers run saw them finish third out of 168 teams at the Launch Weekend Open in Minnesota, place fourth at the CDL London Open, and most recently, walk away with a first-place finish at the CDL Paris Open.

Accumulatively, the squad earned a total of $31,000 in just a matter of months, but according to org owner Kevin ‘Surge’ Pichardo, the ends do not appear to justify the means as the team is now looking for a new place to call home.

“The boys want to go to every tournament in North America. They just came out of a win so they definitely want to continue that run,” he explained throughout a bittersweet announcement on March 3.

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“But from an org standpoint, for us personally, it ‘s out of our realm. It’s not in our budget to fly them out to every event because it’s very costly when you’re flying over a UK team to the States.”

With 13 international events lined up in the calendar year and only two of those upcoming events taking place in Europe, it’s a great deal of travel for the org to cover without reaping much return in the way of tournament winnings.

“I proposed [to] them what we can offer them, it’s just a matter of if they find a better opportunity that will let them go to every tournament,” he explained. “I don’t want to hold the boys back and doing this is players first. I want the best for them.”

The roster is looking for an organization that will be able to financially back them, yet if that doesn’t come to fruition, it appears as though they will stick to their roots and continue on with Team WaR sending them to select events when possible.

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“Not going to lie to you guys, this is hitting me hard,” the owner expressed on his personal Twitter shortly after the announcement. “F**k man. I might be off the radar for a bit but you know where to find me if you need me.” 

“I hope it ends up working out and we reunite for the rest of the year. I’ll be their number one fanboy for the rest of the year regardless of if they’re under the WaR umbrella or not.”

There’s no denying that the move has come at an emotional cost as the roster just brought Team WaR its very first overall win at the CDC Paris event.