The winners of the Stage 3 Major, Atlanta FaZe, have opened up their title defense in Stage 4 with a win against Paris Legion. Atlanta faced Paris, who are fresh off a roster move, in the first match of the OpTic Chicago Home Series earlier today. While FaZe were able to win 3-1, the match was closer than many assumed it would be. FaZe play again on Sunday versus OpTic Chicago.
Paris decided to move on from Nick “Classic” DiCostanzo after his dreadful Stage 3 performance. This, in conjunction with London making a roster change, led the Legion to sign Alex “Zaptius” Bonilla, who was released from the Royal Ravens. At first, this move didn’t seem like it would tip the scales for Paris. After a close series against FaZe though, the scales might’ve tipped more so than previously thought.
Atlanta FaZe defeat Paris Legion at Chicago Home Series
Atlanta came into this match with the most confidence of anyone in the CDL. They just won the latest Major and clearly have the most complete roster in the league. However, that didn’t stop Paris from putting up a fight on every map.
The first Hardpoint saw Paris lose, but not by much. FaZe only won after a monstrous hold on the last point, decimating the Legion as they tried to extend the map. Chris “Simp” Lehr was at the center of the decimation, showing he’s still one of the best SMGs in the CDL.
📝 THAT IS HOW YOU HOLD A HILL!@SimpXO | #EZAF pic.twitter.com/q0sS5gvExu
— Call of Duty League (@CODLeague) May 27, 2021
The second map is where things got interesting. Standoff was played for the first time since 2013 after it replaced Checkmate Search and Destroy earlier in the week. Legion wiped Atlanta 6-1 on this map.
Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson joked about their deficiency in the map in his post-match interview. When asked about what FaZe practiced since the Major, he laughed and said: “Obviously not Standoff, holy ****.” He went on to explain why the team struggled so much. “It played differently in scrims, so it was kind of weird for us. I think we’re getting it down, hopefully I can get one more kill,” referencing his 0-6 performance.
That map was the high point for Paris, as it was their only map win. The boys in red took the next Control and Hardpoint – which they won much easier than the previous Hardpoint. It’s unclear if this was a fluke, or if Zaptius can truly improve the team.
Against a weaker opponent, Paris could see better results if they continue to play at a high level. Perhaps with Zaptius in the lineup, the rag-tag roster of Paris can finally begin to win matches consistently and make a run for champs.
As for FaZe, they’re looking ahead to their match against OpTic Chicago on Sunday. When asked if he had a message for his old teammates at OpTic, Arcitys stated: “I love those guys, they’re still some of my best friends, I’m still horny for Formy.”
