It was an exciting offseason for Anthony “Methodz” Zinni for a number of reasons. After leaving the Toronto Ultra, he soon found himself in discussions to start for Washington DC’s would-be Call of Duty League team. But that never came to pass after the Washington Justice ownership group pulled out of the negotiations in Nov. 2021.
“When talks fell through with Washington I was kind of accepting that I may not be a competitor in the league again,” Methodz said.
The opportunity to sign with Boston was a last minute relief that led him to return to his first Major LAN after three years. However, a number of other major changes could be coming for Methodz. Microsoft’s near $70 billion dollar acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the Call of Duty League’s parent company, could change the way Call of Duty is developed and how the league is run.
The Microsoft acquisition brings change to Call of Duty, Methodz
The deal won’t close until sometime in 2023 at the earliest, so it’s far too early to know how exactly Call of Duty will change. It’s reported that fans won’t see an annual release in 2023 and that the franchise could switch to a multi-year development cycle.
“I’m not exactly sure what the Microsoft deal entails, but Call of Duty is one of those powerhouse games. You never know what direction Call of Duty is going to go,” Methodz said, before adding that his team’s focus is on Vanguard. “We’ll worry about the next iteration of Call of Duty when we get there.”
Methodz echoed sentiments shared by a number of players, including Jamie “Insight” Craven, the guy who replaced him on the Toronto Ultra. Call of Duty has always changed — whether that be new in-game systems and game mechanics like jet packs, new tournament formats and franchising or a different game studio players must communicate with from year to year — and it’s almost impossible to stay ahead of it.
“Formats will change. The league and publisher will always make those decisions,” Methodz said. “They try their best to include players and organizations, but at the end of the day they are the governing body that makes those decisions. We deal with cards we’re dealt.”
Despite being one of the people most impacted by the direction of Call of Duty, Methodz’s primary focus was on someone else.
“If I had it my way, I just want to appeal to the fans,” Methodz said. “I’d make sure every fan enjoys the CDL and gets to watch their favorite team.”
All Methodz did ask for was consistency — consistency with the publisher, developer and technical state of the game when it launches. He wants a system that will guarantee fans don’t see the same problems that came up with the initial launch of Call of Duty Vanguard.
“The game has its problems, it’s stuff we had to deal with it,” he said. “I think the team at Sledgehammer are doing their best to work as quick as possible to give us a better product. It’s tough. These guys get a lot of flak, but they have a ton to deal with. They are filled to the brim with tasks.”
Boston Breach head to their first official Major
Methodz currently finds himself as the face of the newest team in the Call of Duty League. The Boston Breach, made up of rookies Kenyen “Capsidal” Sutton and Dylan “Nero” Koch alongside veteran Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly, head into Texas with a 2-3 record during the Stage I qualifiers.
Methodz viewed himself as the face of the Ultra when he lived in Toronto and now he’s found himself headlining a new team closer to his New Jersey roots. He didn’t have official say in the roster process, but he gave his two cents to coach Zach “Zed” Denyer and general manager Denholm “Denz” Taylor.
“I would say I’m the IGL. I think I’m a little inconsistent at it right now and my frustration comes out, but it’s all from a place of passion,” he said as Capsidal and Nero laughed in the background of the Zoom call. “I try my best to be vocal. I think TJ steps up from time to time. Cap and Nero don’t f***ing speak much.”
His leadership style is more about pushing the guys outside the game than taking complete control within it. He promotes a “look good, feel good, play good” mindset that’s about mental health and taking care of yourself. Something he’s tried to champion himself after becoming what he calls a “steamer-player hybrid.”
Methodz’s Twitch streams have blown up over the last year, in part due to his fun personality during Grand Theft Auto sessions in addition to show matches with OpTic Texas‘ Seth “Scump” Abner and Thomas “ZooMaa” Paparatto. More than a 1,000 average viewers tune into his practice sessions and other broadcasts. Those viewers kept him going after he lost his starting role in the league.
“It was a lot of uncertainty and the stream was my saving grace,” he said. “At the end of the day, I knew I’d have success in the streaming space.”
Big thanks to @Chrisgronkowski and @ggronko from @iceshakerbottle for stopping by and showing love to the team on the big day! 🧊💪#BostonBreach | #IntoTheBreach pic.twitter.com/lWllt27SdS
— Boston Breach (@BostonBreach) January 21, 2022
Methodz and his team take on Atlanta FaZe at 4:30 pm ET on Thursday on the official Call of Duty League YouTube Channel. The New Jersey-native said he expects his fan base to show up in Arlington, just like they did at the Kick Off Classic in January. He knows he’ll hear his name being chanted, no matter what team he’s taking on.
“I’m not looking forward to playing any one team,” he said, adding that people want to see him play his former team, Toronto. “[Almost everyone in the league] kind of grew up together. We all navigated this crazy world together.”
However, that close bond won’t save them when they load in across the map from him. Methodz keeps to himself before matches, trying to amp himself up to take down whoever gets in his way that day.
“Everybody I’m playing is an enemy at that point,” he said. “No matter how close we are, for that hour we play, I leave it all out there.”
