Another piece. The puzzle is coming together for the 100 Thieves Call of Duty roster with the newest addition of Octane, the former main AR for OpTic Gaming.
In contrast to Kenny and Fero, Octane has been a staple of the scene for the last four years. Breaking out in Advanced Warfare, Octane rose quickly to his top AR status in the first two events of Black Ops 3, winning the Totino’s Invitational and UMG South Carolina with Rise Nation. After leaving Rise for Luminosity before Infinite Warfare, Octane would go on to win MLG Anaheim and place third at the 2017 Call of Duty Championship. After leading a potential juggernaut team at the beginning of the Call of Duty: WWII season, Octane’s career has taken a few sharp turns. However, as the newest addition to 100 Thieves, it’s important to see how he got here.
Luminosity Gaming
Boasting a roster of veterans JKap, John, Slacked, and aforementioned Octane, LG looked like one of the scariest rosters in the scene. After a disappointing 7th/8th finish at CWL Dallas, they worked their way into the Grand Final of the next event, CWL NOLA. Unfortunately, they fell short to a red-hot Team Kaliber. LG would go on to be a consistent presence near the top, with two third-place finishes and an event win at CWL Birmingham. However, as soon as things began to turn up for them, CWL Seattle would break them.
Luminosity walked into Seattle, heads held high, then proceeded to come last in their pool. Forced to fight through the loser’s bracket, they managed a disappointing 7th/8th finish. Immediately after their exit, Octane was approached by Scump and Crimsix of OpTic Gaming to build a new squad. Octane took the offer without a second thought, and OpTic went on to trade Formal to LG in exchange.
OpTic Gaming
Joined by WWII standout Methodz, Octane felt the pressure of the Green Wall’s high expectations. They stormed to the top of their division in Stage 2 of the CWL Pro League, although they could not manage a finish higher than 5th/6th at CWL Anaheim. Many noted the standout play from Octane and Methodz, although they were criticized for not playing well as a team. Going into Stage 2 Playoffs, Optic gunned for the top spot. They would lose their first two matches and tie for last.
Utterly defeated, OpTic retreated home to practice for COD Champs. Although their year disappointed many, they knew it could be erased with a win at the biggest tournament of WWII. OpTic even lessened the pressure they put on themselves, saying “Top 6 or better. Anything higher is a blessing.” They started Champs well in their pool, winning their first two matches with relative ease. However, they still had their hardest match to follow: Evil Geniuses, led by the infamous OpTic killer, Aches. OpTic was in a rather niche situation. If they won their match, they would advance and eliminate Evil Geniuses. If they lost 3-2 or 3-1, OpTic would advance and eliminate Evil Geniuses. The only scenario where OpTic faced elimination was if they lost 3-0. Optic lost 3-0. Evil Geniuses went on to win the tournament.
100 Thieves
After the Call of Duty Championship, the futures of Octane and Methodz were uncertain. Although they had been standouts, their play styles seemed to clash too much with the way Scump and Crimsix wanted to play. One quiet morning, Twitter blew up. Octane was dropped. Immediately following the news, the 100 Thieves Twitter made an announcement.
Announcing the third member of our professional Call of Duty team.
Welcome to 100 Thieves @Octane_#100T #HonorAmongThieves pic.twitter.com/03slQM62fU
— 100 Thieves (@100Thieves) September 1, 2018
Three down, one to go.
There are four defined roles in Call of Duty esports: main sub, support sub, flex, and main AR. Octane plays exclusively main AR, and Kenny plays exclusively main Sub. Fero played both support sub and flex for Team Kaliber alongside Kenny, so the search for the fourth player of 100 Thieves narrows down to players of two roles. With many free agents available, Nadeshot’s last choice leaves everyone on the edge of their seats. If Octane surprised the world, we haven’t seen anything yet.
