The final day of the Call of Duty League Florida Home Series was exciting for a number of reasons. With three of the final four teams having never progressed further than the group stage, a potential victory and a huge haul of points was on the cards while the Atlanta FaZe looked to assert its position at the top of the league table with a second event win.
OpTic LA overcome Toronto in thriller
Nobody expected OpTic Gaming Los Angeles to have such a strong showing just days after making a roster change. Historically, the honeymoon period for a Call of Duty team can lead to impressive debut performances and for the Green Wall, it looked like a potential victory was on the cards. Standing in the way was a Toronto Ultra team that had undergone a slight change too, setting the scene for an almighty showdown for a place in the finals.
Rammaza Hardpoint went in favour of OpTic LA, with Austin "Slasher" Liddicoat once again showing why he is one of the most formidable Assault Rifle players in the world. Known for their Search & Destroy prowess, the Ultra came right back at the Green Wall, winning Rammaza S&D 6-2 to equalise the series.
Gun Runner Domination could not have been any closer. With a handful of seconds left on the clock, Toronto opted for a one-flag hold while OpTic unleashed a relentless wave of aggression in an attempt to neutralise the flag in the dying seconds. Toronto held on to take the map 142-141 to take the series lead.
Gun Runner played host to the second Hardpoint game of the series and despite a different map, the result was the same. OpTic took the map 250-227 to take the series to a fifth and final map.
In a battle of the snipers between Brandon "Dashy" Otell and Cameron "Cammy" McKilligan, both teams traded round after round until the score was tied at five rounds each. The Green Wall managed to stand tall, taking Arklov Peak 6-5 and a hard-earned 3-2 win.
OpTic LA had now shown what they are truly capable of and it couldn't have come at a better time for a team that has been floundering near the bottom of the table for the majority of the season. Despite the heartbreaking defeat for Toronto, this was a great showing that the team can build on for future Home Series events. This won't be the last time that the Ultra will appear in Championship Sunday
Atlanta best New York
The Atlanta FaZe still had plenty of work to do if they were to take another win this season. Taking on a New York team brimming with confidence after bringing in Mackenzie "Mack" Kelley, defeating the Subliners would not be easy for the FaZe.
Gun Runner Hardpoint set the tone for the rest of the series, with Atlanta winning 250-222 to secure the early lead. Knowing Arklov Peak wasn't the best S&D map for the FaZe, New York bounced back with a 6-3 win to tie up the series once again. Heading into Gun Runner Domination, it would be a duel between the sub-machine gunners on both sides which would ultimately decide the winning team. Atlanta took the map 166-141 to edge towards another appearance in the finals.
Hackney Yard Hardpoint was the setting for game four and thanks to a last ditch dive onto the first Hardpoint hill by Lamar "Accuracy" Abedi, New York managed to take the series to an S&D showdown on Gun Runner.
Atlanta quickly asserted their authority on the map, trading effectively and reading every New York move like a book to win the map 6-3, booking their place in the finals.
A step back in time for the Final
It felt like 2015 with the two remaining legacy teams in professional Call of Duty, duking it out in the grand finals of a tournament once again. Could the win signify a remarkable turnaround for OpTic LA or was Atlanta going to secure their second Home Series win of the season?
Things started well for the Green Wall, taking Azhir Cave Hardpoint 250-232 thanks to an impressive slaying display from both AR and SMG players. Arklov Peak S&D hosted game two went all the way down to a round 11 decider, with both Dashy and Chris "Simp" Lehr trading the kill with the snipers, eventually leaving Atlanta star McArthur "Cellium" Jovel in a 1v2. Positioning himself next to the bombsite, Cellium managed to take down the remaining OpTic players to level the series at 1-1 and to give the FaZe an elusive victory on Arklov Peak.
With momentum on their side, Atlanta went on to take Hackney Yard Domination 170-149 to go within one map of another tournament win. Could OpTic force another game five?
The Green Wall certainly gave it their best shot but Atlanta managed to win St. Petrograd Hardpoint 250-232 to win the series 3-1 and the Florida Home Series.
Now with two wins, Atlanta now sit at the top of the table ahead of Dallas and Chicago who were not in attendance at the event. With solid performances from New York, Toronto and runners-up OpTic LA, only 20 points separate 6th and 11th in the table making every win in the next few weeks even more important.
The next Home Series event is Seattle, taking place from May 22nd-24th.
The second day of the Florida Home Series had its fair share of controversy alongside some surprising results. Check out all the action in this recap.
