Dallas Empire down Atlanta FaZe to capture first-ever CDL Championship
DALLAS (BVM) — Some of the best moments in sports have been upsets. That is what 330,000-plus concurrent viewers witnessed Aug. 30 during the Call of Duty esports championship match.
“What an epic finale to an amazing Call of Duty League Championship Weekend,” Johanna Faries, commissioner of the Call of Duty League, said after the Grand Finals match. “Congratulations to the Dallas Empire as the league’s first-ever champions, to the entire Envy Gaming organization, and the great city of Dallas. You all earned the glory with a dominating performance today. Thanks as well to all of our 12 CDL team franchises for making this inaugural season so successful, exciting, and memorable.”
Dallas was led by Ian “Crimsix” Porter, who is now a three-time world champion after defeating Atlanta FaZe in the best-of-nine series. No. 1 seeded Atlanta had been a problem for Dallas all year as they won five of the six regular-season matchups.
The day before the finale, Dallas beat Atlanta, 3-2, to advance to the Grand Finals, but they proved to be the better team on championship Sunday. Crimsix, who was named the Grand Finals MVP, played arguably his best Call of Duty all season.
“Going from one of the most difficult points in my life at the start of the year to today. I couldn’t ask for the end result to be any better. I didn’t care about my legacy, prize money, or the game. I was pissed off for greatness,” Crimsix posted on Twitter.
Slander thrown on my name since day 1 of this season. Against all odds, I proved myself right. Method to the madness. Winning can be consistent. @DallasEmpire pic.twitter.com/NYgCtOD65p
— Crimsix (@Crimsix) August 31, 2020
Playing smart the whole series, Dallas was able to stay motivated and stay on the same page. Out to prove they belong, the Empire’s starting five had their personal motivations.
Crimsix, who is known for his competitive drive and consistent play, wanted to show he could be a great teammate. The 19-year-old stars, Indervir “Illey” Dhaliwal and regular-season MVP Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro, wanted to prove they could compete for an elite team. Cuyler “Huke” Garland also wanted to justify he could win a Call of Duty competition.
James “Clayster” Eubanks, 28, the oldest player in the league, wanted to solidify his legacy when his former teammates didn’t pick him up after winning the 2019 Call of Duty World Championship with eUnited.
Using the final month of the regular season, the Empire roster accomplished their goals.
Many tuned into the Empire’s championship performance. Also tuning into the championship match was musical artist Post Malone. He became part owner of Team Envy, the parent company of the Dallas Empire.
Happy to announce i’m now part owner of @DallasEmpire
Let’s take this throne and win these playoffs:) pic.twitter.com/5Fz282Xeot— Post Malone (@PostMalone) August 28, 2020
After defeating a team like Atlanta, there will be a target on Dallas’ back when the 2021 season rolls around. But for the rest of the league, the scariest thing that the Empire has in their back pocket is their staying power.
Dallas can return the winningest-player-ever and its two young stars. They can also return Eubanks, who is aiming for a three-peat.
Having built an empire already, Dallas’ next step is to establish themselves as an esport dynasty.
Poppin bottles 🍾🍾🍾#CrownedVictorious pic.twitter.com/v2hnGdjvBm
— Dallas Empire (@DallasEmpire) August 31, 2020
