In an electrifying start to the competitive season, OpTic Texas, the reigning champions of the Call of Duty world, claimed victory at the inaugural Black Ops 7 tournament. The team secured their title with a hard-fought 4-3 triumph over Still Orgless in the gripping grand final of the Monster Launch Invitational.

This victory not only showcased OpTic Texas’s skills but also earned them a significant prize of $25,000 in the pre-Call of Duty League 2026 online event, which featured 16 talented teams and was sponsored by Monster Energy.

OpTic Texas entered the final match with considerable momentum, having decisively defeated Still Orgless 3-0 earlier in the upper bracket final. However, Still Orgless, a team made up of talented free agents, rebounded by edging past G2 Minnesota 3-2, setting the scene for an exciting rematch against the formidable OpTic squad led by Anthony «Shotzzy» Cuevas-Castro.

The grand final was a showcase of skill and strategy, beginning with OpTic taking the lead in the opening Hardpoint round. Still Orgless quickly retaliated, winning the subsequent Search and Destroy match, thus establishing a competitive back-and-forth that culminated in a nail-biting Game 7 showdown on the map Scar.

As the final map reached a tense 2-2 tie, Cuyler «Huke» Garland from OpTic executed a remarkable 1v3 clutch, propelling his team ahead and shifting the momentum in their favor. Despite another strong effort from Still Orgless that leveled the scores at 3-3, OpTic Texas surged ahead in the final rounds, securing a 6-3 victory in the decisive match and sealing their championship status.

Huke’s impressive performance in the final match was pivotal, leading the team with eight kills and four deaths, while both Shotzzy and Mason «Mercules» Ramsey contributed significantly with eight kills each.

Before reaching the finals, OpTic Texas displayed dominance throughout the tournament, achieving four successive 3-0 sweeps against teams like the Stallions Red and Carolina Royal Ravens. Meanwhile, Still Orgless also made waves, defeating top contenders like the Miami Heretics and LA Thieves during their impressive journey to the final.

With the Monster Launch Invitational concluded, anticipation now turns to the CDL Stage 1, set to kick off on December 5, 2025, leading up to the Stage 1 Major scheduled for late January through early February 2026. The competitive excitement within the Call of Duty community shows no signs of slowing down.