Monster Energy Launch Invitational Sets the Stage for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Season

Monster kicked off the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 season with our very own Monster Energy Invitational. The top names in the game put on a show, and at the end of the day, OpTic Texas stood tall once more. 
 
Our launch invitational was electric, with upsets happening early and often. From Boston Breach taking back-to-back losses, to Riyadh Falcons getting knocked out by the CDL Challengers squad Team War, there was no easy path into the deep rounds of the bracket.  
 
Young stars stepped up to the plate, powerhouses were toppled, and a blueprint was set for the year to come. All of that was just the tip of the iceberg of an incredible event. Let’s take a look at the teams and storylines to watch as CDL action kicks off in the second week of December.  

Teams To Watch 
 
One thing is crystal clear in the aftermath of our tournament: OpTic Texas is still the team to beat, coming off their record-setting streak to end Black Ops 6. Still Orgless (now Paris Gentle Mates) answered the call at every turn, forcing the back-to-back champs into a winner-takes-all Game 7, where the Green Wall eventually slammed the door in an expertly played Search & Destroy.  
 
There’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said about their miraculous end to Black Ops 6. This team has been unstoppable since Mercules, the wunderkind who brought OpTic out of its worst slump ever, emerged from Challengers and turned the organization’s prospects on their head. The launch invitational was no different. All in all, the defending Champs cruised through the upper bracket. No team could steal a map away from them until Gentle Mates broke their streak in the Grand Finals. 

 
The scariest part for other teams may be Huke’s utter dominance. His Grand Finals total of 117 kills, 1.31 K/D Ratio, and a 75% Non-Traded Kills makes him a contender for Best SMG in all of Black Ops 7. He was ahead of the game for much of Black Ops 6, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be slowing down anytime soon.  
 
As for the biggest surprise of the event, that honor has to go to the aforementioned Paris Gentle Mates. Led by former Los Angeles Thieves duo Ghosty and Envoy, the French brand put itself firmly on the CDL map ahead of official action. Sib and Neptune round out the squad, and their premier playmaking ability has shown up in a big way. Look for them to score some huge wins early in the year thanks to their remarkable consistency.  
 
The big question for this unit will be sustained success. Neptune peaked at the right time in Black Ops 6, powering his squad to a close contest with OpTic Texas at the CDL Champs Grand Final. Can he maintain that level of execution all year in Black Ops 7? More importantly, can Envoy and Ghosty shake off the ghosts of their pasts and redeem their shocking losses at both Champs and EWC to end the year? Their odds look good as of now, but we’ll have to keep watching to be sure.  
 
Another young team to keep an eye on is the new-look G2 Minnesota. Estreal’s team had an up-and-down year in Black Ops 6. A late surge wasn’t enough to qualify for CDL Champs, and the young star was left watching from the sidelines. This year, with several new faces around him, things look to be turning around.  
 
Skyz’ veteran AR presence is a huge stabilizing factor early in the game, and league newcomer Mamba is showing flashes of greatness in every series played so far. Kremp, like Estreal, is also rebounding from an underachieving year with Cloud 9 NY. These four didn’t quite have the gas to knock off the surging Gentle Mates in the lower bracket semifinals, but they are a team that can get hot in a hurry, and some early success might be just what unlocks them going forward.  

Early Underachievers

Things weren’t so bright for traditional powerhouses Los Angeles Thieves and FaZe Vegas (formerly Atlanta FaZe). Both teams entered Black Ops 7 with new rosters, and both teams took earlier exits than they would’ve liked. For Thieves, some questions remain about their ability to gel with Kenny and aBeZy taking over for Ghosty and Envoy. Scrap and HyDra remain formidable on the slaying front, but early struggles closing out Hardpoint maps will be something to keep an eye on moving forward. 
 
FaZe has similar questions to answer. Simp and Drazah picked up 04 and Abuzah to fill the dynasty-sized gap left behind by the outgoing Cellium and aBeZy. In theory, bringing in half of last year’s Champs and EWC runner-up, Vancouver Surge, should have been an immediate upgrade given FaZe’s own stumbles at the two biggest tournaments of the year. Yet, a 2-3-5 loss to G2 Minnesota saw them bow out in the lower bracket quarterfinals, just one round later than Thieves.  
 
Both of these squads have more than enough firepower to set things right, but after lackluster results on the biggest stages, both fanbases are hungry for more wins. The key for Thieves? Kenny must return to championship form. He is one of Call of Duty’s premier shotcallers, and when he’s at the top of his game, very few can stand toe-to-toe with the two-time World Champion. Modern Warfare 3 showed us all that he still has gas left in the tank, but he’ll have to dig deep and get back to that level of play sooner rather than later for Thieves to find their peak.  
 
Likewise, Simp needs to reach a level of individual success similar to his World Championship-winning performances in Black Ops 4 and Black Ops Cold War for FaZe Vegas to be a top contender. He has lived at the top of the game for most of his career, and with two consecutive years of early Champs exits, the pressure is mounting to return to the upper echelon. If either player finds that level, you can bank on success following close behind.  
 
That’s all she wrote on the Monster Launch Invitational. Thank you to all the participating teams, especially those from the Challengers ranks, for making this an event to remember. Congrats again to our winners, and we wish you all the best of luck in the upcoming season.  
 
Be sure to tune in to catch all of these teams battling for seeding supremacy ahead of Major 1 at Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas, on January 26th.