After the announcement of OpTic Gaming and Team Envy merging to form the OpTic Texas Call of Duty League (CDL) franchise, there has been minimal information as to whether a potential buyer would be found for the 12th and final franchise slot for the top tier of Call of Duty esports.
A report by Dot Esports revealed that talks between the CDL and Washington Esports Ventures had fallen through but a new report from Sports Business Journal has revealed that the Kraft Sports Group owned by Robert Kraft are set to enter the league with a franchise of their very own.
Kraft Sports to Enter 2022 CDL
Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots NFL team, also owns the Boston Uprising Overwatch League (OWL) franchise, heavily suggesting that the city will be the next to receive a CDL franchise. The group has reportedly purchased the slot from Team Envy, which merged with OpTic Gaming earlier in the year.
The Kraft Sports Group will operate the franchise alongside North American esports organisation Oxygen Esports to operate the team. This news is certainly good news for the CDL, with many beginning to wonder if the 2022 season would start with 11 teams instead of 12.
The Vanguard season hasn't started as smoothly as many would've hoped for, with numerous in-game flaws causing Challengers competitions to be postponed while fans and CDL players patiently wait for any news regarding CDL events in 2022.
Boston CDL 2022 Team
Although nothing official surrounding Boston's franchise has been unveiled, the rumoured team has already been spotted practising against the New York Subliners. Here are the players that many predict will be representing the franchise next year:
- Anthony "Methodz" Zinni
- Carlos "Venom" Hernandez
- Thomas "TJHaLY" Haly
- Paul "PaulEhx" Avila
The rumoured lineup could well change but from the outset, this is a team with plenty to prove after being pushed aside during the off-season. With plenty of practice, this team could be a forced to be reckoned with.