OpTic Gaming has just rewritten the Call of Duty history books with a grand final performance that can only be described as ruthless. In a stunning 4 to 0 sweep, they crushed Vancouver Surge to become the champions of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at the Esports World Cup 2025. The crowd in Riyadh was electrified as OpTic lifted their first EWC trophy and sealed their place as the eleventh unique champion of this year’s world cup.
From the start of the tournament, OpTic Gaming looked determined. After finishing in the top four last year, the American squad came back hungrier than ever. This time, they were not just here to compete. They were here to dominate. And they did exactly that. Their run through the bracket was clinical, finishing strong with a flawless final performance against Vancouver the very same team they had already beaten at the Call of Duty League Championship just weeks earlier.
The stakes could not have been higher. Eighteen of the world’s best Call of Duty squads traveled to Riyadh to compete for the lion’s share of the $1.8 million prize pool. But only one team could take home the $600,000 grand prize, and OpTic Gaming left no doubt about who deserved it. With this win, they have officially qualified for next year’s Esports World Cup and added a second massive title to their 2025 trophy cabinet.
What makes this victory even sweeter is the journey it took to get here. After a rocky start to their season, OpTic made some bold changes to their lineup, bringing in Cuyler “Huke” Garland and Mason “Mercules” Ramsey. Those moves paid off big time. Both players delivered standout performances throughout the event, with Mercules stating confidently after the final, “We just honed in on our mistakes and made that look easy.”
But if there was one player who truly stood out, it was Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro. Named the SONY MVP of the tournament, Shotzzy’s game sense, reaction speed, and clutch plays were unreal. He walked away with an extra ten thousand dollars and a medal, but more importantly, he cemented himself as one of the deadliest forces in competitive Call of Duty. His own words summed it up best: “It feels like we are cheating at times.”
With one thousand Club Championship points added to their name, OpTic now sits in joint ninth place in the standings. But with more events still to come, they are in a prime position to climb even higher and chase a second top-eight finish before EWC 25 wraps.
The green wall is back, stronger and louder than ever. And if this performance is any indication, the rest of the world better watch out. OpTic Gaming is not done yet.
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