A look back on the sensational playing career of Scump

On Tuesday, the world of Call of Duty was rocked by the sudden retirement of arguably it's greatest competitor; Seth "Scump" Abner.

While it had been known that Scump was initially looking to move away from competitive CoD at the end of this current CDL season, his announcement video, which was posted to both his YouTube channel and his Twitter on Jan. 17, came as a huge shock to the CoD community. Especially given that we have yet to reach the halfway point of the current CDL Season. So today, we thought it fitting to take a look back on the dazzling career of Scump, as we reflect on just how much of an impact "The King" made in the CoD community.

We begin our trip down memory lane with a brief look at the many accomplishments Scump has amassed over his 12-year stint as a professional Call of Duty player. This list is strictly centred around his tournament winnings as a Call of Duty player. Other accolades have been omitted.

As a result of his many accolades Scump retires as one of the winningest players in Call of Duty history. He stands as one of two players to have achieved 30 wins on LAN. A total second to his former OpTic Gaming teammate Ian "Crimsix" Porter. And while he may not have as many World Champions rings as the likes of Crimsix, Damon "Karma" Barlow or James "Clayster" Eubanks, all former teammates at one point, Seth status as one of the greatest players in CoD Esports history is undisputable. Backed up by this tweet from BrianStats1, which shows that Scump has managed an average overall placing Top 4 or above across 10 of the 13 titles in which he has competed in. A feet which very few players have managed to replicate.

Scump has also earned a staggering amount of revenue as a result of his high placings in online and offline tournaments. Amassing just shy of $1.2 million in prize money. He was also a member of arguably the greatest roster in Call of Duty history, the highly decorated roster of Scump, Karma, Crimsix, and Matthew "Formal" Piper. A team which managed to win a total of major titles and, including the fabled 2017 Call of Duty World Championship victory during the Infinite Warfare season.

It wasn't just Scump's dominance on the mainstage that made him such a beloved member of the CoD community. In fact, a sizeable portion of his fame came as a result of his notoriety as a content creator. Scump started his YouTube channel on Dec. 22, 2010. And has since amassed around 2.67 million subscribers and around 635 million views. He would later establish his Twitch channel which currently has over 1.4 million followers.

He was a particularly popular YouTuber during the release of Black Ops 2, first under the name "ScumperJumper." In an era that gave rise to many prominent content creators, Scump was certainly ahead of the curb when it came to his channel. Whether he was pub-stomping unsuspecting players or just having fun while talking to his viewers with his Live Commentaries, Scump never failed to show off his raw talent on the sticks. His most famous video being the "Sweatbannin - 88 - 0 Flawless" in which, as the title suggests, he managed to go through an entire public match without a single death. It was also during this period where Scump earned his infamous nickname "The King."

As CoD titles came and went, Scump continued to pump out content on his channel. Even when he was practicing for major tournaments he would always find ways to entertain and interact with his fans and the greater cod community. Something, as Seth notes in his retirement video, became harder and harder to do as the competition got better. Now that Scump is officially stepping away from the Esports side of CoD we will hopefully being seeing the "Ginga Ninja" back on the content grind soon. And from the sound of things, Scump has some big plans in store for his content.

Though it has only been a couple of days since Scump made his retirement announcement, it still has yet to sink in for many within the community. As many have stated on social media, Scump played a huge role in the lives of many people's childhoods. He touched the hearts of many throughout the years and has served as an inspiration for many aspiring CoD player.

For many, including myself, we have never really known a world where Scump wasn't competing in CoD tournaments. And while many have tried to honour, there are some things that cannot be described in a few words. We don't quite know what the future holds for Scump, and many will certainly be looking forward to witnessing this new chapter of his life. But, what we do know, is that the CDL mainstage will feel empty without Scump's presence.

And for those of us who have had the pleasure of following his career throughout it's longevity, all we can truly say is: Thank you Scump, for everything you have given this community.