Back on top – Atlanta FaZe cruise to CDL Minor I victory

Joey Carr

Joey Carr

Atlanta FaZe are still the class of the CDL.

It's safe to say the demise of Atlanta FaZe was greatly premature. While the reigning EWC Champions struggled mightily in the Major I qualifiers during December, they have seemingly found their championship form. Atlanta FaZe took home the CDL Minor I victory after starting as one of the lowest seeds in the tournament.

Many thought this online tournament would be the final straw for Atlanta's core roster, which consists of Cellium, Simp, and aBeZy. All players had been underperforming from the start in Black Ops 6, leading to a 1-3 record in the Major I qualifiers. While FaZe is still technically at the bottom of the standings following Minor I, they're clearly still one of the best teams in the CDL.

Atlanta FaZe defeat Carolina Royal Ravens to win CDL Minor I

FaZe begun the weekend with an easy win over the Miami Heretics, who had been making some noise in scrimmages over the holiday break. However, the Heretics couldn't overcome the slaying of Atlanta and bowed out in four maps. Minor I was a single-elimination tournament from the start, so this was Miami's only match.

In the quarterfinals came the true test for FaZe: a matchup against the LA Thieves. The Thieves were hands down the favorite to win Minor I after showing out in the qualifiers and dismantling most teams they played. Perhaps it was the momentum for FaZe or some rust on the side of LA, but this one really wasn't close. Atlanta won in four maps again and the Thieves looked outclassed for a majority of the match.

Before the match against Atlanta began, LA came under scrutiny for not wanting to stream their scrimmages against OpTic Texas, who has now made the decision to stream all of their practices. This led to the Thieves canceling the scrimmage altogether, which looks like a bad decision in hindsight. Perhaps in the future, LA won't miss the chance to practice against a top team regardless of whether a stream is on or not.

On the last day of Minor I, Atlanta faced off against the red-hot Minnesota ROKKR, who were coming off back-to-back reverse sweep wins. While the ROKKR made things extremely close with FaZe, the plucky roster couldn't come up clutch in the map five Search and Destroy. Still, ROKKR fans should consider this tournament a positive, as they showcased how good they can potentially be.

Finally, the grand finals of CDL Minor I consisted of Atlanta FaZe and the surprising Carolina Royal Ravens. Carolina was just coming off a temper-flaring match against OpTic and had yet to lose a match in Black Ops 6.

While the Ravens gave it a strong effort, FaZe was too much in the end. Cellium went off in the grand finals, posting a 1.52 KD across all three game modes. However, it was aBeZy who took home the MVP award of the tournament, as his dominant slaying was a constant in every match FaZe played.

This tournament will certainly stop the alarm bells being rung around Atlanta FaZe. The sky isn't falling and Cellium, Simp, and aBeZy, along with Drazah, will continue to be a force in the CDL regardless of what game is being played. For the Minor I victory, Atlanta earns 30 CDL Points and $20,000.

Next up for the CDL is a return to the Major I qualifiers, which start back up on Jan. 17, 2025.

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