Yesterday Nadeshot took to Twitter to share his initial thoughts on the HCS Kickoff in Raleigh.
Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag has been an influential figure in the esports community, earning his fame through professional Call of Duty tournaments and YouTube. He is now the co-owner of 100 Thieves, an esports organization that has earned its stripes in recent years.
Nadeshot's thoughts on the HCS
It's been an eventful weekend thus far with the HCS Kickoff in Raleigh. This revival of Halo esports has been getting more popular by the day. Now, Nadeshot has given his hot take on Call of Duty League in comparison.
Yesterday he took to Twitter delivering a five-tweet thread detailing his thoughts and experiences while watching:
In the first point, he mentions that open bracket events are pivotal for an aspirational culture for amateur players. This means that these events are the sort that players looking to improve should look to attend. Not only does it give players a chance to network, but it also gives them a goal to aim for.
Amateur and open brackets matter
A lot of players who are on the outside of the competitive scene see something that they want to become. Especially true, with so many influential figures that they have been watching for years becoming heroes in their own right.
He also went on to say that Call of Duty waiting three whole months in between the release of Call of Duty: Vanguard and the first major Call of Duty League is one of the biggest mistakes they have ever made. That's not the end of his criticisms of the Call of Duty League either:
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343 and Competition as a core value
He said that competition needs to be a core pillar of development for Call of Duty dev studios, comparing them to how 343 Industries, the developers of Halo Infinite, always make sure that Halo needs to have not just a casual experience, but also a focus on the competitive end.
He added that weapon balance, map design, and equipment, all of which Halo Infinite has, make for a balanced game, and is in his opinion the only way to bring dedicated players back to the Call of Duty franchise in the most competitive gaming market in history.
He goes on to say just what 343 Industries excels at, that a game can be fun for both casual and competitive players, and that even then, decisions have to index towards competitive integrity, that balance and consistency not only breed competition, but also kindles players love and adoration for a title.
He adds that ranked playlists cannot be an afterthought in any first-person shooter and that ranked matchmaking should be the standard and default playlist. He also believes that casual and social playlists should be only secondary options in the UI/UX design.
Sympathetically, however, he does mention that as players and as members of the community, unless you have the experience, we cannot even begin to comprehend the complexity and difficulty of game development and that the stress developers experience not only from internal pressures, but external are most likely overwhelming.
Editor's opinion
The casual/competitive balance for Call of Duty has been severely thrown off, focusing on its casual side in Vanguard. Whereas in Halo it caters to not only the casual base but the competitive side as well. Halo has almost always been very good about making sure that ranked competitive play doesn't outweigh casual. And vice versa. It's which is one of the reasons why Halo has been so enduring as a competitive title, dating back to MLG.
For Call of Duty to flourish as it once did, it needs to take its multiplayer a bit more seriously and cater to all players of the community instead of just the casual base. A happy and healthy community means a happy and healthy game.
Please stay tuned to our website Esports.gg for the latest Halo Infinite news and highlights.
