Note: Until this news is officially confirmed by Optic Gaming, all info is considered to be rumored.
Optic Gaming is undoubtedly about to move through some major changes, with roster rumors beginning to circulate immediately after captain Will “BigTymer” Johnson announced his retirement from competitive Call of Duty. With him remaining as coach, obviously the community has started to make speculations as to who would eventually fill his spot as the team’s fourth. However, just after UMG Philadelphia, it seems that Optic will be going through some other major changes, but nothing has been officially revealed.
Things are changing, yes. But not all change is bad. You’ll get your answers tomorrow, my friends. Until then, enjoy your night! #GreenWall
— Nadeshot (@OpTic_NaDeSHoT) January 7, 2014
From the reaction in the community, it seems that more changes outside of BigTymer’s retirement will be taking place. Seth “Scump” Abner has apparently made his way back home, reassuring fans on Twitter that he has not been dropped, however, many people are speculating that he has mysteriously left the pro roster. No concrete info has been revealed.
Didnt get dropped, like i said, you’ll know everything tomorrow — Seth Abner (@OpTicScumpii) January 7, 2014
Despite the fact that no news will be shared until tomorrow, an article on The Daily Dot revealed some interesting information regarding the Optic brand, and suggests that it may be expanding into other games outside of Call of Duty. It’s unknown whether this is part of Optic’s big announcement or not. The article addresses the issue of Quantic Gaming CEO Simon Boudreault’s mysterious disappearance which forced the organization to crumble.
Bernie Catalan, the team’s chief operating officer, addressed the issue of Quantic’s destruction, revealing that he had been in negotiations with numerous eSports organizations to find a new home for his players.
Although Catalan reached out to major teams like Liquid and Na’Vi, only three returned his calls: Optic, a major Call of Duty team aiming to branch out into new games; Complexity, a multi-gaming organization that purchased a Counter-Strike squad from Quantic in August; and Roccat, a hardware company interested in directly sponsoring an eSports team.
Whether this information is true or not, it still doesn’t approach the subject of how it would influence Optic’s Call of Duty roster, but it does seem that Optic will definitely be making some changes and advancements in the near future. Matt “Nadeshot” Haag released another cryptic tweet after addressing “change” stating that they are trying to make the best of a bad situation. What kind of changes do you see Optic Gaming making?
Not trying to leave you guys in suspense, just not my time to speak. All I can say is that we’re turning a bad situation into something good
— Nadeshot (@OpTic_NaDeSHoT) January 7, 2014