Seattle Surge main AR player Octane made an appearance on the Codcast yesterday and he gave some interesting details on how the Surge’s roster came to be.
Despite winning several titles with 100 Thieves last season, the lineup split into different parts to go their own way. While Octane and Enable stuck together to build a roster for Seattle, SlasheR and Kenny teamed up and eventually signed with OpTic Gaming Los Angeles, while Priestahh joined the Atlanta FaZe.
Octane said he had many opportunities, including going to the Dallas Empire, OpTic Gaming Los Angeles, or even staying with the 100 Thieves roster and signing to a franchise. But everything ultimately fell through, leaving him and Enable to search for three teammates. For some time, though, it appeared as though they had a set team of five, with Slacked, Envoy, and Arcitys saying they’d be signing.
“When I originally started to try to construct the roster, it was [Arcitys] and [Envoy]. Everyone knows that at this point,” Octane said. “And they got an offer from Chicago to play there, and they left with… three or four days until we had to submit a roster.”
With little time to put together a roster, Octane’s trio convinced Apathy, a two-time world champion, to pull out of his commitment to the Florida Mutineers. And the team also signed Karma, the only three-time CoD world champion, who had been left out of other teams’ rosters.
On paper, the trio agreed the team should be nowhere near the worst team in the league. But as Thanos said, “Reality is often disappointing.” Despite making changes to their roster throughout the season, Seattle are just 10 CDL Points above the last-place team, the Los Angeles Guerrillas, who defeated the Surge the last time they played.
Additionally, Karma suddenly retired from competing on June 3, leaving the Surge to throw substitute Nicholas”Proto” Maldonado into the starting lineup for the first time this season. Enable, who announced he won’t be starting for Seattle this season, said Octane was the only player on the team that wanted to play with him.
The Surge will compete in the next CDL event, the Minnesota Home Series, which begins on June 12. They’ll be in the same group as the Atlanta FaZe, Dallas Empire, and Minnesota RØKKR, who are all in the top four in the Call of Duty League.
