Oxygen Esports, the operating company behind various esports teams including the Call of Duty League’s Boston Breach, is laying off all staff and ceasing operations entirely, according to a new report.
The report, by Dexerto’s Jacob Hale, cites multiple sources as saying the company is exiting the competitive gaming scene. Oxygen is most well-known for partnering up with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s company in 2021 after originally being founded in 2020.
Oxygen has operated teams in VALORANT, Rocket League, Rainbow Six, and ENascar, according to its website, but it’s most well-known for fielding one of 12 teams within Activision’s CoD League when the Boston Breach entered the CDL in 2022.
According to Hale, Boston Breach players have been notified that they’ll “lose access to the Helix facility and be out of their apartments by Aug. 8,” which is days before they’re scheduled to fly to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the Esports World Cup Modern Warfare 3 tournament. Boston’s current CoD lineup features Snoopy, Cammy, Owakening, and Purj after the org made three roster changes last month following a last-place finish in the 2024 CDL season. The Breach posted a 6-27 series record on the year, five fewer match wins than the next closest team in the standings.
Despite struggling in-game this year, the Breach was one of just a handful of CDL franchises that was willing to host Majors over the last two years at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. With the CDL set to begin a new season for Black Ops 6 sometime later this year, this report leaves the league’s 12th spot once taken by Boston up for grabs. It’s unclear what will happen next for the league or the Boston players in light of today’s reported news.
A formal announcement is expected in the coming days once “formalities around severance pay” are finished, with the news becoming official before this Friday, Aug. 9, according to Hale.
