Event OPAL Awards of Major 1 Madrid

With the conclusion of each event, BreakingPoint will be giving out individual awards called OPAL Awards (Outstanding Players at LAN) to the players who were deemed the best & most impactful in that event. (Name not etched in stone yet!)

Players will be recognized for their consistency, standout performances, and clutch play in big matches, but they must also play a crucial role in driving their team’s success throughout the tournament. Starting with the Madrid Major, we’ll be highlighting the players who shined the brightest in the opening LAN.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

The Madrid Major followed an identical script as the end of last season’s EWC: Atlanta FaZe taking down LA Thieves to win the Championship.

Following the winter holiday break, the squad has won everything within the CDL schedule. Starting with the Minor, the team took the inaugural online tournament and hasn’t lost since. While FaZe took the top spot, multiple players were shining throughout the tournament. Here were the best players of the opening LAN event!

Chris "Simp" Lehr - Atlanta FaZe

The MVP of the Tournament, Simp led Atlanta FaZe to their second-consecutive LAN victory. The tournament didn’t have an easy path to victory, as FaZe had to take down Thieves twice en route to their Championship. Simp finished with a 1.07 KD for the tournament, leading FaZe in Slayer Rating (88.0) and having a 1.30 K/D in SND.

McArthur "Cellium" Jovel - Atlanta FaZe

It seems to be forgotten that Cellium was a force as the 3rd SMG in both Cold War & Vanguard for FaZe in the past. With the current meta favoring SMGs, Atlanta was one of the only teams to bring out 3+ SMGs at times to push the pace. This brought out the best in Cellium, as he finished with a team-high 1.11 K/D for the tournament. With Cellium playing at this level of pace & impact, FaZe will continue being tournament threats.

📸 Photo by @ATLFaZe

Dylan "Envoy" Hannon - LA Thieves

After a strong start to the season, the Thieves had cooled off online in January. Envoy struggled the most individually, having a 0.90 K/D in January online matches. In Hardpoint, the Dark Prince had a 0.88 K/D and 2709 damage per 10 minutes (48th out of 49 players). He did a complete 180 at the Major, leading the team with a 1.26 K/D in Hardpoint with 3033 damage per 10 minutes. His 1.22 respawn K/D led the team as well.

Giovanni "Gio" Webster - Minnesota RØKKR

The second-year AR had a chip on his shoulder this weekend after being called out going into the year by other players. Gio led the Rokkr to a Top 6 finish, earning 30 CDL points, and pushing Minnesota into 7th in the Season Standings. He led the tournament in multiple stats including overall K/D (1.23) and Slayer Rating (97.6) while having a 1.29 K/D in SND. He was the only player to have a 1.22 K/D or better in all three modes. Overall, a sensational opening tournament for Gio.

📸 Photo by @ROKKR

Thomas "Scrap" Ernst - LA Thieves

Scrap was a menace for the Thieves this event, finishing with a 1.18 overall K/D (2nd best) and 92.1 Slayer Rating. While they finished 2nd to Atlanta FaZe, both series losses went to the final round of the final map. The superstar AR led the Thieves in both Kills & K/D in three of their five series, including both of the series against Atlanta. With Scrap showing great consistency across both online & LAN, it gives LA an anchor to always rely on this season.

José "ReeaL" Castilla - Miami Heretics

The 3rd place finish at Major 1 in Madrid was the highest finish for Miami Heretics since joining the League last season. Even looking back at Black Ops 4, Team Heretics only achieved a Top 6 finish at CWL London. ReeaL was the only Miami player with a K/D higher than 0.96 (1.01). He had a 90.0 Slayer Rating (11th best) with a 1.03 K/D in Hardpoint and 1.10 K/D in SND.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

Honorable Mentions

Both Zack "Drazah" Jordan & Tyler "aBeZy" Pharris were vital to FaZe’s run to the Championship as well. aBeZy finished with a 1.48 SND K/D with 0.91 kills per round and an opening duel win percentage of 64%. Drazah’s individual stats didn’t highlight the amount of individual high-impact plays he had over the weekend. While they didn’t crack into the Top 6 for an OPAL, FaZe doesn’t win the Major without their impact.

Daunte "Sib" Gray was abysmal online, having a 0.85 overall K/D with a 77.3 Slayer Rating and 0.83 Repsawn K/D. Then came LAN Daunte, who had a 1.12 overall K/D at Major 1. He improved to a 94.0 Slayer Rating, 1.06 Respawn K/D, and led the tournament in SND K/D (1.73). While individually he was great, the Top 8 placement didn’t justify an OPAL.

📸 Photo by @CODLeague

Dylan "Nero" Koch was on the cusp of receiving an OPAL, finishing with a 1.09 overall K/D and 94.8 Slayer Rating. Ultimately, he fell just short of teammate Gio.

While OpTic Texas struggled mightly, Cuyler "Huke" Garland continued his run of good form. He was the only player on Texas with better than a 0.96 overall K/D. OpTic falling far below their expectations closed the door on any player earning an event OPAL.

Carolina made a run to the Top 4 behind great play from both Thomas "TJHaly" Haly & Isaiah "Gwinn" Gwinn. Both players came close but did not quite stand out enough on a personal level throughout the event to secure an award.