New York Subliners sign Gunless, PaulEhx, Classic, and Decemate for NYSL Academy roster

The New York Subliners have signed an academy roster consisting of former Call of Duty League players Gunless, Classic, PaulEhx, and Decemate, as well as coach Ronin, sources tell Breaking Point. In the first Challengers Cup as a team, NYSL Academy placed top eight after losing to ErikBooM’s team in the quarterfinals on Jan. 21.

The foursome will compete on the Challengers circuit as part of the Subliners’ ‘Linerati’ program. NYSL’s supporters were tasked with constructing their preferred Challengers roster, and a small number of those fans are actively managing the team’s budget and travel arrangements for Major 1 in Boston, a source tells Breaking Point.

The Subliners’ return to the Challengers scene — the team fielded an academy team for part of the 2021 season — and their collaboration with fans appear to be the latest instances of the organization attempting to become one of the most fan-friendly teams in the league, with the now-canceled LAG-Liners merch and social media push, as well as the organization’s “Subliners Battle Pass” being other such examples.

Each of the four NYSL Academy players has extensive experience competing at the highest level of CoD esports.

Classic, the team’s eldest player, is Atlanta FaZe’s current CDL substitute and has been competing in the Challengers since parting ways with the Seattle Surge after the 2021 season. He previously represented the Toronto Ultra and Paris Legion, in addition to Luminosity, Envy, Rise Nation, and FaZe Clan before the CDL’s inception. In 2022, he, alongside MohaK, Brack, and Exceed, won the $250,000 Challengers Finals in Los Angeles.

On NYSL Academy, Classic reunites with Gunless, with whom he teamed most recently as part of Convoy Gaming for part of the 2023 Challengers season. In the CDL, they were teammates with the Seattle Surge during 2021. They most notably won CWL Fort Worth in March 2019 together while representing Luminosity.

The pair will be joined by Decemate and PaulEhx, both of whom have represented the Subliners albeit quite briefly in Decemate’s case. The former Los Angeles Guerrillas starter filled in for New York’s Asim during Major 4 in June 2021 due to visa issues with the Canadian player. He briefly played for the Paris Legion in the 2022 season and has since played sparingly in Challengers.

PaulEhx’s stint with New York was much longer and more memorable. After displaying incredible success in Challengers with WestR, he caught the attention of the then-London Royal Ravens, who signed him in March 2021 for the rest of the season. After initially being without a team to start the next season, Paul found his way on the Subliners, with whom he helped turn around the team’s season.

After a 1-7 start to the year, the Subliners benched Clayster and signed PaulEhx, which, in addition to the emergence of rookie HyDra, completely lifted NYSL out of the CDL’s basement. In addition to winning the $250,000 midseason Pro-Am Classic, the team went 13-8 in league matches with PaulEhx and more importantly made an improbable run to the Major 4 grand finals to qualify for the 2022 CDL Championship. Paul returned to the Royal Ravens the following season but was ultimately released after a rough start to the 2023 campaign.

NYSL Academy will be competing in the Boston Challengers Open from Jan. 26 to 28.