FaZe Vegas have returned to the summit of Call of Duty esports, defeating a three-peat-seeking OpTic Texas 5-2 in the best-of-Nine Black Ops 7 grand final at the Michelob ULTRA Arena inside Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It's the organisation's second world championship, following their first back in 2021 during the Black Ops Cold War season, when they were still based in Atlanta. Fittingly, they lifted the trophy on home turf, with FaZe Vegas headquartered in the city.
Denying History
The stakes for this final couldn't have been higher, because OpTic Texas were chasing something unprecedented. A win would have handed them a third consecutive CoD Champs title, following back-to-back victories in Modern Warfare 3 and Black Ops 6, and delivered star player Shotzzy a fourth championship ring. FaZe put a decisive stop to both storylines. Instead, it was FaZe's Simp who etched his name into the history books, claiming his third CDL Championship to join the elite company of Crimsix, Clayster, Karma, and Shotzzy as the winningest players in league history. Simp's pedigree is remarkable, having previously won with Atlanta FaZe in 2021 and eUnited back in 2019.
A Grand Final Decided by the Finest of Margins
The showpiece was billed as an "El Clasico" between two titans meeting in a CoD Champs final for the first time, and it delivered on that promise, but not through blowouts. Despite the 5-2 scoreline, the series was staggeringly close, with a mere 24 points reportedly separating the two sides across six maps. FaZe reached championship point after grinding out a nerve-shredding Round 11 Search and Destroy on Den, but OpTic refused to fold, storming back to take Den Overload 4-3 on the strength of a strong second half. The reigning champions simply couldn't string together the comeback, though. Down 4-5 on Hacienda Search and Destroy, Simp came up clutch with two massive pickoffs to force a third Round 11 of the series, before FaZe dismantled OpTic's rush and Abuzah won a decisive 1v1 against Mercules to seal the title.
Throughout the run, it was FaZe's relative newcomers who impressed most, with Abuzah and 04 posting big numbers alongside veterans Simp and Drazah, holding firm against the reigning champions every time OpTic threatened to seize control.
The Culmination of a Rivalry
This victory is the perfect bookend to a season-long rivalry between the two organisations. FaZe entered Champs as underdogs in the prediction stakes, with OpTic the clear favourites after topping the regular season standings. But this result echoed a pattern that had haunted OpTic all year. Back at Major 2 in Birmingham, FaZe similarly ambushed a red-hot OpTic in the grand final, and once again it was the hotter, lower-bracket-tempered FaZe that came out swinging when it mattered most. FaZe actually navigated the entire event without dropping a series, including a 3-2 win over OpTic in the winners final before the rematch.
OpTic Texas were left to settle for second place and a $480,000 consolation from the $2 million prize pool, with FaZe taking home the $800,000 top prize. With the 2026 season now concluded, the Call of Duty League turns its attention to the Modern Warfare 4 cycle, where significant competitive changes are expected. For now, though, the moment belongs to FaZe Vegas, world champions once more, five years on from their last, and in front of their home crowd.
More:CDL Eyes Europe and Latin America as Its Next Growth Frontiers
Read
Source Editing
Visual Editing
Related news
