Mentioned in this article
- Former 100 Thieves Head of Esports Eric “Muddawg” Sanders has been named OpTic Gaming’s Call of Duty general manager.
- OpTic Gaming owns a Los Angeles franchise spot in next year’s geolocated Call of Duty Global League.
- Longtime OpTic Gaming CEO Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez recently departed to become co-CEO of NRG Esports and oversee its Global League franchise in Chicago.
OpTic Gaming has announced the hiring of Eric “Muddawg” Sanders, a longtime presence in the competitive Call of Duty scene, as the general manager of its Call of Duty franchise.
Sanders last served as head of esports operations for 100 Thieves, where he helped build the organization’s Call of Duty World League (CWL) team for last season. That team won two CWL Majors this year, and finished second at August’s CWL Championship behind champions eUnited. However, 100 Thieves recently announced it would not be participating in next year’s geolocated Call of Duty Global League, and that it had exited the esport.
Prior to his time with 100 Thieves, Sanders worked on the league side of the CWL for Activision Blizzard, and had also been a competitive Call of Duty player himself.
OpTic Gaming has secured a Los Angeles franchise slot in the Call of Duty Global League, and Sanders will take over Call of Duty operations for the team after a time of significant change. The organization was acquired by Immortals Gaming Club in June, with longtime CEO Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez departing earlier this month to become co-CEO of NRG Esports and oversee its Chicago franchise in the Global League.
In a YouTube video, Sanders admitted that it will be difficult to follow in the footsteps of past OpTic Gaming leaders and personalities, and that fans may be frustrated or angry with the recent changes. “This is an extremely intimidating position for me to be in,” he said, “but I hope I can honor the tradition built by those before me.”
