Mentioned in this article
- CEO Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez has left OpTic Gaming, and has been named co-CEO of NRG Esports.
- Immortals Gaming Club acquired Infinite Esports & Entertainment and OpTic Gaming in June.
- NRG has secured the Chicago franchise spot in the upcoming Call of Duty Global League, which begins play in 2020.
Hector “H3CZ” Rodriguez, the longtime CEO of OpTic Gaming, has left the organization and taken a new position as co-CEO of NRG Esports.
His departure comes after Immortals Gaming Club acquired OpTic Gaming parent company Infinite Esports & Entertainment in June. Immortals secured a franchise spot in the upcoming Call of Duty Global League for Los Angeles, but it’s unclear whether the OpTic Gaming brand will live on in that league. Activision Blizzard’s similarly-structured Overwatch League does not let teams use existing organizational branding.
According to a joint statement issued by Immortals and Rodriguez before the NRG news came out, the two sides had discussed him staying with OpTic Gaming going forward, but he opted to pursue another opportunity.
“OpTic has been a significant part of my life for many years,” said Rodriguez in the statement. “I have great respect for the Immortals organization and they have treated me and all of OpTic’s players fairly during this transition period. I wish them and OpTic well in the future.”
Soon after, NRG tweeted that Rodriguez had joined the organization as its new co-CEO, with a short video showing him putting on an NRG hoodie. Just last week, Activision Blizzard announced that NRG had acquired the Chicago franchise spot in the Call of Duty Global League. OpTic Gaming is best known for its success and championships in Call of Duty, and the team was formerly based in Chicago.
