There is no shortage of talented players in the Call of Duty League, but the 2022 Vanguard season highlighted some of the best and brightest talents that the CDL has ever seen. From players who brought it together at the end of the season to those who started hot early, there were plenty of noteworthy moments from the year.
As 2022 winds down and the new season of Modern Warfare 2 begins, it is the best time to reflect on some of the players who performed the best during Vanguard. These same players will have all eyes on them for the new season to see if they can replicate the success they had in the previous title. Here are some of the best Call of Duty players from 2022.
Kenny Williams
The Los Angeles Thieves superstar has been the talk of the Call of Duty scene since he showcased his talents during the World War 2 era. Since then, Kenny has had both memorable and honorary performances, but there is no doubt one of his best years to date was in 2022 on Vanguard. Not only did Kenny win his first championship ring, he also won back-to-back MVP awards for his team’s wins at the Stage 4 Major and Champs.
Vanguard was not always bright for Kenny, however, as he struggled to keep pace with others early on and changed his role on the team a few times before getting it right. In the end, Kenny stepped up to the plate for his team, earning him a deserved double MVP award for the season.
McArthur “Cellium” Jovel
Despite the Atlanta FaZe failing to win a single event during Vanguard, Cellium continued to be a standout player for the team the same way he has been since he joined the team back in 2020, with an espoecially impressive performance during Vanguard. He had the highest overall KD at the end of the year with a 1.24 and had the highest Hardpoint KD at 1.27.
FaZe placed second at the majority of events during the Vanguard season and took home zero trophies, but it was not for a lack of talent. Cellium was the best assault rifler in Vanguard throughout the season and showcased it with his continuous top-tier performances even when his team was losing.
Amer “Pred” Zulbeari
Pred wasn’t just the the first player from the Oceanic region to make his way onto a top-performing CDL team, but also the first one win an event as well. Seattle Surge was a top-tier team throughout Vanguard and even won the Toronto Major in the middle of the year, a first for the organization. Most of this came off the back of Pred’s impressive performances and his ability to carry his team no matter the situation.
Like Cellium, Pred made it into the top five highest KDs at the end of the season at number four. He finished with a 1.10 overall KD which was one of the main reasons why he also earned the rookie of the year award to finish out Vanguard.
Brandon “Dashy” Otell
OpTic Texas also had high highs and low lows during Vanguard. The “superteam” started out the year hot, winning the Stage One Major in their hometown. Afterward, however, OpTic stayed consistently in the middle of the standings and struggled to replicate the success that they had at the beginning of the year. Still, even with only one tournament win throughout the year, Dashy proved that he is still one of the best assault rifles in the league.
Dashy finished the season right behind Cellium with an overall KD of 1.20 despite having a lower average tournament placing. Even when OpTic was losing, his teammates could always count on him to win his individual gunfights and help alleviate pressure around the map.
