Five key players to watch during the CDL Major II, Birmingham

The Call of Duty League is back on European turf for the first time in seven years, as CDL Major II has touched down in Birmingham, UK. But, on the cobbles that gave us Peaky Blinders, who will be the ringleaders that will follow in the footsteps of these fabled rapscallions and land themselves a place in UK Call of Duty folklore?

We look at five standout CDL 2026 Major II players who could light up the stage this weekend:

Top CDL 2026 Major II Players to Watch

The aBeZy conundrum

Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris has been a stalwart figure as a leading SMG player throughout the entire Call of Duty League era. Having burst onto the scene alongside Chris “Simp” Lehr at eUnited, the ‘tiny terrors’ reigned supreme at FaZe for five years. But the most successful duo in recent memory has now gone separate ways, and has both taken different approaches with their new teams. 

Simp, staying at FaZe, has partnered with a group of hungry youngsters who are continuing to grow and impress. But aBeZy headed to LA Thieves in a ‘superteam’ roster, partnering yet another phenomenal SMG star in Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez. 

However, Thieves have been misfiring in the CDL 2026 season, with aBeZy being the most notable flaw. Possibly in the same vein as Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari and Russel Westbrook in a Lakers jersey. aBeZy’s star power has collided with HyDra rather than fit together, with long-standing habits proving hard to break. but out of the CDL 2026 Major II players, he’s got a lot at stake.

CDL Major II is a pivotal point in aBeZy’s tenure at Thieves. There’s no denying that he’s gifted on the sticks, but if the chemistry falters on the UK stage. Thieves have a history of keeping players on a short leash and making big calls to change the roster; after all, the organisation should be a top-three team in the league, at the very least.

Anything short of this, and Thieves have the ultimate conundrum: stick by their man in hopes he can turn it around, or offload arguably a top-five SMG player to another team and pray he doesn’t come back for revenge.

For aBeZy, it’s approaching a make-or-break point. Major II could be the pressure cooker that he succumbs to. Or, it might just be the platform he uses to come out swinging in the CDL. You can expect to see either an overwhelmed, disconnected gunman or MVP-standard performances.

In the deep end

The Call of Duty League has been blessed with rookies in the last two years, with the Challengers pool spawning some massive talents. The latest of those is Nicholas “Kips” Lyons, who has wasted no time in putting his foot down in a Toronto KOI jersey. They’re one of the CDL 2026 Major II players most worth following at the tournament.

As one of the most recent Stallions and Huntsmen alumni, graduating from the hip of Mason “Mercules” Ramsey, Kips has already lit up the league with highlight reels against Miami Heretics, Paris Gentle Mates, and G2 Minnesota. Erupting into the CDL Major II stage, the young American found himself becoming immediately pivotal to the success of a turbulent Toronto KOI team. Where he posted massive positive K/D ratios in their convincing wins, but looked like a fish out of water in their losses.

Having found themselves in the unfortunate single-elimination Play-In bracket, Kips and KOI face an uphill climb to find success in Birmingham. But that doesn’t mean an underdog story is ruled out. With Joseph “JoeDeceives” Romero slaying in the SMG role, two European stalwarts on home turf, and Kips firing on all cylinders with an AR in hand, Toronto has the formula to produce big wins.

But, the pressure is on Kips to perform and 

Green Glue

Whenever OpTic takes to the stage, it’s easy to hyperfocus on the blurry speed merchant Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro. For years, the ‘movement king’ has been the focal point of the Green Wall’s appreciation, often shattering statistics records and stealing attention with ‘wow’ moments.

While this rings true in the Black Ops 7 season, it’s time to sit back and appreciate the dirty work and genius enabling that Cuyler “Huke” Garland gives this almost untouchable roster. The ‘Nuke’ has become a force to be reckoned with for OpTic this year, becoming the integral catalyst that allows the others to flourish, but adding in the clutch gene that proves pivotal against the best teams in the league.

That’s the most important parameter to judge OpTic on, too. We all know their roster of CDL Major II players can blow lesser teams away. Especially at international events when they always up the ante.

But when it comes to getting championships over the line, the Green Wall needs a glue that reins in the superstars and functions as a harmonious set of flying arrows. Huke is him.

If OpTic is to be successful at CDL Major II, it will be Huke that pushes them over the edge with well-timed solo forays, orchestrated team pushes, and borderline genius game awareness.

Spanish Arm-ada

Team Heretics are flying. Despite not appearing to be a team full of ‘superstars’, the Spanish-speaking side has punched a hole in the gate-kept top-four slots usually occupied by OpTic, FaZe, and LA Thieves – with many thanks to the arms of David “RenKoR” Isern. Alongside Gentle Mates, they’ve made the CDL 2026 season one of the most competitive yet, and RenKoR is the main reason.

Statistically, RenKoR leads the pack. With an assault rifle in hand, he leads the entire league for K/D, farming fodder in Hardpoint. Partnered with Search and Destroy expert Diego “Super” Escudero, the two lead the way across nearly all game modes, monopolising the K/D tables. With only Overload coming as a chink in the armour, Miami’s leading duo of CDL 2026 Major II players will be a thrilling watch.

For Miami, the chance to be crowned Major Champions has never been so close to being touched. Aside from OpTic Texas, the usual high-flying teams have all hit a brick wall, with the likes of Gentle Mates being found in Play-Ins, while LA Thieves and even FaZe have looked more than vulnerable.

That goes one of two ways, though: either the Spanish armada steps up to the plate and shows the world why they are currently the number two seed, or the pressure gets too high.

RenKoR especially shows no signs of slowing down throughout qualifying, though. If the momentum swings in his favor at any point over the weekend, the powerhouse rifler will be a joy to watch as he turns the elite players into nothing but bullet fodder.

The Prince 

In the same brush as aBeZy, once the promised successor of Seth “Scump” Abner and later Prince of Thieves, Dylan “Envoy” Hannon’s crown has long been slipping from his brown curly locks. Having secured enough money in the bank through his time at OpTic, Envoy has shown glimpses of his best since bouncing from LAT to Ultra and Paris Gentle Mates. But consistent high-level performances have long eluded the Hannon cannon.

CDL Major II feels like a last chance saloon for Envoy. Although Paris has openly revealed that there are a number of personal circumstances off-field affecting their preparations. The green suits are more than accommodating when it comes to protecting their players. The pressure from outside of the Gentle Mates camp is boiling. And, Envoy is at the centre of attention. 

While fellow Travis “Neptune” McCloud is up there as arguably the best player in the game, with a Major I montage for the ages, Envoy has struggled to keep up to pace. They’re one of the most intresting CDL 2026 Major II players heading into the event.

Starting off in the Play-ins, Gentle Mates need to avoid an embarrassing exit at all costs, otherwise heads – and crowns – could roll.