CDL Major 4 Finalists
OpTic Texas and Los Angeles Thieves Advance to Call of Duty League Major 4 Upper-Bracket Final
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OpTic Texas and Los Angeles Thieves punched their tickets to the upper-bracket final of the Call of Duty League Major 4 on Saturday in Nanterre, France. OpTic rolled past G2 Minnesota 3-0, while the Thieves edged FaZe Vegas in a tense 3-2 series to set up a marquee winners final on Championship Sunday, according to Field Level Media.
The two-day event at Paris La Défense Arena carries a $365,000 prize pool, with the champion taking home $150,000 and 100 CDL points — the final major before the 2026 World Championship in July, Field Level Media reports.
OpTic Dominates, Thieves Survive a Five-Map Thriller
OpTic Texas made quick work of G2 Minnesota, winning every map decisively. The scores tell the story: 250-186 on Scar Hardpoint, 6-2 on Gridlock Search and Destroy, and 3-1 on Den Overload. Mason "Mercules" Ramsey led the charge with 75 kills and a +11 kill-death differential, according to Field Level Media.
The Thieves had a much harder road. Their series against FaZe Vegas went the full five maps, with the deciding Search and Destroy on Den ending 6-5 in Los Angeles's favor. Paco "HyDra" Rusiewiez, a French native playing on home soil, posted 98 kills across the series, according to Field Level Media.
LA Thieves Extend Historic 14-Game Winning Streak
The Thieves entered Major 4 riding a 14-game winning streak — a new all-time CDL record, according to Hotspawn. They also went a perfect 5-0 in qualifying matches to claim the top seed entering the bracket. No CDL team has ever won this many matches in a row.
HyDra added fuel to the rivalry fire ahead of Sunday's clash. He said the Gentle Mates' French fan support makes them "bigger than OpTic" in France. OpTic Texas is the only team in the league to keep its full 2025 roster, a move analysts say gives them a chemistry edge, according to Breaking Point.
Host Paris Gentle Mates Stay Alive in Lower Bracket
The hometown Paris Gentle Mates (also known as M8) gave French fans reason to cheer. They beat the Miami Heretics 3-2, then eliminated G2 Minnesota 3-1 to stay alive in the lower bracket. Joseph "JoeDeceives" Romero's SMG play was credited as a key factor in their survival run, according to Field Level Media.
Analysts note that Gentle Mates' fundamentals are still a work in progress. But the roaring home crowd at Paris La Défense Arena has given them a real boost. FaZe Vegas also survived, sweeping Toronto KOI 3-0 in the lower bracket quarterfinal to keep their tournament hopes alive, per Field Level Media.
Major 4 Sets the Stage for July's World Championship
Major 4 is the last chance for teams to earn CDL points before the 2026 World Championship, set for July 16-19. The winner in Paris gets $150,000 and 100 points. Second place earns $90,000 and 75 points. Those totals will lock in the eight-team bracket for the world title, according to Field Level Media.
The event is also a landmark moment for European esports — the largest CDL major ever held on the continent. For teams like G2 Minnesota and Miami Heretics, early exits likely signal roster changes ahead of the off-season. For OpTic and the Thieves, Sunday is a chance to cement their legacies before Champs, according to Field Level Media.
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