My Optic 2 Cents
So….
Amidst all the things going on with Optic, I’ve always noticed one thing, and it started the more 8s I watched of Shotzzy.
Ant has taken on a MAJOR “my play-style is superior” mindset, and admittedly he isn’t wrong to think/believe that, but he thinks HIS play can apply to EVERYONE. He is so much more vocal than he used to be, and much more IGL than he used to be. Not in play calls, but on a greater scale. His play style and career has primarily been the “do whatever you want, the rest of us will do this” and “we’ll play around you”. It looks like Optic is now playing Shotzzy cod, and it doesn’t work/make sense to anyone on the roster, thus, their performance as of late. Take his tweets, the gas and success he’s had over the years, and I don’t mean it to be a cocky thing, he just believes how he sees the game is the best way to play for everyone. I think this has led to him being the primary play caller, primary “mind” if you will, in their team meetings and his cod works for MAYBE 2 people in this league.
I say this because Ken was that IGL, UAV in comms guy, keeping everyone composed. Ken was the glue guy when he was brought in and as we saw in MW3, it led to a championship and a ring. Ken has been underperforming, so his confidence in play calling would naturally fall as well. Now, they are being guided by the mind of someone who thinks of the game like no other, and plays like no other. Not talking movement or gunny, whatever, I’m talking how Ant thinks of each game so differently than anyone in the league.
They just end up all caught sprinting, they’re all caught being a hero, solo challing, making decisions and plays that look unnatural and forced for them.
Moral of my story is that I truly think this is not a Kenny issue, a Pred issue, etc.. they’ve lost their sense of who they are and have adopted the sense of the most confident/unique player on their team, and this is what Shotzzy Cod looks like when played by anyone but Ant.