COVID has made me miss a lot of things, but people running up to each other in person to verbally abuse them for losing at Call of Duty isn’t one of them.
A LAN event — one of the first held since the COVID-19 pandemic forced esports events online — was held over the weekend by Esports Zone in Texas. It wasn’t a massive event — the winners walked away with $US6,000, while second place grabbed $US1,200 — but everyone attending was clearly in it to win.
A compilation of some of the most vocal events was posted online by CDL Intel on Twitter, and it features a lot of screaming. Some of the highlights from tournament attendees include:
- “You’re going home you fucking shitstain … retire, stay fucking retired”
- Someone knocking over a monitor on the ground because they were running too quickly to abuse the team on the other side of the event
- Someone pulling down their mask just to tell the other team “you fucking suck”
Honestly, just watch the full video below with sound.
A local LAN event was held in Texas over the weekend… ???? pic.twitter.com/jFRAj4I1qX
— CDL Intel (@INTELCallofDuty) May 24, 2021
Esports events have always had a friendly relationship with vocal banter, especially at LAN events where throwing off your opponents is occasionally welcome, depending on the community. But Call of Duty has always had a reputation for taking the aggression and turning it up to 11, and COVID apparently hasn’t had any impact on that.
As for the actual tournament, Team Smog won over Shady Kings Gold in the finals. After returning home from the tournament, one of the players said it best:
I get being passionate but bro some of y’all are so cringe.
— Bink (@ImBink_) May 24, 2021
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