Call of Duty League Championship 2025 team preview: Atlanta FaZe

Jonno Nicholson
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Table of Contents
  1. Atlanta FaZe Current Roster
  2. The Story So Far
  3. Championship Weekend Expectations
  4. FAQs
Atlanta FaZe standing on CDL Major 2 stage with trophy
Image credit: Call of Duty League

The 2025 Call of Duty League (CDL) season concludes with the season-ending Championship Weekend, rounding off a season of four Major LAN events and 12 weeks of online qualifiers. The 2025 season also marks the fifth anniversary of the CDL, which debuted following the end of the 2019 season.

Throughout 2025’s regular season, 12 franchises have battled it out for CDL Points to secure one of eight places for a shot at competing for the most prestigious prize within Call of Duty esports.

Before teams descend on Kitchener, Canada. Esports Insider shares insight into Atlanta FaZe, one of the most successful franchises of the Call of Duty League era.

Atlanta FaZe Current Roster

The four players representing Atlanta FaZe at Championship Weekend are as follows:  

  • Tyler ‘aBeZy’ Pharris
  • McArthur ‘Celium’ Jovel
  • Chris ‘Simp’ Lehr
  • Zack ‘Drazah’ Jordan

The trio of aBeZy, Celium, and Simp have represented the franchise owned by Atlanta Esports Ventures and FaZe Clan since October 2019, achieving success in 2021 with a Champs victory in Black Ops Cold War. 

In July 2023, Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat left the team, opening the door for Drazah to round out the starting lineup. Before joining Atlanta FaZe, Drazah had represented OpTic Gaming Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Thieves. 

For the past two years, this particular roster has cemented itself as one of the very best in the whole league, often making it into the latter stages of Majors and appearing towards the top of the league table.

The Story So Far

For Atlanta FaZe, the Black Ops 6 season has been a resounding success.

Looking to build on an underwhelming top-six finish at the 2024 CDL Championship, the franchise roared back into life, winning Major 1 in Madrid before following up with a victory in the second Major, all but guaranteeing its place at Champs at the halfway stage. As one of the few franchises that didn’t make a roster change throughout the entirety of the regular season, Atlanta FaZe has laid the foundations to ensure it’s often in contention for event victories. 

Atlanta’s Major 1 campaign began with dominance from the outset. 3-0 sweeps in the opening two rounds set up a clash against the LA Thieves. After scoring a 3-2 win to secure a place in the Grand Final, the franchise would face off against the Thieves once again in one of the closest finals in CDL history. Atlanta managed to grab victory in the eleventh round of game seven, securing its sixth CDL trophy.

Momentum continued into Major 2 after securing the second seed in online qualifiers. Instead of LA Thieves featuring in the winner’s bracket final, a resurging Vancouver Surge took the series to a fifth and final map. Ultimately, it was Atlanta FaZe booking its place in another Black Ops 6 Grand Final. Vancouver would join the team in the final but struggled to give Atlanta a run for its money, resulting in a swift 4-0 victory and a second Major for the franchise.

Heading into Major 3, Atlanta FaZe had the opportunity to become the first franchise in history to win three consecutive CDL Majors. The winning streak came to an end at the hands of Miami Heretics, resulting in a top-six finish. Despite the loss, another 30 CDL Points were earned.

Major 4 marked a return to form, with the franchise earning its third Grand Final appearance of the season. After defeating LA Thieves in Major 1, Atlanta would lose to the fellow North American powerhouse with a 4-2 scoreline. Nonetheless, the result secured a place at Champs and another opportunity to win the biggest accolade in Call of Duty esports for a third time.

For more information on the other franchises competing at Championship Weekend, take a look at Esports Insider’s other previews:

Championship Weekend Expectations

Having performed towards the top of the CDL table throughout the entirety of the Black Ops 6 season, Atlanta FaZe heads into Championship Weekend with eyes firmly focused on the prize.

A second CDL Championship trophy would cement the franchise’s position as the most successful of all time, while the tiny terrors of Simp and aBeZy have an opportunity to become three-time world champions following success in 2019 and 2021.

With a tricky opening match against long-time rivals OpTic Texas, Atlanta FaZe’s Champs campaign could begin with an early trip to the elimination bracket if the team doesn’t begin the tournament on the front foot. Having won two of the four Majors in Black Ops 6, anything other than a Grand Final appearance would be a disappointing end to a phenomenal season.

FAQs

Who Are Atlanta FaZe?

Atlanta FaZe is an esports franchise owned by Atlanta Esports Ventures and FaZe Clan. Founded in May 2019, the franchise was one of the first to announce its entry into the Call of Duty League. Over the past five years, it has cemented itself as one of the league’s strongest franchises, often competing towards the top of the table. 

What Games Does Atlanta FaZe Compete In?

Atlanta FaZe exclusively competes in the Call of Duty League. The organisation has yet to expand into other esports titles. 

Has Atlanta FaZe Won Any Championships

Atlanta FaZe has won seven Call of Duty esports championships since its inception in 2019. Victories include the 2021 Call of Duty League championship and the 2024 Esports World Cup. 

Jonno Nicholson

Writer
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Jonno is a writer for Esports Insider and has been part of the team since 2019. Over the past ten years, he's written for several outlets including Gfinity, GGRecon, and Radio Times. As an avid sim racer, he aims to provide insight on one of the fastest growing sectors in esports.
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